Monday, April 30, 2012

Hispanic or Latino?

When asked whether they prefer the term "Hispanic" or "Latino," the 51 percent majority of Hispanics do not have a preference. One-third prefers Hispanic and 14 percent prefer Latino, according to a survey by Pew Hispanic Center.

This is a sampling of a post published in the past few weeks in Cheryl Russell's Demo Memo blog.

Fat Demographics

The percentage of Americans who are overweight varies surprisingly little by demographic characteristic--meaning the great majority of just about everyone is overweight, according to Obesity in America, an analysis of data collected by the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. National Center for Health Statistics.

Overall, 65 percent of the population aged 20 or older is overweight (a figure that includes the obese). There is almost no demographic segment in which the number of people who are overweight does not greatly surpass the number with a healthy weight. In fact, there are only two demographic segments in which being overweight is not the norm. One segment is "non-Hispanic other/multiple races," a group that includes Asians (48% overweight). The other is the youngest age group, aged 20 to 24 (45% overweight).

Whether you are man (72% overweight) or woman (59%), black (72%) or white (65%), middle aged (71%) or old (67%), high school dropout (70%) or college graduate (60%), rich (64%) or poor (66%), chances are you're fat.

per American Consumers Newsletter

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Housing Stock: Year Built

Despite the flurry of construction during the housing bubble, the percentage of the nation's 132 million housing units that were built between 2000 and 2010 is only slightly greater than the percentage built during the 1980s and 1990s, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Take a look at the distribution of the nation's housing units by the decade they were built...

2000s: 14.8%
1990s: 13.9%
1980s: 14.0%
1970s: 16.0%
1960s: 11.1%
1950s: 10.9%
Earlier: 19.2%

per American Consumers Newsletter

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Estimates for Multinational Companies: Employment, Sales, and Capital Expenditures for 2010

The following are 2010 advanced and 2009 revised summary estimates of the employment, capital spending, and sales activity of U.S. multinational companies (comprising both their U.S. and foreign operations) and the corresponding activity of foreign multinational companies in the United States.

Worldwide employment by U.S. multinational companies (MNCs) increased 0.5 percent in 2010, to 34.0 million workers, with increases in both the United States and abroad. Employment in the United States by U.S. parent companies increased 0.1 percent, to 23.0 million workers, which contrasted with a 0.6 percent decrease in total private-industry employment in the United States. The employment by U.S. parents accounted for roughly one-fifth of total U.S. employment in private industries. Abroad, employment by the majority-owned foreign affiliates of U.S. MNCs increased 1.5 percent, to 11.0 million workers.

Worldwide capital expenditures by U.S. MNCs increased 3.9 percent in 2010, to $621 billion. Capital expenditures in the United States by U.S. parent companies increased 3.3 percent, to $447 billion. Capital expenditures abroad by their majority- owned foreign affiliates increased 5.5 percent, to $173 billion.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Prison Happy

From the American Consumers Newsletter

Americans are singularly obsessed with imprisonment. No other country puts as many people behind bars. The number of people in custody in the nation's local jails and state or federal prisons more than tripled between 1985 and 2010, growing from 744,208 to 2.3 million, according to the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics. The rate of imprisonment more than doubled during the time period, climbing from 313 to 731 incarcerations per 100,000 population.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Profile of U.S. Importing and Exporting Companies, 2009 - 2010

The U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, releases the report, A Profile of U.S. Importing and Exporting Companies, 2009 - 2010 (PDF). It provides information on identified companies and their known export or import value. Identified U.S. companies are defined as companies that can be linked to import or export transactions. The known value is the value of export or import
transactions linked to specific companies. The increases in known export and import values correspond with the overall increase of trade in 2010; total export value rose by 21.0 percent and total import value increased by 22.7 percent. The
number of identified exporters increased by 6.0 percent in 2010 and the known export value increased by 21.0 percent compared to 2009. The number of identified importers increased by 1.0 percent in 2010 and the known import value increased by 24.4 percent.


