Service exports won't help US trade picture

The United States cannot count on increased trade in services such as banking to recoup declines in manufactured exports, the congressional Office of Technology Assessment said in a report Wednesday. The report noted that while 70 percent of Americans are employed in service companies, such as banking, computer software, investments, and telecommunications, it said few jobs depend on services exports.

The erosion of U.S. dominance in services is occuring in construction, computer software, banking and other areas, it added.