As in the rest of Bizkaia, the services sector is the major employer in URDAIBAI. The number of people working in services has increased in recent years, to the detriment of jobs in industry and agriculture. Although less people work on the land than in industry or services, the percentage of people in URDAIBAI who work in the primary sector is still well above the average for Bizkaia as a whole.

Primary Sector:

14% of the working population of URDAIBAI work in the primary sector (arable farming, livestock farming, forestry and fishing), as compared to the average figure of 2% for Bizkaia as a whole. Farms are usually small, with most crops grown for own consumption and some land used to raise cattle for milk and meat. 60% of the land area is planted out with fast-growing trees in forestry plantations. In fishing, Bermeo accounts for 60% of all catches landed in Bizkaia.

Secondary Sector:

3 out of every 10 people in work in URDAIBAI are employed in industry. Gernika is a major centre for metallurgy, and the automotive industry has plants in Ajangiz and Forua. There is also considerable industrial activity related to fishing in Bermeo, forestry in Muxika and shipbuilding in Murueta.

Tertiary Sector:

Half the people in work in the area are employed in services. The municipalities with the biggest service sector are Gernika and Bermeo, where many centralised services serving the whole area are concentrated. Tourism is on the increase, mainly in summer around the beaches and the network of agri-tourism establishments and hotels scattered about the area.