The United States is the world's largest national economy, representing 22% of nominal global

GDP and 17% of global GDP (PPP).[2]The United States' GDP was estimated to be $17.914 trillion as
of Q2 2015.[2][30] The U.S. dollar is the currency most used ininternational transactions and is the
world's foremost reserve currency.[31] Several countries use it as their official currency, and in many
others it is the de facto currency.[32] The United States has a mixed economy[33][34] and has maintained
a stable overall GDP growth rate, a moderate unemployment rate, and high levels of research and
capital investment.[35] Its seven largest trading
partnersare Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.[36]
The US has abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity.[37] It
has the world's ninth-highest per capita GDP (nominal) and tenth-highest per capita GDP (PPP) as
of 2013.[38][39] Americans have the highest average household andemployee income among OECD
nations, and in 2010 had the fourth highest median household income, down from second highest in
2007.[40][41] It has been the world's largest national economy (not including colonial empires) since at
least the 1890s.[42]
The U.S. is the world's largest producer of oil[43] and natural gas.[44] It is the second-largest trading
nation in the world[45] as well asthe world's second largest manufacturer, representing a fifth of the
global manufacturing output.[46] Of the world's 500 largest companies, 128 are headquartered in the
US.[47]
The United States has one of the world's largest and most influential financial markets. The New
York Stock Exchange is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization.[48] Foreign
investments made in the US total almost $2.4 trillion,[49] while American investments in foreign
countries total over $3.3 trillion.[50] The economy of US leads in international ranking on venture
capital[51] and Global Research and Development funding.[52] Consumer spending comprises 71% of
the US economy in 2013.[53]The United States has the largest consumer market in the world, with
a household final consumption expenditure five times larger than Japan's.[54] The labor market has
attracted immigrants from all over the world and its net migration rate is among the highest in the
world.[55] The U.S. is one of the top-performing economies in studies such as the Ease of Doing
Business Index, the Global Competitiveness Report, and others.[56]
The US economy went through an economic downturn following the financial crisis of 200708, with
output as late as 2013 still below potential according to the Congressional Budget Office.[57] The
economy, however, began to recover in the second half of 2009, and as of November
2015, unemployment had declined from a high of 10% to 5%; the government's broader U-6
unemployment rate, which includes the part-time underemployed, was 9.8% (it had reached 16% in
2009).[13] At 11.3%, the U.S. has one of the lowestlabor union participation rates in the OECD.

[58]

Households living on less than $2 per day before government benefits, doubled from 1996 levels

to 1.5 million households in 2011, including 2.8 million children. [59] The gap in income between rich
and poor is greater in the United States than in any other developed country.[60] Total public and
private debt was $50 trillion at the end of the first quarter of 2010, or 3.5 times GDP. [61] In December
2014, public debt was slightly more than 100% of GDP.[62] Domestic financial assetstotaled
$131 trillion and domestic financial liabilities totaled $106 trillion.[63]