Chapter
TwentyTwo:
The Structure of
the United States
Economy
The Primary Sector in the United
States
Table 22.1 Value Added by Output Sector in the
United States, 2011, billions of dollars
Industry
Primary Sector
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
Mining
Primary Sector Total
Secondary Sector
Utilities
Construction
Durable goods manufacturing
Nondurable goods manufacturing
Secondary Sector Total
Tertiary Sector
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing
Information
Finance and insurance
Real estate and rental and leasinga
Professional, scientific, and technical services
Management of companies and enterprises
Administrative and waste management
Educational services
Health care and social assistance
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Accommodation and food services
Tertiary Sector Total
GDP Attributed to Government
Economy Total
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Survey of Current Business, 2011.
Value Added
Percent of GDP
173.5
289.9
463.4
1.2
1.9
3.1
297.9
529.5
910.1
821.3
2,558.9
2.0
3.5
6.0
5.4
17.0
845.1
905.7
447.9
646.6
1,159.3
1,898.8
1,151.5
283.6
448.8
174.2
1,136.9
148.0
443.1
9,689.5
1,993.8
15,075.7b
5.6
6.0
3.0
4.3
7.7
12.6
7.6
1.9
3.0
1.2
7.5
1.0
2.9
64.3
13.2
100.0b
Figure 22.1: The Allocation of a Dollar Spent on
Food in the United States
Source: Canning, Patrick, “A Revised and Expanded Food Dollar Series: A Better Understanding of Our Food Costs,” U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research
Report No. (ERR-114), February 2011.
Figure 22.2: Energy Consumption in the United
States, by Energy Source, 2012
Geothermal/Solar
/Wind, 1.9%
Biomass, 4.6%
Hydropower,
2.8%
Coal, 18.4%
Nuclear, 8.5%
Natural Gas,
27.1%
Petroleum,
36.8%
Source: Monthly Energy Review, United States Energy Information Administration, February 25, 2013.
The Secondary (Industrial) Sector in
the United States
Figure 22.3: Annual Number of Private Housing
Starts in the United Sates, 1965-2012
New Private Housing Starts (million)
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Sources: Various editions of the Statistical Abstract of the United States; U.S. Census Bureau, “New Residential Construction in January 2013,” press release,
February 20, 2013.
Table 22.2: Manufacturing Industries in the United
States, Production and Employment
Industry
Durable Goods Industries
Computers and electronics
Fabricated metals
Furniture
Machinery
Transportation equipment
Other durable goods
Durable Goods Total
Nondurable Goods Industries
Chemical products
Food, beverages, and tobacco
Paper products
Petroleum and coal products
Textiles, apparel, and leather products
Other nondurable goods
Nondurable Goods Total
2011 Value Added
(billions of dollars)
2012 Employment
(thousands)
132
122
26
132
77
421
910
1,087
1,424
351
1,101
1,477
2,054
8,675
254
215
53
169
30
100
821
787
1,466
377
115
268
1,444
4,457
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Value Added by Industry database, November 13, 2012; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Current Employment
Statistics,” table B-1a, March 8, 2013.
Figure 22.4: Total U.S. Manufacturing Employment
an Manufacturing Employment as a Percentage of
Total Employment, 1947-2010
30
Percent of All Employees in Manufacturing
25
20
15
Manufacturing Employees (Millions)
10
5
0
Source: Various editions of the Statistical Abstract of the United States.
The Tertiary (Service Sector)
Figure 22.5: Four-Firm Concentration Ratios in
Retail Industries, 1992-2007
Source: Economic Census publications, United States Census Bureau
Figure 22.6 Value Added in Finance, Insurance an
Real Estate, as a Percentage of GDP
Finance, insurance, and real estate
Finance and insurance only
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis online database, GDP-by-industry
Figure 22.7: U.S. Debt Ratios Relative to GDP,
1947-2012
Nonfinancial Business
Households and Nonprofits
Financial Business
Source: Federal Reserve Flow of Funds, data download program
Figure 22.8: Health Care Expenditures in the
United States as a Percentage of GDP, 1960-2011
20
18
Percent of GDP
16
14
12
Total Expenditures: Out-of-Pocket,
Private Insurance, and Public
Out-of-Pocket and
Private Insurance
10
8
6
Out-of-Pocket Only
4
2
0
1960
1965
1970
1975
Source: Various editions of the Statistical Abstract of the United States
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Appendix
Figure 22.9: Classification of Private GDP in the
United States, 2011
Secondary Sector
(19.6%)
Ownership
Transactions
(31.3%)
Tertiary Sector
(76.9%)
Managing the
System (28.2%)
Private Social
Services (12.9%)
Primary Sector
(3.5%)
Entertainment
(4.5%)
Figure 22.10: Relative Shares of the United States
Economic Production, by Output Sector, 1800-2011
80
Tertiary
Share of GDP (Percent)
70
60
50
Secondary
40
30
20
Primary
10
0
1800
1835
1870
1905
1940
1975
2010
Sources: Historical Statistics of the United States, 1789–1945, U.S. Census Bureau, 1949 (1800–1938); Historical Statistics of the United States, Bicentennial
Edition, Colonial Times to 1970, U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 (1947–1968); various annual editions of the Statistical Abstract of the United States, U.S. Census
Bureau (1969–2011)
Table 7.3: Division of GDP by Output Sector,
Selected Countries
Country
Congo, Rep.
Indonesia
Saudi Arabia
Ethiopia
China
Bangladesh
India
Norway
Argentina
Russian Federation
Mexico
Brazil
South Africa
Germany
Japan
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Agricultural Sector (%)
4
15
2
47
10
19
18
2
10
4
4
5
2
1
1
2
1
1
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators database.
Industrial Sector (%)
75
47
60
10
47
28
27
40
31
35
35
28
31
28
27
26
22
20
Tertiary Sector (%)
21
38
38
43
43
53
55
58
59
61
61
67
67
71
71
72
78
79