MILWAUKEE, — ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) today launches “Learnability Week” to help people develop their skills and remain employable for the long term. Throughout the week, more than 25 ManpowerGroup markets across the globe will host events to help people nurture their learnability – the desire and ability to learn new skills and build long-term employability. Some of the activities include:

Promoting ManpowerGroup’s free web-based Learnability Quotient (LQ)™ digital assessment on social media, enabling millions of people at all stages of their careers to discover their unique learning style.
Hosting a partnership webinar with Junior AchievementEurope in which ManpowerGroup experts share practical tips for young people to get work ready, not just graduate ready. The webinar will be recorded and shared worldwide.
Launching a new “Leaders on Learnability” YouTube film series that shares insights from leaders at companies like Facebook, Unilever, PwC and KPMG on how they learn, how they encourage learning in their organizations and why learnability is critical for business success.
ManpowerGroup designed its LQ™ assessment in partnership with Hogan X, the analytics division of Hogan Assessments. The LQ™ assessment helps individuals discover how they learn and enables businesses to better understand the learning styles of their people. As organizations seek to invest and develop their employees, having insight into these metrics will provide guidance on how to best enable performance and make better decisions on how to motivate their workforce.

“When new skills are emerging just as fast as others are becoming obsolete, employability now depends less on what you already know and more on your ability to learn, apply and adapt. Helping people upskill for a fast-changing world of work will be the defining challenge of our time,” said Jonas Prising, Chairman & CEO, ManpowerGroup. “Nobody owns the corner on learnability – it has the potential to be a great equalizer. Everyone can get learning-ready and capture the opportunities the Skills Revolution creates. That’s why we’re celebrating Learnability Week across the globe – helping people discover how they learn so they can stay employable for the long term.”

Find your LQ™ at learnability.manpowergroup.com and share on social media using the hashtag #HowILearn.

About ManpowerGroupManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for over 400,000 clients and connect 3+ million people to meaningful, sustainable work across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for nearly 70 years. In 2017, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the seventh consecutive year and one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com

About the Learnability Quotient (LQ)™ AssessmentThe Learnability Quotient (LQ)™ is a web-based visual assessment developed by ManpowerGroup, the leading global workforce solutions company, and Hogan X, the new analytics division of Hogan Assessments, the leading provider of personality assessments. This short, responsive assessment identifies an individual’s LQ™ to provide insight into their motivation and style of learning. Results are expressed via three dimensions – Adventurous, Intellectual and Unconventional – and LQ™ helps organizations and individuals to succeed. For more information, visit www.learnabilityquotient.com.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a total of $4,204,401 for two National Emergency Grants to assist approximately 650 workers affected by recent layoffs in Idaho.

“Workers affected by these layoffs will need to be trained in the latest skills in order to be competitive in today’s workforce,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “This funding will provide the resources these workers need to become employed in the region’s fastest growing industries and occupations.”

The department is making $2,600,475 in grant funding available for 435 workers affected by the closures that took place from August 2013 to April 2014 of the J.R. Simplot Co.’s facilities, which were located in the Idaho cities of Aberdeen, Caldwell, Heyburn and Nampa. Of the total amount awarded, $1,040,190 will be released initially.

Another grant, worth $1,603,926, is being awarded to assist 219 workers affected by the March 31 closure of the Center Partners call center, located in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Of the $1,603,926 available for these workers, $779,050 will be released initially.

The grants, both awarded to the Idaho Department of Labor, will provide these dislocated workers with re-employment services. For the former Center Partners employees, this will include: career guidance, case management, job search assistance, on-the-job training and other skills training opportunities.

The workers affected by the J.R. Simplot Co.’s closures will receive similar services; however, they are also eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits, so the TAA program will cover the costs of their training. Because only a portion of the total amount approved for each of the grants is being awarded today, additional funding, up to the total approved amount, will be made available as the state demonstrates a continued need for assistance.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of the final $450 million in grants under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training initiative. Over the last three years, these unprecedented investments have helped expand the capacity of the American community college system to provide accessible training programs that connect people to available jobs in growing industries in their communities. These grants are an important part of the Obama administration’s job-driven skills agenda and are being implemented in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education.

“Through the first three rounds of grants more than 800 colleges across the country are helping to build strong ladders of opportunity that allow people to secure a foothold in the middle class, while also supporting businesses to compete and grow,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “This final round will help scale what works, strengthen career pathways and improve the way employment and education data are used in assessing programs throughout the country.”

Previous grantees have leveraged strong partnerships between community colleges, the workforce system, employers and industry groups to transform the way they design and deliver courses through accelerated learning strategies; redesigned curricula; distance learning; work-based training, such as Registered Apprenticeships; and innovative uses of technology to enhance learning activities. This solicitation continues to promote these strategies.

“Community colleges play a vital role in equipping our nation’s students with the skills they need to meet the demands of today’s careers,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “This program is not about tinkering — it’s about transformation. This is not about getting more students to enroll — it’s about getting more students to graduation day and into good jobs.”

The program is designed to ensure that an eligible institution in every state plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico receive dedicated funding of at least $2.25 million. Single institutions may apply for grants of up to $2.5 million and consortia of institutions within the same state or among institutions that share an economic region may apply for grants up to $15 million.

This round of funding strengthens employer engagement throughout the grant process. Successful applicants will design programs that are responsive to the workforce needs of multiple employers within an industry sector by working closely with regional and national employers and industry groups. These employer and industry partners will help identify and map necessary skills and competencies, as well as assist in designing curricula, programs, assessments or credentials that will help quickly connect ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs.

The final round of grants will place a priority on three additional goals by making additional funding available to those applicants who propose to:
develop partnerships with national industry groups or employers to scale strategies across the country;
engage employers, educators, Registered Apprenticeships and the workforce system to support the development or expansion of state career pathways systems; or
improve the integration of state employment and education data.
In an effort to scale promising practices from previous grants and sustain meaningful improvements to the community college system, additional preference will be given to collaborations that include:
in-depth employer partnerships, such as work-based learning and commitments to hire;
partnership with the workforce system and the network of nearly 2,500 American Job Centers to help support program implementation; or
partnerships with Registered Apprenticeship sponsors in their local and regional areas, particularly in occupations and industries with expected workforce shortages.

Those interested in applying for the newly available funding should visit http://www.grants.gov. The deadline to apply is July 7, 2014.
Eligible applicants include community colleges and other public, proprietary or nonprofit educational institutions that offer programs that can be completed in two years and are accredited by an agency or association recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
All curricula and training materials developed with the support of the grant will be made available for free re-use under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY) License, ensuring that colleges around the country can replicate their promising programs.
General information about the TAACCCT program can be found at http://www.doleta.gov/taaccct/.

On 12 September, on the occasion of his State of the Union Address, President Jean-Claude Juncker said: “Africa does not need charity, it needs true and fair partnership. And we, Europeans need this partnership just as much. Today, we are proposing a new Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs between Europe and Africa. This Alliance, as we envision it, would help create up to 10 million jobs in Africa in the next 5 years alone. I believe we should develop the numerous EU-African trade agreements into a continent-to-continent free trade agreement, as an economic partnership between equals.”

The European Commission is proposing a new ‘Africa – Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs’ to substantially boost investment in Africa, strengthen trade, create jobs, and invest in education and skills. Today’s package builds on the commitments taken during the African Union – European Union Summit which took place in November last year in Abidjan, where the two continents agreed to strengthen their partnership. It sets out the key strands of action for a stronger economic agenda for the EU and its African partners.

High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini said: “Europe and Africa share many of the same interests: we both want a stronger Africa – with quality jobs for its youth, a better business climate, and peace and security for all. In these years we have started to build a real partnership of equals with Africa. We are already strong political partners, the next step is to be true economic partners and deepen our trade and investment relationship. We want to give young people opportunities to achieve their aspirations. Boosting responsible investment in Africa is a win-win for both sides.”

Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica said: “This Alliance is about unlocking private investment and exploring the huge opportunities that can produce benefits for African and European economies alike. It is about stepping up our partnership and putting our weight behind African initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area.”

Today’s proposal shows commitment to reinforce the Africa-EU Partnership and outlines a series of key actions that include:

boosting strategic investment and strengthening the role of the private sector, notably through increased de-risking of investment projects via blending grants and loans, and guarantees;
investing in people by investing in education and skills, at continental and national level to strengthen employability and match skills and jobs, also including scholarships and exchange programmes, in particular through Erasmus+;
strengthening business environment and investment climate, in particular by strengthening the dialogue with African partners and supporting their reforms in this field;
tapping the full potential of economic integration and trade: building on the African Continental Free Trade Area implementation, the long-term perspective is to create a comprehensive continent-to-continent free trade agreement between the EU and Africa. To prepare this, Economic Partnership Agreements, Free Trade Agreements including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas on offer to the countries of North Africa, and other trade regimes with the EU should be exploited to the greatest extent, as building blocks to the benefit of the African Continental Free Trade Area;
mobilising an important package of financial resources, as reflected in particular in the ambitious proposal for the future Multi-Annual Financial Framework of the EU on external funding, where Africa is highlighted as a priority region.
Expected results

The Alliance will lead to concrete results such as the creation of up to 10 million jobs in the next 5 years. With EU financial support mobilised by 2020:

35,000 students and academics from Africa will benefit from Erasmus+ by 2020. A further 70,000 will benefit by 2027, reaching a total of 105,000 in ten years.
750,000 people will receive vocational training for skills development.
30 million people and companies will benefit from access to electricity thanks to the EU’s leveraged investment in renewable energy and a boosted generation capacity by 5 GW.
24 million people will have access to all season roads through our leveraged investment in transport infrastructure.
3.2 million jobs in Africa are expected to be created under the External Investment Plan just by the Investment Programmes focussed on small and medium-sized enterprises.
With a guarantee of €75 million, a single investment programme from the External Investment Plan will generate 800,000 jobs.
Consultation and dialogue with African partners will be organised in the coming months to jointly define priorities and take further action. The Alliance will take into account the diversity across the African continent and the specificities of each country, including the contractual relations of the Northern African countries through their Association Agreements and their experience of co-operation with the EU through the European Neighbourhood Policy.

Background

The Commission’s proposal for an ‘Africa – Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs’ is part of a package which also includes a proposal for a more efficient financial architecture for investment outside the European Union, which will also support further investment in Africa.

Under President Juncker’s leadership, the EU has been strengthening its partnership with Africa, including with new innovative tools, on top of traditional cooperation instruments, notably the very ambitious External Investment Plan.

The EU is Africa’s closest neighbour and biggest investor, the main trading and development partner and a key security provider. The EU is providing €31 billion in Official Development Assistance to Africa between 2014-2020 to boost Africa’s economy to give young people in the continent a chance to build a future, to ensure food security and access to energy, and to anchor good governance and respect of human rights. The EU’s Member States held an investment stock of €291 billion in 2016, making the EU the biggest investor in Africa. The EU also offers free access to the EU market via Economic Partnership Agreements, Free Trade Agreements including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with the countries of North Africa and the Everything But Arms scheme with African countries.

New York, – The 100,000 Jobs Mission announced today that its coalition of private companies has collectively hired more than 217,000 U.S. Military veterans through the end of 2014 and is now committed to hire another 100,000 veterans for a total of 300,000.

“Four years ago, servicemembers struggled to find meaningful jobs because many employers did not fully understand how to apply veterans’ skills and experience to their businesses. Since then, the 100,000 Jobs Mission has connected more than 200,000 veterans to good jobs that put their skills to good use,” said Maureen Casey, director of Military and Veterans Affairs for JPMorgan Chase, a founding member of the coalition. “But our work isn’t done yet. With nearly one million military members returning to civilian life over the next few years, the 100,000 Jobs Mission is committed to continuing its mission of helping U.S. veterans and military spouses obtain meaningful careers.”

“JPMorgan Chase and the rest of the 100,000 Jobs Mission should be commended for their leadership and sustained commitment over four years. They have stepped up and joined forces to create opportunities for our nation’s veterans and military spouses,” said Colonel Steve Parker, Executive Director, Joining Forces. “They have been excellent partners with Joining Forces and have made a direct impact on reducing veteran unemployment. We look forward to working with the Mission as they look to hire another 100,000.”

The 100,000 Jobs Mission was founded in 2011 by 11 companies, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., that pledged to hire at least 100,000 veterans by 2020. The coalition reports its hiring results quarterly and shares best practices for hiring and retaining veterans in their organizations. Many of these can be found on jobsmission.com. Since the coalition’s establishment, membership has grown to 184 companies that represent nearly every industry in the U.S. economy, including Timken, which joined the group in late 2013.

“Timken is proud to be a member of the 100,000 Jobs Mission, and being an active member of the coalition helps us stay on the forefront of best practices for hiring and retaining U.S. military veterans and spouses,” said Shaun Branon, Director, Talent Acquisition. “Military veterans possess the skills and experience that make them successful members of our company.”

Among the companies that joined the 100,000 Jobs Mission in 2014 were Amtrak and Chipotle, whose leaders understand the importance of the Mission and similar initiatives.

“Amtrak values the leadership, reliability and technical skills that veterans bring,” said Joseph H. Boardman, a Vietnam Veteran, Amtrak President and CEO. “We joined the 100,000 Jobs Mission because we want to make an impact on veteran employment. Working with the other coalition companies will help us achieve mission success.”

“Chipotle is growing quickly, and we are always looking for top performing employees that have the ability to empower top performers to achieve high standards. We are committed to hiring veterans from all branches of the military who have this ability, and are eager to watch their success as they help build strong restaurant teams!” said Monty Moran, Co-CEO.

The 100,000 Jobs Mission continues to seek like-minded large employers to join the commitment to hiring veterans and military spouses.

About the 100,000 Jobs Mission
Launched in 2011, the 100,000 Jobs Mission brings together companies committed to hiring U.S. military veterans and military spouses. The 184 companies now involved have pledged to hire 300,000 veterans. They have hired 217,344 veterans through the end of 2014. For more information on the 100,000 Jobs Mission, visit jobsmission.com.

There are 11.7 million reasons to lead on trade. That’s the estimated number of American jobs supported by exports in 2014, our fifth consecutive year of record-breaking exports. These record performances are truly a “Team USA” effort, driven by businesses of all sizes from all sectors across our economy. If any one group deserves special attention, it is our small businesses, which comprise 98 percent of all American exporters.

To recognize that outsized contribution, our agencies have released a report that illustrates how access to global markets is benefiting small businesses across our nation. Currently, around 300,000 small- and medium-sized businesses across the 50 states export to foreign destinations, supporting millions of American jobs. Impressive as they are, these figures only scratch the surface of what is possible. With 95 percent of the world’s customers living outside of U.S. borders, there is enormous potential for our businesses – and small businesses in particular – to grow their exports, hire more American workers, and expand their bottom lines.

Among the many small businesses thriving in global markets is Planson International, which exports information and communication technology from New Gloucester, Maine to over 80 countries. Since 2004, Planson’s annual exports have grown from $5 million to $35 million, and its staff has grown from 5 to 35 employees. As President Connie Justice told us, “We attribute Planson’s success almost exclusively to export sales.” Due to its reliance on local U.S. suppliers, more business for Planson overseas means even more business here at home.

Of course, it is impossible to capture the diversity of talent, innovation, and hard work that help American small businesses drive our economy with a single snapshot. However, small businesses usually share some important characteristics that many of these stories highlight. Accounting for almost all private sector employment growth in recent decades, small businesses are a major source of jobs for American workers. Furthermore, small businesses that export to foreign markets tend to grow faster, hire more, and pay higher wages than small businesses that serve purely domestic markets.

Small businesses also face a common set of challenges when competing in the global marketplace. High tariffs can reduce already small margins, making exporting more difficult. Weak intellectual property rules can jeopardize the hard work, investment, and personal risk that go into making new products. The complexities of customs procedures and the lack of transparency around regulations can be overwhelming to small businesses. While large businesses are not immune to these challenges, smaller firms do not always have the means to take on the extra costs and risks. As a result, the vast majority of American small businesses still do not export at all, and of the small portion that do export, most only export to one country.

President Obama is committed to addressing these barriers and giving American businesses of all sizes a fair shot in markets around the world. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which the United States is negotiating with 11 other nations, includes the first chapter dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by many small businesses. Its completion would open markets that are home to the fastest-growing middle class in the world to ‘Made in America’ goods and services. That would be welcome news for small businesses like Planson, which faces tariffs of up to 30 percent in TPP markets.

When TPP is combined with the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, an ambitious deal the United States is negotiating with the European Union, American businesses and their workers will be at the center of a free trade zone that covers nearly two-thirds of the global economy. With that central position, America can become the world’s production platform of choice, the place everyone wants to set up shop in order to make things and sell them here and around the world.

But realizing these gains requires leadership. In recent years, countries across the Asia-Pacific have struck more than 200 trade deals, while American workers and businesses have largely missed out. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines as others strike deals that put our businesses and workers at a competitive disadvantage and encourage a race to the bottom. By moving forward with standards that reflect our interests and values, including the highest labor and environmental protections, we can protect American jobs and catalyze a race to the top.

The first step in that leadership is passing bipartisan trade promotion legislation, which puts Congress in the driver’s seat to define U.S. negotiating objectives and priorities for trade agreements. TPA clarifies and strengthens public and Congressional oversight by requiring consultation and transparency throughout the negotiating process. Importantly, it also makes clear to our trading partners that the Administration and Congress are on the same page in negotiating high standards in our trade agreements. Not surprisingly, Congress has used trade promotion legislation to work with American presidents from both parties going back to FDR, including every president during the last four decades.

As this new report underscores, the world wants what America is selling. To unlock the opportunity that beckons beyond our borders, we must lead on trade.

Article Is By US Trade Representative Michael Froman and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker
Froman is the 17th USTR, serving since 2013. Pritzker is the 38th Secretary of Commerce, serving since 2013

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the August 2015 Employment Situation report released today: “The strong and steady recovery of the U.S. economy continued last month, with the addition of 173,000 new jobs. August was the 66th consecutive month of private sector job growth with private employers having now created 13.1 million jobs since the beginning of 2010.

“The unemployment rate continues to fall, with August’s rate at 5.1 percent, down from a year ago when it was 6.1 percent. That makes a full year below 6 percent, following more than six years (73 straight months) of an unemployment rate above 6 percent.

“We saw growth in different sectors of the economy in August, for instance in health care, a sector that includes traditional occupations like nursing and jobs of the future like health IT. Local governments were also hiring, creating thousands of jobs such as teachers as our children head back to school in the fall.

“While the Great Recession is behind us, not every household is experiencing rising incomes and living standards. So many people are still struggling to find work. Even many of those who have jobs find themselves running in place, still unable to get ahead despite working harder than ever. For an even more robust recovery that lifts up more people, we need Congress to come together to raise the national minimum wage and pass a transportation infrastructure bill, along with avoiding self-inflicted wounds by eliminating sequestration.

“It’s also critical that workers have the ability to stand up and speak out for better wages, benefits and working conditions. The labor movement and union membership have traditionally been our most powerful expressions of worker voice. Next month when President Obama convenes a Summit on Worker Voice, we will focus on ways to strengthen organizing efforts and protect collective bargaining rights, in addition to exploring new models for empowering workers.

“In my travels around the country over the last month, I’ve met with workers, employers and community leaders who are working together to build an economy that expands opportunity for everyone. They share the president’s belief and my belief that we build a stronger nation through shared prosperity, that America is at its best when more people have more.

“As we celebrate Labor Day this weekend, let’s remember that this is a holiday about more than picnics, barbecues and enjoying the final, fleeting days of summer. It is a tribute to the ingenuity and mettle of America’s extraordinary working men and women. For everything they contribute to our economic strength and resilience, let’s do everything possible to help them thrive.”

MILWAUKEE, The latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released today by ManpowerGroup, demonstrates a continuation of U.S. employers’ growing optimism about the labor market. The result is a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +16% for the first quarter of 2015, a level last reported seven years ago in Q1 2008 when the Outlook was also +16%. The Outlook is relatively stable compared to Q4 2014 and slightly improved from one year ago at this time.

Globally, staffing levels are expected to grow by varying margins in all but four countries, but there is little evidence of a broad-based acceleration of hiring activity. In addition to the U.S., employer confidence in the U.K. also keeps up its gradual improvement. Hiring intentions in China and Brazil remain positive, but the energetic pace that once characterized both labor markets continues to slow to more modest levels. Meanwhile, hiring in Ireland and Spain is expected to regain momentum as Outlooks again turn positive following the dips into negative territory three months ago.

U.S. Results Summary
Of the more than 18,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 19 percent anticipate an increase in staff levels during Q1 2015, while 6 percent expect to reduce workforce levels. Seventy-three percent of employers report no change in their hiring plans, and the final 2 percent of employers are undecided about their hiring intentions. When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the U.S. Net Employment Outlook is +16%.

“As overall demand improves, we continue to see consistent, gradual strengthening in U.S. employers’ hiring plans,” said ManpowerGroup CEO Jonas Prising. “There’s a little wind at our backs, as evidenced by the broadly positive hiring plans, and we see that as boding well for 2015.”

U.S. Hiring Plans by Regions, Industry Sectors and States/Metro Areas

The first quarter research shows a slight increase in U.S. employers’ quarter-over-quarter hiring intentions across all regions, and a moderate increase in the Midwest and West compared to one year ago at this time.

Employers have a positive Outlook in all 13 industry sectors included in the survey, with Leisure & Hospitality, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Transportation & Utilities and Professional & Business Services employers reporting the strongest hiring intentions.

Employers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have positive hiring Outlooks. Those in Hawaii, North Dakota, Delaware, Michigan and Texas indicate the strongest Net Employment Outlooks, while New Jersey, Alaska, New Hampshire and Rhode Island employers project the weakest Outlooks.

Among employers in the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas, the strongest job prospects are expected in:

Cape Coral, Fla.
McAllen, Texas
Deltona, Fla.
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Milwaukee, Wis.
Oxnard, Calif.
The weakest Outlooks are projected in:

Spokane, Wash.
Portland, Ore.
Syracuse, N.Y.
Rochester, N.Y.
Indianapolis, Ind.
Global Results Summary

More than 65,000 employers across 42 countries and territories were interviewed to anticipate global labor market activity. Around the globe, employers in 38 of the 42 countries and territories report positive first-quarter hiring plans. This compares with 36 of 42 in Q4 2014.
Hiring intentions strengthen in 22 of 42 countries and territories when compared with Q4 2014, but decline in 12. When compared year-over-year, hiring intentions strengthen in 24 countries and territories but decline in 13.
Hiring confidence for the first three months of the new year is strongest among employers in India, Taiwan, New Zealand, Japan, Turkey and Panama while the weakest and only negative outlooks are reported in Finland, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland.
“Employers are acutely aware that the economic situation could change on short notice due to unfolding geopolitical events or a slowdown in Europe, and that is contributing to moderate global jobs growth and a continuation of the patterns we’ve seen in prior quarters,” added Prising. “It remains a very slow and uneven labor market recovery globally, and employers are reacting to an uncertain environment with a degree of caution.”

Complete results for the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey are available for download. Data specific to the U.S. can be found here, and results for all 42 countries and territories surveyed are available here.

The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on March 10, 2015, to report hiring expectations for Quarter 2 2015. Sign-up here to receive e-mail notification when the survey is available each quarter.

*The Net Employment Outlook, often shortened to simply Outlook or NEO, is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

About ManpowerGroupManpowerGroup™ (NYSE: MAN) has been the world’s workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions, for more than 65 years. As workforce experts, we connect more than 600,000 men and women to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries every day. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands — Manpower®, Experis™, Right Management ® and ManpowerGroup™ Solutions — we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2014, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fourth consecutive year and one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: www.manpowergroup.com.

The latest jobs report shows that our nation continues to bounce back from our worst economic crisis in generations. October was the most robust month of job growth in 2015, with total nonfarm employment increasing by 271,000.

Performance was especially strong in professional and business services, retail trade, and construction, which nearly doubled its prior 12-month average. Private employers have now added 13.5 million jobs over 68 straight months of growth, the longest such streak on record. The unemployment rate inched downward to 5.0 percent and has not been lower since February of 2008. Wages are up, as average hourly earnings rose by 9 cents in October and have enjoyed their largest over-the-year increase (2.5 percent) in more than six years.

Today’s report comes on top of other promising economic indicators. As of the end of August, there were 5.4 million job openings, the second most since we have been collecting that data. Over the 12-month period ending in September, gas prices fell 29.6 percent, putting more money in the pockets of working people. The U.S. auto industry, left for dead by many seven years ago, is surging back – the Big Three are now in the process of completing new collective bargaining agreements that will ensure their workers can get a fair share of the value they are helping create. In October as in September, auto sales maintained a pace that would surpass 18 million a year, the first time that has happened in back-to-back months since February 2000.

But our work is anything but done. There is ground to make up and challenges that remain. We need to continue creating jobs. We need a tighter labor market to continue putting upward pressure on wages. We need to close opportunity gaps and ensure that the wind at our back propels everyone forward.

President Obama and the Labor Department continue to take steps toward those goals: fighting for a higher minimum wage; investing in successful job-training strategies like the learn-while-you-earn apprenticeship model; giving people who have been involved in the criminal justice system greater access to job opportunities; and making affordable health care available to more people with the launch last week of the latest open enrollment period in the Health Insurance Marketplace.

