TikTok published a new report on its impact on the U.S. economy, which outlined how the platform’s approach to jobs, business promotions and learning and development opportunities.
The report, which was conducted by PF Global on behalf of the app, incorporated responses from 11,123 U.S. adults and more than 5,000 U.S. businesses. More than half the business responses came from SMBs.
The report said that TikTok helped to generate more than $81 billion in economic value for U.S. businesses.
Though the actual number is fairly speculative.
In the report, PF Global said that its GDP calculation is based on an estimate of how much U.S. businesses spend on TikTok promotions using third-party market data and “a revenue-to-GDP ratio weighted across advertiser-facing industries,.”
Essentially, the value being promoted here is estimates based on estimates, rather than actual contribution data. And while that doesn’t invalidate the findings, it does provide some perspective on what these figures might represent.
The report also highlights the impact that TikTok has had for U.S. SMBs, and how the app has driven local business discovery.
Indeed, the report suggests that TikTok has become “a vital tool” for U.S. businesses, with 69% of businesses surveyed saying that the app is essential and 83% of businesses that use TikTok saying it’s important for attracting customers and supporting growth.
In addition, 93% of business respondents agreed that using TikTok helped them increase sales by promoting their products and services on the platform, while 75% of businesses said that they have commissioned creators for paid promotional work.
There’s also a section on TikTok Live usage, with TikTok reporting that in 2026 TikTok Shop averaged nearly 595,000 live Shopping sessions per month in the U.S., while live-driven sales grew 92% year over year.
Some other key stats:
- The report said 93% of U.S. businesses saw sales increases after promoting their products on TikTok.
- Eighty percent of businesses said that TikTok helped them scale their operations.
- Discovery on TikTok drove an estimated $14 billion in additional spending across tourism, retail, hospitality and other services.
The report also estimated that TikTok supported 3.6 billion hours of informal learning in the U.S. in 2025, with an estimated 45 million American adults reporting that the app made them better at understanding their career options.
The report appeared to be a justification of TikTok’s presence in the U.S. and a continuation of the company’s campaign to remain in the country following years of discussions about whether it should be banned because of perceived links to China’s government.
But following the sale of TikTok’s U.S. arm to a local consortium of business leaders, it looks like TikTok will be able to remain in the U.S., which makes the whole report seem unnecessary.
However, it does provide a snapshot of TikTok’s presence in the U.S. and offers an overview of the company’s ongoing impact, even if the math seems a little speculative.
