Wednesday, April 23, 2008

2010 Census at Critical Juncture

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the following testimony:

2010 Census: Census at Critical Juncture for Implementing Risk Reduction Strategies. GAO-08-685T, April 15.

Highlights.

These and other GAO products are available from the "Reports and Testimonies" section of GAO's Internet site, http://www.gao.gov

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

The new OECD Stats site

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has a new site here. I found using the new software choice worked much better.

Browse Themes for options or download all country measures via General Statistics - Country Profiles.

Monday, April 21, 2008

County and City Data Book: 2007

From Hill Library:

This unassuming little page from the Census Bureau is actually a gateway to a staggering amount of information on U.S. states, counties, and cities.

The 2007 County and City Data Book provides the most current Census data on every U.S. place. Find state government expenditure and population characteristics; statistics on county building permits and labor force; and details on city retail trade and crime - among a slew of other topics.

Download the entire 1,000+ page publication in PDF or maneuver through the table of contents by scrolling down on the main page linked above.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Acronym Finder

Acronym Finder, the "world's largest and most comprehensive dictionary of abbreviations and acronyms", just addded its 600,000th definition.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Congress can save the census

New York Times editorial, April 10, 2008: Another Heck of a Job. (Free registration may be required.)

Last paragraph:
In the next few weeks, President Bush will request an emergency appropriation for Iraq. Lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, must fight to attach the census money to that bill; the amount comes to less than one day’s spending for the war. The census is central to American democracy, used to determine the number of each state’s congressional representatives and electoral votes, the boundaries of electoral districts and the allocation of federal tax dollars. The Bush administration won’t save the census. But Congress can.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Weather Conversion Calculators

Extremely useful! Put in one number and the others show up as well.

The database is a:
Distance Conversion Calculator (Meters, Inches, Feet, Yards, Miles, Nautical Miles)
Speed Conversion Calculator (Meters per Second, Kilometer per Hour, Miles per Hour, Knots per Hour)
Weight Conversion Calculator (Grams, Kilograms, Ounces, Pounds, Troy Pounds)
and several more.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Occupational wage data

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has occupational wage data for sector, 3-, 4- and 5-digit NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) industries.

Data is for the nation, region, state, and MSA levels.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Friday, April 4, 2008

Census Returns to Paper Count

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Technology problems will force the Census Bureau to return to using paper and pencil to count the nation's 300 million residents in the 2010 census.

Stories by the New York Times and NextGov.

"...the government will scrap plans to use handheld computers to collect information from the millions of Americans who don't return census forms mailed out by the government." Of course, if people DO return census forms mailed out by Census, it would save the government (i.e., taxpayers) a whole lot of money.
***
Prepared Statement of Steve H. Murdock, Director of U.S. Census Bureau re: the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget, before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. House of Representatives, 3 April 2008.
***
Serious 2010 Census Challenges to Be Swiftly Addressed. Clear Internal and External Agreement That 2010 Census Can Succeed With Major Operational and Budgetary Changes.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

States' Tax Revenues Weaken

States across the country are experiencing "a classic nutcracker effect," as revenues weaken and costs rise sharply, the Rockefeller Institute's latest State Revenue Report finds. After adjusting for inflation and legislated tax changes, states' tax revenues dropped by 4.3 percent in the most recent quarter. Read the press release.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Changes in Family Health Insurance Coverage for Small and Large Firm Workers and Dependents

This study examines the 1996-2006 Annual Demographic Survey of the Current Population Survey (CPS) to determine if the decline in health insurance coverage at large firms has increased financial pressure on plans sponsored by small firms. The study tests whether spouses working for large firms and children previously covered through large firms have shifted to dependent coverage in group plans sponsored by small businesses.

A full copy of this report is available here and the research summary can be found here. Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Victoria Williams at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008