With 14 and a half months to go in this administration – 441 days until “the weekend” – we want to work with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to complete the unfinished business of this recovery, to create shared prosperity and build an economy that works for everyone.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 321,000 in November, and the unemployment
rate was unchanged at 5.8 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Job gains were widespread, led by growth in professional and business services, retail
trade, health care, and manufacturing.

Household Survey Data
In November, the unemployment rate held at 5.8 percent, and the number of unemployed
persons was little changed at 9.1 million. Over the year, the unemployment rate and
the number of unemployed persons were down by 1.2 percentage points and 1.7 million,
respectively.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult men rose to 5.4 percent
in November. The rates for adult women (5.3 percent), teenagers (17.7 percent), whites
(4.9 percent), blacks (11.1 percent), and Hispanics (6.6 percent) showed little change
over the month. The jobless rate for Asians was 4.8 percent (not seasonally adjusted),
little changed from a year earlier.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little
changed at 2.8 million in November. These individuals accounted for 30.7 percent of
the unemployed. Over the past 12 months, the number of long-term unemployed declined
by 1.2 million.

The civilian labor force participation rate held at 62.8 percent in November and has
been essentially unchanged since April. The employment-population ratio, at 59.2
percent, was unchanged in November but is up by 0.6 percentage point over the year.

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to
as involuntary part-time workers), at 6.9 million, changed little in November. These
individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part time
because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time
job.

In November, 2.1 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force,
essentially unchanged from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.)
These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work,
and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as
unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the
survey.

Among the marginally attached, there were 698,000 discouraged workers in November,
little different from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.)
Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe
no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.4 million persons marginally attached
to the labor force in November had not searched for work for reasons such as school
attendance or family responsibilities.

Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 321,000 in November, compared with an
average monthly gain of 224,000 over the prior 12 months. In November, job growth
was widespread, led by gains in professional and business services, retail trade,
health care, and manufacturing. (See table B-1.)

Employment in professional and business services increased by 86,000 in November,
compared with an average gain of 57,000 per month over the prior 12 months. Within
the industry, accounting and bookkeeping services added 16,000 jobs in November.
Employment continued to trend up in temporary help services (+23,000), management
and technical consulting services (+7,000), computer systems design and related
services (+7,000), and architectural and engineering services (+5,000).

Employment in retail trade rose by 50,000 in November, compared with an average
gain of 22,000 per month over the prior 12 months. In November, job gains occurred
in motor vehicle and parts dealers (+11,000); clothing and accessories stores
(+11,000); sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores (+9,000); and nonstore
retailers (+6,000).

Health care added 29,000 jobs over the month. Employment continued to trend up in
offices of physicians (+7,000), home health care services (+5,000), outpatient care
centers (+4,000), and hospitals (+4,000). Over the past 12 months, employment in
health care has increased by 261,000.

In November, manufacturing added 28,000 jobs. Durable goods manufacturers accounted
for 17,000 of the increase, with small gains in most of the component industries.
Employment in nondurable goods increased by 11,000, with plastics and rubber products
(+7,000) accounting for most of the gain. Over the year, manufacturing has added
171,000 jobs, largely in durable goods.

Financial activities added 20,000 jobs in November, with half of the gain in insurance
carriers and related activities. Over the past year, insurance has contributed 70,000
jobs to the overall employment gain of 114,000 in financial activities.

Transportation and warehousing employment increased by 17,000 in November, with a
gain in couriers and messengers (+5,000). Over the past 12 months, transportation
and warehousing has added 143,000 jobs.

Employment in food services and drinking places continued to trend up in November
(+27,000) and has increased by 321,000 over the year.

Construction employment also continued to trend up in November (+20,000). Employment in
specialty trade contractors rose by 21,000, mostly in the residential component. Over
the past 12 months, construction has added 213,000 jobs, with just over half the gain
among specialty trade contractors.

In November, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose
by 0.1 hour to 34.6 hours. The manufacturing workweek rose by 0.2 hour to 41.1 hours,
and factory overtime edged up by 0.1 hour to 3.5 hours. The average workweek for
production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at
33.8 hours.

Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 9 cents
to $24.66 in November. Over the year, average hourly earnings have risen by 2.1 percent.
In November, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory
employees increased by 4 cents to $20.74.

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for September was revised from +256,000
to +271,000, and the change for October was revised from +214,000 to +243,000. With
these revisions, employment gains in September and October combined were 44,000 more
than previously reported.

MILWAUKEE, – ManpowerGroup Solutions, the world’s largest RPO provider, released the insights paper today, “Rethinking Retention: A User Experience Approach to Keeping Great People.” As traditional retention incentives become unsustainable, organizations are looking for new ways to attract and retain the best talent. ManpowerGroup Solutions provides a fresh perspective on retention, using a method most commonly found in product and service development: user experience modeling. This approach places employee motivations, interests and behaviors at the heart of organizational culture.

“Companies aren’t investing in organizationally-aligned retention strategies in the same way they do their brand and employer value proposition,” said Steve Lopez, vice president, ManpowerGroup Solutions, Consulting & Solutions. “Retention strategies that are in place tend to be one-size-fits-all, which doesn’t effectively meet employee needs. We segment our customer market – why not our employees?”

Many companies neglect to invest in making retention a part of organizational culture, with everyone aligned to a singular set of retention-focused expectations and behaviors. Integrating a user experience retention model that starts from the moment an individual first learns about an organization, all the way through to the exit interview, takes significant time, planning and stakeholder engagement, and can be difficult to achieve among competing priorities. Organizations should analyze their existing retention models using the following steps:
1.Conduct a user needs survey: Evaluate your value proposition and understand your candidates and employees – where to find them, what drives them and what they want in their careers.
2.Develop, test and refine content: Gather and analyze survey results to understand what people need. For example, candidates may want more corporate culture insight, while employees might be more motivated by information about development opportunities.
3.Evaluate functionality: Ask people if the systems in place work for them and create engagement. Understand when, where, why and how retention is breaking down.
4.Design the process: Ensure that candidates and employees can intuitively find the resources they need to enjoy doing their job well. This requires understanding when, where and how people interact with the employer brand, from digital channels and internal communication, to managers, mentors, peers and third-party sources.
5.Create a visual experience: Consider how people experience your organization from the standpoint of web/social media, office and workspace, and external marketing. Ensure the visual experiences aligns with the organization’s mission, vision, values and culture.

“Employers are quick to turn to conventional wisdom when it comes to retention, assuming it’s either a must-have or something impossible to achieve. In reality, retention is about strategic growth and finding right-fit employees that contribute to the long-term survival and success of the organization,” said Lopez. “Creating a culture and mindset of user-centered retention will generate deep engagement that yields the retention organizations desire.”

MILWAUKEE, – Experis, the global leader in professional resourcing and project-based solutions, and part of the ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) family of companies, has today announced it will acquire the majority ownership of Veritaaq in Canada. With this transaction, which is expected to close in late September, Experis further strengthens its capabilities across North America and complements the organic growth of the Experis business in Canada.

Veritaaq is one of the largest suppliers of IT consulting services to Canada’s federal government and partner to leading telecommunications, financial services, and oil and gas organizations. Veritaaq currently operates in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.

“This strategic partnership helps further accelerate our strategy of shifting our business mix towards higher value and professional solutions,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup CEO. “Employers need the best IT professionals to keep pace with technological advances, and this acquisition allows us to bring even more IT talent to organizations so they can achieve their business objectives.”

“Veritaaq has been looking for a partner to help us continue our growth strategy and build on our success,” said Paul Genier, Veritaaq President. “I am delighted that we have found that partner in Experis, and this strategic initiative will provide tremendous benefits in dramatically increasing Veritaaq’s breadth and scale of service offerings.”

About ManpowerGroupManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN) is the world’s workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions for more than 65 years. As workforce experts, we connect more than 600,000 people to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries every day. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management ® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2015, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fifth consecutive year and one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: www.manpowergroup.com

About Experis
Experis™ is the global leader in professional resourcing and project-based solutions. Experis accelerates organizations’ growth by attracting, assessing and placing specialized expertise in IT, Finance and Engineering to deliver in-demand talent for mission-critical positions and projects, enhancing the competitiveness of the organizations and people we serve. Experis is part of the ManpowerGroup family of companies, which also includes Manpower, ManpowerGroup Solutions and Right Management. To learn more, visit www.experis.com

About VeritaaqVeritaaq is a leading IT consulting firm helping organizations achieve their business goals by leveraging information technology. With more than 30 years of experience, Veritaaq has a proven track record of building trusted relationships while providing the highest level of IT consulting.

Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, with offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary, our team includes more than 750 highly specialized consultants. Veritaaq works with top clients in the telecommunications, financial, and oil and gas sectors and also serves all levels of government.

ROSELAND, N.J. – ADP®, a leading global provider of Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions, today announced its sponsorship and collaboration with the Million Women Mentors® (MWM) initiative. MWM will launch Jan. 8, 2014 during National Mentoring Month, in Washington, D.C. at the National Press Club. The initiative will support the engagement of one million science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) mentors – male and female – to increase the interest and confidence of girls and young women to pursue and succeed in STEM degrees and careers.

“Encouraging young people, particularly young women, to consider STEM careers is an important initiative that has significant social and economic benefits, that is why ADP supports several higher learning institutions and non-profit organizations that include this focus in their mission,” said ADP President and CEO Carlos Rodriguez. “Supporting the Million Women Mentors program is a great opportunity for us to expand our efforts and we hope other companies across the country will join us.”

In the past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs has been three times greater than that of non-STEM jobs. Today 80% of the fastest growing occupations in the United States depend on mastery of mathematics and knowledge and skills in hard sciences. While women comprise 48% of the U.S. workforce, just 24% are in STEM fields, a statistic that has held constant for nearly the last decade. Even though 75% of all college students are women and students of color, they represent only 45% of STEM degrees earned each year. Too many of these young women begin in STEM programs but leave those degree paths despite their good academic standing, often citing uncomfortable classroom experiences and disconcerting climate. Even when women earn a STEM degree, they are less likely than their male counterparts to work in a STEM field even though STEM jobs pay more and have a lower wage gap: 92 cents on a dollar versus 75 cents in other fields.*

One STEM initiative launched in 2013 by ADP’s Cobalt division, which supplies digital marketing solutions to the automotive industry, is “Girls Who Code.” Girls Who Code is an eight-week paid summer internship program for high school girls who have studied Advanced Placement computer science. It offers a highly-structured approach where two-girl teams are given a project to complete along with a mentor to guide them. Other opportunities to interact with Cobalt professionals to get advice, mentoring and career insights are provided, particularly by women associates.

“Girls Who Code is a perfect fit with our diversity and inclusion goals at ADP, as is Million Women Mentors,” said Rita Mitjans, Chief Diversity and Corporate Social Responsibility officer at ADP. “It is programs like these that will positively contribute to economic growth by empowering a significant segment of the workforce and help us to attract and retain the next generation of STEM talent among young women.”

Million Women Mentors is a collective effort of more than 41 non-profit, media, education and government industry partners and nine corporate sponsors. During National Mentoring Month ADP will actively engage its Executive Women In Leadership group, IT leaders across the company and ADP’s Regional Diversity Councils and Resource Groups, to bring awareness to the issue of increasing girls in STEM and recruit mentors for the MWM initiative.

This Press Release is courtesy of www.ADP.com

ROSELAND, NJ – 02/03/16 – Private sector employment increased by 205,000 jobs from December to January according to the January ADP National Employment Report®. Broadly distributed to the public each month, free of charge, the ADP National Employment Report is produced by ADP® in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics. The report, which is derived from ADP’s actual payroll data, measures the change in total nonfarm private employment each month on a seasonally-adjusted basis.

Payrolls for businesses with 49 or fewer employees increased by 79,000 jobs in January, down from December’s upwardly revised 101,000. Employment among companies with 50-499 employees increased by 82,000 jobs, up still further from December’s upwardly revised 77,000. Employment at large companies — those with 500 or more employees — came in at 44,000, half of December’s downwardly revised 88,000. Companies with 500-999 added 15,000 jobs, while companies with over 1,000 employees gained 30,000 jobs.

Goods-producing employment rose by 13,000 jobs in January, well off from December’s upwardly revised 30,000. The construction industry added 21,000 jobs, which was roughly in line with the average monthly jobs gained during 2015. Meanwhile, manufacturing neither added nor lost jobs.

Service-providing employment rose by 192,000 jobs in January, down from an upwardly revised 237,000 in December. The ADP National Employment Report indicates that professional/business services contributed 44,000 jobs, down from 69,000 in December. Trade/transportation/utilities grew by 35,000, up slightly from a downwardly revised 33,000 the previous month. The 19,000 new jobs added in financial activities were the most in that sector since March 2006.

“One of the main reasons for lower overall employment gains in January was the drop off in jobs added at the largest companies compared to December. These businesses are more sensitive to current economic conditions than small and mid-sized companies,” said Ahu Yildirmaz, VP and head of the ADP Research Institute. “Over the past year, businesses with less than 500 employees have created nearly 80 percent of new jobs.”

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, said, “Job growth remains strong despite the turmoil in the global economy and financial markets. Manufacturers and energy companies are reducing payrolls, but job gains across all other industries remain robust. The U.S. economy remains on track to return to full employment by mid-year.”

The matched sample used to develop the ADP National Employment Report was derived from ADP payroll data, which represents 411,000 U.S. clients employing nearly 24 million workers in the U.S. The December total of jobs added was revised from 257,000 to 267,000.

To obtain additional information about the ADP National Employment Report, including additional charts, supporting data and the schedule of future release dates, or to subscribe to the monthly email alerts and RSS feeds, please visit www.adpemploymentreport.com.

About the ADP National Employment Report®
The ADP National Employment Report® is a monthly measure of the change in total U.S. nonfarm private employment derived from actual, anonymous payroll data of client companies served by ADP®, a leading provider of human capital management solutions. The report, which measures nearly 24 million U.S. workers, is produced by the ADP Research Institute®, a specialized group within the company that provides insights around employment trends and workforce strategy, in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics, Inc.

Each month, ADP issues the ADP National Employment Report as part of the company’s commitment to adding deeper insights into the U.S. labor market and providing businesses, governments and others with a source of credible and valuable information. The ADP National Employment Report is broadly distributed to the public each month, free of charge.

The data for this report is collected for pay periods that can be interpolated to include the week of the 12th of each month, and processed with statistical methodologies similar to those used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to compute employment from its monthly survey of establishments. Due to this processing, this subset is modified to make it indicative of national employment levels; therefore, the resulting employment changes computed for the ADP National Employment Report are not representative of changes in ADP’s total base of U.S. business clients.

For a description of the underlying data and the statistical model used to create this report, please see “ADP National Employment Report: Development Methodology” at http://adpemploymentreport.com/common-legacy/docs/ADP-NER-Methodology-Full-Detail.pdf.

About Moody’s Analytics
Moody’s Analytics helps capital markets and risk management professionals worldwide respond to an evolving marketplace with confidence. The company offers unique tools and best practices for measuring and managing risk through expertise and experience in credit analysis, economic research and financial risk management. By providing leading-edge software, advisory services, and research, including the proprietary analysis of Moody’s Investors Service, Moody’s Analytics integrates and customizes its offerings to address specific business challenges. Moody’s Analytics is a subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO), which reported revenue of $3.3 billion in 2014, employs approximately 10,200 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 35 countries. Further information is available at www.moodysanalytics.com.

About ADP (NASDAQ: ADP)
Powerful technology plus a human touch. Companies of all types and sizes around the world rely on ADP’s cloud software and expert insights to help unlock the potential of their people. HR. Talent. Benefits. Payroll. Compliance. Working together to build a better workforce. For more information, visit ADP.com.

ROSELAND, N.J. – January 7, 2015 – Private sector employment increased by 241,000 jobs from November to December according to the December ADP National Employment Report®. Broadly distributed to the public each month, free of charge, the ADP National Employment Report is produced by ADP®, a leading global provider of Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions, in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics. The report, which is derived from ADP’s actual payroll data, measures the change in total nonfarm private employment each month on a seasonally-adjusted basis.

Payrolls for businesses with 49 or fewer employees increased by 106,000 jobs in December, up from 99,000 in November. Employment among companies with 50-499 employees rose by 70,000, down slightly from November’s increase of 73,000. Employment at large companies – those with 500 or more employees – increased from 54,000 the previous month to 66,000 jobs added in December. Companies with 500-999 employees added 22,000 jobs, up from November’s 12,000, which accounted for most of the increase. Companies with over 1,000 employees added 43,000 jobs, just above November’s 42,000.

Goods-producing employment rose by 46,000 jobs in December, up from 40,000 jobs gained in November. The construction industry added 23,000 jobs, up from last month’s gain of 20,000. Meanwhile, manufacturing added 26,000 jobs in December, well above November’s 16,000 and the second highest monthly total of 2014 in that sector.

Service-providing employment rose by 194,000 jobs in December, up from 187,000 in November. The ADP National Employment Report indicates that professional/business services contributed 69,000 jobs in December. Expansion in trade/transportation/utilities grew by 44,000, down from November’s 54,000. The 16,000 new jobs added in financial activities was well above last month’s 5,000 and represented the largest monthly gain for 2014 in that sector.

“December delivered another strong number well above 200,000 to close out a solid year of employment growth with over two and a half million jobs added,” said Carlos Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of ADP. “Small businesses continued to lead the way, but mid-sized and large companies also showed solid gains.”

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, said, “The job market continues to power forward. Businesses across all industries and sizes are adding to payrolls. At the current pace of job growth, the economy will be back to full employment by this time next year.”

The matched sample used to develop the ADP National Employment Report was derived from ADP payroll data, which represents 411,000 U.S. clients employing nearly 24 million workers in the U.S. The November total of jobs added was revised from 208,000 to 227,000.

To obtain additional information about the ADP National Employment Report, including additional charts, supporting data and the schedule of future release dates, or to subscribe to the monthly email alerts and RSS feeds, please visit www.adpemploymentreport.com.

About the ADP National Employment Report®
The ADP National Employment Report® is a monthly measure of the change in total U.S. nonfarm private employment derived from actual, anonymous payroll data of client companies served by ADP®, a leading provider of human capital management solutions. The report, which measures nearly 24 million U.S. workers, is produced by the ADP Research Institute®, a specialized group within the company that provides insights around employment trends and workforce strategy, in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics, Inc.

Each month, ADP issues the ADP National Employment Report as part of the company’s commitment to adding deeper insights into the U.S. labor market and providing businesses, governments and others with a source of credible and valuable information. The ADP National Employment Report is broadly distributed to the public each month, free of charge.

The data for this report is collected for pay periods that can be interpolated to include the week of the 12th of each month, and processed with statistical methodologies similar to those used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to compute employment from its monthly survey of establishments. Due to this processing, this subset is modified to make it indicative of national employment levels; therefore, the resulting employment changes computed for the ADP National Employment Report are not representative of changes in ADP’s total base of U.S. business clients.

For a description of the underlying data and the statistical model used to create this report, please see “ADP National Employment Report: Development Methodology” at www.adpemploymentreport.com/docs/ADP-NER-Methodology-Full-Detail.pdf.

About Moody’s Analytics
Moody’s Analytics helps capital markets and risk management professionals worldwide respond to an evolving marketplace with confidence. The company offers unique tools and best practices for measuring and managing risk through expertise and experience in credit analysis, economic research and financial risk management. By providing leading-edge software, advisory services and research, including the proprietary analysis of Moody’s Investors Service, Moody’s Analytics integrates and customizes its offerings to address specific business challenges. Moody’s Analytics is a subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO), which reported revenue of $3.0 billion in 2013, employs approximately 9,700 people worldwide, and has a presence in 31 countries. More information is available at www.moodysanalytics.com.

About ADP
Employers around the world rely on ADP® (NASDAQ: ADP) for cloud-based solutions and services to help manage their most important asset – their people. From human resources and payroll to talent management to benefits administration, ADP brings unmatched depth and expertise in helping clients build a better workforce. A pioneer in Human Capital Management (HCM) and business process outsourcing, ADP serves more than 610,000 clients in 100 countries. ADP.com.

ROSELAND, N.J. — More than ever, businesses need to be able to source the right talent with limited resources so they can adapt, recover, and grow. That is why ADP®, a leading global provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions, is deepening its integration with ZipRecruiter®, the fastest-growing online employment marketplace2 and #1-rated job search app.3

ADP is the first HCM provider to make ZipRecruiter available directly to customers through its online platform. ZipRecruiter is now seamlessly embedded within ADP Workforce Now Recruitment, giving recruiters access to more qualified candidates and to intelligent tools that identify the best candidates for their roles.

“ADP is proud to deepen our relationship with ZipRecruiter. Over the past few years, we have helped tens of thousands of our shared customers find and hire the right candidates quickly,” said Laura Brown, president, major account services and ADP Canada. “Further integration will provide a strong return on investment for clients, continuing to lift ADP above competitors through unmatched data and intelligent technology.”

“ZipRecruiter is excited to provide a strong, reliable and streamlined solution for ADP’s customers at an especially challenging time in the economy,” said Ian Siegel, Co-Founder & CEO at ZipRecruiter. “ZipRecruiter’s tools are flexible, efficient, and easy, and free up time so that businesses can focus on adapting to changing business needs, innovating, and achieving their goals.”

The integration includes several key features:

Tools to help businesses find quality candidates faster:
Businesses will be able to distribute their jobs across 100+ job sites and reach over 30 million job seekers a month via mobile and web.1
Businesses will be able to use ZipRecruiter’s sponsored job posts to receive ten times more applicants, on average, than organic job posts typically do.4 Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter receive a quality candidate within the first day.
ZipRecruiter’s industry-leading, smart-matching technology actively identifies qualified candidates and invites them to apply.
Ease and flexibility:
Job slots are flexible, allowing employers to easily swap a new job into a job slot or pause a search and activate it later.
If employers need to sponsor more jobs, they will be able to purchase additional sponsored job slots through the ADP Workforce Now Recruitment Module in 2021.
Employers who want to boost visibility of their jobs can purchase Traffic Boost within the Recruitment Module to drive additional applications in 2021.
Seamless integration with ADP Workforce Now:
Employers receive applications from candidates in real-time and view them directly in the ADP Workforce Now Recruitment module, eliminating complicated workflows, implementation time, and budget management.
One-Click apply ensures companies don’t miss out on top talent due to lengthy applications. With ZipApply, candidates can apply to jobs with just one click.
The integration is also complemented by new embedded recruitment capabilities powered by ADP® DataCloud, an award-winning people analytics and benchmarking platform that provides clients with in-depth workforce and business insights to enable critical HR decisions. These embedded intelligence capabilities are designed to help reduce time to fill and increase offer conversion rate. The first of these new intelligent features for recruitment is Profile Relevancy, a tool to help score, assess and match candidates that are the best fit for a job opening. The machine learning model is trained on 30M+ resumes and 5M+job postings to evaluate the skills, experience, and education fit across applications to bubble up the best candidates for recruiters.

Joining Profile Relevancy are ADP’s Compensation Benchmarks, which provides industry and geographic-level compensation data when creating job requisitions for guided, in-line decision making utilizing insights from over 90M unique employees and over 740k companies. Compensation Benchmarks help ensure confidence when making competitive job offers in a dynamic market.

ZipRecruiter’s smart matching technology and one-click ZipApply is currently available via ADP Workforce Now v24. To learn more about the full benefits that ADP and ZipRecruiter have to offer, please visit this link.

About ADP (NASDAQ – ADP) 
Designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products, premium services and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits and Payroll. Informed by data and designed for people. Learn more at ADP.com.

About ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter is a leading online employment marketplace that uses smart matching technology to actively connect millions of employers and job seekers. Since its inception in 2010, ZipRecruiter has helped over 2.3 million businesses of all sizes (from SMBs to Fortune 500 companies) find great candidates. Reaching over 30 million job seekers each month1, ZipRecruiter is the #1 Rated Job Search App on iOS and Android3 and is Rated #1 by Employers.5

ROSELAND, N.J — While technology and innovation are transforming the way we work, they are also directly impacting why, when and where we work. In a first-of-its-kind study, the ADP Research Institute puts the spotlight on the gig workforce in organizations, often described as a hidden or ‘shadow workforce.’ The research report titled, Illuminating the Shadow Workforce: Insights into the Gig Workforce in Businesses, reveals tenured workers and retirees are capitalizing on the tight U.S. labor market and the need for skilled workers, by turning to gig work. The report also found 1 in 6 enterprise workers are actually gig workers paid as either 1099-MISC (1099-M) workers or short-term W-2 employees working one to six months. The report takes a close look at their compensation, varied skill sets, and motivations.

