“The U.S. share of world goods trade might be down, but a new study suggests that American competitiveness is not. In the study entitled Why Is the U.S. Share of World Merchandise Exports Shrinking? Federal Reserve Bank of New York economist Benjamin R. Mandel examines the factors driving the sharp drop in the U.S. share of world goods trade. Mandel concludes that the reduction does not signal a broad-based decline in the relative competitiveness of U.S. exporters. Rather, much of the 3.5 percentage point fall in U.S. export share between 2000 and 2010 is attributed to a change in the composition of goods traded internationally and the relatively slow growth of the U.S. economy. Mandel uses a two-pronged approach in examining the role that compositional changes in world exports played in the U.S. relative export performance. First, he identifies the products that contributed most to the decline of the U.S. export share, noting that it was a relatively small group. Next, Mandel calculates the extent to which U.S. manufacturers of each product lost market share to their foreign competitors and the extent to which the product itself simply claimed a smaller fraction of overall world exports. His results show that while the nation did lose ground to competitors in the export of some goods, the shifting make-up of the goods traded globally accounts for a significant part of the U.S. export share losses.”
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Daily Archives: February 7, 2012
CDC – Nine in 10 U.S. adults get too much sodium every day
February 2012 Vital Signs Issue: Where’s the Sodium?: “About 90% of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet. Too much sodium increases a person’s risk for high blood pressure. High blood pressure often leads to heart disease and stroke. More than 800,000 people die each year from heart disease, stroke and… Continue Reading
DHS IG – Allegations of Misconduct and Illegal Discrimination and Retaliation in the Federal Air Marshal Service
Via POGO: Department of Homeland Security OIG – Allegations of Misconduct and Illegal Discrimination and Retaliation in the Federal Air Marshal Service, OIG-12-28, January 2012 “Although individual employees may have experienced discrimination or retaliation, our review does not support a finding of widespread discrimination and retaliation within the Federal Air Marshal Service. However, employees perceptions… Continue Reading
TRAC: Share of Immigration Cases Ending in Deportation Orders Hits Record Low
“TRAC’s web-based tools monitoring ICE’s exercise of prosecutorial discretion in the Immigration Courts have been updated with court data tracking outcomes through December 2011. Very current data show that deportation orders fell, while individuals allowed to stay in the U.S. rose during October – December 2011. The share of ICE-initiated Immigration Court deportation proceedings resulting… Continue Reading
BLS – Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
News release: “There were 3.4 million job openings on the last business day of December, up from 3.1 million in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.1 percent) and separations rate (3.0 percent) were unchanged over the month. The job openings rate has trended upward since the end of… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Air Force and Interior Spending, Bureau of Prisons, Diesel Pollution, Federal Contracting, GAO Budget Request
Budget and Spending – Air Force and Interior Can Benefit from Additional Guidance When Deciding Whether to Lease or Purchase Equipment, GAO-12-281R, Feb 7, 2012 Bureau of Prisons – Eligibility and Capacity Impact Use of Flexibilities to Reduce Inmates’ Time in Prison, GAO-12-320, Feb 7, 2012 Diesel Pollution – Fragmented Federal Programs That Reduce Mobile… Continue Reading
NOAA – January 2012 the fourth warmest for the contiguous U.S.
News release: “During January, warmer-than-average conditions enveloped most of the contiguous United States, with widespread below-average precipitation. The overall weather pattern for the month was reflected in the lack of snow for much of the Northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. This scenario was in stark contrast to Alaska where several towns had their coldest January… Continue Reading
CBO – Monthly Budget Review, January 2012
Monthly Budget Review – Based on the Monthly Treasury Statement for December and the Daily Treasury Statements for January 2012 “The federal government accumulated a budget deficit of $349 billion in the first four months of fiscal year 2012, CBO estimates, $70 billion less than the shortfall recorded for the same period last year. Without… Continue Reading
The U.S. Postal Services Financial Condition: Overview and Issues for Congress
The U.S. Postal Services Financial Condition: Overview and Issues for Congress. Kevin R. Kosar, Analyst in American National Government, January 27, 2012 “This report provides an overview of the U.S. Postal Services (USPSs) financial condition, legislation enacted to alleviate the USPSs financial challenges, and possible issues for the 112th Congress. It also includes a side-by-side… Continue Reading
Fostering innovation-led clusters A review of leading global practices
Fostering innovation-led clusters – A review of leading global practices. A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, December 2011. “There are few economic development policies as popular as clusters. It is hard today to find a country, region, or even city that is not trying to develop a network of complementary and competitive firms. The… Continue Reading
Living Well with Chronic Illness: A Call for Public Health Action
Living Well with Chronic Illness: A Call for Public Health Action, January 2012 In the United States, chronic diseases currently account for 70 percent of all deaths, and close to 48 million Americans report a disability related to a chronic condition. Today, about one in four Americans have multiple diseases and the prevalence and burden… Continue Reading
