Traditionally, Longyearbyen was a company town, but most mining operations have moved to Sveagruva since the 1990s, while the town has seen a large increase in tourism and research.
Secara tradisional, Longyearbyen adalah Kota Industri, tetapi hampir semua operasi pertambangan dipindahkan ke Sveagruva sejak tahun 1990an, sejak Longyearbyen memilki lebih banyak turis dan pengetahuan.