Massachusetts Selected to Lead National Revolutionary Fiber and Textile Manufacturing Innovation Institute

Massachusetts Selected to Lead National Revolutionary Fiber and Textile Manufacturing Innovation Institute

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, a Massachusetts nonprofit organized by MIT, will focus on the development of fibers that have extraordinary properties

CAMBRIDGE – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration is pleased to announce that Massachusetts will serve as the national center for the nation’s first Revolutionary Fiber and Textile Manufacturing Innovation Institute.

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), an independent nonprofit founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been selected to run a new, $317 million public-private partnership announced today by US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. The AFFOA-led project is part of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), a federal advanced manufacturing initiative. Key participants in the project include MIT, the University of Massachusetts, Quinsigamond Community College, and fiber and textile industry partners throughout the Commonwealth. The institute also includes several other key public and private sector partners from across the nation, focused on a common goal of revolutionary fiber and textile manufacturing.

As part of the Commonwealth’s commitment to innovation in advanced manufacturing, the Baker-Polito Administration is pledging $40 million in matching funds to support capital projects at the Manufacturing Innovation Institute.

“Massachusetts’s innovation ecosystem is reshaping the way that people interact with the world around them,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This manufacturing innovation institute will be the national leader in developing and commercializing textiles with extraordinary properties. It will extend our ongoing efforts to nurture emerging industries, and grow them to scale in Massachusetts to an exciting new field. And it will serve as a vital piece of innovation infrastructure, to support the development of the next generation of manufacturing technology, and the development of a highly skilled workforce.”

“Through this manufacturing innovation institute, Massachusetts researchers and Massachusetts employers will collaborate to unlock new advances in military technology, medical care, wearable technology, and fashion,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “This, in turn, will help drive business expansion, support the competitiveness of local manufacturers, and create new employment opportunities for residents across the Commonwealth.”

“The combination of public and private institutions leading this effort only reinforces Massachusetts as a national leader in innovation and education,” said Senate President Stan Rosenberg. “This innovation institute will grow our advanced manufacturing sector across the entire state while investing in emerging technology to grow jobs and businesses for our workforce.”    

“I am incredibly proud of the House’s longstanding investments in manufacturing which I believe have helped make Massachusetts is a national leader in this dynamic sector,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “The manufacturing industry will be a driver in employing residents of all skillsets, bringing together innovation industries with more traditional sectors, and spreading prosperity to all corners of the Commonwealth. I congratulate MIT, UMass and Quinsigamond Community College. I look forward to working with the Baker and Obama Administrations as we experience the incredible potential of this partnership.”

“Fibers and fabrics are among the earliest forms of human expression, yet have changed very little over the course of history,” said Professor Yoel Fink, director of MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics, and the director of AFFOA. “All this is about to change as functional fiber and yarn technologies meet traditional textile production and yield new products by design. Our Institute, with the help of significant support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and with key participation by the Natick Soldier Research Development & Engineering Center, will become the focal point of innovation in manufacturing and product, realizing the vision of advanced functional fabrics for the benefit of consumers, as well as our men and women in uniform, generating economic growth in the state and beyond. MIT was honored to convene this consortium, building on our years of fiber research and development at the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology, a U.S. Army industry/university cooperative research center on the MIT campus.”

The AFFOA Institute is a $317 million public-private research partnership focused on the development of new fibers and textiles with diverse uses. These new, innovative fabrics and fibers will have a range of technical capabilities and novel properties, ranging from being incredibly lightweight and flame resistant, to having exceptional strength, to storing energy, to enabling internet-connected consumer apparel.

The AFFOA Institute serves as the focal point for a national network of Institute member companies, universities, nonprofits, and government agencies conducting research and production of fibers that have new functionality, including that of fiber-based semiconductor devices. Within Massachusetts, AFFOA will lead the development of a rapid prototyping and testing center for revolutionary fibers and textiles manufacturing, and an education and workforce development program for these careers.

By fostering close collaboration between academic researchers and industry partners, the manufacturing innovation institute will foster the rapid deployment of these revolutionary new technologies by Massachusetts employers.

The University of Massachusetts will serve as a key partner in the innovation institute, applying the university’s technical expertise in flexible electronics and wearable technologies to advanced fibers and textiles.

