Birmingham grew to prominence as a
manufacturing and engineering centre, but its economy today is dominated by the
service sector, which in 2012 accounted for 88% of the city's employment.
Birmingham is the largest centre in Great Britain for employment in public
administration, education and health; and after Leeds the second largest centre
outside London for employment in financial and other business services. It is
ranked as a beta- world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research
Network, the third highest ranking in the country after London and Manchester,
and its wider metropolitan
