The US is at the top of the world not only for overall economic activity, but again also for per capita income, surpassed in this only slightly by some European states (Norway, Switzerland). The distribution of that income is not without geographic imbalances: at one extreme, the states of Mississippi and West Virginia have a per capita income equal to 2/3 of the national average, while at the other extreme Connecticut has a higher income of 1. / 3 to this average.

The superiority of the industrialized Northeast states is however going to turn in favor of the Sun Belt states, the “belt of the sun”, which attracts internal migrations of people and advanced industrial and tertiary activities. The area between the Mid Atlantic and the Great Lakes lost 1.5 million industrial workers in less than a decade (1977-85), during the economic recession. Later the bleeding stopped, but the leak remained. In addition to the Pacific coast, which has long seen the arrival of productive activities emigrated from the East, also Texas, Florida, Arizona and traditionally poor states such as Georgia always host new and growing plants of the most productive industries. that is, those with advanced technology. The shift of the backbone of industry has various causes: among the classic reasons, the availability of low-cost spaces, the availability of cheap (Latin American) labor for less skilled jobs, the indifference of the costs of transporting energy and materials, necessary in quantities not relevant for many advanced productions. To this are added two less ponderable factors: firstly, the more conservative states of the South have more favorable conditions from a fiscal and trade union point of view; secondly, the pleasant natural environment, with subtropical climates and availability of places for leisure, attracts skilled labor and technicians far more than a wage increase in the polluted and foggy urban areas of the North. necessary in quantities not relevant for many advanced productions. To this are added two less ponderable factors: firstly, the more conservative states of the South have more favorable conditions from a fiscal and trade union point of view; secondly, the pleasant natural environment, with subtropical climates and availability of places for leisure, attracts skilled labor and technicians far more than a wage increase in the polluted and foggy urban areas of the North. necessary in quantities not relevant for many advanced productions. To this are added two less ponderable factors: firstly, the more conservative states of the South have more favorable conditions from a fiscal and trade union point of view; secondly, the pleasant natural environment, with subtropical climates and availability of places for leisure, attracts skilled labor and technicians far more than a wage increase in the polluted and foggy urban areas of the North.

The active population in 1991 numbered 125 million people, of which around 8 million were unemployed. Among the employed, the agricultural sectors (2.5% of workers against 4.4% in 1970) and industry itself (23.5%, including the construction sector, compared to 33.1) recorded a decline. % of 1970). On the other hand, the tertiary sector is on the rise, with 74% of employees; in particular, the subsector of services to businesses tripled (advertising, marketing, etc.) and almost as much that of professional activities.

Agricultural production is maintained at high levels, with the prevalence of areas cultivated with cereals; of these, maize (2400 million q in 1992) occupies the largest extent (29 million ha), especially in the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, which together have half of the cultivated area. Wheat and soy are two other strategic products, as they are exported around the world to feed developed and underdeveloped countries; a wide range of other products are grown mainly for the domestic market.

As for energy availability, which is very large, the US are not focusing only on oil, which is still widely exploited (Texas, Alaska), but of which a third of its needs must be imported. Coal has regained importance and about 800 million tonnes are extracted from it; the primacy of production is no longer in Pennsylvania, but in Kentucky, followed by Wyoming and West Virginia.

Transport and communications, already well developed, have seen further growth in some sectors. Car transport, which benefited from a good road network, was enriched with new motorways (72,000 km of interstate motorways). The commercial sector has grown in particular. From 1970 to 1990 the cars in circulation went from 80 to 123 million (+ 53%), while the trucks went from 18 to 56 million (+ 210%); a new and more liberal regulation of interstate traffic, but also the general expansion of internal trade contributed to this latter growth. The opposite trend occurred in railway traffic, which suffered a decline. Air traffic has increased even faster, with the number of passengers embarked annually from 382 to 466 million in the years 1985-90, and later grew at an equal pace. The liberalization of competition, including between airlines, has seen an increase in traffic in particular at the headquarters airports of certain growing companies. Chicago airport is still the first, with around 30 million passengers boarded annually; Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta follow him closely. New York appears to have a higher traffic if you add up the data of the three main airports, and also the JFK (or Kennedy airport) is the one in first place for international flights. There are 17,000 airports in operation, of which 5,000 are public; there are 275,000 civilian aircraft in circulation, of which about 3,200 are scheduled. The liberalization of competition, including between airlines, has seen an increase in traffic in particular at the headquarters airports of certain growing companies. Chicago airport is still the first, with approximately 30 million passengers boarded annually; Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta follow him closely. New York appears to have a higher traffic if you add up the data of the three main airports, and also the JFK (or Kennedy airport) is the one in first place for international flights. There are 17,000 airports in operation, of which 5,000 are public; there are 275,000 civilian aircraft in circulation, of which about 3,200 are scheduled. The liberalization of competition, including between airlines, has seen an increase in traffic in particular at the headquarters airports of certain growing companies. Chicago airport is still the first, with around 30 million passengers boarded annually; Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta follow him closely. New York appears to have a higher traffic if you add up the data of the three main airports, and also the JFK (or Kennedy airport) is the one in first place for international flights. There are 17,000 airports in operation, of which 5,000 are public; there are 275,000 civilian aircraft in circulation, of which about 3,200 are scheduled. New York appears to have a higher traffic if you add up the data of the three main airports, and also the JFK (or Kennedy airport) is the one in first place for international flights. There are 17,000 airports in operation, of which 5,000 are public; there are 275,000 civilian aircraft in circulation, of which about 3,200 are scheduled. New York appears to have a higher traffic if you add up the data of the three main airports, and also the JFK (or Kennedy airport) is the one in first place for international flights. There are 17,000 airports in operation, of which 5,000 are public; there are 275,000 civilian aircraft in circulation, of which about 3,200 are scheduled.

Long-range foreign trade takes place with traditional naval means, but increasingly also with air. In trade, Asian countries have acquired an important role. For exports, the main destination countries are, in descending order, Canada (21% of the value), Japan (12%), Mexico, United Kingdom and Germany. For imports, the first countries are: Japan and Canada (18% each), Germany, Mexico, Taiwan.