Quinsigamond Community College will co-chair the AFFOA Institute’s workforce development council, to support education and training of a skilled workforce in revolutionary fiber and textile manufacturing in Massachusetts. The workforce development assets that Quinsigamond will develop will have statewide deployment capabilities.

“Well-paid advanced manufacturing jobs support residents and their families, while ensuring that Massachusetts remains on the cutting edge of technological growth,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “Our support for workforce development across the Commonwealth, coupled with the investments we are making in a range of emerging technologies, will help Massachusetts remain on the forefront of advanced manufacturing, while providing employment opportunities for hard-working residents. By supporting the development and commercialization of emerging technologies, and developing cutting-edge workforce training programs in these new manufacturing technologies, we are equipping residents across Massachusetts with the knowledge and skills to manufacture products that can only be made in Massachusetts.”

“Advanced manufacturers find growth opportunities in the Commonwealth, and it continues to be one of our growing employment sectors,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald L. Walker, II. “We in the Baker-Polito administration are very aware that if advanced manufacturers are going to continue to expand in Massachusetts, they will need to be able to employ talented workers who have the skills they require. Therefore, we are focused on making sure education, economic development and the workforce system are in sync to meet employers needs so advanced manufacturers can continue to innovate, and strengthen the economy in the Commonwealth.”

“We are proud that MIT, the University of Massachusetts, and Quinsigamond Community College will be leading the nation’s first Revolutionary Fiber and Textile Manufacturing Innovation Institute,” said Education Secretary Jim Peyser. “This public-private partnership will help Massachusetts lead the way in a key emerging manufacturing field, and strengthen the important pipeline connecting education to industry.”

The National Network for Manufacturing Institutes (NNMI) is a rolling series of federally sponsored advanced manufacturing competitions. NNMI competitions seek to spur research into cutting-edge technologies that can be applied to advanced manufacturing processes across industry supply chains. Bidders in the competitions frequently form teams of universities across different states, with regional nodes supporting the lead bidder. The federal awards, which come from the Department of Defense, are leveraged several times over through a series of state and industry matches.

This is Massachusetts’s third recent NNMI win, and the state’s first national manufacturing innovation center under NNMI. Massachusetts previously secured regional manufacturing innovation institute nodes in photonics, and in flexible hybrid electronics. UMass Amherst is leading regional research and development efforts into flexible hybrid electronics. MIT and Quinsigamond Community College are partners in the regional photonics research effort, with Quinsigamond serving as the national workforce development lead for the photonics manufacturing innovation institute.

As part of this effort, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development will work closely with AFFOA’s academic and industry members to ensure that current and future investments by the Commonwealth support and leverage the federal investment in this cluster, and that the expertise of this innovation center is made available to industries throughout the state.

DON’T BE FOOLED: AG HEALEY ALERTS CONSUMERS ABOUT IRS SCAM, OFFERS TIPS TO AVOID IDENTITY THEFT AS TAX DEADLINE APPROACHES

DON’T BE FOOLED: AG HEALEY ALERTS CONSUMERS ABOUT IRS SCAM, OFFERS TIPS TO AVOID IDENTITY THEFT AS TAX DEADLINE APPROACHESImposters Aggressively Target and Threaten Taxpayers by Phone

BOSTON – Today may be April Fool’s Day, but tax scams are no joke, Attorney General Maura Healey said today as she offered tips for consumers to prevent identity theft. 

“Tax scams are no laughing matter,” AG Healey said. “These thieves use aggressive tactics to pressure well-meaning taxpayers into giving them money and personal or financial information. These crimes are preventable and with the right information, people can help limit their chances of being victimized by these scams.”

The IRS impersonation scam is typically perpetrated over the phone by individuals posing as employees of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Using high pressure tactics, the caller informs the intended victim that they will be arrested, or a tax lien will be placed on their home because they did not pay or did not correctly file state or federal income taxes. Victims are told they must settle the debt over the phone by providing their debit or credit card numbers or immediately wiring funds, to avoid being arrested. If the victim refuses to cooperate, the caller often becomes hostile and will threaten the victim. The caller may also use personally identifying information about the victim to make the scheme sound authentic.

Consumers who receive this phone call are encouraged to report it directly to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at (800) 366-4484. Consumers may also file a complaint online through their website here. 

The AG’s Office has also received multiple reports of tax-related identity theft, which occurs when someone files a fake tax return using your personal information to get a tax refund from the IRS. It may also occur when someone uses your Social Security number to get a job or claims your child as a dependent on a tax return.

