Hessen is one of the largest and healthiest economies in Germany. It has a low rate of unemployment, houses some of the world's largest financial institutions and boasts a global leadership position in precision engineering for cameras, airplanes, locomotives and lasers.
- Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012 exceeded 230 billion Euros (this equals approximately 300 Billion in the USA). This makes Hesse one of the largest economies in Europe and the 38th largest in the world.
- Hesse has the second largest industrial density (after the Ruhr area) in Germany.
- The main contributors to Hesse's economy are the chemical and pharmaceutical industries with Sanofi-Aventis, Merck KGaA, Heraeus, Messer Griesheim and Degussa.
- Opel in Rüsselsheim is also a significant contributor to Hesse's economy in the automotive sector.
- Frankfurt is one of the principal financial centers of Europe. The European Central Bank and the Deutsche Bundesbank keep their headquarters there. Besides the headquarters of the Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, KfW Bank, DZ Bank and numerous smaller banks, Frankfurt also houses the offices of many foreign banks around globe.
- Frankfurt is also the most important German stock exchange with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Frankfurt Airport is a the largest employer in Germany with more than 70,000 employees.
- The world's best cameras and optics are made in this region including companies like Leitz, Leica, Minox, Zeiss and Buderus.
- In August 2008 there were 199,573 people unemployed in Hesse. The unemployment rate is thus 6.4% (August 2007: 7.6%). With 3.8% the Hochtaunuskreis has the lowest rate, while the independent city of Kassel has the highest rate nationally with 12.1%.