Russia Matters, Regardless of What US, EU Leaders Say [CHARTS]

It's quite common in today's politically charged world to hear western leaders say something to the effect that "Russia doesn't matter."  The facts, though, do not confirm their story.

Here is a look at five indicators that paint a picture of a Russian economy that's highly important to global economic growth.

Jobs Created

The first is global employment growth.  In fifth place is the Russian economy at 3 million net new jobs, accounting for about 5 percent of all net new jobs since 2009 (sample size = 65).  Hurting Russian employment will certainly have a multiplier effect on connected nations.