The mission of the Department is to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity.

As part of the Obama administration’s economic team, the Secretary of Commerce serves as the voice of U.S. business within the President’s Cabinet. The Department works with businesses, universities, communities, and the Nation’s workers to promote job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improved standards of living for Americans. Through its 12 bureaus and nearly 47,000 employees located in all 50 states and territories and more than 86 countries worldwide, the Department administers critical programs that touch the lives of every American. The Department’s workforce is as diverse as its mission. It is made up of economists, Nobel winning scientists, foreign service officers, patent attorneys, law enforcement officers, and specialists in everything from international trade to aerospace engineering.