The U.S. ranks 3rd in global competitiveness

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2014-15 Global Competitiveness Report, the United States has the third most competitive economy in the world. (The U.S. ranked fifth in 2013-14.) Switzerland has the most competitive economy. Global competitiveness is “defined as the set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity.”

Chart from the World Economic Forum.
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GCR2014-15/GCR_Rankings_2014-2015.pdf

The U.S. ranks 10th in economic freedom

According to the Heritage Foundation’s 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, the United States has an economic freedom score of 76.0, which makes the United States rank tenth out of one hundred seventy-seven ranked countries. Hong Kong ranks first, with an economic freedom score of 89.3.

In 2012, the United States also ranked tenth, with a score of 76.3.

 

The U.S. ranks 23rd in wage distribution

According to the OECD, a full-time American worker paid at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour earns 38% of the median wage in the United States. That is enough to make the United States tied for twenty-third with Japan out of twenty-five OECD countries ranked in that category. Turkey ranks first, with a minimum wage-to-median wage ratio of 0.71.

The U.S. ranks 10th in purchasing power of minimum wage

According to the OECD, the U.S. federal minimum wage of $7.25 makes the United States rank tenth out of twenty-three OECD member nations in terms of the purchasing power of minimum wage. Luxembourg ranks first with a minimum wage purchasing power parity (PPP) of $11.36.

 

The U.S. ranks 125th in GDP growth per capita

According to the World Bank, in 2011 the United States had GDP growth rate per capita of 1.0%, which is enough to make the United States tied for one hundred twenty-fifth in that category. It is tied with Algeria, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Congo. Macao ranks first, with a GDP growth rate of  18.1% per capita.

The U.S. ranks 89th in depth of global connectedness

According to DHL, the United States has a “depth of global connectedness” score of 18.18 (out of a possible score of 50), which makes the United States rank eighty-ninth out of one hundred forty countries ranked in that category. Hong Kong ranks first, with a score of 50.

The U.S. ranks 2nd in breadth of global connectedness

According to DHL, the United States has a “breadth of global connectedness” score of 46.82 (out of a possible score of 50), which makes the United States rank second out of one hundred forty countries ranked in that category. The United Kingdom ranks first, with a score of 49.37.

The U.S. ranks 14th in central government debt

According to the World Bank, the central government debt of the United States was 76.8% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010, which makes the United States rank fourteenth out of sixty countries ranked in that category. Japan ranks first, with a central government debt of 175.0% of that country’s GDP.

The U.S. ranks 4th in employees faking illness

According to The Workforce Institute, 52% of American workers admit to calling in sick to work when they aren’t really sick. That is enough to make the United States tied for fourth with Canada out of eight countries surveyed. China ranks first, with 71% of employees admitting to faking illness.

The U.S. ranks 17th in credit worthiness

According to Standard & Poor’s, the U.S. has a credit rating of AA+, which makes the U.S. rank seventeenth in the world in that category. Sixteen economies rank higher, at AAA. They are: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.