The U.S. Information Economy: Value, Employment, Industry Structure, and Trade

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of the United States (U.S.) economy after 1999, extending our previous studies [4, 8] up to 2007. The U.S. economy has moved steadily toward services and information-intensive sectors in terms of Gross National Product (GNP), employment, and wage distribution. Information-intensive services, the nexus of these two major trends, now compose the largest portion of the U.S. economy in terms of GNP value, jobs, and wages. In addition, we study the growth of international trade in services and information sectors, which is likely to become increasingly important in the future. Finally, we examine the factors underlying the shifts observable in the economy and the impact on competition, strategy, and sector structure.