Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Employment Status by Block Group

In the 2011 ACS, there is a new Table B23025, which has a simplified labor for data without the age/gender breakouts. This table will be available in the 2007-2011 ACS (5-year) file and will be available for block groups.

Already available is this table for block groups from the 2006-2010 ACS (5-year) file!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Annual Uniform Crime Report, 2011 Preliminary

Preliminary figures indicate that, as a whole, law enforcement agencies throughout the nation reported a decrease of 4.0 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention for 2011 when compared with figures reported for 2010. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Collectively, the number of property crimes in the United States in 2011 decreased 0.8 percent when compared with data from 2010. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson is also a property crime, but data for arson are not included in property crime totals. Figures for 2011 indicate that arson decreased 5.0 percent when compared with 2010 figures.


More from the FBI.

Monday, October 29, 2012

The Global Gender Gap Report

The Global Gender Gap Report, introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006, provides a framework for capturing the magnitude and scope of gender-based disparities around the world. The index benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, education- and health-based criteria and provides country rankings that allow for effective comparison across regions and income groups and over time.

The rankings are designed to create greater awareness among a global audience of the challenges posed by gender gaps and the opportunities created by reducing them. The methodology and quantitative analysis behind the rankings are intended to serve as a basis for designing effective measures for reducing gender gaps.


Friday, October 26, 2012

American Housing Survey: 2011 Detailed Tables

Dozens of detailed tables on the characteristics of housing in the United States are now available. A wide range of topics is covered, including plumbing and source of water and sewage disposal; housing problems; householder’s satisfaction with home and neighborhood; value, purchase price and source of down payment; recent home improvement activity and costs; safety features and potential health hazards; features in home providing accessibility to people with disabilities; and socio-economic characteristics of the householder. Statistics are national-level only. .

Also, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has published microdata with results from this survey for the nation and selected metro areas.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Eurostat regional yearbook 2012

The 2012 regional yearbook published by Eurostat, is the statistical office of the European Union. The publication gives an overview of the most recent economic, social and demographic developments in the 271 NUTS level 2 regions and, for some indicators, the 1 303 NUTS level 3 regions of the 27 Member States of the European Union as well as, when available, the regions in the four EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), the acceding country (Croatia) and three of the candidate countries (Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey).

As the publication contains many maps, which are the most user friendly way to present regional statistics, a new interactive tool, the Statistical Atlas, is also launched on the Eurostat website. This tool contains maps of all regions in the EU (down to NUTS level 3) as well as the possibility to display rivers, cities and roads. On these maps, the full range of statistical indicators included in the Regional Yearbook can be selected and displayed in a clear and readable way.

The Eurostat regional yearbook 2012 includes fourteen chapters on economy, population, health, education, labour market, structural business statistics, tourism, information society, agriculture, transport, science, technology & innovation, European cities, coastal regions and territorial typologies.

More here.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2011

From the National Center for Health Statistics

The age-adjusted death rate decreased from 747.0 deaths per 100,000 population in 2010 to 740.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2011. From 2010 to 2011, age-adjusted death rates decreased significantly for 5 of the 15 leading causes of death: Diseases of heart, Malignant neoplasms, Cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis. The age-adjusted death rate increased for 6 leading causes of death: Chronic lower respiratory diseases, Diabetes mellitus, Influenza and pneumonia, Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, Parkinson's disease, and Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids. Life expectancy remained the same in 2011 as it had been in 2010 at 78.7 years.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The puzzling case of boys who are hitting puberty earlier

From the New York Times:

A large study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that boys are entering puberty earlier now than several decades ago — or at least earlier than the time frame doctors have historically used as a benchmark.

The study, widely considered the most reliable attempt to measure puberty in American boys, estimates that boys are showing signs of puberty six months to two years earlier than was reported in previous research, which historically taught that 11 ½ was the general age puberty began in boys. But experts cautioned that because previous studies were smaller or used different approaches, it is difficult to say how much earlier boys might be developing.

The study echoes research on girls, which has now established a scientific consensus that they are showing breast development earlier than in the past.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Americans Are Visiting the Doctor Less Frequently

In 2010, working-age adults made an average of 3.9 visits to doctors, nurses or other medical providers, down from 4.8 in 2001, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Among those with at least one such visit, the average number of visits also declined, from 6.4 to 5.4 over the period.

