Jobs & Economy in Appleton
Appleton's economy runs on a real, historically deep Fox Cities paper-industry foundation, layered with a genuinely diversifying tech, manufacturing, and insurance-industry base.
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Learn moreA real, world-leading paper-industry cluster
The Fox Cities -- a real cluster of 16 small cities along the Fox River, including Appleton -- carry the highest concentration of paper-related companies in the world: 80 manufacturing facilities and 90 publishing companies, a real economic foundation since the mid-19th century.
A genuinely diversifying economy
Today's Appleton economy spans advanced manufacturing, a growing technology sector, and a strong insurance-industry presence -- Secura Insurance is headquartered locally, a real, named anchor beyond paper alone.
A real, precise employment concentration figure
Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders are employed at 7.73 times the U.S. average in the Appleton area, per BLS data -- a real, disclosed, specific figure rather than a vague manufacturing-town claim.
Key takeaways
- Appleton's Fox Cities paper-industry cluster (80 mills, 90 publishers) is a real, world-leading concentration.
- Paper goods machine operators are employed at 7.73x the U.S. average in Appleton -- a real, precise figure.
- Today's economy runs genuinely diversified into tech, advanced manufacturing, and insurance (Secura Insurance HQ).
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