The Moray economy is reliant on the RAF bases at Lossiemouth and Kinloss. According to a 2010 report by HIE, these contribute £158m in gross income to the Moray economy.
The report also concludes that RAF households have a total population of 6,542 people, or 7 per cent of the area's population of Moray. RAF households account for 1,237 children in state schools in Moray, 10 per cent of the total state school roll.
Collectively the bases support 5,710 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs - 16 per cent of all FTE employment in Moray.
In addition to the RAF presence, Moray has its own local authority and a major hospital, resulting in a high proportion of public sector employment.
Other key sectors include manufacturing (15.3 per cent), with food and drink businesses such as Walkers Shortbread, Baxters Food Group and a concentration of whisky distilleries playing a major role.
These and other key businesses in the area have grown through expanding overseas markets, with the result that many companies in the area have an international outlook.
In 2009, the population of Moray was 87,660. This represents an increase of 0.8% since 2001 and compares to a 3.1% overall increase in the Highlands and Islands and a 2.5% increase in Scotland.
Unemployment in Moray has recently tended to be below the Highlands and Islands rate.
The female dominated sector of public administration, education and health is the largest employment sector, accounting for a third of jobs in 2008. Manufacturing also accounts for a greater proportion of employees than in the Highlands and Islands.
A slightly larger proportion of workers (44%) were employed by companies with 50 or more employees in 2008 compared with the Highlands and Islands (42%), demonstrating the importance of employment within larger businesses in Moray.
Business start-ups in Moray are relatively low.
There were 3.5 new start-ups per 1,000 of the population in 2008 compared to 4.0 in the Highlands and Islands.
In 2008, the median house price in Moray was £115,015 compared to £117,750 across the Highlands and Islands and £114,500 in Scotland.
House prices have risen rapidly in recent years, rising at a greater rate in Moray (+39%) between 2005 and 2008 than in the Highlands and Islands (+35%) and Scotland (+32%).