These findings are from Health Status, Health Insurance, and Medical Services Utilization: 2010 [PDF], a periodic report that examines the relationship between the use of medical services (such as visits to doctors and nights spent in the hospital), health status, health insurance coverage and other demographic and economic characteristics. The statistics come from the Survey of Income and Program Participation.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Consumption of Diet Drinks in the United States

From the National Centers for Health Statistics:

About 20% of the U.S. population aged 2 years and over consumed diet drinks
on a given day during 2009‒2010. The percentage consuming diet drinks
was similar for females and males at all ages except among adolescents aged
12‒19. The percentage consuming diet drinks increased with age for both
males and females.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Census Bureau Seeks Advice On LGBT Populations

From BuzzFeed:


The U.S. Census Bureau announced that it is seeking advice on how to address lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations in implementing the once-a-decade census.

The census, which has never counted LGBT people directly, has indirectly referenced gay people through its count of same-sex married couples and "unmarried partner" households in the past.

With the formation of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations, however, the Census Bureau stated that it will be seeking advice from the 31-member committee "on topics such as housing, children, youth, poverty, privacy, race and ethnicity, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other populations." Specifically, the Bureau noted, the committee will provide advice on "a wide range of variables that affect the cost, accuracy and implementation of the Census Bureau's programs and surveys, including the once-a-decade census."

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

HIV Testing in the U.S. Household Population

This report presents nationally representative estimates and trends for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing among the U.S. household population aged 15–44. Data are presented for lifetime experience with HIV testing and HIV testing in the past year, including testing done as part of prenatal care.

Data for this report come from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), consisting of 22,682 interviews with men and women aged 15–44, conducted from June 2006 through June 2010. The overall response rate for the 2006–2010 NSFG was 77%: 78% for women and 75% for men.

Among U.S. women aged 15–44, the percentage ever tested for HIV outside of blood donation increased significantly from 35% in 1995 to 55% in 2002, and to 59% in 2006–2010. Among men aged 15–44, the percentage ever tested outside blood donation fell from 47% in 2002 to 42% in 2006–2010.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Statistics Resources and Big Data on the Internet

Statistics Resources and Big Data on the Internet is a comprehensive listing of statistics and big data resources and sites on the Internet. This bibliography of sources is taken from my Subject Tracer™ Information Blog titled Statistics Resources and is constantly updated with Subject Tracer™ bots.

These sites will help you to discover a wide range of avenues through which you may locate and leverage the latest statistics resources applicable to many different types of projects, programs and research. As this site is constantly updated it would be to your benefit to bookmark and return to the above URL frequently.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Choice of College Major Can Mean Millions Over Career

The field of bachelor’s degree makes a considerable difference in a college graduate’s annual earnings, according to 2011 American Community Survey (ACS) data released this month by the U.S. Census Bureau. These differences add up over the span of one’s work-life. For example, among people whose highest degree is a bachelor’s, engineering majors earn $1.6 million more than education majors.

These findings come from two separate ACS reports. The first report, Field of Degree and Earnings by Selected Employment Characteristics: 2011, provides information about the relationship between the field of bachelor’s degrees, median annual earnings, and the likelihood of full-time employment...

The second report, Work-Life Earnings by Field of Degree and Occupation for People With a Bachelor’s Degree: 2011, explores the relationship between how far one goes in school and how much money one might make over the course of a 40-year career (from age 25 to 64). It goes into further detail for people whose highest degree is a bachelor’s by investigating how college major and occupation impact these work-life earnings. This is the first time the Census Bureau has ever analyzed work-life earnings by both field of degree and occupation.

Friday, October 12, 2012

The Patent, Used as Sword

The New York Times, Sunday, October 7, 2012

Thousands of executives and companies are caught in a software patent system that federal judges, economists, policy makers and technology executives say is so flawed that it often stymies innovation.

Alongside the impressive technological advances of the last two decades, some argue, a pall has descended: the marketplace for new ideas has been corrupted by software patents used as destructive weapons.

This article is Part 7 of the iEconomy series, which examines the challenges posed by increasingly globalized high-tech industries.



Thursday, October 11, 2012

Updated NYS Legislative Spending Posted

New York's State Legislature spent $102 million during the six-month period ending last March, according to the latest legislative data posted at SeeThroughNY. The expenditure information, which goes back to 2006, can be sorted by reporting period, expenditure type, and member name. Users can also isolate spending for individual units of the Legislature's central staff.

