Hiring Increases Due to Rise in Consumer Confidence and Spending Kicking off 2024, the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week that the U.S. economy added over 350,000 jobs in January – far exceeding expectations. The unemployment rate was 3.7 percent for the third month in a row coming in below 4% for two straight years – the longest such streak since the 1960s. In...

Travel and Tourism Leads by Industry, Reflecting Growth in Spending on Transportation, Hotels, and Restaurants People are getting out more and outdoor recreation continues to drive America’s economy. According to last month’s report from the Commerce Department’s U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the outdoor recreation economy topped $1 trillion for the first time with significant growth in...

Earlier this week, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo gave virtual remarks at a National Apprenticeship Week event hosted by Metaverse where she underlined the Biden Administration’s commitment to America’s workforce by creating direct pathways to good-paying jobs. “Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the federal government is investing more than a trillion dollars in...

In honor of Veterans Day, the Department of Commerce hosted an event to honor the more than 5,000 veteran employees, their family members, and those who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. The event also showcased the Department’s commitment to recruiting and hiring more veterans to the Commerce workforce. During the event, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Deputy Secretary Don...

Minority entrepreneurs make critical contributions to our economy generating nearly $2 trillion in revenue each year. However, an equity gap remains between minority and non-minority-owned businesses. Last week, Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves spoke about the need to close this equity gap at the 40 th Annual Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week . Hosted by Commerce’s Minority Business...

Eleven years ago today, the United States joined nations around the world in establishing the International Day of the Girl to acknowledge the struggles facing young girls and strengthen their commitment to expanding resources and opportunities to help girls and women succeed and thrive. Today, First Lady Jill Biden hosted an event to honor 15 girls in the U.S. who are leading change by tackling...

President Biden is committed to revitalizing American manufacturing and innovation, particularly in the manufacturing of semiconductors or chips. A skilled and diverse pipeline of workers is critical to building a sustainable domestic semiconductor industry. The skilled workers who will fill these jobs have never been in higher demand, and the United States is poised to expand and strengthen the...

Earlier this week, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo joined Valerie Biden Owens, Chair of the Biden Institute, in hosting a Q&A session with students at the University of Delaware to commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the University’s Study Abroad Program. Secretary Raimondo stressed the need for more international scholars to help strengthen America’s global competitiveness, bolster America’s...