Facts and figures about the evolution of the economy from 1978 to 1988.
INC.'s guide to the New Economy
Net jobs created by U.S. economy between 1980 and 1986: 10.5 million
By Fortune 500 companies: -2.5 million
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Percentage increase in venture capital invested, 1980 to 1987: 544
In privately placed capital: 788
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Total value of venture capital-managed investments in 1987: $29 billion
Of private placements: $139.4 billion
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Total U.S. franchise sales and services in 1978: $282.2 billion
In 1988: $639.7 billion
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Percentage increase in business ownership by women, 1980 to 1985: 47.4
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Initial public offerings by U.S. companies in 1978: 67
In 1988: 384
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Total value of initial public offerings in 1978:$319.2 million
In 1988: $6.1 billion
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Total value of U.S. mergers and acquisitions in 1978: $34.2 billion
In 1988: $250 billion
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Number of Apple Computer Inc. employees in 1978: 250
In 1988: 10,000
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Total U.S. steel production in 1978: 137 million tons
In 1988: 99 million tons
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Percentage increase of per capita income in constant dollars, 1978 to 1987: 9
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Percentage increase of U.S. children under age 18 living below the poverty line, 1978 to 1987: 28
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Number of U.S. millionaire households in 1985: 832,000
In 1988: 1.4 million
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Number of fax machines sold in the United States in 1983: 70,000
In 1988: 1.5 million
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Total number of personal computers in U.S. homes in 1982: 2.4 million
In 1988: 22.8 million
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Net jobs created by manufacturing companies employing fewer than 20 people, 1980 to 1986: 574,000
By manufacturing companies employing more than 500 people: -1.7 million
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Number of Japanese cars manufactured in the United States in 1988: 695,020
In 1978: 0
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Number of U.S. cars sold in Japan in 1988: 14,511
In 1978: 13,947
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Percentage increase in trading volume on the New York Stock Exchange, 1978 to 1988: 454
On NASDAQ: 1,025
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Ratio of amount spent on U.S. mergers and acquisitions to amount spent on industry-financed research and development between 1980 and 1985: 2 to 1
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Number of U.S. universities offering entrepreneurship programs in 1981: 163
In 1985: 250
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Percentage of Harvard Business School graduates who work for companies with fewer than 100 employees within 10 years of graduation: 34
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Percentage of U.S high-school students who picked the correct definition of the term profits in a 1988 multiple-choice test: 34
