Has tech supplanted tourism as San Diego’s third largest industry? Apparently. The Economic Census of 2002, a report issued every five years, pegged San Diego’s economy at $117.6 billion. Scouring its details, economist Kelly Cunningham found that two decades of growth in what he calls the “professional service technology industry” was worth “at least” $7.4 billion, moving tech into third ahead of the visitor industry ($5 billion). The tech group, which includes communications, computer and software, biotech and information tech, trailed manufacturing ($25.1 billion) and defense/military ($10.1 billion). Cunningham, who works for the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, says tourism and tech remain the strongest growing components of the regional economy, which hit $150 billion last year and should reach $157 billion this year.
