Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat does a My American Jobs Certification do for my company? A certification from My American Jobs allows you the ability to proudly display nationally recognized insignia on your products that is readily identified by consumers as a product comprised of U.S.-based materials and components. Certification also places your company and your certified product(s) in the My American Jobs network for B2B and end consumer sourcing. I have a component of my product that is not from the United States; does this mean my product doesn’t qualify? Absolutely not! My American Jobs is very aware of the globalization of our economy and of the special quality requirements that a product such as yours may require. If the determination is that greater than 50% of your product is U.S.-based your product is certified. How is it determined that my product is greater than 50% U.S.-based? Within the application process you will be asked for all known product components and materials and to weight the ratio of each to the product total. This data is entered into a complex algorithm designed by My American Jobs and the level of certification is calculated based on the result. 
What are the levels of certification? My American Jobs offers three levels of certification for a product.
Why are there different levels of certification? My American Jobs feels that this certification process can provide a competitive advantage for manufacturers with continuing higher levels of U.S.-based content within their product. My American Jobs also feels that the competitive advantage provided will serve as incentive for manufactures to further source additional U.S.-content for their supply chains. If my product is assembled outside of the U.S. but all of my components are domestic can I attain 4 or 5 Star? No. My American Jobs’ Mission is to create sustainability for the American worker. Assembling products outside of the U.S. is easily perceived as a tool to cut costs at the expense of the American worker. The highest certification level a foreign-assembled product can attain is 3 Star. What type of documents must my company provide to be certified? Only the documents within the application are required to be provided. What is involved in the application process? The My American Jobs certification application requires that a mutual non-disclosure agreement be signed by all parties before proceeding. A small introductory packet will be sent to your company upon request for certification. In this packet My American Jobs will also request some product quantity information to better tailor the certification application for you. When the introductory packet is received the certification application will be sent directly to your company. Basic company, product and supply chain data is requested to be provided in the application. Once this has been completed and returned to My American Jobs the audit team will begin verifying provided information and determining the level of certification. Upon the audit completion your company will be immediately notified of the result and your certificate will be sent along with insignia data. How long is my certification valid? The My American Jobs certification is valid until December 31 of the certification year. Certification fees are prorated from the time of approval to this date. Recertification is then possible for the following years. How much does the certification cost? The cost is based on the size of the company requesting certification. My American Jobs has chosen a three tier pricing platform based on company gross profit for the previous year. From this a nonrefundable application fee and, upon approval, a pro-rated certification fee are charged. There is no application fee for recertification, only the certification fee is charged. Any shipping or postage fees are the responsibility of the applicant along with any immediate insignia required. Please contact My American Jobs for a price schedule. My company is private, what financial documents are needed to show our size? None. In continuing efforts to protect your company’s confidentiality My American Jobs only asks that you select the appropriate box in the application and sign the Affidavit that your statement is correct. Financial statements do not have bearing on the certification, only in how you will be billed and as such My American Jobs does not require them. Who are the auditors? What is their background? My American Jobs auditors are sole employees of My American Jobs. They are trained in the auditing processes developed by My American Jobs with focus on consistency and professionalism. Our audit staff is aware of the need for security and non-disclosure and is legally bound to ensure needed steps are taken to preserve these interests. My company has tried to find domestic parts but was unsuccessful which may affect our ability to be certified. Is there anything we can do? Yes. My American Jobs is aware of these instances and has provided two options:
What is the reason for showing at least three attempts to source a component domestically in a component dispute? By calling at least three suppliers to source a component it demonstrates your company’s commitment to increasing U.S. content in your product while simultaneously showing demand and need for a product that supplier might not be aware of who may decide to produce this component in the future. What is the certification processing time? Auditors are expected to complete all certifications within 60 days with most taking less than 30 days to complete. Recertification involves only a change application listing new products/suppliers/materials employed in the coming year’s products. Recertification applicants are given priority over first time applicants to avoid gaps in certification for a coming year. 
When should I request re-certification? My American Jobs recommends October or November. What if my supply chain changes mid year? It is a requirement of the certification standards that My American Jobs be contacted immediately with any information of changes to the manufacture of a product that adversely affects the certification eligibility. My company was certified earlier in the year but we just released a new product, can it be certified? Yes. The product will undergo the same application data request and then a small product addition fee is charged. My company buys a product that has already been certified by My American Jobs but we relabel it as our own. Do we have to pay for a full certification? No. My American Jobs offers the ability for a relabeler, such as yourself, to certify your product for a small fee upon completion of a signed verification from your supplier. Is My American Jobs, Inc. contributing to Protectionism fears and risks to global trade? My American Jobs works at the consumer and B2B levels, not governmental. We are not an oversight or regulatory organization but strive to create consumer awareness in much the same way as Organic, Energy Star, and Green certifications exist. We feel that American consumers have shown demand for domestic made products which can help preserve sustainable and profitable levels of American manufacturing and employment. 793,000 manufacturing jobs were lost in 2008 and an additional 157,000 were lost in January as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. My American Jobs has shown understanding for the global economy through providing various levels of certification to reflect various amount of U.S. content within the product. A balance between total product outsourcing and protectionism must be found for U.S. manufacturing to persevere and My American Jobs is that balance. |
