Once the birthplace of the railways, Darlington's economy has experienced steady structural change over the past fifteen years with a shift from manufacturing to the service sector.

Darlington has an employed workforce of over 40,000. The Borough Council with 4500 employees, is the area's largest employer. In the private sector, telecommunications company, Orange PLC, leads the field with 2500 Darlington-based employees. Darlington, as a key administrative and commercial centre has a mixed economy providing a range of job opportunities, from owner-manager businesses to large nationally and internationally renowned companies. Although a number of leading edge engineering companies remain, service sector employment is likely to continue to provide most new jobs in the local economy. First class road and rail links benefit commuters travelling to work in Darlington.