Digital tools are fueling economic transformation.
Google is helping.

As the daughter of small business owners, I saw first hand the dedication and ingenuity that it takes to build and grow a business. And at Google, we’re dedicated to providing businesses of all sizes with digital tools to help them thrive today, and in the future. I’m especially moved by companies like John and Sherry Hassmann’s A Taste of Kentucky, a Louisville-based shop and online store selling confections, and gifts that showcase the best of their state. Their e-commerce website drives 40% of their sales, with Google Ads helping to connect them with customers anywhere and everywhere. They recouped their initial Google Ads investment within 90 days, and sales are now growing 45% a year.

Just as our digital tools have helped businesses and local economies during this transition, we are also providing new ways for workers to collaborate. When COVID-19 forced companies to close their offices, the swift pivot to remote work was supported by cloud-based tools such as Google Workspace, which allowed newly-remote companies to remain productive, connected, and collaborative, no matter where colleagues were based. Over 3 billion people globally-including 170 million students and teachers-rely on Google Workspace’s cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools to stay engaged and connected, including ȞeSápa Enterprises, a screen-printing and embroidery business in Rapid City, South Dakota. After supply chain problems interrupted production, Walt Swan Jr. and his sons used Google Workspace to help track orders and inventory on low stock items and used Google Ads to keep customers up-to-date. With the increased sales, they are now looking to expand beyond their rented storefront to buy a larger shop for their growing business.

The growth of the digital economy has also transformed how people gain skills and prepare for new jobs and careers, and Google is helping. We employ more than 94,000 full-time Googlers throughout the U.S., with 10,000+ new full-time jobs added in 2021. And Google’s platforms are powerful engines for job creation. The Android app economy alone – including Google Play – helped create 2 million jobs in 2021.³ And YouTube’s creative ecosystem supported 394,000 full-time equivalent U.S. jobs in 2020.⁴

Creating jobs is only half of the equation. America needs skilled workers to fill these exciting new roles. Since 2017, Grow with Google has trained over 8 million Americans in basic to advanced digital skills – and in 2021 we launched Google Career Certificates in the fields of Data Analytics, Project Management, and User Experience (UX) Design. With 1.3 million jobs open in these fields right now in the U.S.,⁵ the opportunity is significant.

It’s important to us that the benefits of the digital economy are available to everyone. One way we fulfill our ongoing commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion is through our supplier diversity initiatives. In 2021, Google spent nearly $1.5 billion with diverse-owned businesses in the U.S., surpassing our annual $1 billion commitment. In 2022, we will grow our spending with diverse suppliers to $2.5 billion while expanding to include suppliers from historically underrepresented groups around the world.

I am inspired by the incredible economic progress of small businesses that are turning to digital tools to grow their companies – and I am proud of how Google has helped businesses and job seekers emerge even stronger than before. This past year, Google Search, Google Play, Google Cloud, YouTube, and Google advertising tools helped provide $617 billion of economic activity for millions of American businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators and developers. In this report, you’ll meet businesses, creators, startups, and learners from across the U.S. that are making the most of digital tools to thrive and grow.