Majority-owned U.S. affiliates (MOUSAs) of foreign multinational companies employed 7.8 million workers in the United States in 2018, an increase of 1.9% year-on-year, according to Commerce Department statistics.

MOUSAs represented 6.0% of total employment in private industry in the United States.

Employment of these US affiliates was highest in manufacturing and retail.

MOUSAs with end owners in the UK, Japan, and Germany contributed the most to total MOUSA employment.

The current value added in dollars of the total set of these subsidiaries in the United States, a measure of their direct contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of that country, increased 8.4% to 1.1 trillion dollars.

MOUSAs represented 7.1% of the total value added of the US business sector.

U.S. affiliates 

MOUSA’s property, plant and equipment expenses increased 4.0% to $ 277.4 billion.

Likewise, MOUSAs represented 16.3% of the total capital expenditures of private companies in the United States.

Research and development (R&D) conducted by these US subsidiaries 6.6%, to $ 66.9 billion.

MOUSAs represented 15.2% of total business R&D in the United States.

By state, employment in private industry represented by MOUSA was highest in South Carolina (8.8%), Kentucky (8.4%) and Michigan (8.2 percent).

In all three states, MOUSAs in manufacturing employed the majority of workers.