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

U.S. Naturalizations: 2011

Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is conferred upon foreign citizens or nationals after fulfilling the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). After naturalization, foreign-born citizens enjoy nearly all the same benefits, rights and responsibilities that the Constitution gives to native-born U.S. citizens, including the right to vote. This Office of Immigration Statistics Annual Flow Report (PDF) presents information on the number and characteristics of foreign nationals aged 18 years and over who were naturalized during 2011.
Data were obtained from administrative records of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security. These records consist of information from applications for naturalization.
In 2011, the total number of persons naturalizing was 694,193. The leading countries of birth of new citizens were Mexico (94,783), India (45,985), the Philippines (42,520), the People’s Republic of China (32,864), and Colombia (22,693). The largest number of persons naturalizing lived in California (151,183), Florida (87,309), and New York (76,603).
***
Unauthorized Immigrants: 11.5 Million
The number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States changed little between 2010 and 2011, according to new estimates by the Department of Homeland Security. As of January 2011, an estimated 11.5 million unauthorized immigrants were in the country, about the same as the 11.6 million in January 2010 (this figure has been revised upward from 10.8 million based on 2010 census weights). The number of unauthorized immigrants grew 36 percent between 2000 and 2011, from 8,460,000 to 11,510,000.

But the Net Migration from Mexico Falls to Zero—and Perhaps Less (PDF)

The largest wave of immigration in history from a single country to the United States has come to a standstill. After four decades that brought 12 million current immigrants—more than half of whom came illegally—the net migration flow from Mexico to the United States has stopped—and may have reversed, according to a new analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center of multiple government data sets from both countries.

The standstill appears to be the result of many factors, including the weakened U.S. job and housing construction markets, heightened border enforcement, a rise in deportations, the growing dangers associated with illegal border crossings, the long-term decline in Mexico’s birth rates and changing economic conditions in Mexico.



Tuesday, April 24, 2012

State Government Tax Collections

The State Government Tax Collections (STC) report provides a summary of taxes collected by state for up to 25 tax categories. These tables and data files present the details on tax collections by type of tax imposed and collected by state governments.


Monday, April 23, 2012

Urban Population Up 12 Percent

Although Americans tend to think of themselves as small town or even rural in character, a look at the Census Bureau's newly released classification of urban and rural populations based on 2010 census data shows how wrong they are. In 2010, fully 80.7 percent of Americans lived in an urban area. Not only are most Americans urban dwellers, but the urban population is growing faster than the rural population. Between 2000 and 2010, the urban population grew 12.1 percent, more than the 9.7 percent national growth rate and far outpacing the 7.3 percent increase in the rural population.

Many people use the terms urban and metropolitan interchangeably. In fact, urban is a much more precise definition of city life. Metropolitan areas are broad brush, comprised of groups of counties, many of which contain rural areas. In contrast, urban areas are a far higher resolution of lifestyle, comprised of census tracts or blocks that are home to at least 2,500 people. Once the Census Bureau defines urban areas (which it does every 10 years), rural areas are the remainder. Despite our overwhelming urbanity, many Americans continue to think rural. That may be because 97 percent of the nation's land area is rural. Only 3 percent is urban. But 249 million Americans are crammed into that 3 percent.

per American Consumers Newsletter

The Gender Wage Gap by Occupation

Source: Institute for Women's Policy Research

From the report:

Women’s median earnings are lower than men’s in nearly all occupations, whether they work in occupations predominantly done by women, occupations predominantly done by men, or occupations with a more even mix of men and women. During 2011, median weekly earnings for female full-time workers were $684, compared with $832 per week for men, a gender wage ratio of 82.2 percent. Added to the gender wage gap within occupations is the gender wage gap between occupations. Male-dominated occupations tend to pay more than female-dominated occupations at similar skill levels, particularly at higher levels of educational attainment. Tackling occupational segregation is an important part of tackling the gender wage gap.

Link to full report

Sunday, April 22, 2012

New Blogs from the Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched some new blogs or made changes to old ones.

It's Our Environment – This blog is the EPA's general blog for engaging all readers about a wide variety of environmental topics.
State of the Environment Photo Project – This blog collects images of our lives and our planet. Share your thoughts and your photos.
The Eco Student – EPA employees, educators, and students age 13 years and older blog about the great things students are doing and can do to help the environment.
It All Starts With Science – EPA scientists and engineers, their partners, and support staff write about their work to better understand the relationship between people and the environment.
Environmental Justice in Action – Find resources for educating and communicating about actions and ideas that advance the mission of environmental justice.

