Traditionally, Quad-Cities employment has been based in manufacturing. In recent years, however, the area employment picture has diversified, with growth in many different areas including facets of the computer industry, finance, health and insurance.

Some of the area's largest employers and the number of their employees, are:

Rock Island Arsenal -- 6,680

Deere & Co. -- 6,300

Genesis Medical Center-- 4,900

Trinity Medical Center -- 2,900

Tyson Fresh Meats -- 2,400

Alcoa, Inc. -- 2,250

Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayerg -- 1,650

MidAmerican Energy Co. --1,230

Isle of Capri -- 1,050

APAC Customer Services, Inc -- 900

Exelon -- 700

Sears Manufacturing -- 600

United Parcel Services -- 590

Export Packaging -- 580

Great Dane Trailers -- 550

Thoms Proestler Co. -- 490

Von Maur -- 460

KONE Inc. -- 450

Von Hoffman, Inc.- 445

Modern Woodmen of America -- 440

3M -- 435

Norcross Safety Products -- 425

AT&T -- 410

Nestle Purina -- 400

Quad City Development Group Web site; using information from human resources and personnel departments, as of May 25, 2007