Consumers may not be aware that their identity has been compromised until after they file their tax return, or if they receive a letter from the IRS stating that more than one tax return was filed in their name, or if IRS records show wages from an unknown employer. 

Tax-related identity theft has been the most common form of identity theft reported to theFederal Trade Commission (FTC) for the past five years. If you have reason to believe your personal information may have been compromised, consider filing a police report and contacting the credit reporting agencies to place a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit file. Consumers may alsofile a complaint with the FTC.

Taxpayers should be advised that the IRS or the Department of Revenue generally contacts consumers by mail, not by phone, and will never ask for credit card numbers over the phone or request a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer.

The AG’s Office offers consumers the following information and resources to help protect them from potential scams and identity theft:

• Call the IRS at (800) 829-1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue – if there really is such an issue.
• If you’ve been targeted by this scam, you should also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their FTC Complaint Assistant.
• Use a secure internet connection if you file electronically. Avoid the use of public computers whenever possible.
• Do not give out your Social Security Number (SSN) or Medicare number unless necessary. Never give this information out over the phone following an unsolicited phone call, no matter who the person calling claims to be.
• If you believe that your SSN has been compromised, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at (800) 908-4490.
• Check your credit report for free at least once a year, at each of the three major reporting agencies, by visiting annualcreditreport.com to make sure no other accounts have been opened in your name.
• Questions pertaining to taxes may be referred to the IRS at (800) 829-1040 or the IRS website.

The Attorney General’s Consumer Advocacy & Response Division fields thousands of inquiries pertaining to scams and can direct consumers to the appropriate agency to file a complaint. Consumer information specific to telephone scams are available on the FTC’s website, www.ftc.gov. Consumers may also call AG Healey’s Consumer Hotline at (617) 727-8400 or visit the Attorney General’s website for additional information. 

美國防部長宣佈斥資三億元由MIT率89機構組纖紡製造業創新研究院

Obama Administration Announces New Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Hub in Cambridge, MA and New Report on $2 Billion in Manufacturing R&D Investments

Eighth manufacturing innovation institute brings over $300 million in public-private investment from leading universities and manufacturers to develop futuristic fabrics and textiles, helping accelerate the revival of textiles manufacturing in the United States

Today, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced that a leading consortium of 89 manufacturers, universities, and non-profits organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will spearhead a new manufacturing innovation institute in partnership with the Department of Defense focused on securing U.S. leadership in revolutionary fibers and textiles manufacturing.

The new Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Cambridge, MA, will combine over $75 million of Federal resources with nearly $250 million of non-Federal investment in innovative fabrics and textiles with novel properties ranging from being incredibly lightweight and flame resistant, to having exceptional strength and containing electronic sensors. With wide-ranging applications, these technical textiles can forge protective gear for firefighters impervious to the hottest flames, replicate the sensing capabilities of a smart watch into a lightweight fabric, or detect when a wounded soldier needs to be treated with an antimicrobial compression bandage.

This new institute is the eighth manufacturing hub to be awarded by the Obama Administration, building on the President’s vision to create a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) of at least 15 hubs across the country during his Administration. Collectively, the Federal government’s commitment of nearly $600 million to the eight awarded institutes has been matched by over $1.2 billion in non-Federal investment from across industry, academia, and state governments. The institutes, each led by manufacturing experts renowned in their field, have attracted over 800 companies, universities, and non-profits as members of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.

The American textile industry is adding jobs for the first time in decades, increasing shipments by 14 percent from 2009 to 2015, and growing exports globally with a 39 percent increase in exports from 2009 to 2015. After a decade in decline during the 2000s, the U.S. manufacturing sector as a whole has added nearly 900,000 jobs since February 2010. Today’s announcement builds on this momentum in American textile manufacturing and lays the foundation for future leadership and innovation in the production of sophisticated fibers and textile technologies. 

In addition to the manufacturing institute award, today the Obama Administration released a new report detailing a snapshot of Federal priorities across 13 agencies for research and development investment in advanced manufacturing technologies. The President’s FY2017 Budget builds on the Obama Administration’s success in increasing manufacturing research and development by 40 percent since 2011 by proposing to further grow Federal investment in manufacturing technologies to $2.1 billion.

