The economic area of Basel is considered to be the third largest economic centre in Switzerland, after Zurich and Geneva.

The chemical industry and the pharmaceutical industry are of greatest significance in the canton.
There are a number of multinationals in the city of Basel, attracting workers from both cantons of Basel and the areas across the border in France and Germany.
Banking and finance are important as is the service sector in general.
Small and middle-sized businesses employ a significant number of people, both in the city as the two municipalities.
The canton is also known for its banking sector, and for being the worldwide seat of the Bank for International Settlements.

Economically the neighbouring lands in Germany and France are not separated from the area of the canton of Basel-Stadt.
Good transport links across the border as well as supportive local governments facilitate this link.

The fact that three nation-states come together in one spot near Basel (Dreiländereck) attracts some tourists.
The site is clearly identified and a popular destination for primary school classes.
The carnival attracts large number of people from across Switzerland and the neighbouring countries.

In 2014, there were 104 workers in Basel-Stadt who work in the primary sector (the total for all of Switzerland is 3.3%) In the same year the secondary sector employed 36,441 or about 19.0% of the total workforce.
Of those in the secondary sector, nearly half of the workers were involved in the production of pharmaceutical products.
The tertiary sector employed 154,896 or about 80.9% of the total, which is slightly higher than 74.9% nationwide.
Of those in the tertiary sector, health care, education and retail sales made up about a quarter.
Some of the other major tertiary fields included job placement (5.1%), management and business consulting (4.1%), public administration (3.9%), architectural and engineering offices (3.7%) and financial services (3.5%).
The economic area of Basel is considered to be the third largest economic centre in Switzerland, after Zurich and Geneva.
The chemical industry and the pharmaceutical industry are of greatest significance in the canton. There are a number of multinationals in the city of Basel, attracting workers from both cantons of Basel and the areas across the border in France and Germany. Banking and finance are important as is the service sector in general. Small and middle-sized businesses employ a significant number of people, both in the city as the two municipalities. The canton is also known for its banking sector, and for being the worldwide seat of the Bank for International Settlements.
Economically the neighbouring lands in Germany and France are not separated from the area of the canton of Basel-Stadt. Good transport links across the border as well as supportive local governments facilitate this link.
The fact that three nation-states come together in one spot near Basel (Dreiländereck) attracts some tourists. The site is clearly identified and a popular destination for primary school classes. The carnival attracts large number of people from across Switzerland and the neighbouring countries.
In 2014, there were 104 workers in Basel-Stadt who work in the primary sector (the total for all of Switzerland is 3.3%) In the same year the secondary sector employed 36,441 or about 19.0% of the total workforce. Of those in the secondary sector, nearly half of the workers were involved in the production of pharmaceutical products. The tertiary sector employed 154,896 or about 80.9% of the total, which is slightly higher than 74.9% nationwide. Of those in the tertiary sector, health care, education and retail sales made up about a quarter. Some of the other major tertiary fields included job placement (5.1%), management and business consulting (4.1%), public administration (3.9%), architectural and engineering offices (3.7%) and financial services (3.5%).
Canton of Basel-Stadt