According to a report released earlier this month, LGBT businesses contributed nearly $2 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2015.

Released by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), a trade group that represents LGBT-owned businesses, the America's LGBT Economy report looks at the economic impact of businesses owned by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

According to the report, the typical LGBT business has on average been in business for more than 12 years and LGBT businesses have created more than 33,000 jobs.

“These numbers tell the real story,” said Bob Witeck, president of Witeck Communications, which worked on the report. “While our community's $917 billion spending power highlights our market clout, the jobs, tax revenues and profits we create as employers and entrepreneurs define our full economic value to America. We are just beginning to scratch the surface of our potential."

The chamber created a certification program more than 10 years ago. These best-in-class businesses contributed over $1.15 billion to the U.S. economy in 2015. “If all estimated LGBT-owned businesses in America are projected, their contributions to the economy exceeds $1.7 trillion,” the report's authors wrote.

The chamber's 900 certified LGBT Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs) have created over 33,000 jobs in the United States, according to the report.

Read the entire report at NGLCC.org/report.