From the Washington Post:
The map, via health researcher Bill Gardner, shows the change in mortality rate for females in each county in the United States between 1992 and 2006. In 43 percent of counties... mortality rates are rising...
Kindig and Cheng looked at a number of factors that might give some context for why female morality went up in some counties but down in others. A somewhat surprising finding was that the availability of medical care — measured by the number of primary care providers or percentage of uninsured — didn’t really make a difference.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Asian-American population in New York State growing fastest outside of NYC
The newly released report, Asian Americans of the Empire State: Growing Diversity and Common Needs, from the Asian American Federation finds that the Asian population in New York State grew fastest outside of New York City. The number of Asian residents in the suburban counties surrounding New York City grew by 47 percent and those in counties outside of the New York City metro area grew by 56 percent. With the population growth upstate came increased diversity. Burmese Americans went from being too small to be reported to the sixth largest Asian group in upstate counties in 2010.
Unemployment rates in the Asian community were mostly at or below the general population, indicating Asians were active participants in our economy. Additionally, without the growth in the Asian population, New York's total population would have declined in the last decade.
Unemployment rates in the Asian community were mostly at or below the general population, indicating Asians were active participants in our economy. Additionally, without the growth in the Asian population, New York's total population would have declined in the last decade.
Friday, April 5, 2013
How Secure Is Your DNA?
From BackgroundChecks.org:
DNA is so tiny, only a few microns across, that we often don’t spend much time thinking about how much of our most personal and private information it contains. Yet each individual’s DNA also offers an intimate look into family history, risk for illness, behavior, internal clock, propensity for thrill seeking, and countless other aspects of a person’s life, personality, behavior, and place in the world. Accessing this treasure trove of genetic information has some amazing benefits, but it also comes with some serious concerns.
While DNA may be small, it’s packed with information that has the potential to cause some pretty big problems. Uncontrolled access to this information, whether in a medical or law enforcement setting, could set individuals up for violations of privacy and discrimination, and as genetic testing becomes more common and inexpensive, the issues surrounding the protection of genetic information will become ever more pressing concerns in the larger public discourse.
DNA is so tiny, only a few microns across, that we often don’t spend much time thinking about how much of our most personal and private information it contains. Yet each individual’s DNA also offers an intimate look into family history, risk for illness, behavior, internal clock, propensity for thrill seeking, and countless other aspects of a person’s life, personality, behavior, and place in the world. Accessing this treasure trove of genetic information has some amazing benefits, but it also comes with some serious concerns.
While DNA may be small, it’s packed with information that has the potential to cause some pretty big problems. Uncontrolled access to this information, whether in a medical or law enforcement setting, could set individuals up for violations of privacy and discrimination, and as genetic testing becomes more common and inexpensive, the issues surrounding the protection of genetic information will become ever more pressing concerns in the larger public discourse.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Attitudes toward Gay Marriage
From the American Consumers Newsletter:
Support for gay marriage hovers just below the 50 percent mark, according to the 2012 General Social Survey. Forty-nine percent of American aged 18 or older now agree that gays and lesbians should have the right to marry. Support for gay marriage has climbed rapidly over the past few decades. In 1988, only 12 percent of the public supported the right of gays and lesbians to marry.
One factor behind the rising support for gay marriage is generational replacement.... Changing attitudes also play an important role in the growing support for gay marriage...
***
A Pew Center poll shows similar tracking.
Support for gay marriage hovers just below the 50 percent mark, according to the 2012 General Social Survey. Forty-nine percent of American aged 18 or older now agree that gays and lesbians should have the right to marry. Support for gay marriage has climbed rapidly over the past few decades. In 1988, only 12 percent of the public supported the right of gays and lesbians to marry.
One factor behind the rising support for gay marriage is generational replacement.... Changing attitudes also play an important role in the growing support for gay marriage...
