Around 1770 Bern built the regional road from Bern to Zurich through the village. Then, in 1877, Swiss Federal Railways included it on the Aarau-Zofingen line. Since 1967, the A1 motorway cuts through the town. The good transportation links allowed the town to grow. Around 1820 the first factory, a weaving and dyeing factory, opened in Safenwil. The "Hüssy" factory remained open for over a century, closing in 1934. In 1897 the "Hochuli" knitting factory opened near the train station. In the 19th and 20th centuries several other factories opened, while other residents commuted to factories in Zofingen and Schönenwerd. In 1920, 14% of the jobs were in agriculture, while 75% were in industry. By 2005 most of the heavy industry had moved out and only 19% worked in industry while 77% worked in the services sector. In 1951, the car import company "Emil Frey" moved into the municipality. This company employs approximately 230 workers and shapes the local labor market and the village.