Sudan has struggled to stabilize its economy and make up for the loss of foreign cash since the economic shock of South Sudan's secession. The suspension of oil production in South Sudan for more than a year in 2012, as well as the resulting loss of oil transit payments, aggravated Sudan's already precarious economic situation. Conflicts in Southern Kordofan, Darfur, and the Blue Nile states, as well as a lack of basic infrastructure in broad regions and a reliance on subsistence agriculture by a substantial portion of the population, maintain about half of the population at or below the poverty level. The United States imposed extensive sanctions on Sudan, which were withdrawn in October 2017. Sudan is striving to diversify its revenue streams beyond oil, such as gold mining, agriculture, animal , and various mineral resources while also implementing an austerity program to cut spending. Sudan is the world's largest exporter of gum Arabic, accounting for more than 80 percent of global output. Agriculture continues to employ 85% of the workforce in the United States. Following the separation of South Sudan, Sudan issued a new currency, still known as the Sudanese pound, although its value has decreased since then. In June 2012, Khartoum formally depreciated the currency by enacting austerity measures that included the gradual elimination of gasoline subsidies. Sudan also has substantial inflation, which peaked at 47 percent in November 2012 but has since dropped to around 35 percent per year in 2017.