TikTok supported $81 billion in U.S. GDP and 410,000 American jobs

Below is today's news made by TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC.

At a glance...

• $81 billion in U.S. GDP and 410,000 American jobs were supported by TikTok in 2025.
• TikTok discovery drove real-world spending: 27 million Americans visited an independent shop, cafe or restaurant for the first time after seeing it on the platform, generating an estimated $4.7 billion in local spending.
• American businesses are using TikTok to reach and grow their customer base: 93% report increased sales after promoting products or services on TikTok, while 84% say it helps them reach customers they otherwise could not.
• TikTok is helping turn creativity and learning into economic opportunity: 1.8 million American entrepreneurs sold products or services through the platform in 2025, while educational and skills-based content supported an estimated 3.6 billion hours of informal learning in the u.S.

Today, PF Global released its 2026 TikTok U.S. Economic Impact Report, examining the role TikTok plays across the U.S. economy. The independent research estimates that economic activity supported by TikTok in 2025 helped generate $81 billion in U.S. GDP and supported 410,000 jobs across the United States.

The findings illustrate something our community sees every day: TikTok has a tangible impact on businesses, creators and communities across the country. From the For You feed to Search, TikTok helps people uncover creators, businesses, products and experiences they may not otherwise discover. And features like Local Feed and TikTok GO help turn that discovery into action, making it easier to go from watching to visiting, booking or buying.

"More than 200 million Americans turn to TikTok to discover something new, from a neighborhood restaurant or small business to a new skill, destination or idea. On a daily basis, TikTok powers real economic impact across the United States, helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses, reach new customers, and create jobs across the country."

- Adam Presser, CEO, TikTok USDS Joint Venture

As a majority-American company, TikTok USDS Joint Venture operates and secures the platform domestically, providing the secure foundation and innovative product features that allow U.S. creators and businesses to thrive while remaining connected to a global community.

Turning discovery into customers

For American businesses, discovery can mean a new customer walking through the door. PF Global estimates that 27 million Americans visited an independent shop, cafe or restaurant for the first time after seeing it on TikTok, while 47 million American adults found a local business after watching a TikTok video over the past year. These visits generated $4.7 billion in local spending in 2025.

"Our research shows that for many Americans, TikTok has become their digital front door to real world experiences. Millions are using TikTok to discover, go out and try new things, and American businesses are capitalizing on this with the opportunity to find new customers and connect on the platform."

- Neil Ross, Partner for Tech, Media and Telecoms, PF Global

That initial discovery can lead to repeat business. In fact, 50 million Americans who visited a business after learning about it through a trending TikTok video, said they came back.

Businesses themselves report seeing that impact, with 93% saying their sales increased after promoting their products or services on TikTok, 84% saying it allows them to reach customers they otherwise could not, and 83% describing TikTok as an important tool for attracting customers and supporting business growth.

The impact extends beyond an individual sale. 80% of businesses using TikTok say the platform has helped them scale their operations, while 76% say TikTok is critical to their continued existence.

From the For You feed to the local economy

Discovery on TikTok often starts with a search and ends at a restaurant, a neighborhood shop or even a tourist destination. PF Global estimates that exploration on TikTok drove $14 billion in additional U.S. spending across tourism, retail, hospitality and other services in 2025.

Beyond local storefronts, that impact is driving physical travel across the country. PF Global estimates that discovery on the platform led to 19 million additional visits to U.S. towns, cities and tourist attractions in 2025. Among hospitality, travel and tourism businesses using TikTok, 83% reported increased sales after promoting their products or services on the platform.

In Las Vegas, Jen Gay (@vegasstarfish) shows what the connection between TikTok and real-world exploration can look like. After more than 15 years in the area, Jen now shares her expertise online, helping tourists and locals alike discover food, entertainment, resorts and attractions across Las Vegas.

Restaurants are seeing that same connection, too. In the restaurant and dining industry, 85% of businesses using TikTok say they sold out of a product after promoting it on the platform, and 83% say TikTok helped them develop a new item or improve an existing one.

For creators like Vanessa Barreat (@lavecindadlv) and Rashad Jones (@rashadjonesbbq), that impact is real. Vanessa grew La Vecindad from a small food stand into a thriving restaurant that now employs more than 60 families, while Rashad, a BBQ pitmaster, has built a steady audience online around his award-winning cuisine.

Giving American entrepreneurs and creators the space to grow

TikTok has also become an important tool for a new generation of American entrepreneurs and creators, helping people turn an idea, skill or audience into a business and build careers in new ways. PF Global estimates that TikTok has helped 1.8 million American entrepreneurs sell products or services through the platform in 2025. For younger entrepreneurs, that impact is especially strong: 86% of businesses majority-owned by people under 30 that use TikTok, say the platform is critical to their business's existence.

TikTok also gives emerging entrepreneurs room to turn a hobby into business: Jessica Simon (@mississippi.candle.co), transformed her talent for creative hobby into Mississippi Candle Company, a full-time business.

In Wyoming, fourth-generation rancher, David Fales (@wyomingbeef) and his family use TikTok to tell the story behind Wyoming Authentic Beef Snacks, a family-owned company.

And, Shaina Rainford (@baskandlatherco) founder of hair care company Bask & Lather Co., has grown her business on TikTok since joining in 2023, building an audience of more than 727,000 followers.

Turning learning into opportunity

For millions of creators on TikTok like these, that journey began with a question. How do I do this? Can I build a career doing that? What would it take to start my own business?

According to PF Global, educational and skills-based content on TikTok supported 3.6 billion hours of informal learning in the United States in 2025-the total study time associated with 670,000 four-year bachelor's degree programs. An estimated 45 million American adults said TikTok makes them better at understanding their career options. And 60% of regular posters on TikTok expressed an interest in starting a business of their own.

A way to keep exploring

The 2026 Economic Impact Report's findings demonstrate how an online moment of curiosity can ripple through the real world-from finding a local bakery around the corner to connecting with a customer across the country, learning a new skill, launching a business or building a creative career.

For American businesses and creators, that means discovery doesn't have to end when the video does. It can become a visit, a customer, a sale, a new skill, a business-or an entirely new opportunity.

Read PF Global's full U.S. Economic Impact Report here.