Find other blogs about the environment on USA.gov.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Federal Funds for Research and Development: FY 2008–10

This report...presents data collected by the Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development for the federal
FY 2008–10. In December 2009 the survey was sent to all federal agencies identified as conducting R&D programs, and 27 agencies reported R&D funding levels as of the second quarter of FY 2008. The basis for reporting is determined by fiscal year.
FY 2008 data are completed transactions
FY 2009 data are estimates of congressional appropriation actions and apportionment
and reprogramming decisions
FY 2010 data are estimates of administration budget proposals not yet acted on

More HERE (PDF)

Friday, April 20, 2012

Fertility of Men and Women Aged 15–44 Years in the US

This report estimates of different fertility measures for both men and women in the United States for the period 2006–2010. Fertility refers to the number of live births that occur to an individual. In 2008, there were 4.2 million births in the United States. The average fertility of women in the United States was about seven children at the beginning of the 19th century, it declined slowly and by 1960 it was 3.7 children per woman (2,3). Fertility in the United States dropped to its lowest point in 1976 at an average of 1.7 children per woman and has remained relatively stable at around 2.1 children per woman.
While fertility in the United States has remained stable since the 1970s, there is variation by subgroups including age, race, ethnicity, education, and measures of socioeconomic status. Researchers have often examined the intermediate characteristics that help to explain fertility such as fecundity (the ability to have children), timing of sexual intercourse, time spent in sexual relationships, and use of contraception. Others have looked at timing of fertility, the composition of those who have children, the number of children born, the union status at childbirth, etc.

More here (PDF).

Thursday, April 19, 2012

The poorest county in each state

Most are rural, many are tiny, and a few are huge and urban. The median household income for these 50 counties also varies widely.

The number of Americans living in poverty has been on the rise since the onset of the Great Recession, as many households have seen their incomes drop and their debts mount during the past few years.

More than 15% of the population lived in poverty in 2010, the highest percentage since 1993, according to the most recent data from the Census Bureau. That means more than 46 million people fell below the poverty line, defined as $22,314 for a family of four.

MainStreet combed through the data to find the county in each state with the highest overall poverty rate.

New York's poorest county: Bronx
•Poverty rate: 30%
•Poverty rate of residents under 18: 42.2%
•Median household income: $32,674

One of New York's five boroughs, Bronx County stands out because of its high property values and low median household income. The median owner-occupied home value is more than $80,000 higher than the median state value, while the poverty rate is significantly higher than the state's overall rate.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Correlation or Causation? Statistics are easy...

Need to prove something you already believe? Statistics are easy: All you need are two graphs and a leading question

Correlation may not imply causation, but it sure can help us insinuate it.

Graphics here.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Readers value extra editing, women especially

Readers view well-edited articles as more professional, more valuable and of higher quality than articles that have been minimally edited, according to new data presented at the American Society of Copy Editors conference in New Orleans...

This was the latest data from a project Vultee began in 2010 as an ACES initiative to measure reader perceptions of the value of editing in online articles. (Read a brief summary of last year’s findings here.)

The continued loss of copy editors at news organizations due to layoffs and buyouts has created a need for organizations like ACES to collect data that helps convey the value of the people who focus on editing content, rather than creating it.

More HERE.

Monday, April 16, 2012

10 most expensive U.S. cities

People in these urban areas pay top dollar for practically everything. Is your city on this list?

(A bit of a cheat, since three of the "cities" in New York State aren't cities at all!)

Friday, April 13, 2012

Message from Dr. Groves

With mixed emotions, I am writing to let you know that I have been asked to become the next provost of Georgetown University, and I have made the difficult decision to accept that position, beginning in late August 2012.

While I am honored by this rare personal and professional opportunity to help lead Georgetown to even greater heights than it already enjoys, I must also tell you that I am enormously proud of the work we have accomplished together over the past three years.

Together, we have begun transforming the Census Bureau to better face the challenges ahead. I am confident that the current leadership of the Census Bureau is devoted to carrying the shared vision forward — that this agency will continue to provide the key economic and social statistical information the country so deeply needs, with cost-efficient excellence. For the next four months I will do all I can to continue the innovations we have together begun.

I have been honored to work with you. You are truly a set of talented, skilled, committed folks who are working to make this a better place for future generations.

There is much to do in the coming months here at the Bureau. I look forward to working with all of you.

Bob

Thursday, April 12, 2012

The Internal Revenue Service 2011 Data Book

Letter from the Commissioner

The 2011 Internal Revenue Service Data Book [PDF] details IRS activities for Fiscal Year 2011 (October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2011). This annual report catalogs the many ways in which our dedicated employees serve the American taxpayer.

