Industry earnings

ExxonMobil's earnings need to be viewed in the context of the scale of our industry, as well as the huge investment requirements.

• In 2008, the oil and gas industry earned, on average, about 5.7 cents per dollar of sales — above the average of 4.5 cents per dollar revenue for "All Manufacturing", but less than the average of 6.0 cents per dollar revenue for "All Manufacturing less Autos."
  
• In a commodities business, earnings rise and fall in cycles.
  
• Over 80 percent of ExxonMobil’s earnings in 2008 came from outside the U.S.
• Over the past three years, oil and gas production has generated more than two-thirds of ExxonMobil's earnings.