US Information Sector

The 161,000 establishments in the US information sector produce, manage, and distribute information, including news, entertainment, cultural programming, and data. The sector includes industries that provide the infrastructure and systems to transmit and distribute content, data, and communications, as well as those that allow customers to search for, store, and process data.

Fads and Trends

Success in the media and publishing industries is largely dependent on consumer acceptance, which is subject to fads and trends.

Evolving Technology

The information sector relies on rapidly evolving technology that can fundamentally change the dynamics of individual industries.

Oct 4, 2026 - Increasing Regulatory Risks Alter IT Infrastructure Plans

• Three-fourths of business leaders fear the geopolitical risks of storing their data in global cloud environments, according to Kyndryl’s Cloud Readiness Report. Some 65% of business leaders are changing their cloud strategies due to digital sovereignty requirements largely promulgated in countries outside the US. Digital sovereignty is an organization’s ability to control its digital assets—deciding where its data lives, how its systems run, and who has access to them. About 84% of cloud leaders intentionally opt for multiple clouds, the Kyndryl report found. Another 41% reported repatriating some of their data from public cloud to on-premises servers.
• Book publisher Minotaur cancelled a $2.4 million deal for an unpublished debut novel due to questions surrounding the use of AI during the writing of the book, according to Futurism. Minotaur is not drawing an ethical line in the sand while highlighting a major problem for the industry, according to Futurism. Minotaur is concerned that it may not be able to secure the copyright if "Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body" contains passages written by an AI. Film and TV studios around the world continue pursuing rights to "Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body," however, according to Deadline.
• Religion has been the most programmed radio format in the US since February 2026, according to Inside Radio/PrecisionTrak’s monthly station counts. The number of stations featuring religious teaching, hymns, and other related content increased by 73 during the 12-month period ending on May 31, 2026, up 3.4% year over year. Thirty-two of those stations joining the format in 2026.
• The Producer Price Index for all information firms increased 0.77% year over year during August 2026, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information industry sales are forecast to grow at a 6.07% compounded annual rate from 2026 to 2030, faster than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.

Industry size & Structure

The information sector is comprised of 161,000 establishments that employ 4 million workers and generate $2.4 trillion in annual revenue, according to government sources.

• The information sector represents 5.4% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs 1.3% of the country's workers.
• The sector is concentrated at the top with the 20 largest firms representing 51% of revenue, but it is fragmented at the bottom.
• In addition to employer establishments, the information sector has 359,000 owner-operated establishments with no employees. Subsectors with the highest numbers of nonemployer establishments are motion picture and sound recording (38%); publishing (18%); and data processing, hosting, and related services (13%). The owners of nonemployer establishments typically perform the work and may outsource support functions like marketing and accounting.
• The information sector is forecast to grow its employment base by 7.4% overall in 2021-2031, which is higher than the national average of 5.3% for all jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.