Ranked by office expenditures, highest-spending members in the Senate and Assembly were Kenneth Lavalle (R-Long Island) at $510,598.26 and Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) at $488,359.44, respectively.

The period covered by the Legislature's release of six-month expenditure data ends before the Assembly reportedly made a secret payment of $103,080, under the cover of "legal services," to settle sexual harassment claims brought by two former staffers against Assemblyman Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn). However, it does include a total of $424,237 in payments, by both the Assembly and Senate, to four law firms for "legal services" not further specified in the data.

To view the database, click here.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

School Enrollment in the United States: 2011

The Census Bureau's annual, national-level statistics on the characteristics of students, from nursery to graduate school. According to the statistics, enrollment in private elementary and high schools was 4.1 million in 2011, down from 4.8 million in 2005 and a high of 6.3 million in 1965. Furthermore, non-Hispanic white children now make up only a slight majority of elementary school students (54 percent), down from 58 percent in 2005.

For the first time, the Census Bureau has developed a series of charts illustrating trends in enrollment from 1947 to the present. These include the distribution of school enrollment by level from 1955 forward, trends in college enrollment by sex and by race, and dropout rates of students in 10th through 12th grades.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Autumn Colors: Predictions, Activities

If you're planning a long trip--or even a short local trip--to see fall colors, check out the U.S. Forest Service's Fall Colors 2012.

You can view webcams that show scenic views in a few states; call the hotline to get predictions about fall colors; get ideas about activities for kids; learn about the science behind fall colors; and more.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Cyber Security: A Shared Responsibility

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, now in its ninth year, and is a nationally recognized effort coordinated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) to raise cyber security awareness across the country and to empower citizens, businesses, government and schools to improve their cyber security preparedness. In celebration of Cyber Security Awareness Month, the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Cyber Security (DHSES OCS), in partnership with these organizations, offers free awareness materials and resources to assist you in educating students and citizens about cyber security.

Cyber Security Awareness Month materials:

The New York State Cyber Awareness Toolkit is available on our website, and includes cyber security themed posters, calendars, bookmarks, guides, brochures, and other content that can be downloaded.
Stop.Think.Connect. toolkits for Students, Parents and Educators, citizens and others.
Additional Stop.Think.Connect. materials are located HERE and HERE and HERE.
Talk with students about staying safe online.
Consider signing the Cyber Pledge
Brand and distribute the Cyber Tips Newsletter.
Watch for information on this year’s NYS Kids Safe Online Cyber Security Awareness Poster Contest for Kindergarten through Grade 12 students.
View awareness videos - visit the DHSES OCS website.
Plan to attend the Awareness Month Webcast on 10/11 at 2pm .

Please visit the Awareness Month page at for more ideas and resources.

Friday, October 5, 2012

International Visitation in the United States

The Office of Travel & Tourism Industries has 2012 U.S. Travel and Tourism Statistics (Inbound) that identifies INTERNATIONAL visitors to US states and selected cities, and other data.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Emergency & Transitional Shelter Population: 2010

Studying the population in emergency and transitional shelters for people experiencing homelessness provides information about one segment of the group quarters population in the United States. This special report focuses on the 209,000 people enumerated in the 2010 Census at emergency and transitional shelters and their demographic characteristics and geographic distribution. Although this population accounted for only 2.6 percent of the nearly 8 million people in group quarters, examining this group provides information on the portion of the population experiencing homelessness that is valuable to federal, state, and local agencies for a variety of reasons such as program planning and implementation.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

How People Get Local News and Information in Different Communities

From Pew Internet & American Life Project:

A new report from the Pew Research Center shows that many of the differences in local news consumption emerging from these data reflect the varying demographic compositions of different community types in the U.S. Some differences in the platforms people use might also be tied to the lower overall use of the internet and mobile platforms in small towns and rural areas.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Who Owns the Media?

From Journalism.org:

The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism has compiled a new interactive database to help users make sense of the changes at the highest levels.

Who Owns the News Media provides detailed statistics on the companies that now own our nation's news media outlets, from newspapers to local television news stations to radio to digital, and this accompanying summary highlights the major changes of the year.

Monday, October 1, 2012

What Your Beer Says About Your Politics

From the National Journal:

Americans who most often drink Dos Equis are in the middle-of-the-road while drinkers of Heineken's flagship brand are strongly Democratic. Samuel Adams drinkers are strongly Republican, and more likely to vote.

Beer has a long and storied place in American presidential history and politics.