News Release 14-136

18 million workers produced more than one-fifth of U.S. gross domestic product in 2012

Commercial knowledge and technology-intensive industries play a big role in U.S. economy

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Report: In 2012, KTI industries produced $3.8 trillion in value-added output.


October 14, 2014

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

In 2012, knowledge intensive (KI) services industries--business, finance and information--produced $3.4 trillion in value-added output, more than one-fifth of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), and employed 18 million workers. Data are from a new report released today by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.

KI services industries and the smaller high-technology (HT) manufacturing industries--aerospace, communications, computers, pharmaceuticals, scientific instruments and semiconductors--make up commercial knowledge and technology-intensive (KTI) industries. KI services industries employed 18 million workers and produced 22 percent of GDP. HT manufacturing industries employed 2 million workers and produced 2 percent of GDP in 2012.

KTI industries have a particularly strong link to science and technology and perform three-fourths of U.S. business research and development, an important source of innovation and economic growth.

Employment in KTI industries represented 15 percent of the U.S. workforce in 2012, with workers performing activities such as manufacturing, computer systems design, architectural and engineering, data processing, radio and television broadcasting hosting and other related services. A complete list can be found in the NCSES report.

The report also finds wages for U.S. commercial KTI industries workers are much higher than they are in other industries. In 2011, the average salaries of KI services industries and HT manufacturing industries were more than $20,000 higher than the private-sector average. However, average salaries vary widely among individual commercial KI services and HT manufacturing industries.

For more information on this report, please visit NSF's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Bobbie Mixon, NSF, (703) 292-8485, email: bmixon@nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Derek K. Hill, NSF, (703) 292-7805, email: dhill@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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