There’s a hiring crisis in the U.S. manufacturing sector right now, and it may result in a $1 Trillion hit to America’s economy. It not just the skilled jobs, (like welding or machining) that are going begging. Even entry-level jobs are getting harder and harder to fill.

In a recent study, 43% of SMBs said that digital payments are more important to their business now than before the COVID-19 pandemic. As SMBs begin to recover, 38% report an increase in sales since the beginning of the pandemic, and fewer SMBs are experiencing a decrease in sales (38% in 2021 vs. 47% in 2020).

Covid-19 has changed the game forever when it comes to eCommerce. Take the case of ordinary everyday items you are used to picking up at the supermarket. Why drive all the way there and risk getting coughed on by some dude in a MAGA hat?

Every week it seems there’s new jargon to learn. Take for instance, “co-warehousing and SMB-centric logistics enablement solutions”. Storage and other logistical concerns have become a big headache for many new businesses that depend on online retail platforms to sell their goods.

Let’s oversimplify the incredibly complex world of global supply chain logistics, just because we can. There are a select number of major maritime companies that control trade through the world’s shipping channels.

All eyes are on the U.S. this week, as President Biden’s massive Infrastructure Plan gets an unpacking. Incentives to change over to electric vehicles and other initiatives comprise the Climate Conservation Corps, with a focus on creating jobs.

The EU has held a forum on digital economic issues this past week. The participants have been discussing antitrust laws; regulation against disinformation; taxes, 5G security, and privacy rules.

With COVID cases spiking across continental Europe, new lockdown measures are testing a fatigued and bewildered populace in many countries. The proposed ‘Digital Green Certificate’ would allow residents to travel freely across the bloc if they can prove they have been vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered.

Former Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has been confirmed for the position of U.S. Commerce Secretary. She will oversee an $8B budget and 43,000 employees. Her first order of business is “getting America back to work”.

In a sign that relations continue to thaw across the Atlantic, the US, EU, and the UK have agreed to a four-month ‘‘time out’’ from the never-ending Boeing vs Airbus dispute.

One thing that the pandemic can take credit for is increased awareness of supply chain vulnerabilities. Whereas before COVID, most eyes looked to China for goods at an advantageous price point, nowadays there’s another consideration- do we really want to be dependent on suppliers in a country we could go to war with?

In news this week, President Biden pitched his new slogan, “America is Back” to a somewhat skeptical remote-based audience in Munich. Meanwhile, Bitcoin is all the rage in North America, with a new ETF taking the country by storm.