Early Successes from the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation

The new institute is part of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) launched in 2012. From the very first manufacturing institute pioneering novel 3D printing technologies in Youngstown, OH, to the most recently awarded institute pushing the boundaries on flexible hybrid electronics in San Jose, CA, each of the now eight institutes is part of a growing innovation network dedicated to securing U.S. leadership in the emerging technologies and manufacturing capabilities required to win the next generation of advanced manufacturing. 

Each manufacturing institute is designed to build U.S. leadership and regional excellence in critical emerging manufacturing technologies by bridging the gap between early research and product development; bringing together companies, universities, and other academic and training institutions, and Federal agencies to co-invest in key technology areas that can encourage investment and production in the United States while serving as a ‘teaching factory’ for workers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs looking to develop new skills or prototype new products and processes.

The Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute being announced today is the eighth institute awarded to date.

Already, these investments are generating wins for U.S. manufacturing, including -

·         In March, two photonics companies announced $1.4 billion of investment and over 800 manufacturing jobs in Rochester, NY, leveraging the facilities and capabilities of AIM Photonics, the Integrated Photonics Manufacturing Innovation Institute. These investments are helping revive a region that was once a global powerhouse for optics manufacturing.

·         To help anchor production of new semiconductor technologies in the United States and accelerate the commercialization of advanced power electronics, in March the Power America Manufacturing Innovation Institute successfully helped X-FAB in Lubbock, TX, upgrade a hundred-million dollar foundry to produce cost-competitive, next-generation semiconductors, enabling new business opportunities to sustain hundreds of jobs.

·         Using next-generation metals manufacturing techniques, Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT), the institute in Detroit focused on lightweight metals, has successfully reduced the weight of core metal parts found in cars and trucks by 40 percent, helping improve fuel efficiency and save consumers dollars at the pump. In addition, LIFT has introduced curriculum in 22 states to train workers on the use of lightweight metals.

·         America Makes has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in new manufacturing investment to its region, including helping to attract GE’s new $32 million global 3D printing hub and spurring Alcoa to invest $60 million in its New Kensington, PA facilities, both of which will benefit from proximity to America Makes and its expertise in 3D printing with metal powders.

While still in its early stages, the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation is already having a visible impact on advanced manufacturing in America as detailed in the NNMI Annual and StrategicReports released by the Department of Commerce.

New Report from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) on Federal Priorities for Manufacturing Research and Development

Growing and sustaining an innovation ecosystem for cutting-edge advanced manufacturing technologies, like revolutionary fibers and textiles, requires a concerted effort across government, industry, and academia.

To foster a shared technological vision across the public and private sectors, today the NSTC Subcommittee on Advanced Manufacturing, representing 13 Federal departments and agencies, released Advanced Manufacturing: A Snapshot of Priority Technology Areas Across the Federal Government, a report detailing common priorities for research and development in advanced manufacturing technologies and initiatives to strengthen manufacturing education and workforce development. Among the shared-priorities identified in this new report are:

·         Advanced materials manufacturing: designer materials that are “born ready” for specific next-generation products, approaching atomic precision at kilogram scales

·         Bio-manufacturing for regenerative medicine: repairing and replacing cells, tissues, and organs that might one day lead to 3D-printed organs

·         Continuous manufacturing for pharmaceuticals: uninterrupted production enabling greater quality, yield, and flexibility toward personalized medicine

Launched in its current form in 2015—following recommendations from the university and industry leaders of the President’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership—the NSTC Subcommittee on Advanced Manufacturing seeks to identify gaps in the Federal advanced manufacturing research and development portfolio and policies; programs and initiatives that support technology commercialization; methods of improving business climate; and opportunities for public-private collaboration.

The Subcommittee’s new report captures technology areas in advanced manufacturing that are current priorities for the Federal Government and are strong candidates for focused Federal investment and public-private collaboration. Recognizing these areas is a critical step toward identifying smart, strategic investments that build on our strengths—revving the engines of American ingenuity and honing the skills of the world’s most productive workforce.

Additional Information on the Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute:

To lead the new Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute, MIT is standing up Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, or AFFOA, a new consortium headquartered in Cambridge, MA, uniting 89 partner companies, non-profits, independent research organizations, universities and start-up incubators to help ensure that America stays at the leading edge of fiber science and the production of modern-day fabrics and fibers with extraordinary properties.  

