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星期五, 4月 01, 2016

麻省理工學院獲選為國防部研發創新纖維紡織品

美國國防部長艾許頓卡特(Ashton Carter)訪MIT。(周菊子攝)
(Boston Orange 周菊子劍橋市報導)美國國防部長艾許頓卡特(Ashton Carter)今(1)日宣佈,麻省理工學院(MIT)與89個院校,機構所組成的非牟利機構,美國先進功能纖維聯盟(AAFOA)將承辦國防部317百萬元的“革命性纖維及紡織品製造創新研究院(Revolutionary Fiber and Textile Manufacturing Innovation Institute)“。
麻州州長查理貝克(右起),聯邦參議員馬基,賓州州長Tom Wolf,聯
邦眾議員約瑟夫甘迺迪三世出席宣佈會。(周菊子攝)
這新機構將由美國陸軍司令部簽約指揮部管理,由麻省理工學院統領,研發最終能儲存電力,把先進電腦電路及健康感應器縫進軍服的高科技纖維及紡織品,以及可能的相關商業化用途。
美國聯邦政府為此撥款7500萬元,其餘的25千萬元,將由地方政府及私人企業籌集。
麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)已承諾麻州政府將撥給4000萬元比配資金(matching fund),以示支持。
美國國防部長艾許頓卡特(Ashton Carter)(右一),麻州州長查理
貝克聽麻州校長致詞。(周菊子攝)
美國聯邦政府從2012年起推出了“製造創新全國網(National Network for Manufacturing Innovation)“,企圖彌平早期研究和產品發展之間的落差,在俄亥俄州Youngstown建了第一個創新製造研究院,做3D打印,最近選在加州聖荷西做柔軟混合電子研究。預計總共將建15個樞紐機構,麻省理工學院針對纖維、紡織品做研發的聯盟,是第八個製造創新研究院。
麻省理工學院校長L. Rafael Reif。(周菊子攝)
美國國防部長艾許頓卡特(Ashton Carter)今日在麻省理工學院史隆商學院的山伯格(Samberg)會議中心,做此宣佈,強調政府和學術界,民間企業合作的重要性,也闡述把極輕的感應器縫進衣服裡,檢測穿著者本身體溫,健康狀況,或其身邊環境的化學分子,放射性物質等科技創新發展,將對軍事部署,人類生活都影響遠大。
聯邦參議員馬基把MIT引伸為“創造新科技
Manufacturing Innovative Technology)”的簡稱。(周菊子攝)
麻省理工學院校長L. Rafael Reif聯邦參議員馬基(Ed Markey),聯邦眾議員約瑟夫甘迺迪三世(Joseph P. Kennedy III),麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker),賓州州長沃夫(Tom Wolf),以及喬治亞州Brrr公司共同創辦人Tosha Hays在會上一一發言。
L. Rafael Reif 說明,AAFOA將由該校電子研究實驗室主任 Yoel Fink領導。
聯邦參議員馬基從歷史角度發言,指出為紀念Francis Cabot Lowell而命名的羅爾市是全美第一個依照計劃建成的紡織工廠城市,國防部選擇麻州設“革命性纖維及紡織品製造創新研究院”,可說再洽當不過。他還把MIT引申為“製造創新科技(Manufacturing Innovative Technology),博得許多掌聲。

麻州參與這項目的學校包括麻州大學安赫斯特分校(Amherst),Quinsigamond 社區學院,企業包括波斯(Bose Corp.),新平衡(New Balance),雅諾德半導體公司(Analog Devices Inc.,)等。
麻州州長查理貝克。(周菊子攝)







聯邦眾議員約瑟夫甘迺迪三世。(周菊子攝)





藍水防範(Blue Water  defense)董事長Eric Spackey(右起
瑪基,約瑟夫甘迺迪三世,艾許頓卡特等人說明該公司產
品能藉著縫在衣服裡的纖維,讓軍隊在能見度極低戰場,照
樣分得清敵我。(周菊子攝)


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 recordToday 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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.

  1. 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.                               

  1. 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.