Mar042015
Posted at 9:44 AM
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today issued a report showing that U.S. goods and services exports supported more than 11.7 million jobs in 2014 – a new record. The number of export-related positions is up 1.8 million since 2009. This growth in export-supported jobs is due in large part to expanding U.S. goods and services exports, which reached a record for a fifth consecutive year in 2014.
In 2014, every $1 billion of U.S. exports supported nearly 5,800 jobs. Goods exports supported 7.1 million jobs in 2014, up 1.0 million jobs from 2009. Services exports supported a record 4.6 million jobs in 2014, up 700,000 from 2009.
“Today’s new data is further evidence that exports are creating jobs and strengthening our economy,” said Secretary Pritzker. “We know that export-related jobs are good jobs, paying up to 18 percent more than non-export related positions.
“With 95 percent of worldwide consumers living outside the U.S., ensuring that American businesses can sell their goods and services around the globe is critical to continued economic growth. Enacting President Obama’s trade agenda will open new markets to ‘Made in America’ goods, helping create even more jobs in communities across the country. Now is the time for Congress to pass bipartisan trade promotion legislation, so we can implement new trade agreements that will help our businesses, workers, and innovators compete on a level playing field and succeed around the world.”
For the past 40 years, Congress has enacted trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation to help guide both Democratic and Republican Presidents in pursuing trade agreements that support U.S. jobs, eliminate barriers to U.S. exports, and set rules to level the playing field for U.S. companies, farmers, ranchers and workers. TPA allows Congress to set high-standard objectives and priorities for U.S. trade negotiators and establish a process for consulting with Congress and the public.
For more information on U.S. jobs supported by exports, please see the full report: Jobs Supported by Exports 2014: An Update.
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