Translation Services in Seattle – Economic Profile
Seattle, with a metropolitan area population of about 3.2 million people, is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The “Gateway to Alaska” is an important center for international business, high technology, medical research, and education.
The Seattle area headquarters several Fortune 500 companies such as Washington Mutual, Amazon.com, Starbucks, Microsoft, Nordstrom, and Safeco. The city was home to aerospace giant Boeing who moved to Chicago in 2001 and still operates its largest division in Seattle.
The most important economic sectors include biotechnology, education, and medical research. Seattle is home to biotech companies such as ZymoGenetics, Corixa, and Dendreon. The city is also a major tourist destination, and its thriving cultural scene attracts countless national and international visitors each year. In addition, it hosts the Seattle International Film Festival, and events such as Northwest Folklife, many Seafair events and ethnic festivals draw hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Seattle is internationally renowned for its prestigious universities and research institutions. It is home to Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, City University, Antioch University, and the University of Washington, which was ranked among the 22 best universities in the world. The University of Washington is also one of the most respected institutions for medical research. In addition, Medic One, a prestigious center for paramedic services, as well as Harborview Medical Center, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, and the Hutchinson Cancer Research Center are all located in Seattle.
Seattle is home to en ethnically diverse community. Its demographic makeup is 17% Asian, 10% African American, and 6% Hispanic. The city has seen a lot of recent immigration and a large percentage of its population is foreign born. Its most prevalent communities are Germans (11%), Irish (9%), Norwegians (5%), Chinese, and Vietnamese.
All these aspects have created a significant demand for cross-cultural communication and high quality multilingual services in Seattle. In addition, ethnic marketing will be an important factor in the development of this city in the future.