Backed by anonymized payroll data of 18 million workers from 75,000 companies, coupled with 16,800 direct survey responses from traditional employees and gig workers, and 21 C-level executive interviews, the research shows that this changing composition of the workforce has significant talent management, budget and compliance implications for businesses of all sizes.
In addition, the ADP Research Institute identified two worlds of gig workers in businesses. The first is comprised of 1099-M contractors who are independent contractors, often hired for their skillset on a project basis. These skilled, tenured workers tend to be older, highly educated and choose to work on what they enjoy. In fact, 30% of 1099-M gig workers are aged 55 or older. For some, their gig work is supplemental income to their retirement savings. The second includes short-term W-2 employees who are younger, less educated, have a lower income, and are typically working on a seasonal or on-call hire basis.
“It is clear there is a fundamental shift in the workforce as innovation continues to transform work, increasing the demand for skilled workers,” said Ahu Yildirmaz, co-head of the ADP Research Institute. “To bridge the talent gap in today’s tight labor market, many companies are hiring skilled workers at a premium. Our research shows that companies are turning to tenured, skilled workers and retirees on a gig-basis to meet this growing demand.”
Spotlight on the Gig Employment and Key Findings
Following are additional takeaways from the report:
Gig work is growing: From 2010 to 2019, the share of gig workers in businesses has increased by 15%, with both short-term W-2 and 1099-M gig workers contributing equally to this growth. The research indicates gig work will continue to grow, further impacting workforce dynamics and forcing companies to optimize talent management and workforce strategy.
Every industry relies on gig workers: Recreation, construction and business services are the top three industries utilizing the gig workforce.
Contract life is a choice: More than 70% of 1099-M gig workers say they are working independently by their own choice, not because they can’t find a “traditional” job. Most seem happy with gig work and place a premium on flexibility as a driving motivation behind their decision, over financial security or benefits. In fact, 60% of 1099-M gig workers say they will continue to gig for the next three years.
Gig work is not sporadic: More than half of the 1099-M contractors work for the same company for 12 consecutive months just like any traditional W-2 employee.
Earning potential is similar to a traditional worker: The average income for employees working for 12 consecutive months is similar, regardless of being a 1099-M worker or a traditional W-2 employee.
Millennials and Gen Z gig it their way: Gig workers under the age of 34 view themselves as traditional employees, perhaps reflecting the shift in the workforce. However, the prospect of health insurance does not appear to change their job behavior. In fact, 74% say they would continue to work as a 1099-M worker, even if they lost their current health insurance.
Added Yildirmaz, “While the term ‘gig worker’ has seamlessly integrated into our vernacular and culture, there has been no real data-driven insight into the gig workforce in the enterprise space. This ‘shadow workforce’ is comprised of workers with vast skillsets, who work across all industries and in all regions of the U.S. Additionally, we have found that the majority of these workers are doing gig work out of preference.”
To see the detailed report, Illuminating the Shadow Workforce: Insights into the Gig Workforce in Businesses, including all data and insights, please download the report here.
About the ADP Research Institute
The mission of the ADP Research Institute is to generate data-driven discoveries about the world of work, and to derive reliable economic indicators from these insights. We offer these findings to the world at large as our unique contribution to making the world of work better and more productive, and to bring greater awareness to the economy at large.
About ADP (NASDAQ: ADP)
Designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products, premium services and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits, and Payroll. Informed by data and designed for people. Learn more at ADP.com

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman today hosted a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Wang Yang for the 25th session of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), which took place in Chicago. At the conclusion of the discussions, the United States announced key outcomes in the areas of agricultural market access, intellectual property rights protection, innovation policies, and competition law enforcement.

Today’s negotiations followed a full day of events designed to facilitate private sector engagement with officials from the U.S. and China in a reinvigorated JCCT. Yesterday’s program included a roundtable discussion on bilateral investment hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Paulson Institute; a luncheon to celebrate the Gateway Cities partnership hosted by World Business Chicago; a cooperative travel and tourism program hosted by the U.S. Travel Association; and a discussion on developing a shared vision of economic leadership hosted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus also participated in this year’s JCCT.

“The JCCT is the time and place for the U.S. and China to address issues of mutual concern so we can get more business done between our two countries,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “While we enjoy a robust trade relationship with China – our exports were $161 billion in 2013 – there is more we can do to facilitate greater cooperation between our governments and our private sectors. This year we sought to ‘reimagine’ the JCCT to engage businesses from both countries in a dialogue about how to strengthen the trade and investment relationship between the world’s two largest economies, and we made significant progress.”

“This year’s JCCT produced concrete results. We achieved progress on tough issues that American exporters face in our largest export market outside North America,” said U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. “The benefits will be felt around the country, in our agricultural heartland, in high-tech from medicines to semiconductors, in the creative industries, and in many other sectors that support good-paying jobs across our economy.”

“The vice ministerial-level Strategic Agricultural Innovation Dialogue that we agreed to will begin early next year with multiple Chinese ministries,” said Secretary Vilsack. “These discussions will showcase U.S. innovation and create new economic opportunities in a wide range of agricultural industries, while addressing food security, climate change and environmental protection.”

The JCCT holds high-level plenary meetings on an annual basis to review progress made by 16 working groups that meet throughout the year to focus on a wide variety of trade and investment issues. These working groups address topics such as intellectual property rights, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, information technology, tourism, commercial law, environment and statistics.

Established in 1983, the JCCT is the primary forum for addressing bilateral trade and investment issues and promoting commercial opportunities between the United States and China. The 2013 JCCT meeting was held in Beijing.

Overview of JCCT Discussions

Through sustained engagement over the course of this past year, the United States and China have reached agreement in several areas of key importance to U.S. farmers, innovators, manufacturers and workers, including in the following areas:

Agriculture market access: China has made commitments that should promote significant increases in U.S. exports of soybeans, corn and dairy products to China. Specifically, China announced that it would approve the importation of new biotechnology varieties of U.S. soybeans and corn ­– current annual U.S. exports of soybeans and corn to China total $14 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively – and also that it would pursue a regular dialogue with the United States focused on the benefits of the increased use of innovative technologies in agriculture, for both the United States and China. China also agreed to strong IP protections for products that use trademarks or common names like “parmesan” or “feta” cheese, which in recent years have begun to demonstrate a potential for rapid export growth vis-à-vis China.

IPR protection: China’s IPR-related commitments cover a range of needed improvements, which should benefit U.S. businesses in a wide variety of industries that rely on the ability to protect their trade secrets, as well as U.S. holders of patents, trademarks and copyrights. For example, in the area of trade secrets, building on prior bilateral commitments made by China, the United States has gained China’s agreement to take specific additional steps to protect companies’ trade secrets and to work on a new trade secrets law to further enhance their protections. The United States also has secured China’s agreement to, among other things, bring new focus to the two countries’ work together to determine how best to foster a better environment for facilitating increased sales of legitimate intellectual property-intensive goods and services in China.

Innovation policies: The United States continued to pursue changes to Chinese policies and practices that have pressured foreign companies to transfer valuable intellectual property rights to enterprises in China. For example, China committed to ensure that they treat foreign IP rights the same as domestic IP rights. China also has agreed to streamline China’s regulatory processes and cut red tape for imports of new, innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices, which should lead to increases in U.S. exports and U.S. jobs in these two important sectors.
Indeed, according to industry data, the U.S. pharmaceuticals industry directly employs more than 810,000 workers and supports a total of 3.4 million jobs in the United States, while annual exports of U.S. pharmaceutical products to China have exceeded $1.2 billion. The U.S. medical device industry, meanwhile, includes over 7,000 companies, most with less than 100 employees, supports 1.9 million U.S. jobs overall, and was responsible for $2.7 billion in exports to China in 2013.

Competition policy enforcement: The United States was able to address a significant concern for many foreign companies, which have expressed serious concern about insufficient predictability, fairness and transparency in the investigative processes of China’s Anti-Monopoly Law enforcement. The Chinese side agreed that, under normal circumstances, a foreign company in an Anti-Monopoly Law investigation would be permitted to have counsel present and to consult with them during proceedings. China also made several additional commitments, including to treat domestic and foreign companies equally and to provide increased transparency for investigated companies.

The United States and China also held a strategic economic discussion of excess capacity – from steel to solar panels, its causes and costs, and strategies for dealing with it.

SEATTLE– Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced the launch of the Amazon Payments Partner Program, a new global program designed to help ecommerce platform providers and developers extend the trust and familiarity of Amazon Payments to their merchant customers. The Amazon Payments Partner Program offers unique tools and services to help Partners grow their merchant business by offering easy integration with Amazon Payments.

The Amazon Payments Partner Program includes solution pre-integration and best practices to help ensure that merchants receive the most effective solutions. Merchants will be eligible to receive exclusive benefits and services from the program such as knowledge-sharing and white glove integration services. The program is free to participate in and available by invitation in the United States, Germany, United Kingdom and Japan.

“The Amazon Payments Partner Program provides Partners with the tools and resources needed to extend the trust and convenience of the Amazon experience to their merchant customers,” said Patrick Gauthier, vice president, Amazon Payments. “We are working together across geographies and industries to help merchants grow and create experiences that delight customers throughout the shopping journey.”

The Amazon Payments Partner Program includes Premier Partner, Certified Partner, and Certified Developer levels, with distinct certified categories for ecommerce platform providers and developers. As members of the Amazon Payments Partner Program, Partners are eligible to receive account management, planning support, technical resources and training, Partner directory listing, Partner designation with exclusive logos, and certain Partners may also be eligible for co-marketing activities.

“The convenience and trust that Amazon Payments provides customers already attracts lots of our merchants. We are honored to participate in the Amazon Payments Partner Program,” said Yuko Hoshino, President of Future Shop Co., Ltd. “Together, we will support the growth of our merchant business and contribute to the revitalization of the ecommerce industry in Japan by combining the capabilities of FutureShop2 with the convenience of Amazon Payments.”

“Amazon Payments extends the trusted and familiar experience of Amazon to our merchants across Europe and the United States,” said Corinne Lejbowicz, CEO PrestaShop SA. “We’re excited to be a Premier Partner in Amazon Payments Partner Program as we provide our users with the tools and resources necessary to grow their business.”

“Our merchants want to offer their customers a payment solution that is trusted, easy and familiar,” said Brennan Loh, Director of Business Development at Shopify. “We’re excited to be a Premier Partner in the Amazon Payments Partner Program, enabling our merchants to offer Pay with Amazon.”

To learn more about Amazon Payments Partner Program, visit: https://payments.amazon.com/merchant/global-partner-program.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

SEATTLE — (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon today announced Amazon Launchpad, a new program that makes it easy for startups to launch, market, and distribute their products to hundreds of millions of Amazon customers across the globe. The program offers a streamlined onboarding experience, custom product pages, a comprehensive marketing package, and access to Amazon’s global fulfillment network, all geared toward helping startups successfully launch their innovations and share their stories. With Amazon Launchpad, startups can overcome many of the challenges associated with launching new products by using Amazon’s retail expertise and infrastructure to create awareness and drive sales.

“As the pace of innovation continues to increase within the startup community, we want to help customers discover these unique products and learn the inspiration behind them. We also know from talking to startups that bringing a new product to market successfully can be just as challenging as building it,” said Jim Adkins, Vice President, Amazon. “Amazon Launchpad gives customers access to a dedicated storefront featuring a variety of innovative new products from emerging brands. For startups, we handle inventory management, order fulfillment, customer service, and more, allowing them to focus their efforts on the innovation that results in more cool products.”

Amazon Launchpad offers participating startups:
Brand Development: Custom product pages help bring products to life through visually-compelling imagery and videos. Founders can tell their story and connect with customers in a personal way with Q&A about the startup. Products from these emerging brands are featured in the new Amazon Launchpad store, which is dedicated to showcasing startups and their innovations.
Customer Reach: Amazon’s most powerful marketing tools – including merchandised placements, personalized recommendations, and participation in the Amazon Vine customer reviews program – give products from startups added visibility. Startups also enjoy access to Amazon’s global fulfillment network, fast and free shipping with Amazon Prime, and customer service.
Global Expansion: When startups are ready to reach customers outside the U.S., Amazon Launchpad can help them expand globally with cost-effective supply chain solutions and marketing programs in more than 10 Amazon marketplaces around the world.
Amazon is working with more than 25 venture capital firms, startup accelerators, and crowd-funding platforms to bring startups into the Amazon Launchpad program. Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, and Indiegogo are a few of the companies that have funded the more than 200 products currently available in the Amazon Launchpad store – which features everything from Electronics to Kitchen to Beauty items. Products from startups in the program include the Bluesmart Smart Carry-On Luggage, eero Home Wi-Fi System, Cuff DVB Smart Sport Band, Fenugreen FreshPaper Produce Saver Sheets, Electric Objects EO1 Digital Art Panel, Soma Sustainable Pitcher & Plant-Based Water Filter, Thync Mood-Changing Wearable System, and Casper Mattress, among others.

Initial feedback from some of the companies in the Amazon Launchpad program includes:

“Launchpad makes Amazon an ideal partner for the most innovative young tech companies,” said Marc Andreessen, Co-Founder and General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz. “It’s yet another way Amazon fosters a real ecosystem of invention and creativity.”
“At Y Combinator, our support doesn’t end on Demo Day. With Amazon Launchpad, we are reinforcing our commitment to help bring physical products to a wide audience,” said Luke Iseman, Partner, Y Combinator. “This program will help our hardware startups get in front of more users than ever before.”
“Indiegogo empowers campaigners to turn ideas into reality through customer engagement and funding mechanisms. By partnering with Amazon Launchpad, Indiegogo entrepreneurs gain instant access to Amazon’s powerful distribution capabilities and massive audience,” said Slava Rubin, Co-Founder and CEO, Indiegogo. “I’m excited to see how this unique partnership enables startups to accelerate their growth and share their innovative products with the world.”
“Amazon recognizes the increasing importance of fast and reliable home Wi-Fi as consumers stream more video and music than ever before and connected devices go mainstream,” said Nick Weaver, Co-Founder and CEO, eero. “We couldn’t ask for a better partner and are honored to be one of the emerging companies in the Amazon Launchpad program. We’re excited to showcase our product on the world’s largest discovery platform.”
“Amazon Launchpad is the perfect home for our smart jewelry. This innovative way to shop lets us tell consumers the story and philosophy behind Cuff, and hopefully makes them fall in love with our product,” said Deepa Sood, Founder and CEO, Cuff. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of this initiative.”
“I am an accidental entrepreneur – I never dreamed that FreshPaper, which started as my middle school science project, would one day be in the hands of farmers and families across the globe. But my unlikely story is only possible because of visionary partners like Amazon who believe in our product’s potential to change the way the world eats,” said Kavita Shukla, Inventor and Founder, Fenugreen FreshPaper. “By throwing their considerable weight behind ideas like FreshPaper, Amazon is using its technology and reach to make innovation accessible to all.”
“The sheer scale that Amazon Launchpad offers a startup like Electric Objects is unparalleled,” said Jake Levine, Founder and CEO, Electric Objects. “Working closely with their team these last few months, I’ve been consistently impressed with the level of service and access that this program makes available. This partnership could be game-changing for our company, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to participate.”
To learn more about the Amazon Launchpad program, visit www.amazon.com/launchpad/signup. To shop the Amazon Launchpad store, visit www.amazon.com/launchpad.

About Amazon

Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, Fire TV, and Amazon Echo are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.

NEW YORK, – The ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative announced today that it is launching a search in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada to identify the next generation of female leaders. Now through March 1, 2014, high school sophomores and juniors can apply at ANNpower.org for the opportunity to become an ANNpower Fellow and receive leadership training and mentorship by global women leaders. ANNpower is a partnership between ANN INC. (NYSE: ANN), the parent Company of Ann Taylor and LOFT, and Vital Voices Global Partnership.

50 young women will be selected and invited to the ANNpower Vital Voices Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C., June 16 – 19, 2014, where they will receive leadership training from influential women leaders who are part of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Network, as well as executives from ANN INC., including the Company’s President and CEO, Kay Krill. The Forum’s curriculum equips these aspiring young leaders with the training and mentorship they need to realize their full potential as future leaders. Armed with these new skills, the Fellows will then return to their communities to create projects to affect change and apply for project grants to put their ideas into action. ANNpower Grants will be awarded in the Fall of 2014, and winning Fellows will spend the school year implementing their projects and receiving mentoring from ANN INC. associates.

“We look forward to welcoming our next class of ANNpower Fellows,” said Kay Krill, President and CEO, ANN INC. “These girls are so committed to making a difference in their communities and the world. I have so much confidence in the Fellows we have seen come through the program and cannot wait to be further inspired by this next group of young women.”

“ANNpower Fellows are passionate and innovative trailblazers implementing truly effective and sustainable programs in their communities,” said Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. “We are proud to partner with ANN INC., together providing unique and life-changing opportunities for these young women leaders.”

Selected Fellows will also have the opportunity to participate in high profile global leadership events throughout the year. This past year, six ANNpower Fellows were given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness history in the making and travel to Burma to attend the Women’s Forum Myanmar, the first of its kind in the country. During the nine-day trip, the Fellows engaged with global women leaders while immersing themselves in the Burmese culture, a country which is undergoing rapid transformation as it opens up to dialogue and exchange both domestically and regionally.

“Being an ANNpower Fellow has been an amazing opportunity that has shaped who I am today. I learned so much by participating in this historic event, hearing stories from influential world leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi and Melanne Verveer. The experience was extremely powerful and I left inspired to do more with the project I’m implementing in my community.” – Emily Kosse, 2012 ANNpower Fellow and Grantee.

During the months of January and February, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Factory, LOFT and LOFT Outlet stores across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada will support the search for the next generation of leaders in store with the ANNpower call-to-action: “Know a girl who wants to change the world?” Additionally, the 50 young women selected will received a special discount card redeemable for two years at Ann Taylor and LOFT.

For more information about the ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative or to apply to become an ANNpower Fellow, please visit ANNpower.org.

This Press Release is courtesy of www.anninc.com

Strengthening regional economic integration (REI) in the Asia-Pacific region by removing barriers to trade and investment remains the core mission of APEC and was one of the main themes for work in APEC in 2014. This year, APEC Leaders agreed on a series of outcomes that will help advance U.S. trade and investment interests, and build on APEC’s successes in this area over the past several years. Most notable among these are the establishment of an APEC fund dedicated to helping economies overcome specific obstacles to implementation of APEC and WTO commitments on supply chain and trade facilitation and the groundbreaking APEC commitment to reduce tariffs on a list of environmental goods to 5 percent or less by the end of 2015.

Environmental Goods- To ensure the full implementation of APEC’s ground-breaking 2011 commitment to reduce applied tariffs on the 54 products in the APEC List of Environmental Goods to five percent or less by the end of 2015, economies agreed to submit implementation plans by the time of the Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in spring of next year. APEC is also undertaking technical assistance that will help economies fully implement their commitments.

Good Regulatory Practices- APEC economies continue to strengthen the implementation of good regulatory practices. This year Leaders agreed to take steps to improve the conduct of public consultations through using information technology and the Internet. This new approach presents enormous opportunities for regulators in the region to consult more effectively with stakeholders, both foreign and domestic, and gain the best possible understanding of the possible economic impact of regulations. APEC Ministers encouraged economies to provide innovative capacity building approaches to the implementation of good regulatory practices and the use of regulatory tools.

Electric Vehicles- To promote the widespread use of environmentally friendly, technologically-advanced electric vehicles, APEC economies agreed to several steps, including using international standards as the basis for regulations on electric vehicles; creating a priority list of international standards important for electric vehicles; working towards aligning regulations and avoiding regulatory divergences, particularly regarding electric vehicle charging; and establishing and APEC Electric Vehicles Interoperability and Research Center to help economies meet their regulatory alignment objectives. Through these steps, APEC will encourage greater electric vehicle production and use – and greater trade and investment opportunities – while advancing APEC’s green growth, connectivity, regulatory coherence, and regional economic integration objectives.

Supply Chain Performance- APEC Leaders agreed to accelerate technical assistance and capacity building to help economies improve supply chain performance, in support of the APEC-wide goal of a ten percent improvement in supply chain performance by the end of 2015. With a dedicated fund already in place, economies this year agreed to create a comprehensive capacity building plan for using the resources in this fund, and established a new body of public and private supply chain experts to advise the technical assistance and capacity building projects under the plan.

NEW YORK- Artivest, a cutting-edge technology platform that connects leading private equity and hedge funds with a wider audience of suitable investors, announced today a $15 million round of funding led by prominent global investment firm KKR, with existing investors RRE Ventures, Peter Thiel, Nyca Partners, Anthemis Group and FinTech Collective participating as well. Artivest will use the funding to accelerate the growth of its technology, infrastructure and sales teams and the execution of its product roadmap.

“Artivest combines leading technology with operational tools for feeder funds that will further open the door for financial advisors and high net worth investors looking to commit capital to a wide variety of top private equity funds. Most private equity firms are very interested in accessing this capital but do not have the technical or operational capability to do so today. We look forward to partnering with Artivest as they expand their business,” said Ed Brandman, KKR’s Chief Information Officer, who will join Artivest’s Board of Directors.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in New York City, Artivest provides access at lower investment minimums to a select assortment of privately offered alternative investment funds. To date, Artivest has offered premier private equity and venture capital funds and will soon be offering hedge funds.

“The process of investing in private placements—previously inefficient for all involved–has not changed in any meaningful way for decades. A number of trends have come together, including alternative funds’ increasing focus on individual investors and investors’ growing appetite for all types of alternatives. At this crucial moment, we are bringing private investing a much-needed digital upgrade,” said Artivest CEO and Founder, James Waldinger. “It’s a great honor and a meaningful endorsement to be backed by KKR, one of our first partners.”

High net worth investors — a crucial and complicated customer base

Qualified investors, including those served by the rapidly growing independent advisor community, are fueling a new wave of demand for alternative strategies and are, in fact, the fastest growing segment of assets allocated to alternative funds. With equity markets periodically testing new highs and publicly available fixed income investments providing unsatisfactory yields, clients and their advisors are actively seeking alternative solutions for compounding wealth over long time periods. Top private equity and hedge funds, which have historically raised capital exclusively from institutions and those capable of writing institutional-sized checks, are compelled by this investor base but challenged by the implications of sourcing, onboarding and serving a much more fragmented clientele.

Artivest provides a multi-pronged solution to connect these two constituencies at scale. Key Artivest features for qualified investors include more accessible investment minimums, online access to intuitive displays of fund metrics and electronic completion of all legal documentation. Funds utilize Artivest technology to manage investor relations and client operations at scale. Both user types benefit from best-in-class-security and encryption protection.

About Artivest
Artivest offers a digital platform for private investment managers and investors. We connect a wider audience of suitable investors with investment opportunities in top-quality private equity and hedge funds that are typically available only at institutional minimum investment sizes. Our technological, financial, and operational expertise powers a seamless experience for individual investors and a scalable point of access for financial advisors and fund managers. Ultimately, our mission is to bring private investment management into the digital age. Artivest is a FINRA member registered Broker Dealer. For more information, please visit www.Artivest.co. Follow Artivest on Facebook: facebook.com/artivest and Twitter: @artivest

About James Waldinger, Founder and CEO
James drew on his background in investing and online marketing to found Artivest. He identified a compelling opportunity to deliver to a wider audience intuitive access to the best that money managers had to offer, and let the best money managers focus on what they do best. Previously, he served on the investment team at the global macro hedge fund, Clarium Capital Management, where he also ran an emerging markets-focused investment portfolio. He has worked with a variety of internet startups, in investment, advisory and operational roles, including as an analyst on Peter Thiel’s initial investment in Facebook. James earned his BA in History from Yale, and he holds both a JD and MBA from Stanford.

About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages investments across multiple asset classes including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit and hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world‐class people, and driving growth and value creation at the asset level. KKR invests its own capital alongside its partners’ capital and brings opportunities to others through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE:KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

To compete in an increasingly global economy, the United States must come up with innovative strategies that will lead to economic growth and job creation around the country. The ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership’ (IMCP) seeks to enhance the way we leverage federal economic development funds to encourage American communities to focus not only on attracting individual investments one at a time, but transforming themselves into globally-competitive manufacturing hubs.

An administration-wide initiative led by the White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce, the ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership’ will encourage communities to devise comprehensive economic development strategies that strengthen their competitive edge in attracting global manufacturers and their supply chains. IMCP specifically brings together the resources of multiple federal departments and agencies involved in economic development.

In Phase One of the of the ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership,’ 44 communities were awarded a total of $7 million to support the creation of economic development strategies that recognize the community’s comparative advantages as a place to do business, invest in public goods, and encourage collaboration between multiple entities to expand the area’s commercial appeal to investors.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced that the competition for Phase Two of the ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership’ is now open, and the Federal Register Notice will be posted in the coming days. In this phase, communities will have an opportunity to compete for a special designation that will elevate them in consideration for $1.3 billion in federal dollars and assistance from 10 cabinet departments/agencies. These communities could also potentially receive catalytic additional federal investments to further support their economic development strategies. The IMCP is a critical component of the Department of Commerce’s “Open for Business Agenda,” which prioritizes trade and investment.

Phase Two of the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership

In Phase Two of the IMCP, up to 12 communities that come up with winning strategies will receive a designation of “Manufacturing Community” that gives them elevated consideration for $1.3 billion in federal dollars and assistance from 10 cabinet departments/agencies. These communities would also potentially receive additional catalytic federal investments to support their economic development strategies. In order to earn the designation, communities must present strategies that identify technologies or industries in which they would be competitive in the future and would make investments in the following areas:

workforce and training;
advanced research;
infrastructure and site development;
supply chain support;
export promotion;
and capital access
These communities will receive:

Elevated consideration for federal dollars and assistance across 10 cabinet departments/agencies, totaling $1.3 billion;
A dedicated federal liaison at these agencies who can act as their concierge to the specific services they need;
Subject to funding availability, challenge grants may become available to some awardees from the pool of designated manufacturing communities;
Recognition on a government website, accessible to prospective private investors (foreign and domestic alike) looking for information on communities’ competitive attributes

This Press Release is courtesy of www.commerce.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. – General Motors announced its support for the U.S. Department of State Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP), which offers military veterans a one-year paid fellowship in a U.S. Government agency.

