U.S. Economy at a Glance: Perspective from the BEA Accounts
BEA produces some of the most closely watched economic statistics that influence decisions of government officials, business people, and individuals. These statistics provide a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the U.S. economy. The data on this page are drawn from featured BEA economic accounts.
National Economic Accounts:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Current Numbers:
- 4th quarter 2011: 2.8 percent
- 3rd quarter 2011: 1.8 percent
Quarterly data:
Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property
located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011
(that is, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter), according to the "advance" estimate released by the
Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter, real GDP increased 1.8 percent.
Next release:
February 29, 2012
Personal Income
Current Numbers:
- December 2011: 0.5 percent (personal income)
- November 2011: 0.1 percent (personal income)
Next release:
March 1, 2012
Monthly data:
In December 2011, real disposable personal income increased 0.3 percent.
Industry Economic Accounts:
Annual Industry Accounts: GDP by Industry
Annual Data: Recoveries in durable-goods manufacturing, wholesale trade, and professional, scientific and technical services industries were the leading contributors to the turnaround in U.S. economic growth in 2010, according to revised statistics on the breakout of real gross domestic product (GDP) by industry from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Overall, 16 of 22 industry groups contributed to real GDP growth.
Annual Growth in Real GDP
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Annual Percent Changes in Value Added Prices
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Annual Percent Changes in Value Added Prices
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International Economic Accounts:
U.S. Balance of Payments (International Transactions)
Current Account Balance:
- 3rd quarter 2011: -$110.3 billion
- 2nd quarter 2011: -$124.7 billion
Next release:
March 14, 2012
Quarterly data:
The U.S. current-account deficit decreased $14.4 billion to $110.3 billion
(preliminary) in the third quarter of 2011.
International Investment Position
Annual data:
The U.S. net international investment position at yearend 2010 was -$2,471.0 billion (preliminary), as the value of foreign investments in the United States exceeded the value of U.S. investments abroad.
International Trade in Goods and Services
Trade Balance:
- November 2011: -$47.8 billion
- October 2011: -$43.3 billion
Next release:
February 10, 2012
Monthly data:
Total November exports of $177.8 billion and imports of $225.6 billion resulted
in a goods and services deficit of $47.8 billion.
Regional Economic Accounts:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State
Next release: June 2012
Annual Data: Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 48 states and the District of Columbia in 2010, according to new statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis that breakdown GDP by state. Durable–goods manufacturing, retail trade, and finance and insurance were leading contributors to the upturn in U.S. economic growth. U.S. real GDP by state grew 2.6 percent in 2010 after declining 2.5 percent in 2009.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Metropolitan Area
Annual data: Real U.S. GDP by metropolitan area increased 2.5 percent in 2010 after declining 2.5 percent in 2009, according to new statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The economic growth was widespread as real GDP increased in 304 of 366 (83 percent) metropolitan areas, led by national growth in durable-goods manufacturing, trade, and financial activities.
State Personal Income (SPI)
Next release: March 28, 2012
Quarterly data: State personal income growth slowed to 0.1 percent, on average, in the third quarter of 2011. Growth rates ranged from -0.4 percent in West Virginia to 0.6 percent in Washington State. Personal income fell or was unchanged in twenty states and grew 0.2 percent in the other thirty.
Metropolitan Area Personal Income
Annual data: Personal income rose in 2010 in all but four of the nation’s 366 MSAs. Personal income in the metropolitan portion of the United States rose 2.9 percent in 2010 after falling 1.9 percent in 2009.
Local Area Personal Income
Annual data: Among large counties (those with a population of more than 250,000) the change in personal income from 2008 to 2009 ranged from an 8.1 percent decline (in Oakland County, Michigan) to a 4.2 percent gain (in Loudoun County, Virginia). Growth slowed in all but one of the nation’s 255 large counties.
County Estimates of Compensation by Industry, 2008-2010
Annual data: Compensation increased in 2,480 counties and declined in 633 counties in the U.S. in 2010, as the average annual compensation per job increased 2.7 percent to $58,451. Total compensation of U.S. workers increased 2.2 percent in 2010, as net job losses partially offset compensation growth.
