Monday Report |
US World Comtetitiveness |
June 9th, 2008 |
SCORECARD
The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-
2008
Higher Education and Training
Quality higher education and training is crucial for
economies that want to move up the value chain
beyond simple production processes and products.13
In particular, today's globalizing economy requires
economies to nur�ture pools of well-educated
workers who are able to adapt rapidly to their
changing environment. To capture this concept, this
pillar measures secondary and tertiary enrollment
rates as well as the quality of education as assessed
by the business community. The importance of
vocational and continuous on-the-job training,
neglected in many economies, cannot be overstated,
as it ensures a constant upgrading of workers' skills
to the changing needs of the production system.
Health and Primary Education
A healthy workforce is vital to a country's
competitiveness and productivity. Workers who are ill
cannot function to their potential, and will be less
productive. Poor health leads to significant costs to
business, as sick workers are often absent or operate
at lower levels of efficiency. Invest�ment in the
provision of health services is thus critical for clear
economic, as well as moral, considerations.12
In addition to health, this pillar takes into account
the quantity and quality of basic education received by
the population, which is increasingly important in
today's economy. Basic education increases the
efficiency of each individual worker, making the
economy more productive. Furthermore, a workforce
that has received little formal education can carry out
only basic manual tasks and finds it much more
difficult to adapt to more advanced production
processes and techniques. A short-age of qualified
administrative staff might also have a negative impact
on overall business performance. Lack of basic
education can therefore become a constraint on
business development, with firms finding it difficult to
move up the value chain by producing more
sophisticat�ed or value-intensive products.
How does the US rate?
Global Competitiveness - Higher Education
and Training - 2007/2008
Country | Rank |
Score |
Finland | 1 | 6.01
|
Sweden | 2 | 5.98
|
Denmark | 3 |
5.96 |
Taiwan,
China | 4 | 5.73 |
United
States | 5 | 5.68 |
Korea,
Rep. | 6 | 5.65 |
Switzerland | 7 |
5.63 |
Iceland | 8 |
5.62 |
Norway | 9 |
5.60 |
Netherlands | 10 |
5.57 |
Belgium | 11 |
5.57 |
New
Zealand | 12 | 5.53 |
Canada | 13 |
5.49 |
Australia | 14 |
5.46 |
United
Kingdom | 15 | 5.42 |
Singapore | 16 |
5.42 |
Austria | 17 |
5.40
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France | 18 | 5.38
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Israel | 19 | 5.36
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Germany | 20 |
5.33 |
Ireland | 21 | 5.26
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Japan | 22 |
5.21 |
Estonia | 23 |
5.18
|
Slovenia | 24 |
5.08 |
Lithuania | 25 |
4.98 |
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Global Competitiveness - Health and
Primary Education - 2007/2008
Country | Rank |
Score |
Finland | 1 | 6.58
|
Iceland | 2 | 6.52
|
Denmark | 3 |
6.45 |
New
Zealand | 4 | 6.45 |
Sweden | 5 | 6.44
|
Taiwan,
China | 6 | 6.43 |
Norway | 7 |
6.39 |
Canada | 8 | 6.37
|
Barbados | 9 |
6.35 |
Netherlands | 10 |
6.32 |
Israel | 11 |
6.32 |
France | 12 | 6.31
|
Belgium | 13 |
6.31 |
Switzerland | 14 |
6.30 |
Austria | 15 |
6.29 |
Ireland | 16 | 6.28
|
Australia | 17 |
6.26 |
Cyprus | 18 | 6.25
|
Singapore | 19 |
6.24 |
Qatar | 20 | 6.19
|
United
Kingdom | 21 | 6.16 |
Slovenia | 22 |
6.16 |
Japan | 23 | 6.14
|
Tunisia | 24 | 6.13
|
Italy | 25 |
6.08 |
Malaysia | 26 |
6.08 |
Korea,
Rep. | 27 | 6.08 |
Hong Kong
SAR | 28 | 6.06 |
Czech
Republic | 29 | 6.06 |
Estonia | 30 | 6.06
|
Serbia | 31 | 6.04
|
Portugal | 32 |
6.04 |
Montenegro | 33 |
6.00 |
United
States | 34 | 6.00
|
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Luxembourg | 35 | 5.99
|
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Source: World Economic Forum, The Global
Competitiveness Report, 2007-2008
http://www.gcr.weforum.org/
THIS WEEKS LEADS
- Designer Greetings
- Designer
Greetings operates 200 locations nationwide.
- The
card shops occupy spaces of 3,000 sq.ft. in malls and
power and strip centers.
- Growth opportunities are
sought west of the Mississippi River during the
coming 18 months.
- Typical leases run five years
with options.
- A vanilla shell and tenant
improvement allowance are required.
- Preferred
demographics include a population of 50,000 within
three miles earning $50,000 to $75,000 as the
average household income.
- For more information, contact
- Gary
Stevens,
- Designer Greetings,
- PO Box
2368,
- Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352;
- Web site:
www.cardsmart.com.
