We Work For Health is a grassroots initiative that unites health consumers, biopharmaceutical company employees and retirees, vendors, suppliers and other business, academic and community partners to demonstrate how these diverse groups work together to improve America’s health care system and strengthen our economy.

Industry Impact

America’s biopharmaceutical companies help research, manufacture, distribute and promote innovative therapies that make a critical difference in the lives of millions of people. In the last ten years, scientists have discovered and developed more than 300 completely new medicines, vaccines and biologics approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

Biopharmaceutical companies are also vital economic partners, generating tax revenue, creating high-paying jobs and providing growth opportunities for related industries and domestic labor. In fact:

• The industry provides jobs in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. States in which the national biopharmaceutical sector supported the largest number of jobs in 2008 included: California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Illinois.
• Biopharmaceutical companies directly provided 655,025 jobs in 2008 and supported an estimated 3.1 million jobs across the U.S. economy when accounting its full ripple effect (i.e., direct, indirect, and induced jobs).
• The industry’s direct contribution to the U.S. GDP in 2008 - $114.6 billion - was three and a half times greater than the average contribution from other economic sectors. For every dollar our industry directly contributed to the U.S. GDP in 2008, the ripple effect of that activity supported another $1.91 in contribution from other sectors.
• In 2010, U.S. biopharmaceutical companies invested $67.4 billion in research and development of new medicines.

In addition, many biopharmaceutical companies provide philanthropic assistance in their local communities through support of access to affordable products, education, social services, arts and other community needs.

The biopharmaceutical sector is committed to helping Americans lead longer, healthier lives and are steadfastly working to strengthen the economy.

To learn more, download the following fact sheet (PDF) with national data compiled by Archstone Consulting on behalf of PhRMA:  The Biopharmaceutical Sector’s Impact on the Economy of the United States.