This new manufacturing innovation institute will harness the Northeast region’s community of technical textile manufacturing entrepreneurs and innovators, strengthened by a robust nationwide network of manufacturers, to underpin a national fibers and textiles manufacturing ecosystem and position the United States for growing leadership in this critical technology area.

The institute will bring together nontraditional partners to integrate fibers and yarns with integrated circuits, LEDs, solar cells, and other devices and advanced materials to create textiles and fabrics that can see, hear, sense, communicate, store energy, regulate temperature, monitor health, change color, and more. For example, the institute will pair the likes of audio equipment maker Bose, computer chip maker Intel, and nanofiber manufacturer FibeRio with more customary textile manufacturers and textile users like Warwick Mills, Buhler Yarns, and New Balance.

The institute will work to commercialize innovations being developed in the labs of member universities including MIT, the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, Cornell University, and others, while partnering with local workforce organizations to train workers on how to manufacture these technologies in the United States.  The institute will also accelerate technology transfer to enable defense and commercial applications such as shelters with power generation and storage capacity built into the fabric, ultra-efficient, energy-saving filters for vehicles, and uniforms that can regulate temperature and detect threats like chemical and radioactive elements in order to warn warfighters and first responders.  The new institute’s headquarters in Cambridge, MA will host a prototyping facility designed to help start-ups test their first products and scale up new technologies into full production, to ensure that textile technologies invented in America are made in America.

The winning team includes the following 52 industry members and non-profit organizations, as well as 37 additional partners across 28 states:

52 Companies and Non-Profit Organizations: Analog Devices,  Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Bluewater Defense, Bose, Buhler Quality Yarns, Business Education Design & Research (BEDR) Consortium, ChK Group, Corning, Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) – Southeast PA MEP, DuKorp, DuPont, EHMKE, Electronic Textile, eSpin, FabNewport, Faurecia, FibeRio, Flex, FLIR, Hills, Ikove Venture Partners, Inman Mills, Intel, Macromolecular, Manufacture NY, MassMEP, Medtronic, Milliken, MiniFIBERS, Ministry of Supply, Nanocomp Technologies, Nanoterra, National Occupational Competency Testing Center (NOCTI), New Balance, Nike, Offray Specialty Narrow Fabrics, Per Vivo Labs, Protect the Force, R&M International, RTI International, SAP, Steelcase, Stitch Texas, Ten97 Technologies, The Corridor – FL, The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), V2 Composites, Vartest Laboratories, Vecna, Vorbeck Materials, VF Corporation, and Warwick Mills

32 Universities, Colleges and Other Schools: Auburn University, Carnegie Mellon University, Clemson University, Connecticut College of Technology RCNGM-ATE, Cornell University, Drexel University, Fashion Institute of Technology, Florida Atlantic University, Gaston College, Iowa State University, Jefferson University, Kansas State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio State University, Penn State, Rice University, Temple University, University California-Davis, University of Central Florida, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Arkansas, University of Delaware, University of Georgia, University of Illinois (National Center for Supercomputing Applications), University of Kentucky, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Rhode Island, University of Tennessee – Knoxville, University of Texas – Austin, Virginia Tech, and Washington State University

5 State Government and Regional Organizations: State of California, State of Georgia, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, City of Philadelphia, and Industrial Development Agency (IDA) – Orange County, NY

28 States Represented: AL, AR, CA, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NH, NY, OH, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA

White House Statement on the Employment Situation in March

Statement on the Employment Situation in March

WASHINGTON, DC – Jason Furman, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, issued the following statement today on the employment situation in March. You can view the statement HERE.

Posted by Jason Furman on April 1, 2016 at 9:30AM EST

Summary: The economy added 215,000 jobs in March, extending the longest streak of private-sector job growth on record, as labor force participation rose.

The robust pace of job creation continued in March as labor force participation rose for the fourth consecutive month and hourly wages increased. The private sector has now added 14.4 million jobs over 73 straight months of job growth, the longest streak on record, and wage growth has accelerated over the past year. While these trends speak to the strength of the labor market recovery, more work remains to drive even faster wage growth, including investing in infrastructure and job training, implementing high-standards free trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and raising the minimum wage.