“We know that transitioning from military to civilian life can seem like a daunting task, and we want to do everything in our power to help them,” said Ken Barrett, GM chief diversity officer. “These men and women have given so much for our country that they deserve our best efforts to make a difference in their life.”

Launched by the U.S. Department of State in support of Executive Order 13518, Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government, VIP supports veterans’ transition to diplomacy and development careers by assisting with educational opportunities to study international relations; establishes fellowship opportunities at U.S. Government foreign affairs agencies, and facilitates international public and private employment opportunities.

GM employs thousands of military veteran employees and has supported the U.S. armed forces for generations. GM is a corporate sponsor of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s “Hiring Our Heroes” program, which helps returning veterans and their spouses find jobs and a partner in the a coalition of private sector businesses dedicated to hiring 100,000 veterans by 2020.

The company also established GM’s Service Technical College, which offers free training to veterans and returning service members to prepare them for technical and non-technical entry-level roles in a dealership. GM also assists veterans by supporting The Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, which helps wounded veterans overcome injuries through athletics.

“The Veterans Innovation Partnership is about recognizing not just how the State Department can help veterans, but about how veterans can help the State Department – we want to tap into the important leadership and service experience that they offer,” said Andrew O’Brien, special representative for Global Partnerships. “We are grateful to partners like General Motors for their commitment in making a program like this possible.”

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

At an open-ended meeting with all members today – the first of 2015 – Director-General Roberto Azevêdo launched a new process of consultations with the aim of agreeing a work programme on the remaining Doha Development Agenda issues by July this year. This new deadline was set by members at a special meeting of the General Council in November.

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The Director-General urged members to build on the progress that had been made during 2014 and to recall the ingredients which they would need in order to reach a successful outcome, such as:

maintaining a sense of urgency;
identifying and prioritising the issues that are of the most substantive importance;
targeting outcomes that are doable for all parties;
maintaining a high level of engagement;
and tackling all issues at the same time rather than trying to sequence them.
The Director General told members attending the meeting:

“We must maximise the time we have available to us before July — and maintain the momentum that we regained at the end of 2014. We need to have a detailed, substantive discussion that includes agriculture, non-agricultural market access, services and all of the other DDA issues, including development and issues of interest to LDCs. Today we are restarting our conversation on all of these issues. So be ready — and get involved.”
Under the intensified process launched today, discussions on the substantive issues of the DDA will be convened by the Chairs of the various Negotiating Groups and by the Director-General. Meetings will be held in a variety of formats and configurations. Replicating the inclusive and transparent approach that proved effective in the lead up to Bali, regular meetings of all members will be the spine of this work. The next such meeting is scheduled for Thursday 29 January.

Director-General Roberto Azevêdo strongly welcomed the communiqué agreed by G20 leaders at the summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 1 December and said he would work with all WTO members to improve and strengthen the trading system. The Director-General also called on the leaders to act urgently to address the blockage in the WTO dispute settlement system.

Speaking in Buenos Aires at the close of the summit, the Director-General said:

“This has been a very productive G20 summit. I have heard firm support for trade and the WTO throughout my meetings with leaders in Buenos Aires and heard a range of ideas about strengthening our work. This is reflected in the leaders’ declaration, which I strongly welcome. The declaration represents a very important moment in tackling the current challenges in global trade. With this statement, the leaders underline the vital importance of trade and of the multilateral trading system in supporting growth, productivity, innovation, job creation and development. They call for improvements and “necessary reforms” to the functioning of the WTO to ensure that it can continue playing this essential role. I will work with WTO members to take this forward in the interests of all.”

“International trade and investment are important engines of growth, productivity, innovation, job creation and development. We recognize the contribution that the multilateral trading system has made to that end. The system is currently falling short of its objectives and there is room for improvement. We therefore support the necessary reform of the WTO to improve its functioning. We will review progress at our next Summit.”

G20 CONSENSUS

What does an improved safety culture have to do with making hiring easier and faster? A lot, it turns out, if you work at NIST. In the spring of 2014, Paul O’Neill, former CEO of Alcoa and U.S. Treasury Secretary from 2001-2002, spoke to the NIST community about the “theoretical limit” for safety. He explained that when an organization’s culture focuses on safety and everyone doing the right things, the theoretical limit for safety incidents is zero. This is pretty easy to understand and straightforward: doing the right safety things ensures that no one gets hurt at work.

This got our Office of Human Resources (HR) Management staff thinking: what’s the theoretical time limit for a successful and compliant federal hiring action under current authorities? If everyone was on board with doing the right HR things, could we make hiring faster? After some research and assessing our own hiring data, we concluded that the theoretical limit for a NIST hiring action, depending on recruitment type, could be as fast as 12 to 20 days. We then started asking: How do we move from where we are now to that theoretical limit? And, would everyone get on board with doing the right things to achieve that speed? The answer was a resounding yes. We shared the theoretical limit analysis with our customers and they agreed that if we improved technology and made HR things easy to do correctly, hiring managers would be on board. This “yes” allowed the HR staff, our IT partners and our customers to start our journey toward faster and easier hiring.

On November 17, 2016, after a six-month development window and six-month pilot with one of NIST’s research laboratories, we fully deployed a new IT application called HR STAT (Submission, Tracking and Analytics Tool). Knowing we needed HR STAT to work for all of NIST, the tool was developed, tested and deployed in partnership with our customers.

HR STAT allows customers to:

Submit requests for recruitment actions via an online portal;
Track the full progress of the request from initiation to new employee start date, including integration with the security process; and,
Know the expected start date of the selectee, based on a mutually agreed hiring timeline and built in timeliness targets.
Working in collaboration with our partners, HR designed the workflow to track an aggressive timeliness target (typically 35 days) for our mission-critical occupations at NIST—a first step in moving closer to the theoretical limit. The initial results are promising!

During the pilot phase, 20 cases were completed and our average timeliness was 58 days. In comparison, our average timelines for the 140 completed cases outside of the pilot was 66 days. Since full deployment, 52 cases have been completed in HR STAT; timeliness ranged from 12 to 49 with an average of 26 days. By comparison, in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, average timeliness for the 125 completed cases prior to HR STAT was 73 days.

In addition to speed, customers have reported via survey, direct email and anecdote that the application is easy to use and that the transparency provided is excellent.

As we continue to use HR STAT, we expect the benefits to grow. Full transparency and access to real-time data allows both HR and clients to address process issues and training needs. HR STAT represents what we need to deliver to our clients: collaborative HR services that are easy, compliant and fast.

HR STAT is better HR through better IT and, for us at NIST, it represents significant progress toward that theoretical limit and overall operational excellence.

For more information on HR STAT, you may contact Susanne Porch, NIST’s HR Director, at Susanne.porch@nist.gov.

HOUSTON & NEW YORK– KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE:KKR), a leading global investment firm, and BlackGold Capital Management (“BlackGold”), a credit-oriented hedge fund specializing in energy and hard asset investments, today announced that KKR is acquiring a 24.9% interest in BlackGold. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Established in 2006 by co-founders Erik Dybesland and Adam Flikerski, who have spent their entire careers in the energy sector, BlackGold specializes in energy and hard asset event-driven strategies while investing throughout the capital structure. The nature of BlackGold’s strategy and investments facilitates repeatable low correlation and volatility returns relative to the broader market and commodities, providing meaningful diversification benefits to its investors.

“Through this strategic investment in BlackGold, we are partnering with an outstanding team with an excellent track record of delivering returns to investors. We are thrilled to add BlackGold to our hedge fund platform and we look forward to a long-term partnership with Erik, Adam and the full BlackGold team,” Todd Builione, co-head of Hedge Funds at KKR, said.

Erik Dybesland and Adam Flikerski stated: “KKR has nearly three decades of experience investing in the energy sector and maintains a significant presence and technical expertise in the industry. Having access to KKR’s global network of relationships, institutional infrastructure and management expertise will introduce new areas of opportunity for BlackGold and our investors. We are confident that our partnership will strengthen relationships with our counterparties and within our investment universe, while enhancing the durability and unique capabilities of our franchise.”

Marc Lipschultz, KKR’s Global Head of Energy & Infrastructure, added: “We are always looking for exceptional teams with whom we can partner, and this investment marks the culmination of those efforts. We believe their deep industry knowledge coupled with our energy franchise will benefit both parties and lead to new investment opportunities for our respective investors.”

BlackGold’s management team will continue to manage the business independently, and BlackGold’s investment strategies will not change as a result of KKR’s investment. All of BlackGold founders’ capital will remain invested in the funds and the majority of the proceeds received from this transaction will be re-invested in the funds – maintaining full alignment with their investors. Pro forma this transaction, the BlackGold management team will own 75.1% of BlackGold.

The investment in BlackGold is part of KKR’s efforts to develop the firm’s hedge fund platform, which is co-led by Girish Reddy and Todd Builione, and to expand the firm’s energy business, which is led by Marc Lipschultz. KKR’s hedge fund platform includes its approximately $10 billion multi-manager hedge fund business (KKR Prisma) and a Strategic Stakes & Seeding business that invests the firm’s balance sheet to acquire minority stakes in hedge fund managers. BlackGold represents KKR’s second minority stake in a hedge fund manager, following the 2013 investment in Nephila Capital, an insurance-linked securities manager with approximately $10 billion under management.

The investment by KKR was made by the firm and not through KKR’s investment funds.

About BlackGold
BlackGold Capital Management was founded in 2006 by Erik Dybesland and Adam Flikerski. BlackGold is a leading investment manager specializing in event-driven, energy and hard asset related credit. BlackGold manages assets primarily for family offices, insurance companies, hospitals, pensions, endowments and foundations, and is dedicated to achieving consistent volatility-adjusted performance, coupled with low correlation to commodity prices and the broader markets. BlackGold is based in Houston, TX and manages $1.4 billion in assets. Further information can be requested through BlackGold’s website at www.blackgoldcap.com.

About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages investments across multiple asset classes including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit and hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation at the asset level. KKR invests its own capital alongside its partners’ capital and brings opportunities to others through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE:KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com.

Hilliard, OH – September 7, 2018… BMW Group Financial Services in the U.S. announced today the selection of six startups for the first-ever BMW Financial Services Collaboration Lab. The start-ups will now undertake a 10-week lab at BMW Financial Services’ offices in Hilliard, Ohio, to further develop their ideas alongside leading subject matter experts in the automotive and financial sectors.

The Collaboration Lab accelerator program provides entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small businesses in fintech and other fields with the opportunity to partner with BMW Group Financial Services to develop, and then realize, innovative solutions and game-changing new technologies that can ultimately benefit consumers, dealers, and partners.

From a total 212 applications, selected domestic and international start-ups were invited to pitch their ideas live to a panel of judges from BMW Financial Services, BMW of North America, and L Marks. The panel selected these six startups to join the 10-week Collaboration Lab program:

Category: Digitizing the Customer Journey
Startup: carLABS – carLABS has created a cognitive, conversational AI-powered platform for automating and enhancing sales and marketing in the automotive vertical. Its solution offers car buyers a dramatically simplified shopping experience that significantly increases conversions and return on marketing spend for car sellers.

Category: Building a Blockchain Strategy
Startup selected: Supermoney – Supermoney is developing a unique digital wallet. In-store and online, customers can pay with a simple QR scan. The product runs on a system of smart contracts that effectively and efficiently manage counterparty risk, protecting both buyer and seller.

Category: Building a Blockchain Strategy
Startup selected: Bloom – Bloom uses public-private key encryption underpinning blockchain technology to verify customer identity and to attest to the accuracy of credit history without storing customer raw data on the servers.

Category: Data Analytics and Insights
Startup selected: Omniscience – Omniscience Corp. are building underwriting and capital modeling solutions on top of their innovative analytics platform. They work with finserv and insurance firms to scale their analytics efforts on real world data.

Category: Data Analytics and Insights
Motion Auto Insurance – Motion Auto Insurance is modern insurance for the modern world. Fully programmatic, embeddable, insurance-as-a-service delivered from directly inside your mobile app for gig/sharing economy, new modes of vehicle ownership, and autonomous driving tech.

Category: Wildcard
Startup selected: Wrisk USA – Wrisk is giving personal insurance a long overdue digital upgrade. It allows its customers to manage different types of insurance seamlessly through a single app and helps them understand how they are priced and what they can do to reduce their risk.

“We welcome these talented entrepreneurial companies into the BMW Financial Services Collaboration Lab program, said Ian Smith, CEO of BMW Group Financial Services USA and Region Americas. “As we work together over the next 10 weeks, we will explore new technologies and solutions for our business and our customers.”

During the intensive 10-week program, the selected companies will be situated in a collaborative environment, and will benefit from access to the company’s leadership team, industry experts, investment professionals, and business education programs. L Marks will also provide fundraising support. “The next 10 weeks will see these impressive startups embark on an exciting journey to bring their ideas to life, and see them benefit enormously from their time in the Lab,” said Stuart Marks, Chairman of L Marks.

For more information about BMW Collaboration Lab 2018 and its participants, visit www.bmwcollaborationlab.com.

# # #

BMW Group Financial Services
BMW Group Financial Services was established in the U.S. in 1992 to support the sales and marketing of BMW products. Since then, the Group has expanded to provide service to markets in multiple countries and continues to evolve beyond its role as a captive finance unit. BMW Group Financial Services offers a wide range of leasing, retail and commercial financing and banking products tailored to meet the needs of the BMW customer. The Group also provides financing to BMW dealers for expanding dealership capabilities and enhancing overall operations. With more than $45 billion in serviced assets and 1,300,000 automotive lending customers across the U.S., BMW Group Financial Services finances more than three-quarters of the BMWs sold or leased in North America. BMW Group Financial Services employs more than 1,000 people, including consultants and service providers, many of whom are located in the Hilliard, Ohio, which serves the U.S.A., Brazilian, Canadian and Mexican markets through its Regional Service Center.

In 2001, the MINI Financial Services division was established to provide support for the brand’s dealers and its customers by offering financing and leasing options and branded financial services products.

BMW Group Financial Services also offers credit card products through its subsidiary, the BMW Bank of North America. up2drive.com is a division of BMW Bank of North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW Financial Services NA, LLC. BMW Insurance Agency, Inc., a property and casualty producer is also part of BMW Group Financial Services. Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:

www.bmwgroupna.com
www.bmwusa.com
www.bmwmotorradusa.com
www.miniusa.com
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

# # #

BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; Design works, a strategic design consultancy based in California; technology offices in Silicon Valley and Chicago, and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 and X4 Sports Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 344 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 153 BMW motorcycle retailers, 127 MINI passenger car dealers, and 36 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW products is available to consumers via the Internet at:
www.bmwusa.com.

# # #

Journalist note: Information about BMW and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com.

# # #

L Marks
L Marks are specialists in applied corporate innovation and early stage investors. Working with some of the world’s most high-profile brands, including BMW, Arsenal FC, and Lloyd’s of London, they create bespoke partnership and scouting projects to turn business challenges into opportunities for improvement and innovation. Founded in 2012 by serial entrepreneur Stuart Marks, L Marks builds bridges between corporates seeking to innovate and young companies with disruptive technologies.

Geneva, Switzerland, – The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Deloitte, has released a new report on increasing transparency, specifically addressing corruption risks in infrastructure, engineering, construction and real estate through a pilot project in India. Building Foundations for Transparency looks at collective action and hands-on solutions to address corruption using technology to tackle two key areas: greater transparency in permits and licences; and land purchase, land title acquisition and registration processes at the state level in Maharashtra.

The report is part of the second phase of the Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) project to address the needs of the infrastructure and urban development industries. India has garnered strong interest from the PACI community over the years, in particular from the PACI’s community of Vanguard CEOs.

Rather than continuing discussions on key risk areas through various platforms, the report focuses on practical outcomes, as well as key solutions developed by participants in a Mumbai workshop held in December 2015 that focused on collective action and public-private cooperation.

Drawing on a solutions-based framework and the principal agent theory in relation to corruption, the report identifies key messages from the activities in India, including the need for action to make the construction and real estate industries in the country less prone to corruption; and for solutions that enhance the transparency of processes and the importance of technology-based solutions as the optimal channel to address the challenge. Using solutions developed during the regional workshop as well as expert interviews and a survey of industry experts, the report provides guidance on how the framework can be implemented on a local level and replicated in other regions.

The report also contains an online diagnostic tool developed by the project’s steering and advisory committees to advance the agenda for greater transparency within the infrastructure and urban development (IU) industries. This front-end platform seeks to inform stakeholders and interested parties about ongoing efforts and provides a visual aggregation of data from various indices and rankings related to corruption and the ease of doing business.

“Global organizations are increasingly challenged by industry and country-specific corruption risks, which they have difficulties in handling on their own. It is imperative to engage relevant stakeholders in collective action to foster an environment of fair competition. The latest report from the World Economic Forum, Building Foundations for Transparency, succinctly outlines the key outcomes of a deep-dive at the state level in India, and the development of hands-on approaches to collective action that can now be replicated in other regions,” said Ken B. Graversen, Corporate Ethics and Compliance Officer, Danfoss, Denmark.

“The Building Foundations for Transparency project has great value for local urban bodies in India and the report showcases this. Many of these bodies are keen to evolve a new transparent process. With support from PACI in the next phase of the project, we hope that the World Economic Forum will continue to help implement real change at the local level by offering expert and best practices from across the world,” said Pranjal Sharma, Consulting Editor of Businessworld, India, and a Member of the Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Transparency and Anti-Corruption.

“A key outcome of this project is an online diagnostic tool that provides governments and businesses with a real-time look at the progress that has been made in reducing corruption in the infrastructure, engineering, construction and real estate industries in Maharashtra, India. With greater transparency, governments now have a roadmap for developing the standardized procedures required to design corruption out of the system. Most importantly, the output from this project can now be extended geographically, allowing input and feedback to be shared across business, government and citizens in the future,” noted James H. Cottrell, Project Adviser and Partner, Deloitte, USA.

“This project leveraged the potential of digital technology as an enabler for transparency and citizen participation. The results indicate a shared, general belief that technology-based solutions can be quickly adopted and scaled-up beyond city and state levels. The tangible benefits and long-term impact of digital-based solutions rely on eliminating multiple layers of decision-making in public administration while providing a modern, transparent front-end to all stakeholders who are committed to disclosing information and reforming permitting and licensing processes in India,” said Pedro Rodrigues de Almeida, Head of Basic Industries, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum.

In the next and final phase of the project, the PACI is working with its signatories and Partners of the World Economic Forum to develop new forms of public-private cooperation to tackle corruption-related risks across industries with a focus on rebuilding trust and integrity through high-level dialogues with industry and government. In addition, 2016 will see project workshops and the replication of the diagnostic tool in other regions, including Africa and Latin America. Throughout 2016, the Forum will advance these efforts; begin early-stage project preparation through dialogues aimed at disseminating the best practices collected over the three phases of the Building Foundations trilogy; and work on furthering the anti-corruption agenda in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

TTIP is a broad negotiation. It covers traditional trade issues but also many others, like medical devices regulation, financial services or sustainable development. To get it right, we need the engagement of the whole of this Parliament.

This resolution is providing that engagement. The fact that 14 committees in addition to the International Trade Committee were active in drafting it proves that you are deeply engaged in the detail of this negotiation.

When President Juncker came here to present his agenda for this Commission last July, he made clear that TTIP was one of his core priorities. This House at that time voted strongly in favour of his agenda.
Why?
First, because TTIP is an essential part of the Commission’s strategy to open markets around the world. We are doing that not to benefit a small few but in order to create opportunities for the whole of Europe: the people of Europe the consumers of Europe, the entrepreneurs of Europe.

One in seven people in Europe have a job thanks to exports around the world. Those jobs are highly skilled and better paid than average. 4.7 million of them are linked to exports to the US. TTIP would help increase that number.

It would also make goods cheaper and more varied for consumers.

And it would help make our small and medium-sized companies more competitive. They would find it easier to export and get their imported components and raw materials more
cheaply.

Those are solid economic advantages. We cannot afford to turn our backs on them, now or in the future.

Second, TTIP is also a strategic alliance with the country that most shares Europe’s commitment to our core values and a high level of protection of people and of the
environment in regulation.

We need an ally like that to shape the globalization we see deepening before our eyes every day. We are more affected by economic and political decisions made in other countries than ever before.

And we particularly need an ally because we know that the strength of our voice in the world is, in relative terms, decreasing.

TTIP guarantees that partnership with America for the future. We cannot afford to turn our backs on that either.

There is, Honourable Members, as you know, an unprecedented debate about this agreement. That’s a good thing. I respect people who have doubts and questions, across the
continent and within this House. I take those concerns seriously and have engaged closely with national parliaments, with this Parliament, with NGOs, with civil society and other stakeholders to listen and to try to understand their concerns.

And I hope that all these people see the changes that we have made to take account of their views.

Since last November:
I have opened up these negotiations to unprecedented public scrutiny. I have put EU negotiating proposals on the internet and increased the access of Members of this Parliament and representatives of the Member States to the process. I have visited national parliaments to exchange and open channels. And I am happy to say that TTIP is the world’s most transparent bilateral free trade negotiation.

We have also made clear where we stand on public services such as public health or water concessions. This is a concern I have heard very frequently. I have together with
Ambassador Froman, the US Trade Representative, made a joint statement: The EU and the US are now fully united around a crystal clear vision that nothing in TTIP will change the fact that only Member States choose how their public services should be organised.

We have also made clear where we stand on regulation: I’ve put our proposal on cooperating with the US online. And it says there will be no limitations on the power of this Parliament, of any national parliament or of Europe’s governments. We want the benefits of shared expertise and we want opportunities for our people. That’s all.

And I have made proposals for a deep reform of investment protection. The result is a completely new approach. We still want to foster job-creating investment. But we are
proposing a new system that sets down the right to regulate in black and white. A new system that takes us away from the private arbitration tribunals of the past. Instead we want a future in which disputes are decided in an international investment court, by judges and with a right of appeal. TTIP will be a step towards that goal, not the final result. But it is an essential step, given the role of the US as a global investor. And your resolution is a vital step in these negotiations. But it is certainly not the end of our conversation. The Commission will continue to be flexible to take account of your views.

Beyond investment, we also have important proposals to discuss on how best to protect labour and environmental rights and on digital commerce. And there will be many more issues to debate over the course of these talks. They are far from over. These negotiations are far reaching and a lot of work is still needed.

I will continue to push the US on our offensive interests: including on public procurement, where we expect an ambitious proposal, but also on services, energy, and geographical indications just to mention a few examples. And your resolution will provide a vital basis for that negotiation. Having your priorities so clearly established helps the Commission explain why we need to tackle them in the final agreement.

So allow me to thank you for work…
… to look forward to the debate we are about to have.
… and to pledge my full cooperation with you as we jointly push for the result Europeans
need:
A TTIP that leads to jobs, growth and investment while protecting our values and our democracies.
Thank you.

NEW YORK, – Chase today announced a partnership with Seattle non-profit UP Global to present Startup Week powered by Chase, a community-led celebration of entrepreneurs.

The national sponsorship grew out of Chase’s title role in Denver Startup Week, the largest free entrepreneur event in North America. Startup Week features a platform of locally-organized events, as well as Basecamp, launched by Chase and conceived by Denver organizers as the epicenter of Startup Week activities.

“Startup Week celebrates the entrepreneur and connects them to essential local support systems,” said Scott Geller, CEO of Chase Business Banking, which serves 2.3 million small businesses across the country. “We are thrilled to help expand this innovative, community-led program that informs and inspires everyone in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Starting September 15 in Denver and continuing into spring 2015, the following cities will host a Startup Week, created by local community leaders with support from UP Global and Chase:

Columbus, Ohio – Spring 2015 Phoenix – Winter 2015
Dallas / Ft Worth – Spring 2015 Seattle – Fall 2014
Denver – Fall 2014 Tampa – Winter 2015
“There are very few organizations with the footprint and forward thinking Chase has,” said Marc Nager, Chief Executive Officer of UP Global, which hosts entrepreneur events in more than 500 cities around the world. “We believe entrepreneurs and the communities they live in are going to drive the growth in this country for future generations, and UP Global is proud to be working at the grassroots level with Chase to roll up our sleeves and support the hard-working entrepreneurs across America.”

About Chase:
Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.5 trillion and operations worldwide. Chase serves nearly half of America’s households with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, small business lending, mortgages, credit cards, auto financing and investment advice. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: 5,600 branches, 20,000 ATMs, online, mobile and by phone. Chase Commerce Solutions is the #1 credit and debit card payment processor in the United States. More information about Chase is available at www.chase.com, @Chase and @ChaseSmallBiz and on Chase Facebook. During Startup Weeks, follow #chasebasecamp for news and event information.

About UP Global:
UP Global, the umbrella organization for Startup Weekend, Startup Next, Startup Education, Startup Digest and now Startup Week, currently fosters entrepreneurship in 500 cities across the world, serving over 150,000 innovators. By 2016, the organization will support 1,000 communities through partnerships with local grassroots leaders and partnerships with organizations including Google for Entrepreneurs, the Case Foundation and Kauffman Foundation among others. For more information, visit www.up.co and follow @upglobal and @startupweek.

As G20 leaders gather in Argentina, the global economy faces a critical juncture. We have had a good stretch of solid growth by historical standards, but now we are facing a period where significant risks are materializing and darker clouds are looming.

As the most recent economic data have been disappointing, we must not allow ourselves to be held back. Rather, we must be ambitious, including by implementing a multilayered set of reforms which could potentially add an additional 4 percent boost to the GDP of the G20 countries.

Success here depends on us acting swiftly—and acting together.

