The BEA Wire | BEA's Official Blog

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the first quarter of 2019. The percent change in real GDP in the first quarter ranged from 5.2 percent in West Virginia to 1.2 percent in Hawaii.

The U.S. direct investment abroad position, or cumulative level of investment, decreased $62.3 billion to $5.95 trillion at the end of 2018 from $6.01 trillion at the end of 2017. The decrease was due to the repatriation of accumulated prior earnings by U.S.

Finance and insurance; retail trade; and health care and social assistance were the leading contributors to the increase in U.S. economic growth in the first quarter of 2019. Overall, 16 of 22 industry groups contributed to the 3.1 percent increase in real GDP in the first quarter.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis is expanding our annual updates that bring the economic picture of previous years into sharper focus. Starting with the July 26 update, we’ll begin revisiting at least five years of national statistics, instead of three, each summer.

The U.S. monthly international trade deficit increased in May 2019 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit increased from $51.2 billion in April (revised) to $55.5 billion in May, as imports increased more than exports.

Expenditures by foreign direct investors to acquire, establish, or expand U.S. businesses totaled $296.4 billion in 2018, up 8.7 percent from $272.8 billion in 2017.

Personal income increased 0.5 percent in May, the same increase as in April. Wages and salaries, the largest component of personal income, increased 0.2 percent in May after increasing 0.3 percent in April.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2019, according to the “third” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The growth rate was unrevised from the “second” estimate released in May.

The U.S. net international investment position decreased to –$9.93 trillion (preliminary) at the end of the first quarter of 2019 from –$9.55 trillion (revised) at the end of the fourth quarter of 2018.

State personal income increased 3.4 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter of 2019, a deceleration from the 4.1 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2018. Personal income increased in all states except South Dakota.

The U.S. current-account deficit decreased to $130.4 billion (preliminary) in the first quarter of 2019 from $143.9 billion (revised) in the fourth quarter of 2018. As a percentage of U.S. gross domestic product, the deficit decreased to 2.5 percent from 2.8 percent.

For the first time, approved academics and other researchers will be able to access the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ confidential, company-specific trade and investment data from secure locations around the country, making it