FIVE KEY POINTS ON THE LABOR MARKET IN MARCH 2016

1. U.S. businesses have now added 14.4 million jobs over 73 straight months, extending the longest streak on record. Today we learned that private employment rose by 195,000 jobs in March. Total nonfarm employment rose by 215,000 jobs in March, in line with the pace of recent months and well above the pace necessary to maintain a low and stable unemployment rate given longstanding demographic trends in labor force participation, which CEA estimates at 80,000 jobs per month. The unemployment rate ticked up to 5.0 percent in March, while the labor force participation rate rose to 63.0 percent, reaching the same level as November 2013. Over the past six months, the labor force participation rate has increased by 0.6 percentage point, the largest six-month increase since 1992. Average hourly earnings for private employees increased 0.3 percent in March, more than reversing their drop in February, and have grown 2.3 percent over the past year.
   

2. Growth in aggregate weekly earnings has accelerated in the past two years, with rising real wages accounting for nearly all of the pickup. Aggregate weekly earnings are the total wages and salaries paid to all private employees on nonfarm payrolls. Changes in aggregate earnings can be driven by changes in employment, by changes in the length of the average workweek, or by changes in hourly earnings. Aggregate earnings reached a cyclical trough in December 2009. Over the following year-and-a-half, the increase in aggregate earnings was more than accounted for by a combination of rising employment and a longer workweek, as real wages declined. Over the next three years, increased employment accounted for over 80 percent of the growth in aggregate earnings. Conversely, over the past two years real wage growth—due both to rising nominal wages and to slow inflation as oil prices have declined—has been the main contributor to the speed-up in aggregate earnings, accounting for over 40 percent of overall real aggregate earnings growth. Meanwhile, strong employment growth has continued, offset slightly by reductions in hours.

3. To mark Equal Pay Day (April 12), we note the progress that has been made in closing the earnings gap since the Great Recession, as well the work that remains. Since late 2007, women’s usual weekly earnings have grown at a slightly faster pace than those of men, and the weekly earnings gap has narrowed as a result. The ratio of women’s usual weekly earnings to men’s was 80.8 percent at the end of 2015, up from 79.5 percent at the end of 2007. Many factors—including education, experience, occupation, and industry—contribute to the wage gap, but according torecent research by economists Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn, about 38 percent of the wage gap is still unexplained by these (and other) observable factors. The ratio of women’s usual weekly earnings to men’s is slightly greater than the commonly cited figure of 79 percent, which is the ratio of annual earnings for the typical woman working full-time, full-year compared to those of a typical man. The difference between these two measures—which reflects differences in the number of weeks that men and women work during the year—highlights the challenges that many women face in balancing work and family. Policies like paid family leave and paid sick leave that ensure that workplaces better reflect the needs of working families would build on the progress made since the recession in closing the wage gap.

4. The labor force participation rate rose to 63.0 percent in March, the same level as in November 2013, having risen 0.6 percentage point over the last six months. As this increase shows, the strengthening recovery has led more individuals to decide to enter the workforce and search for a job, which in recent months has more than offset longstanding declines in labor force participation from the aging of the U.S. population and other preexisting trends. Overall changes in the labor force from month to month are the net effects of individuals moving from one labor market state (employed, unemployed, not in the labor force) to another. Thus, the recent increase in labor force participation reflects an increase in the net flow of individuals from “not in the labor force” into either employment or unemployment. As shown in the chart below, net flows into employment from “not in the labor force” have risen faster recently than net flows into unemployment; net flows into employment are above their pre-recession average, while net flows into unemployment are below their pre-recession average. A number of policies—including increasing investments in training and apprenticeships, providing wage insurance for unemployed workers, and reforming our broken criminal justice system—would help address some of the causes behind longstanding trends in labor force participation.                               

5. The distribution of job growth across industries in March generally followed recent trends, with global headwinds continuing to restrain job growth in certain industries, especially manufacturing and mining. Above-average gains relative to the past year were seen in industries such as State and local government (+18,000), retail trade (+48,000), and construction (+37,000). Manufacturing (-29,000) had a noticeably weak month in March, while employment in mining and logging, which includes oil extraction, continued to decline (-12,000). Slowing global growth has weighed on job growth in both of these industries, as weaker foreign demand has put pressure on U.S. exports and has contributed to the decline in oil prices. Across the 17 industries shown below, the correlation between the most recent one-month percent change and the average percent change over the last twelve months was 0.98, well above the average correlation over the previous three years.

