Economic Trends Raise Concerns about the Future of U.S. Competitiveness, According to Brief

"Productivity growth is below the average rate of growth that has historically been recorded 39 months after a business cycle started," according to Growing Concerns About Future U.S. Competitiveness — a policy brief by the Center for American Progress. In this report, researchers examined several short-term economic trends (e.g., business investments and innovation) that help to stimulate long-term competitiveness. The brief contends that sagging productivity growth partly can be attributed to business investment that is at its lowest level in four decades and barely is keeping pace with the rates of depreciation on existing capital. Though, according to data, businesses have sufficient funds to finance more investment. The report also found that the U.S. innovation is lagging behind foreign innovation. According to utility patent data, the share patents granted to U.S. entities (49.1 percent) by the U.S. Patent Office is at an all time low. This continues a 15-year-long slide. Read the brief...