Signs of moderating growth
The IMF’s World Economic Outlook, published in October, forecast global growth of 3.7 percent for 2018 and 2019. These estimates were 0.2 percentage points below our July estimates—a downgrade due largely to rising external and financial pressures on emerging markets and a tangible increase in trade tensions.

Implementing a multilayered set of reforms could potentially add a 4 percent boost to the GDP of the G20 countries.

Recent data suggest that these headwinds could have slowed momentum even more than we had expected. For example, third-quarter growth has been surprisingly low in emerging market economies such as China, and in the euro area. A no-deal Brexit could further dent confidence.

Over the medium term, particularly in advanced economies, we see growth moderating because of adverse demographics and slow productivity. This includes the United States, once the recent fiscal stimulus ends.

In addition, in too many countries, excessive inequality is hurting many people—and it also risks undermining public support for reforms that would enhance productivity.

What can be done to address these challenges? Let me highlight three priorities.

First, strengthen our defenses

Policymakers can start by creating more fiscal room for maneuver, so that they have the resources needed to increase support to the economy should growth weaken significantly. This implies undertaking meaningful fiscal consolidation now—especially in high-debt countries such as Italy and in several emerging economies.

In terms of monetary policy, the ongoing process of normalization of interest rates in many advanced economies should continue to follow a gradual, well-communicated, and data-dependent path. This is not only in their own interest, but also helps to avoid unnecessary turbulence for others.

The good news is that monetary policy normalization indicates relatively strong growth in the advanced economies. In recent months, however, monetary tightening—combined with rising trade tensions—has heightened external pressures for some emerging economies. How can they respond?

Those with well-anchored inflation targets should rely on exchange rate flexibility to mitigate external pressures. Where these pressures threaten to be disruptive, capital flow management measures could also play a role as part of a broader policy package.

Second, teamwork is the winning tactic

We know that rising trade barriers are ultimately self-defeating for all involved. Thus, it is imperative that all countries steer clear of new trade barriers, while reversing recent tariffs.

We have a unique opportunity to improve the global trade system. IMF research suggests that liberalizing trade in services could add about ½ percent, or $350 billion, to G20 GDP in the long run.

At the same time, concerted actions by individual countries can strengthen their own economies, reduce global imbalances, and boost the global economy. Some examples: Germany could use its fiscal space to strengthen its growth potential, by increasing investment and incentivizing labor force participation; the US could help by lowering its fiscal deficit; and China could help by pressing ahead with its economic rebalancing.

After a decade of relatively easy financial conditions, many countries also need to address record levels of debt—altogether $182 trillion globally by IMF estimates. In addition, increasing the transparency of the scale and terms of borrowing, especially in low-income countries, is an imperative.

More broadly, financial sector risks require action, including by avoiding a rollback of post-crisis advances in financial sector regulation.

Third, pick up the pace

The theme of Argentina’s G20 presidency—Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development—is a critical priority. Yet at present, progress is too slow. How can it be accelerated?

Most G20 advanced economies could benefit from relaxing product market restrictions to spur innovation and lower prices. Easing access to professional services would be especially important, for example in Japan and many euro area countries. Increasing support for research would be vital in Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, among others.

Most G20 emerging market countries, too, would benefit from product and labor market reforms. Economies such as Brazil, China, India, and Russia would gain by moving away from distortionary taxes.

And virtually everywhere, raising women’s participation in the workforce would not only boost growth, but also help to make societies fairer and more inclusive.

These are just some of the measures which, if jointly implemented, could by our calculations increase G20 GDP by 4 percent.

Conclusion

During the ten years since the first G20 Leaders’ Summit, the G20’s efforts have been crucial in helping the global economy recover.

Yet darker clouds are now returning to the horizon.

Tackling this challenge means implementing policies that make sense both nationally and internationally. It also means strengthening the global financial safety net, with a well-equipped and well-resourced IMF at its center, to ensure that we can play our role in helping countries prevent and deal with future crises.

As the G20 meets in Buenos Aires, let us act swiftly and act together

International Women’s Day—March 8—is one of my favorite days. It is a time to celebrate the impressive progress women at all levels of the career ladder have made in recent decades. More women in the labor force, and in more senior positions is good news for women, for their companies, and for their countries’ economies.

A new IMF staff study finds that in Europe, national policies, even taking account of personal preferences, can boost women’s participation in the workforce and enhance their chances for advancement.

The research, which looked at 2 million firms in 34 countries in Europe, also finds that the more women in senior managerial positions and in corporate boards, the more profitable firms are. One more woman in senior management or on a corporate board is associated with 8–13 basis points higher return on assets. High corporate profitability could support investment and productivity—another channel through which more women in the workforce can help mitigate Europe’s potential growth slowdown.

The results are clear: increasing female participation improves the bottom line.
More working women
In regions like Europe, where populations are aging, the working-age population is being squeezed, and productivity growth is declining, there is more incentive than ever to level the playing field for women to work full-time and climb higher up the ladder.
Over the past three decades, millions of women in Europe have joined the labor force. Countries such as Spain and Ireland have seen the share of women who work outside the household double since the 1980s—from under 40 percent to more than 80 percent in the case of Spain. In several Nordic and Eastern European countries, women today are almost as likely to work for pay as men are. At the same time, legal requirements for gender diversity in corporate boardrooms have helped boost women’s representation in top decision-making positions—women now hold almost a quarter of senior management or board positions in the corporate sector.

Still, there is scope to bring more women into the labor force. In almost all European countries, women are significantly less active in the labor market than men. Even those women who are employed often work less than full-time. Although women today make up almost half the European labor force aged 25-54, their representation on the top rungs of the corporate ladder is significantly below that of men.

Policies matter
Clearly, women’s personal preferences and attitudes toward working are important determinants of their decision to join the labor force, as our staff’s research confirms. This is especially true in Europe, where women today face no legal restrictions to employment, are just as educated as men, and have fewer children—and social norms have changed.

But the study finds that policies also have an important influence on women’s employment decisions, even after accounting for individual characteristics, choices, and preferences about working. Removing tax disincentives for the second earner in a family, providing sufficient childcare services, and allowing parental leave can broaden the opportunity for women to work as much as they want.

The whole economy benefits
It is not only women who may benefit economically from working. Bringing more women into the labor force benefits a country’s economy in two important ways:
First, more women in the labor force will expand labor supply. If women choose to participate in the labor market as much as men do, Europe’s workforce could increase by 6 percent. If they also choose to work as many hours as men, the workforce could grow by as much as 15 percent.
Second, the prevalence of full-time female employment is a strong predictor of the share of senior corporate positions held by women. And more women in senior managerial positions and in corporate boardrooms, the IMF staff study confirms, is associated with stronger firm financial performance, which would help support corporate investment and productivity, further mitigating the slowdown in potential growth in Europe.

The positive relationship between more women high on the corporate ladder and firms’ profitability is more pronounced, the study finds, in sectors where women form a larger share of the labor force—highlighting the importance of bridging gender gaps between senior executives and the general workforce. This positive association is also more evident in knowledge-intensive services and high-tech manufacturing sectors—where diversity, including gender diversity, can help meet the high demand for creativity and innovative capacity.
As we celebrate women’s achievements in Europe’s labor force, we must also acknowledge that the journey is still in train. The potential benefits can be large. We must not miss this opportunity.
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Baden-Baden, the German spa town built on ancient thermal springs, is a fitting venue to discuss the health of the global economy during this week’s meeting of the Group of Twenty finance ministers and central bank governors.

Policymakers will likely share a sense of growing optimism, because the recent strengthening of activity suggests that the world economy may finally snap out of its multi-year convalescence.

Economic prescriptions have played an important part in the recovery, and will continue to do so for some time. Maintaining the positive growth momentum continues to require supportive macroeconomic policies. And the participants at the meetings will need to take action, individually and collectively, to make growth more inclusive and resilient.

Have we reached a turning point? The short answer is yes—at least for now. Growth outturns in the second half of last year were generally solid. Manufacturing and confidence indicators are picking up, and there are signs that global trade volumes are rising along with them.

That is why the International Monetary Fund in January projected a pickup in global growth this year and next—to 3.4 and 3.6 percent—compared to 3.1 percent in 2016.

The improved outlook partly reflects a projected pickup in advanced economy activity—helped by expectations of more expansionary US fiscal policy.
We are especially encouraged by stronger-than-expected economic activity in the euro area, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Emerging and developing economies, led by China and India, continue to contribute more than three-quarters of total global GDP growth in 2017. Adding to this is a projected normalization of conditions in Brazil and Russia, which have been facing deep recessions.

So, yes, the global economy is moving into a better position. But it would be a mistake to assume that it will automatically return to rude health.
In fact, there has rarely been a period when policy choices have mattered more for what comes next, especially since there are still considerable risks to the outlook.
Maintaining the momentum
In a number of advanced economies, for example, demand is still weak and inflation is not durably back to target. This calls for continued monetary support and a greater emphasis on fiscal policy in countries that have room in their budgets. These steps should be combined with structural reforms to lift productivity and boost long-term growth.

Lack of demand is less of a problem in the United States, where growth would benefit more from efforts to expand supply, such as investment to revamp infrastructure, efficiency-enhancing corporate tax reform, and improvements in education.

Stronger US growth would certainly be good for the global economy, but a changing US policy mix may also create knock-on effects, or spillovers. For example, depending on the nature of the US policy mix, a stronger dollar and rising US interest rates could lead to a sharper-than-expected tightening in global financial conditions. This could potentially put stress on some emerging economies and low-income countries.

Sustaining the current growth momentum would also be helped by a successful transition toward slower but more balanced growth in China, and by further policy actions on the part of commodity exporters as they continue to adjust to lower commodity prices.

Above all, we should collectively avoid self-inflicted injuries. This requires steering clear of policies that would seriously undermine trade, migration, capital flows, and the sharing of technologies across borders. Such measures would hurt the productivity, incomes, and living standards of all citizens.

Global economic integration
Trade and technological innovation have allowed countries to grow the economic pie and improve living standards, while lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Yet more could be done to mitigate the unwelcome side-effects seen in some places—including a rise in income inequality, job losses in shrinking sectors, and protracted economic and social problems across structurally weaker regions.

How can this be done? This is not an easy task, but it can start with boosting growth, and sharing the benefits more widely.

A critical first step is to get serious about inclusive growth. We have yet to fully understand the complex web of economic challenges faced by different cultures, regions, and demographic groups. We do know, however, that higher-skilled workers are much more likely to benefit from innovation and economic openness.

This calls for greater efforts to equip lower-skilled workers with the tools they need to seek and find better-paying jobs, such as targeted education programs, skills training, and employment incentives.

These active labor market policies can help ease workers’ transitions to new employment. Their funding varies significantly across countries. Denmark, for instance, spends 1.9 percent of GDP on such policies, compared with 0.1 percent in the United States.

Of course, spending more money is not enough; it must be spent more efficiently. Some initiatives have proven to be cost-effective—such as well-designed assistance for job search and job matching.

More broadly, all countries need to actively promote life-long learning to prepare citizens for technological changes. Singapore, for example, offers unconditional grants to all adults for training throughout their working lives.

Another priority for inclusive growth is the retooling of income policies and tax systems.
In-work tax incentives and higher minimum wages can be helpful in some countries. So, too, can changes to tax and benefit systems, including more progressive income taxation.

IMF research shows that avoiding excessive inequality will help, not hinder, growth. We also know that policy tradeoffs can be minimized: for example, most countries would benefit from reforms that make their tax systems more equitable and more efficient.
In short, we have the capacity—and responsibility—to grow the economic pie, which will facilitate sharing it more equitably.
Effective international cooperation will maximize the benefits of national policies if we:
step up efforts to address global external imbalances and complete reforms to strengthen financial systems;
protect and reinforce trade as an engine of broadly shared growth; and
work together to resolve some of the most pressing issues of our time, from global security and health issues to coping with natural disasters and climate change.

G20 policymakers can move the needle on all these issues. After years of being stuck in a weak recovery, the world economy needs to move on, shape up, and generate greater prosperity for all. What better place than Baden-Baden for leaders to recommit themselves to achieving robust global economic health?

Good afternoon. Thank you, John Micklethwait, for your kind introduction. I am pleased to be at the Inclusive Capitalism Conference once again—and in such illustrious company.

Henry Ford once said: “Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Likewise, the efforts of Lady Lynn de Rothschild and the coalition—in coming together, keeping together, and working together—are driving forward the critically important agenda of inclusive capitalism. I pay tribute to your vision and resilience.

This past weekend the IMF had its Annual Meetings, with our 189 member countries, and the state of the global economy took center stage. While the outlook remains subdued, the mood was resolute.

We are stuck in a protracted period of low growth: 2016 marks the fifth consecutive year with global GDP growth below its long-term average. Too many people feel left behind, questioning whether the economy is working for them. In some of the advanced economies in particular, a populist sentiment is growing that threatens to shift the needle against economic openness.

The fact is that growth has been too low, for too long, and is reaching too few. So we face a defining moment—and we must take decisive action to make globalization work—for everyone.

This will require pulling on all policy levers—monetary, fiscal, structural—to support demand, boost productivity, and reinvigorate trade. Investing in social safety nets, education, and retraining those affected by technological change are also key. Policymakers face a major challenge—and they cannot do it alone.

We need every creator of jobs and growth to step up. I am talking, of course, about business.

Business, after all, benefits from a more inclusive society because inclusion supports more durable growth and broader prosperity. I also believe that business is uniquely placed to support inclusion.

Some people are skeptical of the term “inclusive capitalism”—some see it as an oxymoron, others as PR to help companies seduce their consumers into buying their products and boosting their profits. Others call it a dangerous detour from free-market principles.

To respond, we must make the case that inclusion and durable growth are two sides of the same coin—we cannot have one without the other.

In that context, I will address three key roles of business: as leaders, as employers, and as innovators.

1. Leaders
First, how can business leaders support inclusion?

Undoubtedly, business has a long history of leadership on inclusion. Think, for example, of the philanthropic giving of pioneers like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. Think also of the architecture of the industrial towns developed in 19st century Europe, they demonstrated the spirit of inclusion.

In more recent years, however, we have seen a growing sense of public anger against “elites,” with the so-called “one percent” seen as prospering at the expense of the “99 percent.” Particularly since the global financial crisis, many corporate heads have faced accusations of taking unnecessary risks, behaving unethically, and failing to share the fruits of enterprise.

The combined effect has been an erosion of public trust in big business. A recent Gallup poll finds that trust in large U.S. companies has been stuck at a lowly 18 percent for a decade. [1] Trust in banks has fallen from 49 percent ten years ago to 27 percent today. [2]

It is often said that trust “arrives on foot, but leaves on horseback.” And yet, trust is set to become even more critical in the years ahead. A recent Deloitte survey revealed that over half of millennials will not work for an organization if they are concerned about its standard of conduct. [3]

When I addressed the inaugural conference on inclusive capitalism two years ago in London, I spoke—among other things—about the need to improve corporate behavior and culture. One of my main points was that leaders must be as serious about values as they are about valuation, and just as passionate about culture as they are about capital.

Indeed, while strong regulation is essential, leaders themselves must also step up in the effort to tackle unethical behavior. Partly it is a matter of responsibility—after all, the buck stops at the top. It is also about effectiveness. Research shows, for example, that a bank is more likely to have an ethical culture if its executive team sets a good example with their own behavior. [4]

Responsible corporate compensation is an essential element. An IMF study shows that while the level of executive compensation is not consistently related to banks’ risk-taking, the structure of compensation is. [5] By linking pay with long-term rather than short-term performance, risk can be reduced.

Beside reducing risk-taking through more responsible compensation, another key building-block in rebuilding trust is to stamp out tax evasion. Even a casual observer of the Panama and Bahamas Papers revelation can see that efforts to avoid tax not only erode trust, but also short-change society.

There are no reliable estimates of the amount of tax revenue foregone through accounts detailed in the Panama Papers—both legally through sophisticated planning and illegally through tax evasion. These revelations, however, clearly show that there is a great deal of both. The resulting revenue losses represent a missed opportunity for society—and for pro-growth investments like education, health, and the environment. An efficient and fair tax system is an essential part of the circle of reinvestment.

More broadly, in many countries the private sector can play an integral role in tackling corruption in the public sector. After all, for every bribe received by a public official, there is a bribe paid by the private sector. By taking themselves out of this equation, businesses can help to stem corrupt behavior by public officials—both at home and abroad. And tackling corruption is critical in the ongoing fight against poverty and excessive inequality that is being fought in so many parts of the world.

At the other end of the spectrum, those who wish to not only avoid wrongdoing but contribute to positive social change are attracted to the philanthropy that I mentioned earlier. Inevitably, this is partly about PR. Undoubtedly, it is also about responsibility—to give back and share the prosperity with those who have not been as fortunate.

At the leadership level, the Gates Foundation’s Giving Pledge is an excellent example of this—since 2010 more than $365 billion has been pledged by 139 high net-worth individuals in areas from information technology to education to healthcare. Many companies also quite rightly support their employees in making charitable donations—thereby helping those in need, restoring trust, and investing in their staff.

This brings me to a second key role for business in promoting inclusion—as employers.

2. Employers
The potential for enterprise to create—and sustain—employment is especially critical at a time when so many people find themselves out of work. Despite the improving jobs situation in some advanced economies, the ILO estimates total global unemployment at 199.4 million this year—rising to above 200 million next year.[6]

The hardship is widespread—cutting across regions, sectors, genders, and ages. Let me highlight two specific groups: women and young people.

The sad truth is that, compared to their male counterparts, women are both underemployed and underpaid. And yet, research by the IMF and others has uncovered multiple macroeconomic benefits of empowering women.

Narrowing the gender gap supports economic growth and diversification. It is associated with lower income inequality. And it enhances the bottom line: an IMF staff study found that adding one more woman on a corporate board is associated with between 8 and 13 basis points higher return on assets. [7]

At the IMF, we are incorporating policy advice on gender issues into discussions with many country authorities—and in some of our recent programs, such as with Egypt. What would I say to you, as advocates and employers?

As advocates, I would like your support for smart public policies. In emerging and developing countries, these include investing in girls’ education, promoting broader access to finance, and strengthening infrastructure. In advanced economies, they include removing secondary earner tax disincentives, providing affordable high-quality childcare, and funding paid parental leave. Removing legal obstacles to women’s economic participation—which exist in an astonishing 90 percent of countries—is also key.

The good news is that, as employers, you have significant scope to empower women. A supportive attitude to flexible working and parental leave can help more women combine job and family. So can efforts to facilitate childcare arrangements. Mentoring and coaching by female role models can help women perform and rise up.

In addition to women, we should also focus on youth. Tragically, the number of unemployed young people is projected to rise by 500,000 worldwide this year—to a total of 71 million. [8]

As you know, addressing the scourge of high youth unemployment requires a range of efforts. I would like to highlight just one: skills development.

An essential component of helping young people to prosper is ensuring they have the right skills for our globalized and rapidly changing world economy. Too often, however, there seems to be a disconnect between the skills young people have and what they need.

The World Economic Forum, for instance, has found that, on average, just two-thirds of young people’s human capital potential is utilized. [9] Another report, by McKinsey, suggests that young people and employers are on the same page about this: a majority of both groups doubt that new graduates are ready for entry-level jobs.[10] By collaborating more with education providers, the report suggests, employers can make a big difference.

As part of the IMF’s ongoing surveillance and analytical work with our members, the IMF touches on these kinds of issues. Here in the U.S., for example, the Fund has been calling for more vocational education—including by expanding partnerships between industry and higher education institutions. [11] We have also called for an increase in the federal minimum wage—another key element in supporting inclusion.

In unleashing the potential of all those who feel excluded, one of the keys is to better equip people to thrive in the digital age, helping them adapt to a changing world of work. To use an ancient Chinese proverb, “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.”

3. Innovators
Which leads to my third key role for business: in promoting inclusion through technological innovation.

The relationship between technology and inclusion is a matter of vigorous debate. Some studies suggest that technological innovation can exacerbate inequality—with robots reducing people’s pay, or even taking their jobs.

These concerns are not new—as the 19th Century Revolt of the Canuts in France and the Luddite resistance in Britain to the Industrial Revolution — attest. Nowadays, people who worry about new technologies are often dismissed as living in the past. That would not be fair; such concerns must be addressed seriously—for example, by investing in skills and social safety nets.

We must also, however, appreciate the positive side of technological innovation. If harnessed, it has the potential to support inclusion, creating opportunities for people to participate more in the economy and reap more of the rewards. Think, for example, of the so-called “app development” or “gig-economy.” While by no means perfect, it is removing many people’s reliance on traditional business structures, creating new opportunities for millions of individuals to realize their potential.

For me—and the IMF—one form of technological change that holds great promise relates to financial inclusion. Expanding access to financial services can undoubtedly support economic development. This is no platitude. It is based on empirical evidence—including the IMF’s unique global database on financial inclusion, the Financial Access Survey. [12]

More than 60 countries—from India to Peru—have adopted strategic plans to expand financial inclusion. But while governments can create an enabling environment—including consumer protection laws and financial education—it is the private sector that ultimately must harness the technology.

One innovation with dramatic potential is digital finance. Across much of sub-Saharan Africa, for example, it is much easier to bank on a phone than in the nearest town. In 15 countries of the region, the number of mobile money accounts exceeds the number of depositors in commercial banks. Kenya’s mobile payment service, M-PESA, is a well-known standard-bearer for mobile banking. Operated through a private telecommunications provider, it offers nationwide coverage independent of traditional banks. And one added bonus: it helps expand women’s access to finance.

Expanding financial services also requires tailoring products to consumers’ circumstances. In Mexico, for instance, a large consumer retailer opened a bank in 2012—specifically aimed at serving the unbanked. By analyzing the parent company’s data, they were able to require less documentation to open an account than banks typically needed. Thousands of people opened bank accounts; research indicates that employment and income levels also increased.

In Chile, too, supermarket chains are gradually building credit histories for their unbanked customers. They start with small amounts of store credit, then expand it based on repayments—incrementally widening access to credit.

These are just a few examples of financial empowerment in action. In this way, and others, innovation and inclusion can go hand-in-hand.

Conclusion

To conclude, as we seek to pull the world economy out of what I have called “the new mediocre,” efforts to lift growth and support inclusion are critical, complementary priorities. Alongside stronger policies, the role of business is key. Enterprise not only benefits from greater inclusion, but is uniquely placed to support it—leading, employing, innovating.

Taking the next step on inclusive capitalism calls for decisive measures: not just promises but action. The ball is in your court.

Let me conclude with the words of President Woodrow Wilson:

“Y ou are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”

Thank you.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin and the Chief Executives of Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties joined together with JPMorgan Chase, the Brookings Institution, founders of the Global Cities Initiative, and World Business Chicago today to launch Metro Chicago Exports. Metro Chicago Exports is an unprecedented regional collaboration that will help small and medium enterprises throughout the region capture export opportunities and strengthen the Chicagoland area’s network of regional service providers.

“Metropolitan areas like northeastern Illinois are the engines for economic growth in this country. And regions that work together perform better. Last year, I convened the economic development leadership from seven counties and the City of Chicago to explore opportunities for collaboration to further the region’s economic growth. I’m pleased to see that one of the first results of this group is the creation of Metro Chicago Exports,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “By increasing the export capacity of small and medium-sized businesses, we will enhance global competitiveness, foster innovative activity within firms, and positively impact the economy of our region.”

“Small businesses continue to be drivers of growth for Chicago’s economy. By helping businesses on the threshold of exporting to cross that divide further increases economic opportunity and job growth,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Only one in twenty Chicago small businesses currently export their goods overseas, but by bringing together assets that exist throughout the Chicagoland area – access to ports, promotion services, transportation and more — Metro Chicago Exports can help these businesses to increase their global competitiveness, support local job growth and make Chicago a national leader in exports.”

According to data from a forthcoming Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program report, in 2013, the Chicago region was the nation’s fourth largest exporter at $65 billion, but ranked only 28th in the share of its economy that comes from exports. Despite high exporting volume, only six percent of the region’s small and mid-size firms currently export and, on average less than half of those firms export to more than one market.

Metro Chicago Exports will assist manufacturers and business service companies to reach new international markets. The pilot program will focus on three initial strategies:

Build the pipeline of export ready firms: use a data-driven approach to proactively target firms in high demand industries with specific opportunities in international markets; create clear export roadmaps for groups of firms and scale the reach of existing services
Strengthen the export ecosystem: serve as a concierge for firms and assist navigation through the network of regional services; develop opportunities for peer learning and mentorship to leverage the expertise of current exporters
Reduce the initial business costs to reach new markets: expand resources for firms to become market ready and reduce the hurdles to exporting faced by small firms, such as specialized market research, translation, sales missions, etc.
According to one estimate, there are up to 2,500 manufacturers in the Chicago region on the threshold of exporting that would be eligible to utilize the services of Metro Chicago Exports.

Metro Chicago Exports builds on the Global Cities Initiative, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and JPMorgan Chase, that aims to catalyze a shift in economic development priorities and practices resulting in more globally connected metropolitan areas and more sustainable economic growth. JPMorgan Chase has pledged an additional $500,000 to launch Metro Chicago Exports.

“The global marketplace is more complex, more challenging, and more receptive than ever,” said Melissa Bean, Chairman of the Midwest, JPMorgan Chase. “It’s critical that local governments and businesses work in partnership to build capacity to compete and succeed in today’s global environment.”