 

As the Administration stresses every month, the monthly employment and unemployment figures can be volatile, and payroll employment estimates can be subject to substantial revision. Therefore, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report, and it is informative to consider each report in the context of other data as they become available.

麻州州長查理貝克感嘆藥價太貴、審批太慢

麻州州長查理貝克 (Charlie Baker)感嘆藥價太貴。 (周菊子攝)

（Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導）麻州生物協會（MassBio）今（31）日在皇家索尼斯塔（Royal Sonesta）酒店舉行年會。主講人麻州州長查理貝克（Charlie Baker）強調“讓人們得到（delivery）“的重要，聲言將在教育，交通及能源等多方面與生物醫藥界攜手合作。

Travis McCready。

查理貝克在會中的致詞，長約20分鐘，有一半頗為沈重。他質疑藥價之貴，藥監局（FDA）批審藥物之慢，對人們生活造成很大影響。他指出，市面上70%的藥，都是學名藥（generic drug），在過去幾年間價格上漲不下二、三倍。目前排隊等藥監局審批的學名藥，大約有4000種，但平均要等48個月到四年，才輪到審批。

查理貝克表示，座中的醫藥專家，學者在研發新藥上都有很大貢獻，整個行業放眼未來也很對，但“讓人們得到（delivery）“的這步驟過程，卻在醫療體制中被忽略了。

查理貝克從他日常和人們接觸得到的回饋，總結出政府要和生物醫藥業界，民眾在教育，交通，能源等三方面合作。

教育上，要培養不只是博士的各種層次人才， 以改善業界有空缺，卻找不到適當人才的狀況。交通上，他的政府將花較往年多二，三倍的經費，來改善車軌，燈號等所有基礎設施。能源上要在未來可見數年間，推動產電量倍增。

查理貝克透露，交通竟是人們提得第二多的有待改善領域，也讓他意外。不過他也確實察覺，麻州有些交通設備已落後三個世代，甚至1910年前安裝的交通設施，都還在使用中，

會上，查理貝克也稱許麻州生命科學中心新任董事長Travis McCready，直指前任州長派屈克（Deval Patrick）的十年十億元推動生命科學發展，固然是一筆大數目，但如何促使業界與政府，民眾攜手合作，將更重要。

麻州生物協會（MassBio）今年的這場年會，主題為“醫藥創新的承諾與價值”，約450人出席。會上改選出新一屆董事，包括主席，11 生物療法的Abbie Celniker，以及輝瑞（Pfizer）的Mike Ehlers，夏爾（Shire）製藥的Michele Galen等5名新董事。

            會中還頒發Joshua Boger年度創新學校獎給Diman 區域職業科技高中，頒發Termeer創新領袖獎給Alnylam製藥公司執行長John Maraganore，頒發麻州生物協會領導影響獎給諾華帝生物醫藥研究公司全球傳播主管Jeffrey Lockwood。

AACA Craft Beer fundraiser 4/1

Asian American Civic Association

Come join us in Chinatown on Friday, April 1st for an exciting night of food, libation and FUN ! Pair the wildly versatile beverages of the craft beer world with the exotic spices of Asian food at the historic China Pearl.                                                                                                                                    Buy Tickets Here About Us The Asian American Civic Association provides limited English speaking and economically disadvantaged people with education, occupational training and social services enabling them to realize lasting economic self-sufficiency. AACA has served and advocated for the needs of immigrants and other economically disadvantaged people since 1967. Today AACA serves clients from over 80 countries.Focused on economic self-sufficiency and participation in American society, AACA provides a range of services, including English classes, social services, job training, college preparation and a post-graduate retention program.

薩福克大學“如何在香港讀書及工作”講座 4/5

What is it like to work, study, and live in Hong Kong? 

如何在香港讀書及工作?

In this interesting program, Chak Fu Lam in Management and Entrepreneurship and Micky Lee in Communication and Journalism have organized a session in cooperation with Suffolk’s Career Development Center, and co-sponsored by Study Abroad and the Rosenberg Institute.

There are opportunities to study in Hong Kong, to build a working career, and to live there as well. Undergraduates and grad students in all disciplines are welcome to attend.  In the future many of the best jobs will be in Asia, and recruiting for those jobs has already started.

Tuesday 5 April 2016 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm in Room 929 of the Sawyer Building on the Suffolk campus. The meeting is Free.  Food will be Provided.