- Green Valley Grocery
- Midjit Market, Inc. trades as Green Valley Grocery
at 35 locations throughout NV.
- The convenience
stores, featuring gasoline facilities and a deli, occupy
spaces of 3,500 sq.ft. in freestanding locations.
Growth opportunities are sought throughout the
existing market during the coming 18
months.
- Typical leases run 20 years.
- A land
area of 50,000 sq.ft. is required.
- For more information, contact
- Richard
Crawford, 1
- 580 South Jones Boulevard,
- Las
Vegas, NV 89146.
- Limited Brands
- Limited Brands operates 1,546 locations
nationwide.
- The stores, selling soaps, body sprays
and other cosmetics, occupy spaces of 2,500 sq.ft. to
3,000 sq.ft. in lifestyle and power centers as well as
malls.
- Growth opportunities are sought throughout
the existing market during the coming 18 months.
- For more information, contact
- Director of
Real Estate,
- Limited Brands,
- 3 Limited
Parkway, Columbus, OH 43230;
- Web site:
www.limitedbrands.com.
- Hallmark
- Hallmark operates 3,700 locations
nationwide.
- The stores, selling greeting cards and
gifts, occupy spaces of 3,000 sq.ft. to 3,600 sq.ft. in
lifestyle and power centers.
- Growth opportunities
are sought throughout southern CA during the coming
18 months, with representation by Present Value
Properties, Inc.
- Preferred cotenants include
Wal*Mart, Target and soft-good retailers.
- For more information, contact
- Jared
Davis,
- Present Value Properties, Inc.,
- 1590
North Batavia Street, Suite 2,
- Orange, CA
92867;
- Web site: www.pvpinc.com.
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Greetings!
US Global Competitiveness
Higher Education and Training Health and
Primary Education
- Where do we stand?
- Who is doing better?
- Who is ranked lower?
Bob Springmeyer
Bonneville Research
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Bonneville Research Website |
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Check out our Bonneville Research Website!
www.BonnevilleResearch.com
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Bonneville Research |
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GRANTS |
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- Construct Research Science Buildings!
- Construction Grant Program
- POSTED: 5/21/2008
- FUNDING SOURCE: Dept. of Commerce
- ELIGIBILITY: Nonprofit and public agencies,
including IHEs
- $ AVAILABLE: $29,000,000
- GRANTS AVAILABLE: 3
- MAX GRANT SIZE: $15,000,000
- DEADLINE: 7/21/08
- CONTACT INFORMATION:
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tbx2008_05
20.htm
- DESCRIPTION: Funds to provide competitively
awarded grant funds to research sciences through the
construction of new research science buildings or
expansion of existing buildings.
- Improve Tribal Public Transportation!
- Public Transportation on Indian Reservations
Program: Tribal Transit Program
- POSTED: 5/21/2008
- FUNDING SOURCE: Dept. of Transportation
- ELIGIBILITY: Indian Tribes
- $ AVAILABLE: $12,000,000
- GRANTS AVAILABLE: N.A.
- MAX GRANT SIZE: N.A.
- DEADLINE: 8/19/08
- CONTACT INFORMATION:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-11338.htm
- DESCRIPTION: Grants for a wide array of projects
designed to improve public transportation on tribal
lands.
- Help Small Business Development!
- Small Business Development Center
- POSTED: 5/29/2008
- FUNDING SOURCE: Small Business
Administration
- ELIGIBILITY: Small Business Development
Centers
- $ AVAILABLE: $92,620,000
- GRANTS AVAILABLE: N.A.
- MAX GRANT SIZE: N.A.
- DEADLINE: 7/24/08
- CONTACT INFORMATION:
http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_
program_office/sbdc_program_announcement_2009.
pdf
- DESCRIPTION: Grants to help small business
development centers provide high quality business
and economic development assistance to small
businesses and nascent entrepreneurs.
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ECONOMIC NOTES: |
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- Global Business Confidence -
Improving
- Global business confidence notably improved in
May. While sentiment remains very weak and fragile, it
is well above its April low. Expectations regarding the
six-month outlook are negative but are as strong as
they have been since the end of 2007. Sentiment has
improved most among real estate firms, perhaps
signaling that the housing free fall is abating. Pricing
pressures also remain contained given soaring
energy and other commodity prices. Hiring intentions
have not improved appreciably, however. Confidence
remains weakest in the U.S., where it suggests the
economy is contracting, and remains best in Asia,
where it is consistent with an economy growing near
its potential.
- Bankruptcy Filings
- Personal bankruptcy filings continue to increase
from their post-reform lows, though at a slow pace.
Filings in the first quarter were 26% above last year,
but remained 35% below the fourth quarter of 2004,
before reform legislation and in a better credit
environment. Personal filings remain exceptionally
low, especially given the current credit environment.
Business bankruptcies are also trending higher,
rising 39% in the first quarter. Personal and business
bankruptcies will continue to trend higher, particularly
provided the more restrictive backdrop.
