Powering America's Path Forward

U.S. Department of Commerce sent this bulletin at 10/16/2015 05:30 PM EDT
Week at a Glance

October 16, 2015   

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Commerce Week at a Glance: Powering America’s Path Forward

This week, Secretary Penny Pritzker announced the first round of grant recipients under the Obama Administration’s Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative. POWER is a multi-agency effort led by Commerce’s Economic Development Administration that uses existing federal economic and workforce development resources to provide integrated investments in communities impacted by shifts in the coal industry and power sector. Secretary Pritzker, along with PAGE Ambassador Helen Greiner, also met with Korean President Park Geun-hye and Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Yoon Sang-jick to discuss the importance of strengthening the U.S.-South Korea partnership by focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship. She also chaired the second meeting of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa where she advises President Obama on ways to strengthen commercial engagement between the U.S. and Africa. Lastly, Secretary Pritzker received the Trade Leadership in the Digital Age Award from the National Foreign Trade Commission during their annual dinner, where she spoke about the importance of TPP to our economy and the need for Safe Harbor as a framework to protect privacy and facilitate the transfer of data between borders.

In other Commerce news, Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews traveled to the Netherlands and Georgia. During his visit, Deputy Secretary Andrews highlighted the re-emergence of the historic Silk Road—the trade, transit, and energy corridor connecting Asian and European markets—and its great economic development potential. He also emphasized how stronger regional cooperation is key to developing viable and competitive transportation and logistics that can strengthen local and regional economies.

 

Around the Department, NOAA released its 2015-2016 Winter Outlook, USPTO opened its new regional office in Silicon Valley, and Census Bureau Director John Thompson visited Alaska for the 2020 Census Tribal Consultation.

 

Have a great weekend and let’s continue to keep America Open for Business.

 

Best wishes,

 

Jim               

Chief of Staff

Innovation

U.S. Department of Commerce Awards Nearly $10 Million in "Power" Grants- POWER is led by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and aligns the resources of four federal agencies: the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor, the Small Business Administration, and the Appalachian Regional Commission. In total, the Administration is announcing 36 POWER awards worth more than $14.5 million. The awards, which include both Planning and Implementation grants, will be given to partnerships in 12 states and tribal nations. EDA itself is awarding nearly $10 million for 26 projects.

 

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Opens New Regional Office in Silicon Valley to Empower Entrepreneurs and Create Local Jobs- Through the ‘Open for Business Agenda,’ the Commerce Department is actively investing in communities across the country to build their capacity to spur innovation. It strongly supports innovative startups and enterprises throughout their lifecycle because those companies produce economic growth, support good-paying jobs, and benefit America’s middle class. This new USPTO office will help the West Coast region’s inventors and entrepreneurs speed their innovative products and technologies to the marketplace.

 

Where Manufacturing and Technology Intersect (guest blog post by Proto Labs)- There will always be a need for mill operators, press technicians and other production staff, but for computers and industrial machinery to communicate with one another, software developers and mechanical engineers are also needed.  We call this interaction digital manufacturing.

 

P&W Employees Benefit from Employee Training Partnerships (guest blog post by Pratt & Whitney)- October is “Manufacturing Month” in Connecticut and throughout Pratt & Whitney, a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of jet aircraft engines. We’re celebrating all month because of our rich history and tradition, as well as because we’re excited about our future, which will see a ramp-up in engine production not seen for more than several decades.

Environment

NOAA-led Research Identifies Areas of Global Ocean Most Vulnerable to Ocean Acidification- This research provides further evidence that ocean acidification is happening on a global scale. The study identifies the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, and the upwelling ocean waters off the west coasts of North America, South America and Africa, as regions that are especially vulnerable to ocean acidification.

 

Strong El Niño Sets the Stage for 2015-2016 Winter Weather- Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued the U.S. Winter Outlook today, favoring cooler and wetter weather in Southern Tier states with above-average temperatures most likely in the West and across the Northern Tier.

