Looking at the Industry Sectors of the US economy can help illuminate why, over the last 30 years, someone working in a growing industry (like Finance) may have done better than someone working in a shrinking industry (like Manufacture). Note: the data measures value-added; for example the services provided by a doctor is counted under Heath Care but the production of medical equipment would be found in Manufacture.
{Click on the graph to take a closer look} 
The Industry Sectors data can be found at Economic Report of the President 2007 Report Spreadsheets Table B-12.
Technorati Tags: income distribution, US income distribution, United States GDP, Gross Domestic Product
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Great information. Even though this information is old it still tells the tell of the industries to this day.
Will love to see this graph after the devaluation of the false debt that is occurring right now in 2008.
With the dollar devalued and the real estate finavce sector showing such disaster what industry will be left with GNP?
Furthermore Since GNP measures only the exchange of money it is possible the transfers of huge amount of bad debts will still show the real estate field has having a high portion of GNP even though the debt is bad.
Thus the better more modern version of GNP should be used such as GPI http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genuine_Progress_Indicator or something else that doesn’t count as “product” the transfer of bad debt or the economic activity surrounding disaster recover (whihc GNP does include as an increase in prosperity).
If credit cards are the greatest source of bad debt, auto loans are a close second. You are upside down on the loan the second you drive off the dealership’s lot and it’s downhill from there. Too many people shrug off a car payment as a necessary evil.