During Fiscal Year 2011, the IRS processed more than 234 million returns, including individual income, corporate income, and employment income tax returns. We provided nearly $416 billion in refunds to these taxpayers and collected $2.4 trillion in Federal revenue.
We provided taxpayer assistance through 319 million visits to IRS.gov and assisted nearly 83 million taxpayers via our toll-free telephone helpline or at walk-in sites. Of the more than 143 million individual income tax returns processed, 77 percent were filed electronically.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Death Sentences and Executions 2011

From The Use of the Death Penalty in 2011:

The USA was the only country in the G8 to have carried out executions in 2011. Three countries in the G20 carried out executions in 2011: China, Saudi Arabia and the USA.

The USA and Belarus were the only two of the 56 Member States of the Organization for Security and Co- operation in Europe to have carried out executions in 2011.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Information and Communication Technology Survey

These statistics, based on the 2007 North American Industry Classification System, estimate capitalized and noncapitalized spending in 2010 for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment and computer software at the sector level, as well as for three-digit and selected four-digit industries.

Rapid advances in ICT equipment result in these assets having short useful lives and being replaced at a much faster rate than other types of equipment. As a result

Monday, April 9, 2012

First Marriages in the United States: Data From the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth

From the National Center for Health Statistics [PDF]

 This report shows trends and group differences in current marital status, with a focus on first marriages among women and men aged 15–44 years in the United States. Trends and group differences in the timing and duration of first marriages are also discussed. These data are based on the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG).

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 2012 Annual Report

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
From the publication web page:
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is pleased to submit to Congress its first annual report summarizing its activities to administer the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, during the past year. These activities represent the Bureau’s inaugural effort to curtail deceptive, unfair, and abusive debt collection practices in the marketplace prohibited by the FDCPA.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Politicization of Science in the Public Sphere: A Study of Public Trust in the US, 1974-2010

Source: American Sociological Review

This study explores time trends in public trust in science in the United States from 1974 to 2010. More precisely, the author, Gordon Gauchat, tests Mooney’s (2005) claim that conservatives in the United States have become increasingly distrustful of science.

Friday, April 6, 2012

New York among best prepared for climate change

A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council says New York is among the too-low number of states to have made substantial progress needed to address the causes and effects of climate change and its effect on water management...

"The effects of climate change can already be seen across New York in the form of warmer temperatures, more frequent extreme precipitation events, and higher sea levels. These trends are projected to intensify in the future, leading to reduced snow cover and increased risks of flooding, summertime droughts, and coastal inundation. Because the state has the second-highest coastal population in the U.S.,1 sea level rise is expected to be particularly damaging. New York has responded proactively to these challenges by reducing greenhouse gas pollution and planning for climate change impacts. A wealth of adaptation strategies have been identified by the New York State Climate Action Council, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s ClimAID project, and the New York State Sea Level Rise Task Force. While these planning efforts are a vital step in ensuring that the state is prepared for climate change, adaptation ultimately hinges upon effective implementation, and it is not yet clear how state agencies will move forward on implementation. New York should prioritize and support the implementation of adaptation strategies by state agencies across all sectors to minimize its vulnerability to climate change."

Summary of the report: Water Readiness Issue Brief
Full report (321 pages): Water Readiness Full Report

More HERE

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Occupational Outlook Handbook

Welcome to the Nation′s premier source for career information! The profiles featured here cover hundreds of occupations and describe What They Do, Work Environment, How to Become One, Pay, and more. Each profile also includes BLS employment projections for the 2010–20 decade.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

County-to-County Migration Flows

The American Community Survey (ACS) and the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) ask respondents age 1 year and over whether they lived in the same residence 1 year ago. For people who lived in a different residence, the location of their previous residence is collected.

ACS uses a series of monthly samples to produce estimates. Estimates for geographies of population 65,000 or greater are published annually using these monthly samples.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Racing and Wagering Board releases two databases

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board released two comprehensive and searchable databases to the public: a detailed list of every horse that has broken down, died, sustained a serious injury or been involved in an incident at a track in New York State since 2009; and a list of every fine and suspension issued by the Board to licensees for nearly three decades.

Both databases - The Equine Breakdown, Death, Injury and Incident Database and the The Racing and Wagering Board Rulings Database - will be updated promptly as data submitted by field staff at each track is logged in by Racing and Wagering Board investigative staff.

Monday, April 2, 2012

State Personal Income 2011

State personal income rose an average 5.1 percent in 2011 after rising 3.7 percent in 2010, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. State personal income growth ranged from 3.4 percent in Maine to 8.1 percent in North Dakota.