 

Past and Present Community Marine Debris Cleanups in Alaska’s Kodiak Archipelago: Tugidak and Shuyak- Alaskan shorelines that are heavily impacted by marine debris are often remote and inaccessible. The Kodiak Archipelago, approximately 250 miles southwest of Anchorage, is greatly affected by marine debris because of its 1,500 miles of shoreline and its position in the Gulf of Alaska. Island Trails Network (ITN) is a community-based non-profit specializing in marine debris advocacy in the Kodiak Archipelago and working to address this problem.

 

Marine Debris Efforts in Alaska- The word “Alaska” may bring to mind images of snowy mountains, icy glaciers, dogsleds, snow-machines, isolated cabins, fishing boats, glaciers, and amazing wildlife. While those are all things you can surely find in “The Great Land,” Alaska is also a place where marine debris is an especially impactful and challenging problem.

Operational Excellence

Spotlight on Commerce - The Spotlight on Commerce series continues with Maria Luisa Escudero, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Secretary, and Marguerite Jimenez, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Secretary..

Trade and Investment

Secretary Penny Pritzker’s Trip To Cuba- Last week, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Pritzker helped lay the foundation for a new chapter of relations between the United States and Cuba.

 

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Awarded Trade Leadership in the Digital Age Award From National Foreign Trade Council- Secretary Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman were honored for their distinguished achievements in opening global markets and promoting rules-based trade and investment worldwide.

 

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews Delivers Remarks at First-Ever Tbilisi Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi, Georgia- In his remarks, Deputy Secretary Andrews said, “The United States wants to serve as a committed partner in the march towards greater integration for all the countries in the New Silk Road corridor. We want to see increased security; greater economic development and connectivity; and a more advanced rules-based business and investment climate across the region.”

Data

The Value of the Baldrige Criteria to Manufacturers: A Veteran Examiner’s Perspective- Impressed by the ongoing successes that Baxter plants and supplier organizations were experiencing after implementing the Baldrige Criteria, Michael Whisman decided to commit to helping organizations across the United States similarly benefit.

 

Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services – September 2015:

U.S. retail and food services sales for September were $447.7 billion, an increase of 0.1 percent from the previous month.

 

Manufacturing and Trade: Inventories and Sales – August 2015:U.S. total business end-of-month inventories for August 2015 were $1,811.0 billion, virtually unchanged from last month. U.S. total business sales were $1,320.5 billion, down 0.6 percent from last month.

 

 On the Road in Alaska — U.S. Census Bureau Director John Thompson writes about his trip to Anchorage, Alaska, to attend the second of the eight consultations in conjunction with the annual convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives. This meeting is especially significant because the Remote Alaska enumeration is the first activity that will kick off the 2020 Census.

 

Where Did All the Construction Workers Go? New Census Data on Job-to-Job Flows — Hubert Janicki and Erika McEntarfer write that unfilled job openings in the construction industry have risen steadily since 2009 (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics). The rise follows a sharp fall due to the housing bust and the subsequent Great Recession (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics). Anecdotally, many builders and contractors have reported difficulty finding new workers. While not necessarily indicating a shortage in the market for construction workers, it is possible that tightening labor markets in construction are a drag on employment recovery in this sector. This post sheds light on the labor market in construction using new Census Bureau Job-to-Job Flows data.


Commerce Data in the News:

CBS News cites Census Bureau statistics on educational attainment to write that blacks with a high school degree rose from 73.4 percent in 1995 to 84.3 in 2004 in the article Calls for Change at 20th Anniversary of Million Man March.

 

USA Today cites Census Bureau statistics on income to write that New York and Connecticut have the widest gaps in income inequality in the article States With Widest Gap Between Rich and Poor.

 

The Economics and Statistics Administration's U.S. Census Bureau released data this week on retail sales in September and business inventories in August, leading to numerous articles in major news media about the data. Among others, the New York Times reported that retail sales rose slightly while CNBC reported on business inventories remaining flat.