- Productivity and Costs
- Productivity growth for the first quarter was revised
higher. Nonfarm business productivity grew 2.6%
(SAAR), compared with 2.2% in the preliminary
release; the consensus was for 2.5%. The revision
was due to an upward revision to output growth.
Growth in unit labor costs was not revised, remaining
at 2.2% (SAAR); the consensus expected a downward
revision. Stronger reported growth in compensation
offset higher productivity. Productivity growth is good
despite the weak economy, and the labor market
presents little inflationary threat right now.
- Semiconductor Billings
- Global semiconductor sales rose slightly in April
(0.4%) to $21.25 billion on a three-month moving
average basis. Sales are now 5.9% higher than in
April of last year, with gains seen in all regions of the
world.
- Factory Orders (M3)
- Factory orders rose 1.1% in April, a much larger
increase than expected. The huge gain from a 2.8%
rise in nondurable goods orders offset a 0.6% decline
in durable goods orders. Petroleum and coal
shipments led the way on new orders, but food
shipments and chemical products shipments were up
handily as well.
- Construction Spending (C30)
- Construction spending decreased by 0.4% in April,
slightly less than expected. Private construction
declined by 0.5%, driven down by a 2.3% decline in
residential construction. Public construction
decreased by 0.3%.
- Vehicle Sales - AutoData
- Vehicle sales weakened further in May as gas
prices continued to climb. Total sales fell to 14.27
million units (SAAR) down from 14.4 million units in
April. This was their lowest pace in 10 years. They
were down 13% from a year ago. Light truck sales
plummeted while car sales strengthened.
- Major Job Cuts
- Job cuts rose for a second month. The number of
workers affected by job cuts totaled 103,522 in May.
This is the first time since September 2006 that the
measure exceeded 100,000. In April cuts totaled
90,000. Continued restructuring in the auto industry
contributed to the May increase.
- MBA Mortgage Applications Survey
- The market composites finished down for the
week ending May 30. Coincident with a significant
increase in 30-year fixed contract rates, both the
purchase index and the refinance index fell
substantially. The purchase index fell by 5.4% from
last week, while the refinance index fell by no less
than 25.7% from one week ago. The combined market
index fell by 15.3% from last week. There is thus no
sign that the mortgage market has reached bottom
yet.
- Chain Store Sales
- Chain store sales are weakening again. Sales fell
0.8% in the week ending May 31 according to the
ICSC. Sales have fallen in five of the last seven weeks
and were unchanged in one of the other two. Year-
over-year growth slipped to 1.2%. Sales suffered from
unseasonably cool weather and soaring gasoline
prices but were supported by federal tax rebates.
- Oil and Gas Inventories
- Crude oil inventories fell by an outsized 4.8 million
barrels for the week ending May 30, according to the
Energy Information Administration, compared with
expectations of an 0.8 million barrel build. Gasoline
inventories rose by 2.9 million barrels, above
expectations of a 0.4 million barrel draw. Distillate
supplies rose by 2.3 million barrels, topping
expectations of a 1.4 million barrel build. Refinery
operating capacity rose to 89.7%, which is the highest
level since the beginning of the year. This report is
bullish.
Source: Economy.com 2008
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BONNEVILLE RESEARCH - Working with clients to deliver results that endure! |
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Successful client work requires a
superior team of
outstanding people working fluidly together.
Bonneville Research is the one firm with
the
experience and expertise to help
businesses,
governments and nonprofit organizations
solve their
toughest problems.
We work to help clients achieve enduring
results
and improve the communities in which we
live.
BONNEVILLE RESEARCH
Bonneville Research is a Utah-based
consulting
firm providing economic, financial, market
and policy
research to public and private sector clients
throughout the intermountain west.
Helping Clients Succeed
Our services include:
- Financial Analysis
- Business License Studies
- Impact Fee analysis
- Urban Renewal & Redevelopment
Analysis and Budgets
- Strategy and Policy Analysis
- Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis
- Statistical and Survey Research
- Public Sector Mission
Effectiveness
Each of our studies is tailored to address
the
unique needs of our clients and their
communities.
If we can help, please call or email us at
- Bob
- 801-364-5300
- [email protected]
- Jon
- 801-746-5706
-
[email protected]
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Note from Bob Springmeyer: |
As some of you may know I am the Democratic
Candidate for Utah Governor.
I chose community activist and retired SBA official
Josie Valdez to run as my lieutenant governor.
It is my hope that I can continue to send out the
Monday Report weekly without interruption.
The Monday Report has always reflected my
business and economic development values.
I don't intend that the Monday Report will become
a campaign tool, but if you are interested in my
campaign and want to be supportive, please click on
the link below.
Thanks,
Bob Springmeyer
Check it out - Convention Speech on You-Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3na4A6O_NE
The Good Education, Good Jobs, Good Health
Candidate for Utah Governor
Election Date: November 4th, 2008
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