We have a damaged labor market.

As part of World Trade Month, the U.S. Chamber and others in the U.S. business community are celebrating the week of May 13 as International Investment Week. In our view, international investment is a two-way street, with benefits for the United States on both sides.

The Los Angeles Times wrote an editorial in support of comprehensive immigration reform that made an interesting point about U.S. demographic changes:

Gallup finds that 48% of small business owners think the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) “is going to be bad for their business,” while 39% don’t think it’ll have an impact. Fifty-five percent of those polled think the health care law will increase their health care costs, while only 5% think they'll pay less.

As America celebrates World Trade Month, the U.S. Chamber and others in the business community are seizing the moment to dig into some of the key drivers of international commerce and the jobs it sustains.

The week of May 13 has been set aside as International Investment Week. While trade in goods and services often seems to dominate the headlines — “U.S. Exports Rise” or “Oil Imports Decline” — international investment is playing an outsized role in U.S. growth and job creation.