 

Data Releases Next Week: 

New Residential Construction: September (Census)

Next Week

Starting Sunday, MBDA National Director Alejandra Y. Castillo and National Deputy Director Albert Shen will co-host the 2015 NMSDC Conference & Business Opportunity Expo in San Diego, CA serving as keynote speakers, moderators and award presenters during the 33rd Annual MED Week Awards Ceremony. President Obama issued a proclamation in observance of National Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week) October 18 – 24, 2015.  To commemorate this annual celebration, MBDA has partnered with the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (NMSDC) to present MED Week events.

 

On Monday, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Stefan Selig will participate in a roundtable on U.S. trade priorities regarding China, India, and Europe via T-TIP in London, UK.

 

Additionally on Monday, EDA Assistant Secretary Jay Williams will participate in a business leader briefing on international trade in Nashville, Tennessee. The event is being developed by Business Forward for the White House Business Council.

 

On Tuesday, Secretary Pritzker will meet with members of the Coalition for Coastal Resilience and Economy to discuss resilience and RESTORE Act issues in Washington, DC.

 

Also on Tuesday, Census Bureau Deputy Director Nancy Potok will be at the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington to be a panelist to discuss the findings in a Federal Leaders Digital Insight Study. The report includes concerns that the government cannot keep pace with the rate of technological advances and the perception that the private sector procures and adopts technologies more effectively.

 

Additionally on Tuesday, EDA Assistant Secretary Williams will deliver remarks on administration efforts to boost American manufacturing and innovation as a speaker at the 2015 Southern Automotive Conference in Nashville, Tennessee

 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, NOAA National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini, NOAA Satellite and Information Services Director Steve Volz, and Space Weather Prediction Center Director Tom Berger will participate in the Space Weather Enterprise Forum in Washington, DC.

 

On Wednesday, Secretary Pritzker will speak about trade and investment during an armchair discussion at the Coalition for Service Industries Global Services Summit in Washington, DC.

 

Also on Wednesday, Secretary Pritzker will explain current economic trends at the Center for American Progress Economic Policy Conference in Washington, DC.

 

Additionally on Wednesday, BIS Assistant Secretary Kevin J. Wolf will address the ROK-US Export Control Seminar and participate in a number of sessions in Seoul, Korea.  His remarks will highlight the President’s Export Control reform initiative.

 

On Thursday, Secretary Pritzker will make remarks at the National Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership Summit at the Department of Commerce.

 

Also on Thursday, USPTO Director Michelle K. Lee will open the Annual Meeting of the American Intellectual Property Law Association in Washington, D.C., in a fireside chat with the AIPLA executive director. Among other topics, Director Lee will discuss the USPTO’s Enhanced Patent Quality Initiative.

 

On Friday, USPTO Director Lee will speak at the White Hose Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders in Washington, D.C. Director Lee’s remarks will focus on public service, USPTO priorities AAPI issues.

 

Also on Friday, Under Secretary Selig will be giving remarks at the German Marshal Fund in both Brussels and Paris on the importance of T-TIP.

 

On Friday and Saturday, Census Bureau Deputy Director Potok will attend the National Congress of American Indians’ 72nd annual Convention & Marketplace in San Diego to be part of 2020 Census tribal consultations. These meetings provide a forum for Native Americans to share insights, make recommendations and discuss concerns regarding the 2020 Census.

Photo of the Week

Secretary Penny Pritzker has tea-time with Korean President Park and PAGE Ambassador Helen Greiner. 

Video of the Week

Find out what to expect this winter by watching NOAA’s winter prediction video.

Infographic of the Week

Invest Now for a Cost-Effective 2020 Census: Innovation Leads to Greater Fiscal Responsibility — The U.S. Census Bureau is at a critical juncture in planning for the 2020 Census. This infographic shows how continued investment in research and development will produce an accurate and cost-effective 2020 Census.