The BEA Wire | BEA's Official Blog
GDP Growth Slows in First Quarter
Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2012 after increasing 3.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
First-Quarter GDP Defense Spending
In the first quarter of 2012, defense spending declined at an 8.1 percent annual rate, reflecting decreases in compensation of employees (accompanying a drop in the number of active-duty military personnel), in purchases of goods and services, and in investment for defense equipment.
Manufacturing Led Growth In 2011
Durable-goods manufacturing, professional, scientific, and technical services, and information services were the leading contributors to U.S. economic growth in 2011, according to advance statistics on the breakout of real gross domestic product (GDP) by industry from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Small Counties See Fastest Growth in Personal Incomes for 2010
Small counties registered the fastest growth in personal incomes in 2010, new data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show.
A New Snapshot of Multinational Firms
Worldwide employment by U.S. multinational companies increased 0.5 percent in 2010 to 34.0 million workers, with increases in both the United States and abroad, new numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show.
Employment in the United States by U.S. parent companies increased 0.1 percent to 23.0 million workers. That contrasted with a 0.6 percent decrease in total private-industry employment in the United States.…
February 2012 Trade Gap is $46.0 Billion
The U.S. monthly international trade deficit decreased in February 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit decreased from $52.5 billion (revised) in January to $46.0 billion in February, as imports decreased and exports increased. The previously published January deficit was $52.6 billion. The goods deficit decreased $6.0 billion from January to $61.4 billion in February, and the…
GDP and the National Accounts: One of the Great Inventions of the 20th Century
BEA Director Steve Landefeld
Imagine you’re trying to find your way through a thick forest. It’s a difficult task. You have nothing to help you navigate—no compass, no GPS, and no communications device to use to contact someone for help. In fact, in your wandering, you’ve lost your bearings so completely that you’re not even sure where you’ve been, let alone where you’re going.