“This exports program is a powerful demonstration of Chicago’s leadership in a new form of economic development. Rather than shift jobs around a region, this multi-jurisdictional collaboration is growing jobs and opportunities by helping existing businesses expand through tapping demand abroad,” said Amy Liu, co-director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and co-director of the Global Cities Initiative. “With the global marketplace more dynamic than ever, Chicago is right to act regionally and globally to ensure businesses and workers continue to prosper.”

Metro Chicago Exports is the product of a working group convened by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in December 2013 and comprised of leadership from Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties, and the City of Chicago. The group agreed to pursue outcome-based initiatives to grow the regional economy and build trust between regional partners while targeting specific industries.

“We welcome this initiative as a truly regional enterprise. As leaders in the collar counties, we know our small business owners wear many hats. They are Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, they manage employees, and market their goods and services. While they may want to move into international exporting, they may not know where to begin,” said Dan Cronin, DuPage County Board Chairman. “Metro Chicago Exports provides the expertise and opens that door for our collar county businesses. We believe the resulting market opportunities will grow jobs in our communities and create a more vibrant regional economy benefitting us all.”

Over the next six months, Metro Chicago Exports will focus its efforts on building organizational infrastructure, including hiring a managing director and forming an advisory council, as well as identifying firms to participate in the pilot program. Offices will be located in the City of Chicago and DuPage County.

For more information on Metro Chicago Exports, visit metrochicagoexports.com

Additional Comments on Metro Chicago Exports

“The regional export initiative clearly shows that the seven metro-area counties and the city of Chicago are serious about helping local entrepreneurs tap into growing international markets. Our local businesses create jobs, and expanding exports regionally accelerates local job creation and career opportunities for existing workers and for young people entering the workforce.”
– Chris Lauzen, Chairman, Kane County Board

“The creation of Metro Chicago Exports was an unparalleled regional collaboration to lend support to small and midsized businesses in the region. By working with existing exporting and international trade service providers, a tremendous amount of opportunity will be opened up for small and midsized companies to access foreign markets and grow their business.”
– John Shaw, Chairman, Kendall County Board

“Through this partnership, we can work together to encourage industry growth, as opposed to competing against each other for existing jobs, which is a zero sum game for the region. With 11 Fortune 500 corporate headquarters located in Lake County, we’ve benefited from the expanded global economy, and this pilot program offers the opportunity to assist more midsize companies expand their market place resulting in more jobs throughout the region.”
– Aaron Lawlor, Chairman, Lake County Board

“McHenry County is excited to collaborate on this unprecedented program to increase exports from the region. As all counties and Chicago look toward the future, working together to strengthen the region is in all our best interests. Our success should not be measured individually, but by the economic impact generated in our region and countries around the world.”
– Tina R. Hill, Chairwoman, McHenry County Board

“Helping our existing businesses export their products and services through the Metro Chicago Exports initiative is well timed. New global markets continue to open and the successful business of tomorrow is beginning to export today.”
– Larry Walsh, Executive, Will County Board

“We must recognize that the global economy has changed the formula for success. Cities and regions need to think and act in new ways to help our businesses succeed and grow jobs. Metro Chicago Exports is a great example of the way a region can collaborate to support businesses and help win in the global economy.”
– Richard M. Daley, Former Mayor, City of Chicago & Chairman, Global Cities Initiative

“A key component of Mayor Emanuel’s Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs, which WBC is currently implementing, is to expand the region’s strong export base to meet the demands of opportunities that cut across economic sectors. Companies that export effectively experience higher revenue growth and are more resilient to economic downturns. Through Metro Chicago Exports, we are coming together as a region to assist these companies, while enhancing Chicago’s global position.”
– Jeff Malehorn, President & CEO, World Business Chicago

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced today the re-launch of its Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, one of 13 federal agency offices under the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Housed within the Office of the Secretary, the Center serves to connect community- and faith-based organizations to Commerce resources and programs, engage a diverse array of stakeholders in the work of the agency, and promote economic development and job creation through local partnerships.

“I am excited to announce the new strategic direction of Commerce’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The Center plays an important role in connecting Commerce to local communities and ensuring the Department’s ‘Open for Business Agenda’ expands opportunity for all Americans,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. “By linking community leaders and organizations with critical economic development programs, technical assistance and other resources, the Department of Commerce is working to achieve its mission of promoting job creation, economic growth, sustainable development and improved standards of living for all Americans by working in partnership with businesses, universities, communities and our nation’s workers.”

In direct alignment with the Department’s “Open for Business Agenda,” the Center has created Commerce’s first-ever “Community Development Resource Toolkit,” which highlights how community-based organizations can utilize Commerce Department programs to promote local-level economic development. The Center has also revamped its website and will begin a “Commerce in the Community” blog series highlighting the many ways in which local business, nonprofit and religious leaders are partnering with Commerce to make a positive impact at the local level. Additionally, the Center will begin a series of place-based convenings this summer, focused on connecting communities with Commerce Department programs and resources, while also promoting local partnerships around skills and workforce development.

“Commerce’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships plays an important role in our community development efforts by helping businesses and nonprofits work together to grow the economy and create jobs,” said Melissa Rogers, Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. “We are looking forward to collaborating with our colleagues at Commerce to build ladders of opportunity for all Americans.”

On March 30, 2014, the Center co-hosted Business Sunday – its first event under Secretary Pritkzer – at 19th Street Baptist Church in Washington, DC. A collaboration between the Minority Business Development Agency and the Small Business Administration, Business Sunday is focused on providing current and aspiring business leaders from congregations and communities around the country with the federal resources they need to start and grow their companies. As a reflection of the President’s commitment to job creation and economic opportunity for all Americans, Business Sunday connects people to valuable technical assistance, grant information and other resources from the Minority Business Development Agency, BusinessUSA and the Small Business Administration.

The Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships is led by Director Josh Dickson. Originally from Upstate New York, Josh is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School and a long-time community organizer who’s been involved in numerous initiatives focused on engaging faith-based and neighborhood organizations in community development. In his role as Director, Josh will oversee faith-based and community partnership projects across all Commerce bureaus as well as within the Office of the Secretary.

This news is courtesy of www.doc.gov

U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews today announced the Department is seeking candidates to serve on a new Digital Economy Board of Advisors, which Commerce is establishing to give government a mechanism to obtain advice from leaders in industry and civil society. The board will provide recommendations on ways to ensure that the Internet continues to thrive as an engine of growth, innovation, and free expression.

“Promoting the digital economy is a top priority for the Department of Commerce,” Deputy Secretary Andrews said. “We highly value the input of the private sector as we develop policies to promote digital innovation and remove barriers to global competitiveness. Our new Digital Economy Board of Advisors will provide the Department with an important tool to discuss with and learn from these leaders about ways to promote this vital sector of our economy.”

Commerce is seeking candidates representing a broad cross-section of commercial, civil society, and academic sectors that make up the digital economy. The board will consist of 15-20 members and will be appointed by Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to serve two-year terms.

The new advisory board will help the Secretary to develop the Department’s Digital Economy Agenda, which aims to promote a free and open Internet, trust online, innovation, and Internet access for all Americans. The board’s responsibilities will include analyzing challenges to the free flow of information on the Internet, promoting the development of promising new digital technologies, and examining policies that impact the digital economy on topics such as broadband, cybersecurity and privacy.

Those who are interested in serving on the board can nominate themselves or can be nominated by others. Applicants should submit nominations electronically by Wednesday, December 23, 2015, using the online nomination form located at https://www.ntia.doc.gov/digital-economy-board-advisors-nomination-form.

Brussels, The European Commission presents its vision on how European standard setting should evolve in the light of technological developments, political priorities and global trends.

It also announces next steps on the Joint Initiative on Standardisation (JIS), which aims to reinforce the partnership between the European institutions and the standardisation community.

From the A4 paper size to GSM technology, standards reduce costs, promote innovation, ensure interoperability between different devices and services, and help companies to access markets. Largely voluntary and industry-driven, European standards need to keep pace with the changing economy, the increasing importance of services, and the digital revolution. Today the European Commission has adopted a Communication, announced in the Single Market Strategy, to ensure that Europe remains a global hub for standardisation.

Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, said: “If we want the European market to have the first-mover advantage, we need to speed up and better prioritise standard setting across the board. With today’s standardisation package, we are helping raise competitiveness, power innovation and create a predictable and stable investment framework in the EU.”

Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, added: “The Joint Initiative on Standardisation brings together public and private organisations in a collaborative, transparent and agile dialogue process to ensure the timely development of state-of-the-art standards in support of fast changing market needs and public policies.”

Often seen as merely technical issue, standards are important economic drivers. Today’s Communication presents a vision for a single and coherent EU standardisation policy which features higher on the political agenda and where the priorities are regularly discussed with the European Parliament and the Member States.

Today’s package includes a Commission decision providing the framework for the Joint Initiative on Standardisation (JIS), which will be formally launched by all partners on 13 June in Amsterdam under the Dutch Presidency of the EU. The JIS will bring together European and national standardisation organisations and bodies, industry, SMEs, consumer associations, trade unions, environmental organisations, Member States and the Commission. These partners will commit to modernising, prioritising, and speeding up the timely delivery of standards by the end of 2019. The JIS will better align standard setting priorities with research and innovation impetus, with support from the EU research and innovation programme Horizon 2020. The JIS will also promote the use of European standards at international level.

The proposal for a 2017 work programme for European standardisation identifies the services and ICT sectors as priority areas for future standard-setting, given their cross-cutting role in the economy. In April 2016, the Commission already proposed concrete measures to speed up the ICT standard setting process by focusing on five priority areas: 5G, cloud computing, internet of things, data technologies and cybersecurity. Now, the Commission recommends a renewed focus on the services sector.

While services account for 70% of the EU economy, service standards only account for around 2% of all European standards. The fragmentation of standards acts as a barrier to the cross-border provision of services. Complementing other initiatives under the Single Market Strategy to facilitate the cross-border provision of services, the Commission propose to prioritise and promote the targeted development of voluntary European service standards. Examples of services standards include terminology on hotels and other tourism accommodation.

Background
Standards are technical specifications for products, production processes, services or test-methods. Standards facilitate the interoperability of economic operators in the value chain. For example, the standards on paper sizes (A3, A4, A5) facilitate the interaction between consumers, paper and envelope manufacturers, printing houses and photocopier makers. A standard provides technical certainty, a pre-condition for economic operators to invest. For some products, such as airbags or surgical masks, standards also guarantee high quality and safety.

Standard setting in Europe is largely industry driven. While standards are developed by a standards organisation, the market may also simply adopt the technical specifications developed by one company or by professional organisations.

The modernisation of the standardisation system was announced in the Single Market Strategy and complements the Communication on ICT standardisation Priorities for the Digital Single Market adopted in April 2016.

MILWAUKEE — Demand for skilled talent continues to grow as employers across the U.S. are reporting positive hiring intentions nationwide (+19%) across all 50 states, according to the Q2 2019 ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) Employment Outlook Survey. This is the seventh consecutive year of double-digit hiring Outlooks in the U.S., according to the survey of more than 11,500 U.S. employers. The Q2 2019 employment Outlook comes after the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ January jobs report marked 100 months of consecutive job growth in America with approximately 19M gains since October 2010.

Employers in all 13 industry sectors report optimistic hiring plans with the strongest Outlooks reported in Leisure & Hospitality, Transportation & Utilities (both +25%) and Wholesale & Retail Trade (+24%) as consumers dine out and demand immediate delivery from groceries to fast fashion. Employers in Professional & Business Services have a +23% employment Outlook fueled by growing demand for knowledge workers with the right balance of human strengths including communication and collaboration and technical capabilities from coding to data analytics.

“As U.S. employers continue to report double-digit hiring Outlooks, demand for talent is growing across the board from cyber security experts and data analysts to delivery drivers needed to keep up with 24/7 online retail,” said Becky Frankiewicz, President of ManpowerGroup North America. “It’s a skilled worker’s market. The best employers are reviewing the difference between what is desired in a role and what is required for a job. In the tech sector, we see a higher number of Java openings requiring computer science degrees than there are graduates. The most successful employers are re-evaluating the precise experience and education truly required to get the job done and as a result they’re attracting the best, and often more diverse, talent to the organization.”

View complete Q2 2019 survey results for the U.S: ManpowerGroup.US/MEOS.

Region

Q2 2019

Quarter-over-Quarter Variation

Year-over-Year Variation

West

20%

0%

+1%

Midwest

19%

+1%

-1%

South

20%

-1%

+2%

Northeast

18%

-2%

+1%

U.S. Hiring Plans by Industry Sectors, Regions and Metro Areas/States

Nationwide, employers in all 13 industry sectors expect to add staff in Q2 2019. The strongest Outlooks are reported in Transportation & Utilities (+25%), Leisure & Hospitality (+25%), Wholesale & Retail Trade (+24%) and Professional & Business Services (+23%) followed by Mining (+19%), Construction (+19%), Durable Goods Manufacturing (+19%) and Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing (+17%).
Both the South and the West have the highest regional Outlooks (+20%) in the country. Hiring prospects in the Midwest (+19%) are a close second with employers in the Northeast (+18%) not far behind. In the Midwest (+20%), Northeast (+18%) and West, the Outlook is up a percentage point (+20%) year-over-year and up two percentage points in the South.
Employers in Indiana (+33%), Maine (+33%), Alaska (+28%), Colorado (+27%), Kansas (+26%), North Carolina (+26%) and Oregon (+26%) report the strongest Outlooks nationwide. Of the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas, the strongest job gains are expected in Greensboro, N.C. (+35%), Denver, Col. (+34%), Indianapolis, Ind. (+33%), Sacramento, Cal. (+32%), Albany, N.Y. (+31%), Deltona, Fla. (+31%) and Madison, Wis. (31%).
Complete results for the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey are available for download at ManpowerGroup.US/MEOS. The Q3 2019 survey will be released June 11, 2019.

*The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

About ManpowerGroup 
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for 70 years. In 2019, ManpowerGroup was named one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies for the seventeenth year and one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the tenth year, confirming our position as the most trusted brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com.

NEW YORK– Representatives from KKR will ring the opening bell tomorrow morning at the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) to commemorate the listing of Corporate Capital Trust, a business development company (“CCT or the “the Company”). Eric Eversole, President of Hiring our Heroes, a program KKR supports that is dedicated to helping members of the military and their families, will join the Company in ringing tomorrow’s opening bell.

Following the bell, the Company’s common stock will begin trading under the ticker symbol “CCT” and the Company’s new investment advisory agreement with KKR Credit will become effective.

“The listing is a great milestone for CCT shareholders and the product of a very successful partnership between KKR and CNL,” said Todd Builione, the incoming CEO of CCT and President of KKR Credit and Capital Markets. “After the listing, shareholders will see an immediate benefit from reduced fees and the ability to control the liquidity of their holdings – while we expect CCT, as a listed vehicle, will have improved access to capital markets solutions and the ability to now reach institutional investors, among others.”

As of September 30, 2017, CCT had over $4.4 billion in total assets and investments in 105 portfolio companies, with 73% of the portfolio in senior secured investments. CCT’s portfolio companies are diversified across 21 industries. Since CCT’s founding, the Company has lent approximately $8.9 billion to over 450 companies.

Upon listing, CCT will be the largest business development company listed on the NYSE and the third-largest externally-managed listed business development company.

About Corporate Capital Trust
Corporate Capital Trust is a business development company that provides investors an opportunity to access the middle market direct lending opportunity. The Company is externally managed by KKR Credit and its investment objective is to provide shareholders with stable recurring income generation. The Company intends to meet its investment objective by investing primarily in the debt of privately owned companies, with a focus on originated transactions. For additional information, please visit corporatecapitaltrust.com.

About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including credit, private equity, energy, infrastructure and real estate, and, through its strategic manager partnerships, hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside its partners’ capital and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

MCLEAN, Va.– To help more local small business owners innovate and compete in a rapidly changing marketplace, Capital One and Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence will hold a “Leadership Institute: Thrive with Massive Change” event for local women-owned small businesses, featuring world-renowned expert design innovator Bruce Mau from April 15-17, 2014 in Arlington, Virginia.

During the “Leadership Institute: Thrive with Massive Change” event, Mau will introduce the Design Thinking methodology, used by Fortune 500 companies, including Capital One, to the small business community. Local small business owners will have the opportunity to learn how they can apply Mau’s Design Thinking methodology — based on a human-centered, prototype-driven process for innovation — to their products, services, or business design.

“At Capital One we’re using Design Thinking and its customer-focused approach to reimagine the way millions of people interact with their money to ensure that we’re building the products and experiences our customers need,” said Evelyn Huang, Director of Design Thinking and Strategy, Capital One. “By partnering with Count Me In to introduce Design Thinking to the small business community, we’re hoping to help more entrepreneurs unlock critical customer insights to accelerate innovation and fuel the growth of their small businesses.”

A recent Capital One survey found that 43 percent of small business owners in the Washington, DC, area are concerned about their ability to compete with larger businesses over the next five years. While local DC-area small businesses identify a lack of customer insights as one of their top hurdles to keeping pace with larger businesses in a rapidly changing marketplace, only 37 percent of DC-area small businesses said they conduct in-person feedback sessions with customers, only 16 percent conduct surveys of customers to get feedback on new products and prototypes, and 9 percent do not involve customers at all in the process of creating new products and prototypes, found the Capital One survey of local small business owners.

“Applying Mau’s innovative design principles and tools will inspire women entrepreneurs and will give them fresh perspective on how to approach problem-solving, expand their vision and build their double bottom line of growing a bigger, better business and a better life,” said Nell Merlino, President, Count Me In. “We’re thrilled to partner with Mau and Capital One, who both share our commitment to empower women small business owners with invaluable insight and knowledge that will help them address their biggest business challenges.”

The Leadership Institute builds on Count Me In and Capital One’s partnership to support the growth of women-owned small business owners. Last year, Count Me In and Capital One launched the Women Veteran Entrepreneur Corps (WVEC), a training and mentorship program designed to help established women small business owners who are veterans, spouses/domestic partners, or daughters of veterans conquer daily business challenges and plan ahead for future growth and success.

“We recognize the critical role that our nation’s small businesses serve in economic recovery, and we’re committed to supporting small businesses at every stage of their journey – whether it’s directly through our products and services, or through innovative partnerships and programs like the Leadership Institute that provide tailored business training, mentoring, and other professional support and resources,” Huang added.

About Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence

Count Me In is the leading not-for-profit provider of business education and resources for women interested in growing their micro-businesses into million-dollar enterprises. Founded in 1999, the organization inspires and instructs thousands of women business owners online, at live events, and through peers, coaches and experts to significantly increase revenues and create new jobs. CMI has developed a reputation nationally and internationally for accelerating business growth and positioning women in the forefront of global economic recovery. For more information on Count Me In programs and resources visit www.countmein.org.

About Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a Fortune 500 company with more than 900 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Its subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Capital One applies the same principles of innovation, collaboration and empowerment in our commitment to our communities across the country that we do in our business. Capital One recognizes that helping to build strong and healthy communities – good places to work, good places to do business and good places to raise families – benefits us all and Capital One is proud to support this and other community initiatives.

Government must be able to keep pace with the innovation and user experiences that the American people and businesses expect. Throughout 2014, the Administration piloted new and innovative approaches to increase the Government’s ability to drive impact for Americans on national priorities, including initiatives that help veterans find employment and help workers invest in safe and affordable retirement accounts. The Budget invests in scaling those pilot programs and processes that have proven successful. Ultimately, a more effective Government will more efficiently use taxpayer dollars to better deliver for citizens.

3.1.1
Ramping Up Smarter Information Technology Delivery
The Administration has embarked on a comprehensive approach to fundamentally improve the way that the Government delivers technology services to the public. Top technologists and entrepreneurs are being recruited to work within agencies on the highest priority projects. The best processes are being leveraged to increase oversight and accountability for IT spending. In addition, several efforts are being piloted to improve IT procurement and ramp up Government contracting with innovative companies.

People. Getting the best talent working inside of Government is a key component of the Administration’s Smarter IT Delivery strategy. In 2014, the Administration piloted the USDS by recruiting a select group of private sector innovators, entrepreneurs, and engineers to Government service. Since standing up, this team of America’s best digital experts has worked in collaboration with Federal agencies to implement cutting-edge digital and technology practices on the Nation’s highest impact programs, including the successful re-launch of HealthCare.gov in its second year, the Veterans Benefits Management System, and an improved process for online visa applications, among others. In addition to their work on these high priority projects, this small team of technical experts has worked to establish best practices and recruit still more highly-skilled digital service experts and engineers into Government.

Every agency in Government has citizen-facing digital projects that are critical to its mission. Too often, these services have been delivered over budget, behind schedule, and in ways that do not meet citizen needs. Unsurprisingly, since the launch of USDS in 2014, there has been significant demand for its expertise, from project design and development to recruiting technical experts. To address this problem, the Budget scales and institutionalizes this new approach to technology by providing funding to 25 agencies for the development of their own agency digital services teams. These small, high-impact teams will drive the quality and effectiveness of the agencies’ most important digital services. USDS will work closely with agencies to stand up these teams by providing support for hiring, training, and procurement.

Process. The Administration has made significant progress encouraging data-driven processes to provide effective oversight of Government IT. By establishing mechanisms such as PortfolioStat, a data-based review of agency IT portfolios, we have not only strengthened Federal IT, but made it significantly more cost effective. PortfolioStat has helped the Government achieve more than $2.2 billion in savings over the past three years while ensuring agencies are efficiently using taxpayer dollars to deliver effective and innovative solutions to the public. PortfolioStat promotes the adoption of new technologies, such as cloud computing and agile development practices. For example, as a result of these continuing efforts, the Federal Government now spends approximately 8.5 percent of its budget on provisioned services such as cloud computing, on par with leading private sector companies.

In addition, agencies involved in PortfolioStat are becoming more effective in rapidly delivering value in IT. For example, agencies have increased their use of agile development practices and are delivering IT capabilities 21 days (11 percent) faster than they were in May 2013. Agile development is an incremental, fast-paced style of software development that better meets evolving user needs. Using agile development ultimately increases the ability to deliver a better product, faster.

In 2016, the Administration will continue to use PortfolioStat to drive efficiencies in these programs, and also will continue to revise and encourage adoption of the TechFAR and Digital Services Playbook, which were released to the public in the fall of 2014. These tools provide clear guidance to agencies on using agile development and innovative contracting practices to deliver IT services that work for 21st Century consumers. Throughout 2016, the Administration will continue to scale up best practices by institutionalizing them within the agency digital service teams.

Companies. The Government must work with private sector innovators to ensure the best use of cutting-edge technologies and practices. Yet, too often, there are barriers to entry that prevent agencies from contracting with these firms. Over the past year, initial steps have been taken to address this challenge. For example, the Administration has piloted FBOpen, a tool that helps small and innovative companies search for opportunities to work with Government, and launched an online national dialogue on procurement reform to solicit ideas for reducing barriers to access. As part of the broader strategy to transform the Federal marketplace, the Administration is piloting new initiatives in IT acquisition. In 2016, these early pilots will be expanded to increase digital acquisition capability within agencies, train agency personnel in digital IT acquisitions, and test innovative contracting models.

3.1.1
Delivering World-Class Customer Service
The Administration is continuing its efforts to improve the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness of Federal services. A customer service Community of Practice has been established to develop standards, practices, and tools for agencies to improve their customer service. The Federal Customer Service Awards program has also been established to recognize individuals and teams who provide outstanding customer service directly to the American people. The awards will begin in the fall of 2015, and will support innovative practices and provide performance incentives to frontline employees.

Agencies are also increasing their focus on improving the most frequently used Government services, and the Budget supports the introduction and scale-up of these programs. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has launched IRS Direct Pay, which provides taxpayers a no-fee electronic payment option and allows them to establish installment agreements; built an e-Authentication tool that provides taxpayers a user-friendly, low-cost way to securely access IRS online tools and applications; and launched IRS2Go, a downloadable app that allows taxpayer self-service access to IRS information and services on any device. Since its release, it has been downloaded more than 5.4 million times. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is continuing to improve passenger experience at airports, including continuing to expand and improve TSA Pre-Check, an expedited passenger screening program. TSA is exploring new and innovative ways of collecting and responding to customer feedback to provide the best possible service while keeping U.S. airports safe. Going forward, the Administration will build and expand on this progress by improving the collection and use of customer feedback data across Government to make tangible improvements in customer interactions.

BURBANK, Calif., Today, Disney Accelerator powered by Techstars culminates in a Demo Day where its 10 participating companies will present their businesses to the investment and entrepreneurial communities, industry leaders and Disney executives. The Disney Accelerator participants have just finished a 15-week immersive program that gave them access to mentorship from more than 60 Disney executives as well as 70 entrepreneurs and investors from the business community, up to $120K in investment capital to develop their companies and special access to Disney resources from across the company.

The participating companies have reached many significant milestones during the Disney Accelerator. At Demo Day, Smart Toy, a company that makes toys that teach, talk, and interact with children, announced today that it has been acquired by Cartwheel Kids, a Los Angeles-based manufacturer of children’s products. In addition, SnowShoe announced that it had secured $2.2 million in seed financing and Choremonster and Codarica both launched mobile apps. Sphero also introduced its new Ollie product during the program, and Twigtale named as its editor-in-chief Dr. Harvey Karp, the renowned pediatrician and child development specialist.

“This group of start-ups has made tremendous progress evolving and growing their businesses in the past fifteen weeks,” said Kevin Mayer, Disney’s Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Development. “It has been a fantastic learning experience for them and an opportunity for Disney to get in on the ground floor with a new generation of innovators. We look forward to the opportunity to work with all of these companies moving forward and to meeting a new set of participants next year.”

