TikTok’s economic impact on US highlighted in new report

The news: A new report from Oxford Economics outlined TikTok’s impact on the US economy while the app continues efforts to avoid being banned in the country, per a company post.

• 4.7 million US jobs benefit from TikTok, the report found, including over 3.1 million jobs directly using TikTok in their work by creating content or managing accounts and 1.6 million indirectly benefiting in areas like customer engagement and lead generation.
• 7.5 million US businesses are on TikTok, employing over 28 million workers.
• 74% of US businesses said TikTok has allowed them to increase sales, expand locations, and hire more workers.
• Oxford referenced a previous report that determined the app contributed $24.2 billion to the US GDP in 2023.

Building on these findings, TikTok’s president of global business solutions, Blake Chandlee, stated that “the platform isn’t just a tool for brand awareness—it’s a catalyst for real economic opportunity, fueling job growth and innovation across the country.”

TikTok’s hopes: TikTok’s goal is to highlight its value as a partner of the US rather than an enemy that needs to be barred from having influence in the country.

While a future ban is seeming less likely given the multiple parties vying to buy TikTok’s US operations, the report indicates that the company is concerned that its future in the US could be in jeopardy. By sharing the app’s economic impact, TikTok is continuing its effort to curry favor in the US.

Our take: Beyond the app’s large user base, which gives companies a big opportunity to increase their reach and revenues, TikTok also generates significant ad opportunities, with an expected $15.53 billion in ad revenues in the US in 2025, per our forecasts—and the Oxford report emphasizes the value that TikTok offers brands.

By highlighting its economic potential, TikTok could convince key players who have a say in the app’s future to give it a lasting future in the US, or at least postpone the ban further—but whether its economic impact will be enough to save the app from more turbulence is uncertain.

Go further: Read our FAQ on the US TikTok ban