The companies participating in Disney Accelerator are:

ChoreMonster – ChoreMonster unites parents and kids with the most ridiculously fun and motivating family framework, so every home is a joyful place. choremonster.com
Codarica – Codarica creates seriously fun games that teach kids to code. codarica.com
Jogg – Jogg is a mobile video platform that changes the direction of how we engage our audience. joggapp.co
Naritiv – Naritiv is a marketing and analytics platform for micro-content, starting with Snapchat. naritiv.com
Sidelines – Sidelines is a people-powered content marketing platform that drives brand influence through discussions by expert fans. sidelinesapp.com
Smart Toy – Smart Toy is a learning toy that talks and listens to kids. Smart Toy can be customized to know your child’s name, teach lessons, and much more. smarttoylabs.com
SnowShoe – SnowShoe creates magic with a touch of plastic. SnowShoe-powered objects unlock digital content through your smartphone. snowshoestamp.com
Sphero – Sphero is the connected play company, fusing digital and physical play by creating toys and robots that you control with a smart device. gosphero.com
Twigtale – Twigtale builds happier families through personalization and expert-fueled storytelling. twigtale.com
TYFFON – TYFFON makes entertaining apps that put you in the center of the fun — founded by the creators of the ZombieBooth series, with over 30 million downloads. tyffon.com

About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $45 billion in its Fiscal Year 2013.

About Techstars
The massive Techstars interconnected network of over 3,000 successful entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and corporate partners help the most promising startups do more faster. With 13 programs worldwide, its mentorship-driven accelerators fund the best companies in the most entrepreneurial communities. Since 2006, 80% of the 500 companies from almost 40 Techstars programs have received funding, representing approximately $2 billion in market capitalization.

– See more at: http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-news/press-releases/2014/10/disney-accelerator-showcases-10-start-ups-demo-day#sthash.RkF8iwxn.dpuf

“Dodd-Frank” is shorthand for the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, whose chief co-sponsors on Capitol Hill were Senator Chris Dodd and Representative Barney Frank. These reforms — that the President signed into law exactly five years ago today — and others the Administration has put in place since the crisis represent the most sweeping set of financial reforms since the Great Depression.

Why does it matter and why should you care? Let’s take a walk down memory lane.

(And if you just want a quick breakdown of the numbers behind five years of Wall Street reform, take a look here.)

1. Remember the CFPB? Wall Street reform created it.

“CFPB” stands for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: an independent watchdog responsible for writing and enforcing rules to protect you as you borrow and save. And Wall Street reform made it happen.

Here’s why that’s a big deal:

You’d be surprised at exactly what lenders were able to get away with during the housing bubble — including loading up a mortgage with extra costs to jack up their own compensation in the short term before shuffling that loan over to a third party, making it their problem. With these bad incentives, lenders steered borrowers toward bad products they couldn’t afford (even when they qualified for better, lower-cost options), often burying the terms of made-to-explode mortgages in the fine print.

Dodd-Frank fixed that. Today, lenders have to assess borrowers’ ability to pay a mortgage first. They have to take responsibility for the risks of the loans they make, giving them “skin in the game” to encourage responsible lending. And they will have to present them to the borrowers in clearer, easier-to-understand terms. And the CFPB is keeping all kinds of consumer lenders honest — from credit card companies, to mortgage lenders, to debt collectors, to student loan servicers. Since 2011, the CFPB’s enforcement actions have delivered nearly $11 billion in relief to more than 26 million consumers harmed by illegal practices — including a new action announced today.

(Those practices include deceptive marketing, unfair billing, and discriminatory practices by big banks and other financial institutions — and a whole lot more. Learn more about them here.)

2. Remember when you were responsible for picking up the tab for Wall Street’s mistakes? Not anymore.

When large, complex, or interconnected firms (like Lehman Brothers) failed during the crisis, the regulators didn’t have the tools they needed to wind them down safely, without bringing down our entire financial system. That left us with a pretty awful choice: Let our system collapse and risk another Great Depression (which nearly happened after Lehman failed), or have taxpayers step in to clean up the mess?

Wall Street reform fixed that. Today, regulators have something called “orderly liquidation authority,” which is a fancy way of saying that if a big Wall Street firm implodes again, taxpayers aren’t on the hook — investors in the firm and the financial industry pick up the tab. By law, no firm is too big to fail.

3. Remember when huge parts of our financial system were allowed to operate in the shadows? They’re being brought into the light now.

Before the financial crisis, trillions of dollars in complex financial contracts — like derivatives— went almost completely unregulated. Nobody knew who was responsible for what. Sometimes the contracts were only written on paper, stuffed in a drawer, and forgotten. As a result, institutions couldn’t keep track of who owed what to whom. And when a large firm that many other firms relied on to meet their own obligations went down, it had the ability to drag the entire economy down with it.

Here’s how Wall Street reform changed that: Today, most complex transactions have to happen on transparent, centralized platforms with good documentation and better safeguards so that no one firm’s failure can ripple through the entire economy. And regulators now have the power to find and address risks across the financial system, bringing major institutions and major markets that used to escape adequate oversight up to higher standards.

4. Remember when opponents of reform said the sky was going to fall? It didn’t.

Five years ago, opponents of this bill said that its reforms would hurt lending and kill jobs. Five years later, here’s what we know:

Business lending by banks is up 30 percent.

Unemployment is the lowest it’s been in seven years.

And we’ve had the longest streak of private-sector job growth on record — with nearly 13 million jobs created.

5. Remember when we said we were done here? We didn’t. (We’re not.)

The President’s still working to protect American consumers; keep our markets safe, open, and fair; and provide a foundation for strong economic growth. We’re making new rules to make sure your retirement advisor is working in your best interest, we’re protecting our service members and their families from predatory lenders, and we’re making sure our financial institutions can stand up to the toughest conditions the market has to offer through annual stress tests.

We’re finishing the financial reform work that Dodd-Frank started, and we’ll stand up against any efforts to roll it back.

Charlie Anderson is a Senior Advisor for the National Economic Council.

The two-year bipartisan budget agreement announced today is a major step forward for our economy. As our strong domestic economic momentum continues to face headwinds from slowing growth abroad, it is critical to avoid the self-inflicted wounds of past episodes of fiscal brinksmanship. Instead this agreement strengthens both short- and long-run growth, setting the stage for more, higher-paid jobs.

Today’s budget agreement includes $80 billion in sequester cap relief over the next two years, plus $31 billion in additional funding. The agreement is front-loaded, with $50 billion of that sequester cap relief and roughly $16 billion of additional funding coming this fiscal year, constituting nearly 90 percent of the discretionary sequester relief for 2016 proposed in the President’s Budget. The sequester relief is paid for over ten years by a mix of spending reforms, stronger tax compliance measures for large partnerships like hedge funds and private equity firms, and other measures. In addition, the bill would provide up-front premium relief in Medicare Part B paid for over several years, avoiding a roughly 50% increase in Part B premiums.

THREE MAJOR ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF TODAY’S BUDGET AGREEMENT
1. The direct effect of the agreement will result in an estimated 340,000 additional jobs in 2016 and a total of 500,000 job-years added in 2016 and 2017, based on analysis of recent estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Under this agreement, federal budget authority will rise by $111 billion over the next two years, directly boosting output and supporting aggregate demand. Although the economic recovery has made substantial progress, there is still some slack, and as a result analysts including CBO estimate that avoiding unnecessary austerity will result in a faster pace of job creation and GDP growth. Analysis based on CBO’s recent estimates released in August suggests that the sequester relief in this agreement will add an expected 340,000 jobs and increase the size of our economy by 0.3 percent in 2016. Over the next two years, these estimates suggest that the sequester relief in this agreement would add 500,000 job-years in total.

These estimates are based on an analysis of CBO’s prior estimates of the economic impact of full relief from the sequester in 2016 and 2017, assuming a constant ratio of economic impact to sequester relief in a given calendar year. They include the effects of the agreement relative to current law, which would raise discretionary outlays by about 0.2 percent of GDP in each of the next two years. The estimates omit any aggregate demand effect of avoiding the Medicare Part B premium hike and potential mandatory and revenue offsets.

2. The indirect effect of increased certainty and confidence could further boost job creation and economic growth above the estimates based only on the direct effect. By raising the debt limit, ensuring that the Social Security Disability Insurance program provides full benefits to workers, and putting Congress in position to complete a budget, this legislation will continue our domestic momentum and reduce the recent policy uncertainty that threatened to weigh on economic growth. Several years ago, when Congress forced fiscal crisis after fiscal crisis, the costs to our economy were clear. Consumer and business confidence fell to record lows, and fiscal policy uncertainty cost 900,000 jobs, according to a Macroeconomic Advisers estimate. Conversely, the turn away from manufactured crises since 2013 helped contribute to accelerating job growth and a stronger recovery, and this agreement will extend that positive trend.

3. The legislation also makes possible greater investment in measures to increase our long-run growth and bolster middle-class incomes. The lower pace of global productivity and investment growth across the developed world is one of the most important challenges economic policymakers face in the post-crisis era. Our private sector is fulfilling its end of the bargain, with private investment in research and development growing at the fastest pace since 2007, while public R&D investment has declined as a share of the economy. This agreement will help bring public investment back to the table, facilitating investments in productivity-enhancing areas like education (including important investments in pre-school, K-12 education, and job training) and public R&D. Productivity is one of the key drivers of middle-class incomes, and it is critical to target public investments that promote persistent growth.

Article is courtesy of www.whitehouse.gov and by Jason Furman is the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

The Budget continues to invest in efforts to open up Government-generated assets, including data and the results of federally funded research and development — such as intellectual property and scientific knowledge — to the public. Through these efforts, the Government can empower citizens and businesses to increase the return on investment with innovation, job creation and economic prosperity gained through their use of open Government data and research results. The use of this data and scientific knowledge has impacted the private sector, including fueling innovative start-up companies and creating American jobs, increasing the transparency of retirement plans, helping consumers uncover fraudulent charges on their credit card bills, assisting potential homebuyers in making informed housing decisions, and creating new life-changing technologies, such as leading-edge vaccines.

3.3.1
Opening Data to Spark Innovation
The Administration places a high priority on opening Government data as fuel for private sector innovation and public use. Since 2009, the Administration has released over 75,000 data sets to the public, while continuing to protect individual privacy, with over 67,000 of these data sets released in the last year alone. These data sets include everything from credit card complaints, to weather and climate measurements, to what different hospitals charge for different procedures. In demonstrating its commitment to open data, the Administration has developed performance metrics to measure agency progress in reaching open data goals, provided tools to make it easier for Federal agencies to publish data, and released guidance to agencies on how to engage with the community to identify priority data sets for release. The Administration continues to invest in and support efforts to unlock Federal data sets with a high potential for economic impact, including in the areas of health care, energy, education, employment, public safety, tourism, and agriculture. In addition, the Administration is committed to fueling the open data ecosystem by taking steps to connect agencies, entrepreneurs, and other innovators. The Budget provides $16 million for E-Government initiatives in GSA’s Federal Citizen Services Fund, supporting important IT investments including open data and digital Government initiatives. While emphasizing the opening of Federal data, safeguarding the privacy, confidentiality, and security of sensitive information is of the utmost importance, and agencies are required to do thorough reviews of their data prior to publication to ensure no sensitive information is released.

3.3.2
Accelerating and Institutionalizing Lab-to-Market Practices
As discussed in the chapter on Investing in America’s Future, the Budget invests $146 billion in research and development (R&D) across Government. The Federal Government’s investment in R&D yields extraordinary long-term economic impact through the creation of new knowledge, new jobs, and ultimately new industries. The Federal R&D enterprise must continue to support fundamental research that is motivated primarily by an interest in expanding the frontiers of human knowledge and diffusing this knowledge through open data and publications. At the same time, economic growth can be accelerated through more effective transition of R&D results from the laboratory to the marketplace, based on close collaboration with industry.

The Budget reflects the Administration’s commitment to accelerating the transfer of the results of federally funded research to the commercial marketplace by proposing increased funding for technology transfer from Federal labs in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) public-private Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. In response to the President’s 2011 Memorandum on Accelerating Technology Transfer and Commercialization, the Budget proposes an additional $4 million for NIST efforts to accelerate and expand technology transfer across the Federal Government, which will enhance the competitiveness of U.S. industry by sharing innovations and knowledge from Federal laboratories. The Budget also proposes $30 million for the public-private I-Corps program at NSF aimed at bringing together the technological, entrepreneurial, and business know-how necessary to bring discoveries ripe for innovation out of the university lab.

Another example of federally funded R&D powering marketplace innovation can be seen in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Lab-Corps program. This program empowers National Laboratory teams to identify market applications and private sector partners to commercialize high-impact new EERE technologies. The initial Lab-Corps pilot will be completed by the end of 2015, and in 2016, depending on the results of the pilot, DOE will expand the Lab-Corps program to other laboratory partners.

MILWAUKEE, — ManpowerGroup U.S. (NYSE: MAN) has been awarded the EcoVadis Gold Recognition Level – the highest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rating available – for ethical and responsible employment and business practices, sustainable procurement and environmental management.

The average score across companies assessed by EcoVadis is 42.4 – ManpowerGroup U.S. scored well above the average at 64. There are now 12 ManpowerGroup countries worldwide to achieve EcoVadis Gold and Silver ratings.

“Doing well by doing good begins with ensuring we are best in class for our own business practices. This award demonstrates we do just that,” said Becky Frankiewicz, president of ManpowerGroup North America.”We believe sustainability starts at home. And it’s our people who make this happen. I am proud of the work our teams do every day to deliver on our purpose – that meaningful and sustainable employment has the power to change the world. This is how we will continue to create value for our clients and candidates.”

In order to certify CSR performance, EcoVadis, the world leader in the evaluation of supplier sustainability, takes an evidence-based approach usings 21 indicators aligned to international standards including the United Nations Global Compact Principles, International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, Global Reporting Initiative standards, the ISO 26000 standard, the CERES Roadmap, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

To find out more about ManpowerGroup’s Sustainability Plan, visit doingwellbydoinggood.manpowergroup.com.

About ManpowerGroupManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for over 400,000 clients and connect 3+ million people to meaningful, sustainable work across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for nearly 70 years. In 2017, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the seventh consecutive year and one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com

I am hugely encouraged by the growing public awareness of autism spectrum disorders and the increase of public services to many of those affected. World Autism Awareness Day not only fosters greater understanding, it empowers parents into seeking early intervention therapies and calls for the full integration of persons with autism into society. It also invites policymakers to encourage schools to open their doors to students with autism. With adequate support, they can — and should — be educated in the heart of their communities. Now is the time for even greater access and work opportunities for persons with autism.

This year, I am pleased to launch an employment “Call to Action”, inviting businesses to make concrete commitments to employ people on the autism spectrum. We encourage public offices, corporations and small businesses to have a closer look at the way they perceive people with autism, to take the time to learn about the condition and to create life-changing opportunities.

People with autism have enormous potential. Most have remarkable visual, artistic or academic skills. Thanks to the use of assistive technologies, non-verbal persons with autism can communicate and share their hidden capabilities. Recognizing the talents of persons on the autism spectrum, rather than focusing on their weaknesses, is essential to creating a society that is truly inclusive.

Yet, even where autism awareness is most advanced, more than 80 per cent of adults with autism are unemployed. That is why it is so important for employers to understand their unique and often exceptional skills, and to enable work environments where they can excel. This important mission can only be achieved with appropriate vocational training and adequate support alongside a recruitment process that can allow people to successfully integrate into workforces around the world.

The United Nations General Assembly has called for greater access and opportunities for persons with autism. In declaring 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day, the Assembly also called for training for public administrators, service providers, caregivers, families and non-professionals to support the integration of persons with autism into society, so that they can realize their full potential.

On World Autism Awareness Day, let us join forces to create the best possible conditions for those with autism, so that they can make their own contribution to a future that is fair and sustainable for all.

SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it obtained a consent order requiring the fiduciaries of the Parrot Cellular Employee Stock Ownership Plan to pay $4,181,818 to the plan. The settlement resolves a suit filed in April 2012 after an investigation by the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration found violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The department alleged that plan fiduciaries caused or permitted the ESOP to purchase Parrot Cellular stock for more than fair market value.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, named as defendants Dennis Webb, the principal owner of California-based Entrepreneurial Ventures Inc.; Matthew Fidiam and J. Robert Gallucci, EVI executives and ESOP trustees; and Consulting Fiduciaries Inc., an Illinois company that served as the independent fiduciary for the ESOP during a November 2002 stock purchase. EVI operates Parrot Cellular telephone retail stores and is the sponsor of the worker retirement plan.

“Employee stock ownership plans can have great benefits for workers, but only if they adhere to the laws that govern them,” said Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “We are very pleased to have resolved this matter in a way that brings the plan into compliance with the law and benefits the plan’s participants.”

“Officials responsible for employee stock ownership plans are legally required to act prudently and solely in the interests of plan participants when purchasing or selling employer stock,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits Security Phyllis C. Borzi. “This is true for all fiduciaries of all employee benefit plans covered by ERISA.”

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Consulting Fiduciaries agreed to pay $2 million to the ESOP to settle the allegations. Webb, Fidiam and Gallucci agreed to collectively pay $1.5 million to the ESOP, and Webb agreed to pay an additional $681,818 to the ESOP.

COURTESY: US LABOR DEPARTMENT

MILWAUKEE, — Employers globally are reporting positive hiring intentions as those in 41 of 43 countries forecast an increase in staffing levels in Q1 2018, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

ManpowerGroup. (PRNewsFoto/ManpowerGroup) (PRNewsFoto/)

The strongest Outlooks globally are reported in the U.S., Japan, Taiwan and India. Employers in Australia, Japan, Norway, Romania and the U.S. are reporting the healthiest hiring plans in five years or more.

Outlooks among employers in Eastern Europe, and Greece outpace those in Western Europe. Employers in Austria and Italy report the weakest Outlooks across Europe and the globe while job prospects remain upbeat in Romania, Hungary and Poland. In Spain and Portugal, employers report more optimistic Outlooks year-over-year while in the UK, Germany and Belgium they report weaker (yet still positive) hiring intentions. In the UK, concerns over Brexit may be impacting employer confidence as the overall forecast dips to its weakest level since 2012.

View complete Q1 2018 survey results: www.manpowergroup.com/meos

“The first quarter of 2018 is looking bright for jobseekers with employment Outlooks improving in many markets,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chairman & CEO. “Employers across the globe and especially in the U.S, Asia Pacific and parts of Europe are positive across a number of sectors, and people with in-demand skills will find themselves in high demand. Employers will need to work hard to attract and develop people with the skills they need to remain competitive. As globalization and digital transformation impact different countries and industries at different times, upskilling and reskilling tomorrow’s workforce for available jobs will be critical for long-term employability. The future looks positive, providing we help people develop the skills they need to capture these opportunities.”

Of the nearly 59,000 employers surveyed across 43 countries and territories confidence levels have strengthened year-on-year in 25 countries and territories.

Global Hiring Plans by Region

EMEA: Staffing levels are expected to grow in 23 of 25 countries surveyed with flat labor markets in the remaining two.
Employers in Romania and Slovenia report the strongest hiring plans in the EMEA region.
German employers report strong hiring intentions in Finance and Business Services with employers in Frankfurt and Munich reporting the most optimistic Outlooks.
The Outlook in France remains modest, with employers in Finance and Construction reporting the biggest year-over-year headcount growth.
Asia Pacific: Employers expect staffing levels to increase in all eight countries and territories with hiring sentiment strongest in Taiwan. The most cautious Outlook in the region is reported in China.
Australia is forecasting the strongest labor market in more than six years with an Outlook of +14%.
Hiring confidence in Japan remains solid with employers reporting the most optimistic forecast since 2007. Hiring activity is strongest in Transportation and Utilities, and Mining and Construction sectors.
Hiring intentions in India improve for the second consecutive quarter following the country’s weakest historical Outlook from Q3 2017. Increased opportunities for job seekers are expected in all seven industry sectors and across each of the four regions.
Americas: Positive Outlooks are reported in all 10 countries surveyed. U.S. employers report the region’s most upbeat forecast, with more than one in every five surveyed saying they intend to hire in the January-March time frame.
U.S. employers report the strongest Outlook in ten years, driven by optimism in Construction, Manufacturing and Transportation and Utilities sectors.
Canada’s Outlook improves for the third consecutive quarter. Hiring intentions are the most optimistic reported since Quarter 4 2013.
Hiring in Mexico remains favorable despite uncertainties associated with ongoing NAFTA negotiations. Forecasts are positive in all industry sectors and regions with the strongest Outlooks reported by employers in the Manufacturing and Transport & Communications sectors.
To view complete results for the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, visit www.manpowergroup.com/meos. The next survey will be released 13 March 2018 and will report hiring expectations for Q2 2018.

*The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for over 400,000 clients and connect 3+ million people to meaningful, sustainable work across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis, Right Management and ManpowerGroup Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for nearly 70 years. In 2017, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the seventh consecutive year and one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com

The latest Employment Situation report shows that the economic winds remained at our back in February, with the addition of 295,000 new jobs. Here’s what else you should know:

We’ve now seen 12 months in a row of at least 200,000 new jobs, the longest such streak in nearly 20 years.
For five years now – 60 uninterrupted months – private sector employment growth has continued unabated to the tune of more than 12 million jobs overall.
The labor market continues to strengthen, as the economy has increasingly added middle- and high-wage jobs over the last two years.
The unemployment rate of 5.5 percent is the lowest it’s been since the spring of 2008.
And in 2014, unemployment fell in all 50 states for the first time in 30 years.

But this isn’t a moment to take a victory lap or spike the football. We’re doing very well, but we can do even better, especially with so many working families still not being lifted by the rising tide. That’s why the president is resolute in his belief and pursuit of middle-class economics. That’s why he wants to eliminate barriers to education and prepare more people for 21st-century jobs. That’s why he believes we should fix our broken immigration system and fix our crumbling roads and bridges, which are stifling economic growth.

We must help more people reap the benefits of a growing economy, ensuring that no one gets left on the sidelines as this recovery continues to gather steam. That’s the idea behind the president’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, launched a year ago to close opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color. This week, the White House released a one-year report demonstrating progress toward MBK goals, with nearly 200 local leaders answering the call to mobilize their communities toward concrete action on these pressing challenges.

Middle-class economics also means the security of a dignified retirement after years of hard work. So last month at the president’s direction, the Labor Department took an important step toward updating the rules governing retirement advice, to ensure that financial advisers are putting their clients’ interests above their own.

There is every reason to be bullish about the direction of our economy. But there’s every reason also to believe we can work together on common-sense, bipartisan solutions that will lead to even greater job growth and shared prosperity in the months and years to come.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plans to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants will cost America’s economy over $50 billion a year between now and 2030, according to a new report issued by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy.

The report, Assessing the Impact of Potential New Carbon Regulations in the United States, estimates the economic impacts associated with an EPA regulatory regime imposed under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act and based on the Obama Administration’s emissions reduction goals.

“Americans deserve to have an accurate picture of the costs and benefits associated with the administration’s plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through unprecedented and aggressive EPA regulations,” said Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the Energy Institute. “Our analysis shows that Americans will pay significantly more for electricity, see slower economic growth and fewer jobs, and have less disposable income, while a slight reduction in carbon emissions will be overwhelmed by global increases.”

The analysis found that EPA’s potential new carbon regulations would:

-Lower U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $51 billion on average every year through 2030
-Lead to 224,000 fewer U.S. jobs on average every year through 2030
-Force U.S. consumers to pay $289 billion more for electricity through 2030
-Lower total disposable income for U.S. households by $586 billion through 2030

With global carbon emissions expected to rise by 31% between 2011 and 2030, the Energy Institute’s analysis found that EPA regulations would reduce this overall emissions level by just 1.8 percentage points.

The Energy Institute commissioned the respected research and analytics firm IHS to conduct the modeling and analysis. As a basis for the study, the Energy Institute utilized a proposal from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that many expect will be similar to EPA’s anticipated proposal. Using the NRDC policy framework, along with the proprietary outlook from IHS Inc. on energy efficiency and power demand, the Energy Institute report then assesses the costs and market impacts of meeting the Obama Administration’s emissions target of 42% reductions below 2005 levels by 2030. The conclusions are those of the Energy Institute.

The Energy Institute’s analysis includes only the costs for the new and existing power plant carbon dioxide regulations. All other EPA regulations, such as the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, are built into the reference case.

Different regions of the country will see profoundly different impacts from these rules. Generally, the largest impacts on jobs and the economy will be in the South Atlantic, West South Central, and East North Central census divisions. The South power region will see the biggest increases in electricity costs by far.

To read the entire report, visit www.energyxxi.org/epa-regs

The mission of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy is to unify policymakers, regulators, business leaders, and the American public behind a common sense energy strategy to help keep America secure, prosperous, and clean. Through policy development, education, and advocacy, the Institute is building support for meaningful action at the local, state, national, and international levels.

The U.S. Chamber is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

This news is courtesy of www.uschamber.com

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline, wins the prestigious African Champion of the Year Award on March 26,2019 at the ongoing Africa CEO Forum in Kigali which is being attended by more than 1,800 delegates.

The AFRICA CEO FORUM is the leading international conference dedicated to the private sector in Africa and hosts the continent’s top CEOs, international investors, experts and high-level policy makers every year.

Every year, the AFRICA CEO FORUM AWARDS recognize the companies and investors that have shaped the year in Africa, during the AFRICA CEO FORUM Gala Dinner.

While receiving the awards, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said, “We are honored to be awarded as African champion. Thank you very much for the strong vote of confidence that Africa has given us even at the most challenging time in our history. We are still mourning for the loss of the lives of our esteemed passengers and colleagues at the tragic accident on ET 302 on 10 March 2019. My sincere sympathy and heartfelt condolences for the families of the victims, the country and the continent of Africa.

But we are very grateful to the traveling public which have stood with us in such difficult time. The vote of confidence is unbelievable. We have never seen such kind of large number of vote of confidence for one of the strongest brands in Africa. Thank you all for all the support you have given us and continue to give us. Together, we will make Africa great and we will put our continent in its right place in the global stage.”

Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline. On November 8, 2017, SKYTRAX, the most prestigious international air transport standards and quality rating organization, has certified Ethiopian as Four Star Airline. SKYTRAX has also awarded Ethiopian as SKYTRAX World Airline Award for Best Airline Staff in Africa, two times, and earlier in 2017 Ethiopian has received SKYTRAX World Airline Award for Best Airline in Africa.

About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the Pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 119 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with Six business centers: Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian ADD Hub Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years.

Brussels, 22 August 2016 – The EU today requested the establishment of a WTO panel to rule on a dispute concerning Colombia’s discriminatory treatment of imported spirits.

The EU and Colombia held consultations earlier in the year (8-9 March 2016), however consultations failed to reach a solution to the dispute. While the EU recognizes Colombia’s efforts to bring about reform in the spirits’ regime since the initiation of the dispute, EU spirits continue to be discriminated in the Colombian market.

The EU’s concerns about discrimination of EU spirits in the Colombian market are longstanding. EU spirits are subject to higher taxes and local charges than those applied to local brands. In addition, market restrictions apply in the departments or local subdivisions of Colombia. The departments impose market-access restrictions that distort the competitive conditions in the market to the detriment of EU spirits. This is in contravention of Colombia’s non-discrimination obligations under WTO rules.

Under the bilateral Trade Agreement with the European Union, Colombia committed itself to ending the discrimination by 1 August last year. The EU has raised the issue with Colombia on numerous occasions, including in bilateral meetings, WTO meetings and OECD membership discussions. The European Union continues to support Colombia’s efforts to bring about reform in this sector.

Trade facts and figures
The EU is the number one exporter of spirits to the Colombian market and, as a result, the trading partner most affected by these measures (followed by Mexico, Costa Rica and the United States). In 2014, EU exports of spirits to Colombia – valued at €43 million – represented approximately 14% of total agricultural exports to Colombia and 77% of total Colombian imports of spirits. Within the different spirits exported by the EU to Colombia, whiskies represent the highest shared (€36 million) followed by liqueurs and cordials (€4 million). Colombia produces mainly rums and aguardientes, which account for 83% of spirits consumption in Colombia in 2013 figures (10.8 million 9LC[1], in comparison with 2.3 million cases of imported spirits).

The national consumption tax on spirits was split in two tax brackets in 1995 and has been ‘specific’ since 2002 (Law no 788 of 27 December 2002), meaning that the tax is calculated by percentage point of alcohol content per unit of 0.75 litres. An artificial breakup point is established at 35% of alcoholic content, with the result that most imported products fall into the higher taxation bracket, whereas most locally produced spirits fall into the lower taxation bracket. The situation is similar in the departments (departamentos) – administrative sub-divisions of Colombia – where a local charge is levied instead of the national consumption tax.

Moreover, in Colombia a number of departments exercise the so-called fiscal monopoly over the introduction and commercialisation of spirits. As a result, the entry of imported spirits is subject to the conclusion of ‘introduction contracts’ with the department that contain trade restrictive clauses, impose maximum values and minimum selling prices, and requiring traders to secure the payment of the amount of a future fiscal debt, etc. In addition, the departments enjoy great discretion to arbitrarily deny access to imported brands.

The European Union requested consultations with Colombia under the WTO on 13 January 2016 in DS 502, Colombia- Measures Concerning Imported Spirits; consultations were held on 8-9 March 2016 but failed to find a positive solution to the dispute.

Next steps in WTO dispute settlement procedures
The EU’s request for the establishment of a WTO panel will be discussed at the meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of 2 September. If Colombia does not agree to the establishment of a panel at that meeting, the EU may table a second request at the following DSB meeting which, according to WTO rules, Colombia cannot block.

At any stage of dispute settlement procedures, Colombia can reform the spirits’ regime in Colombia and eliminate the discrimination of imported spirits, thereby prompting that a solution is found without necessarily waiting for adjudication by a WTO panel.

Further information
WTO dispute settlement in a nutshell:
http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/accessing-markets/dispute-settlement/

On 28 October 2016, the Council adopted by written procedure a package of decisions on the comprehensive economic and trade agreement with Canada (CETA), including:

a decision on signature of the agreement
a decision on the provisional application of the agreement
a decision to request the consent of the European Parliament for theconclusion of the agreement
The representatives of the member states also adopted a joint interpretative instrument. This instrument, which is a joint text with Canada, will provide a binding interpretation of CETA´s terms on specific issues.

“I am delighted to confirm that the EU is ready to sign the comprehensive economic and trade agreement with Canada. It represents a milestone in the EU’s trade policy and our commitment to it” said Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, currently holding the EU Council presidency. “The CETA represents a modern and progressive deal, opening the door to new opportunities, while protecting important interests. Moreover, it has the potential to set the way forward for future trade deals.”

CETA will remove more than 99% of tariffs that are currently imposed on trade between the EU and Canada. It sets high standards for consumer, environmental and labour protection.

The agreement includes provisions on market access for goods, services, investment and government procurement, as well as on intellectual property rights, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, sustainable development, regulatory cooperation, mutual recognition, trade facilitation, cooperation on raw materials, dispute settlement and technical barriers to trade.

The negotiations with Canada were conducted on the basis of a mandate agreed by the Council in 2009. Following a Council decision in September 2011, talks on investment protection were also started within the CETA framework.

On 5 July 2016, the Commission proposed that the deal be signed and concluded as a “mixed” agreement. This means that on the EU side, it must be signed by both the EU and the member states, and ratified by all relevant national and regional parliaments.

The agreement will be applied on a provisional basis once the European Parliament has consented to its conclusion, pending ratification by all of the member states. Provisional application will concern essentially the provisions of EU exclusive competence.

Strategic partnership agreement
The Council has also adopted a decision on the signing and provisional application of a strategic partnership agreement between the EU and Canada. This agreement seeks to deepen political dialogue and cooperation between the EU and Canada and will strengthen relations in fields such as human rights, international peace and security, economic and sustainable development, justice, freedom and security.

EU and US officials today ended a 7th round of week-long negotiations in Washington, D.C. (US) on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a new EU-US trade and investment deal. The EU’s Chief TTIP Negotiator, Ignacio Garcia Bercero, made a statement at the end of the round.

We have again had a week of productive discussions. Negotiations are now moving smoothly into the textual phase, where discussions are based on specific textual proposals.

1. Negotiators’ discussions
1.1. Regulatory pillar

During this round, much of the focus has been on the regulatory pillar of the future agreement. This week all the regulatory elements of TTIP were discussed, both in terms of horizontal disciplines (regulatory coherence, TBT, SPS) as well as on specific sectors identified in previous rounds such as pharmaceuticals, cars, chemicals or engineering.

As regards horizontal disciplines, we are now fully engaged in discussions based on textual proposals. An important challenge is going to be to establish a strong framework for cooperation that allows EU and US regulators to tackle new regulatory challenges based on high levels of protection.

On sectors, technical work is making steady progress in identifying concrete outcomes that save unnecessary duplications while fully respecting the mandates of our regulators. This work is very much guided by the regulators, who have again participated actively.

As you know, we consider the regulatory part of TTIP to have the potential to deliver the most benefits. It is also the most challenging part of these negotiations, because it is highly technical and requires the most innovative thinking. Despite this, I believe we are making good progress.

Let me recall three key considerations for our negotiations discussions on the regulatory pillar. These concern standards, the strategic dimension, and compatibility:

1. Standards

We have made an unequivocal and firm commitment: nothing will be done which could lower or endanger the protection of the environment, health, safety, consumers or any other public policy goals pursued by EU or US regulators.

Commissioner-designate Malmström reaffirmed in her European Parliament hearing this Monday that decision-making on new regulations will remain subject to existing democratic controls.

2. Strategic dimension

Enhanced regulatory cooperation is essential if the EU and US wish to play a leading role in developing international regulations and standards based on the highest levels of protection. The regulatory agenda therefore has a clear strategic dimension.

3. Compatibility

TTIP should deliver concrete results in terms of enhanced regulatory compatibility.

1.2. Rules pillar

We also discussed some elements of the rules pillar of the agreement.

We decided to focus our discussions and exchanges on four areas this week:
• energy and raw materials
• customs and trade facilitation
• intellectual property rights (IPR), and
• small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

1.3. Services

Finally, we also discussed services.

As you know, both the US and the EU put on the negotiating table before summer this year their respective market access offers.

Services offers are highly complex and technical. Our negotiators devoted most of the week to explaining to each other, in great detail, all the elements of those offers.

This is a key step in every negotiation, as we can only make further progress once each side has understood the scope of what the other has put on the table.

I would stress that our approach to services negotiations excludes any commitments on public services: governments remain free to decide at any time that certain services should be provided by the public sector.

2. Stakeholder events
In addition to negotiators’ discussions, a day of stakeholder events took place on Wednesday. I welcome the chance this gave negotiators to spend a full day engaging and exchanging views with representatives of civil society.

We have organised these sessions with stakeholders during each negotiating round. This time again, there were around 330 representatives of various interests and 64 presentations on all the areas covered by the negotiations.

Our engagement with stakeholders sends a clear message on both sides of the Atlantic. We all work on behalf of and for our citizens. So we need to listen to their ideas and respond to their concerns.

We also have the duty to explain the facts and the approach we are taking. Our dialogue must be open to all, continuous and in two directions throughout the negotiating process.
This is the only way we can ensure the final agreement responds to the high ambitions our leaders have set for us and reflects the expectations of our citizens.

I can assure you that Commissioner-Designate Malmström is fully committed to engaging in dialogue with civil society.

3. Political context
Finally, I understand that you will also have questions on how the broader political context is impacting the TTIP negotiations.

On the EU side, President-Elect Juncker highlighted TTIP as one of his 10 priorities for the new Commission. TTIP will therefore continue to have strong political support in the new Commission.

We will also continue working towards an ambitious agreement, and will not compromise on the protection of the environment, health, safety, consumers, data privacy, or any other public policy goals, nor on the right of governments to regulate.

We continue to be fully committed to these negotiations. It is in this spirit that we engaged with our counterparts this week in Washington, to progress as far as possible towards our goal of a comprehensive and innovative trade agreement.

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.9% in July 2015, down from 11.1% in June 2015, and from 11.6% in July 2014. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since February 2012. The EU28 unemployment rate was 9.5% in July 2015, down from 9.6% in June 2015, and from 10.2% in July 2014.

This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since June 2011. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Eurostat estimates that 23.067 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 17.532 million in the euro area, were unemployed in July 2015. Compared with June 2015, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 232 000 in the EU28 and by 213 000 in the euro area. Compared with July 2014, unemployment fell by 1.648 million in the EU28 and by 1.116 million in the euro area.

Member States
Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in July 2015 were recorded in Germany (4.7%), the Czech Republic and Malta (both 5.1%), and the highest in Greece (25.0% in May 2015) and Spain (22.2%). Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate in July 2015 fell in twenty-three Member States, increased in three and remained stable in Belgium and Romania. The largest decreases were registered in Bulgaria (11.5% to
9.4%), Spain (24.3% to 22.2%), Greece (27.0% to 25.0% between May 2014 and May 2015), Portugal (14.1% to 12.1%), Ireland (11.3% to 9.5%) and Croatia (16.9% to 15.1%). The increases were registered in Finland (8.7% to 9.7%), France (10.3% to 10.4%) and Austria (5.7% to 5.8%).
In July 2015, the unemployment rate in the United States was 5.3%, stable compared to June 2015 and down from 6.2% in July 2014.

Youth unemployment
In July 2015, 4.634 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 3.093 million were in the euro area. Compared with July 2014, youth unemployment decreased by 465 000 in the EU28 and by 336 000 in the euro area. In July 2015, the youth unemployment rate was 20.4% in the EU28 and 21.9% in the euro area, compared with 22.0% and 23.8% respectively in July 2014. In July 2015, the lowest rates were
observed in Germany (7.0%), Malta (8.7%) and Estonia (9.5% in June 2015), and the highest in Greece (51.8% in May 2015), Spain (48.6%), Croatia (43.1% in the second quarter 2015) and Italy (40.5%).

Geographical coverage
The euro area (EA19) includes Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.

The European Union (EU28) includes Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Methods and definition
Eurostat produces harmonised unemployment rates for individual EU Member States, the euro area and the EU. These unemployment rates are based on the definition recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The measurement is based on a harmonised source, the European Union Labour Force Survey (LFS).

Based on the ILO definition, Eurostat defines unemployed persons as persons aged 15 to 74 who:
– are without work;
– are available to start work within the next two weeks;
– and have actively sought employment at some time during the previous four weeks.

The unemployment rate is the number of people unemployed as a percentage of the labour force.
The labour force is the total number of people employed plus unemployed. In this news release unemployment rates are based on employment and unemployment data covering persons aged 15 to 74.
The youth unemployment rate is the number of people aged 15 to 24 unemployed as a percentage of the labour force of the same age. Therefore, the youth unemployment rate should not be interpreted as the share of jobless people in the overall youth population.

Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden and Iceland: the trend component is used instead of the more volatile seasonally adjusted data.

Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Norway: 3-month moving averages of LFS data are used instead of pure monthly indicators.

Today in Brussels, the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) in cooperation with the Netherlands EU Presidency launched a two-year Europe-wide campaign:Healthy Workplaces for All Ages, which is the world’s biggest campaign in this area. Focusing on sustainable work and workplace safety and health in the context of the ageing workforce, the campaign provides a timely reminder that the younger workers of today are the older workers of tomorrow.

The campaign focuses on Europe’s enterprises (both private and public) and the need to promote sustainable work and healthy ageing from the beginning of working life. By doing so, they will be protecting their workers’ health up to and beyond retirement age and their organisations’ productivity.

Commissioner Thyssen highlighted the timeliness of this campaign topic: ‘At a time when there are important discussions going on about the future landscape of occupational safety and health in the EU, this campaign is extremely relevant. We need to start now to cater for the needs of Europe’s future workplaces and workers. Workplaces that address the health challenges of an ageing workforce gain in productivity. This is good for workers and good for business.’

The Netherlands’ Presidency representative, Lodewijk Asscher, emphasized the need to make our labour market sustainable for the future. ‘This campaign contributes to it. We need to stimulate employers and workers to invest in employability. After all, using the power of people will always get the best result. It energises people no matter what age. Here, the cradle to the grave concept certainly applies. The sooner you start, the longer you stay healthy and vital, and the better you can cope with change. Because the jobs of today might not exist in the future or might look a lot different to now. Therefore, it is important not to wait until that happens, but to prepare properly in good time.’

Christa Sedlatschek, Director of EU-OSHA, underlined the business case for this campaign topic: ‘By focusing on sustainable working throughout working life, not only can all workers better protect their health, but companies are likely to see major benefits too. Healthy workers are productive workers, and productive workers are essential to any effective organisation: it’s a win–win situation. We therefore highly value the cooperation between EU-OSHA and our focal points, official campaign partners and media partners and thank them for all their efforts in previous campaigns. We look forward to working with them again over the next two years.’

This campaign’s objectives are four-fold:
to promote sustainable work and healthy ageing from the beginning of working life;
to highlight the importance of risk prevention throughout working life;
to assist employers and workers (including in small and medium-sized enterprises) by providing information and tools for managing occupational safety and health in the context of an ageing workforce;
to facilitate information and good practice exchange.

This campaign topic is based on a European Parliament project conducted by EU-OSHA, ‘Safer and healthier work at any age’, along with various other EU-OSHA reports on safety and health in the context of the ageing workforce. As part of this new campaign, EU-OSHA is also releasing an e-guide on managing safety and health for an ageing workforce.

Background
The Healthy Workplaces for All Ages 2016-17 campaign raises awareness of the importance of good occupational safety and health management and risk prevention throughout the working life and of tailoring work to individual abilities — whether at the start of a worker’s career or at its close. Like previous Healthy Workplaces Campaigns, it is coordinated at national level by EU-OSHA’s focal points and supported by official campaign and media partners.

The campaign has been launched on 15 April 2016. Key dates in the campaign calendar include the European Weeks for Safety and Health at Work (October 2016 and 2017) and the Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards ceremony (April 2017). The campaign will end with the Healthy Workplaces Summit (November 2017), when all those who have contributed to the campaign will come together with EU-OSHA to take stock of the campaign’s achievements and the lessons learnt.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) contributes to making Europe a safer, healthier and more productive place to work. The Agency researches, develops, and distributes reliable, balanced, and impartial safety and health information and organises pan-European awareness raising campaigns. Set up by the European Union in 1994 and based in Bilbao, Spain, the Agency brings together representatives from the European Commission, Member State governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations, as well as leading experts in each of the EU Member States and beyond.
You can follow the agency on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or subscribe to its monthly newsletter OSHmail. You can also register for regular news and information from EU-OSHA via RSS feeds.

WASHINGTON, – The European Commission and the World Bank Group signed a Framework Agreement on Friday, 15 April 2016, to further their cooperation on the implementation of development projects across the globe. This agreement sets the terms under which the World Bank will disburse EU budget money on development projects on the ground.

World Bank Vice President Axel van Trotsenburg said, “The challenges faced by our clients are increasingly complex and require innovative thinking and partnerships. This agreement with the European Commission reinforces the EC’s role as a key partner in our strategic, policy and operational efforts to reach the goal of ending extreme poverty and increasing shared prosperity.”

“With this agreement, we’re upgrading the strategic partnership between the European Commission and the World Bank to fight poverty around the world. We can accelerate delivery of our funds and increase the transparency of our joint projects for the benefit of people in the developing countries,” said European Commission Vice-President, Kristalina Georgieva, at the signing ceremony.

The European Commission and the World Bank first signed a cooperation agreement in 2001. The current document is a revision of an agreement dating from 2014. The revision of the agreement adjusts to the revised funding model of the World Bank, with clarified remuneration, accountability, simplification and increased transparency.

For the period 2010–2015, the European Commission has contributed over two billion euro to the World Bank Trust Funds, thus becoming the third biggest contributor.

The money has mainly gone to Africa (48%) and South Asia (26%), and has enabled the implementation of projects including in the areas of public administration and law (31%), health and social services (19%), and education (17%).

Incubation Centre has opened in Portugal, ready to help entrepreneurs and start-up companies take space technology and services into non-space areas such as health, transport and energy.

Over the coming five years, the centre will help 30 Portuguese start-up companies to get their businesses going, creating at least 120 local high-tech jobs.

The companies will receive €1.5 million as seed incentive and be able to tap into an additional €7 million.

ESA incubator in Coimbra
The new incubator is managed by the University of Coimbra’s Instituto Pedro Nunes, or IPN, in collaboration with Science and Technology Park at University of Porto and DNA Cascais, a non-profit organisation that fosters entrepreneurship in Cascais and the greater Lisbon region.

With 18 years’ experience in business incubation, the institute has supported more than 200 technology and innovation projects.

At the inauguration on 5 November during the fifth Portuguese Space Forum, the management agreements were signed by Franco Ongaro, ESA Director of Technical and Quality Management, and Prof. Teresa Mendes, IPN President of the Board of Directors.

Incubator launch
Carlos Cerqueira, IPN’s Head of Innovation, noted that the new centre “has unique characteristics since it promotes the creation of start-ups based on state-of-the-art technologies tested in space applications, providing these new companies with the potential to create ‘disruptive’ innovations tailored for the global markets.”

The event was also attended by Portugal’s Minister of Economy, António Pires de Lima, Minister of Education and Science, Nuno Crato, Rector of the University of Coimbra, João Gabriel, and Vice President of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (the national funding agency for science, technology and innovation), Pedro Carneiro.

Prof. Mendes added that the incubator helps “to accomplish IPN’s mission to support the technology transfer process and to stimulate the creation of new economic activity and skilled jobs in Portugal.”

Portuguese industry steps up in space
The Forum also saw a contract signed with Portugual’s Tekeve for the intersatellite communications link on ESA’s Proba-3 formation-flying mission.

The two satellites will accurately hold position at a distance of 150 m or more.

This contract highlights a key technology contributionby Portuguese companies in a very advanced mission.

Bethesda, Md., Everyday is an opportunity to connect, to be inspired by others and to use the power of professional networks to realize a dream. Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is helping future business travelers with the launch of “Everyday Connect,” a multimedia resource offering college graduates career insights from young entrepreneurs who were featured on this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

The campaign, housed on Tumblr at http://everyday-connect.com, starts a conversation with young professionals and reinforces the idea that the next generation of business leaders needs to invest in real, meaningful relationships to help propel their careers. It reminds college graduates, entering a challenging job market, to take the time now at the start of their professional journey to build long-lasting relationships that will inspire them to succeed in whatever they choose to do.

“Everyday Connect” features short films, infographics, tips and survey data to help graduates identify opportunities and build their own professional network. Fairfield enlisted four entrepreneurs from various industries to share their thoughts on the power of mentorship and personal connections. “Everyday Connect” program ambassadors include Mark Arnoldy, Executive Director at Possible Health; Eden Full, Founder, SunSaluter; Meg Gill, President/Co-Founder, Golden Road Brewing; and Kane Sarhan, Co-Founder of [E]nstitute.

“At Fairfield, we see ourselves as a partner for business travelers on the road, helping them keep their momentum strong and stay connected with people who matter to them,” said Shruti Buckley, vice president and global brand manager, Fairfield Inn & Suites. “Everyday Connect is an engaging way for us to share some wisdom from our exceptional group of mentors and offer the next generation some tips and advice that will help them achieve their goals.”

A survey conducted by Fairfield Inn & Suites among 1,000 employed adults over the age of 21 nationwide revealed:

Seventy-seven percent of people are willing to help college graduates find work.

Forty-nine percent of respondents claim to have a mentor in their profession.

Recognition is not of significant importance to people who help others in their professional network – only 51 percent of respondents said that this mattered to them.
A phone call is the generally preferred method of acknowledgment, with 91 percent of respondents saying this is an appropriate way to express appreciation, followed by a thank-you card (88 percent), or an e-mail (81 percent). A post on a social media network will sooner suffice (27 percent) than flowers (26 percent).
Sixty-six percent of respondents acknowledged the power of personal relationships in helping them maintain momentum in their careers.
The survey data reveals that there is a strong inclination among working adults to help young people at the start of their careers find work. A large majority of respondents cite personal connections as helping them in their careers, and almost half say they have a mentor in their profession, demonstrating there is a willingness to pay forward the support and guidance they have received. In a digital world, survey respondents revealed a great interest in maintaining the lines of communication open.

Cosumers Get Chance to Reconnect and Reunite Through “Everyday Connect”

Fairfield is not only providing practical advice and information with the “Everyday Connect” campaign, but it is also extending the opportunity to consumers to reconnect and reunite with the people who have helped them succeed in their careers. Starting June 2, a series of questions will be posted via the brand’s Twitter handle – over a four-week period around the power of personal connections. Based on the responses, five winners will be chosen and given a trip to reunite with the mentor of their choice in New York City as well as meet with the campaign’s influencers. Click here for full contest details:

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is designed for today’s traveler who is looking to be productive on the road, whether for business or leisure. In addition to complimentary Wi-Fi and hot breakfast, Fairfield Inn & Suites offers thoughtfully designed rooms and suites that provide separate living, working and sleeping areas. With more than 700 properties throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and India, Fairfield Inn & Suites hotels participate in the award-winning Marriott Rewards® frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay. For more information or reservations, visit www.fairfieldinn.com, become a fan at www.facebook.com/fairfieldinnandsuites or follow Fairfield at www.twitter.com/fairfieldhotels.

Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement on the May 2017 Employment Situation report:

“May’s unemployment rate ticked down to 4.3 percent from the previous month’s level of 4.4 percent. The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since May 2001, dropping 0.5 percentage points since President Trump took office. Non-farm payroll employment rose by 138,000 jobs, a positive sign that our economy is moving in the right direction. More than 600,000 private-sector jobs have been created since Inauguration Day. Multiple economic sectors showed job growth in May, including education and health services and mining. The mining sector posted its seventh straight month of employment increases.

“These continued improvements have real impact on the lives of American families, as more people take home a paycheck. Their spending will benefit themselves, their families, and the nation’s economy.

“While we continue to grow the economy, the U.S. Department of Labor is also working diligently to ensure that businesses have the workers they need, and that all Americans can find good, safe jobs by narrowing the skills gap in the labor market. Our shared mission is to expand economic opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President laid out why new, high-standards trade agreements are important for our economy, our businesses, our workers, and our values. These new trade deals are vital to middle-class economics — the idea that this country does best when everybody gets their fair shot, everybody does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules. The President has been clear — any deal he signs will be the most progressive trade agreement in our history with strong provisions for both workers and the environment. It would also level the playing field — and when the playing field is level, American workers always win.