***
A Pew Center poll shows similar tracking.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Child Care Costs on the Upswing
Child care costs have nearly doubled in the last quarter century while the percentage of families who pay for child care has declined, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report Who's Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2011. The percent of family income spent on child care has stayed constant between 1986 (the first time these data were collected) and 2011, at around 7 percent, for families who paid for child care even though the cost of child care has increased over time...
Families with an employed mother and children younger than 15 paid an average of $143 per week for child care in 2011, up from $84 in 1985 (in constant 2011 dollars).
The median wage for a full-time child care worker did not increase over the last 20 years. The median wage for a child care worker in 2011 was $19,098, not different from $19,680 in 1990 (in constant 2011 dollars).
More from the Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/children/cb13-62.html HERE>
Families with an employed mother and children younger than 15 paid an average of $143 per week for child care in 2011, up from $84 in 1985 (in constant 2011 dollars).
The median wage for a full-time child care worker did not increase over the last 20 years. The median wage for a child care worker in 2011 was $19,098, not different from $19,680 in 1990 (in constant 2011 dollars).
More from the Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/children/cb13-62.html HERE>
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Tax Refund Thefts On The Rise
You're not the only one waiting for your tax refund. Scammers are looking for it too. In fact, every year there are more and more scams designed to steal tax refunds.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says these kinds of thefts have increased substantially in the last few years. Between 2010 and 2012, the number of investigations opened by the IRS grew from 224 to 898, according to the latest figures.
Find out more about tax refund scams, how to protect yourself from identity theft and what to do if you are a victim.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says these kinds of thefts have increased substantially in the last few years. Between 2010 and 2012, the number of investigations opened by the IRS grew from 224 to 898, according to the latest figures.
Find out more about tax refund scams, how to protect yourself from identity theft and what to do if you are a victim.
Monday, April 1, 2013
NYS Labor Department new lead agency for NYSDC
In the recent slew of budget bills enacted was the authorization to officially transfer the Lead Agency of the New York State Data Center to the NYS Department of Labor. This has been passed by the Senate and by the Assembly. It is believed that as of April 1, Labor will officially be the new Lead Agency, succeeding the NYS Department of Economic Development. This is universally seen as a good outcome by the current state data affiliates.
The Department of Labor has had vast experience and active participation in the NYSDC program from the very beginning, over 30 years ago.
Here's the wording in State Senate bill S02607/State Assembly bill A03007, signed by Governor Cuomo on March 29:
PART N
Section 1. Section 21 of the labor law is amended by adding a new subdivision 14 to read as follows:
14. SHALL DO ALL THINGS NECESSARY FOR THE OPERATION OF THE NEW YORK STATE DATA CENTER ESTABLISHED IN THE DEPARTMENT IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF THE CENSUS; TO COOPERATE WITH OTHER STATE AGENCIES, UNIVERSITIES, REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND OTHER ENTITIES IN THE DISSEMINATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC INFORMATION AND DATA THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE DATA CENTER PROGRAM; IN RELATION TO SUCH INFORMATION AND DATA, TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO OTHER STATE AGENCIES, UNIVERSITIES, REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND OTHER ENTITIES; AND TO PREPARE ESTIMATES AND THE OFFICIAL PROJECTIONS OF POPULATION, HOUSEHOLDS AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STATE FOR USE BY ALL STATE AGENCIES. ALL EMPLOYEES TRANSFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT SHALL BE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT FURTHER EXAMINATION OR QUALIFICATION TO THE SAME OR SIMILAR TITLES AND SHALL REMAIN IN THE SAME COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNITS AND SHALL RETAIN THEIR RESPECTIVE CIVIL SERVICE CLASSIFICATIONS, STATUS AND RIGHTS PURSUANT TO THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNITS AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS.
Section 2. Subdivision 17 of section 100 of the economic development law is REPEALED.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
The Department of Labor has had vast experience and active participation in the NYSDC program from the very beginning, over 30 years ago.
Here's the wording in State Senate bill S02607/State Assembly bill A03007, signed by Governor Cuomo on March 29:
PART N
Section 1. Section 21 of the labor law is amended by adding a new subdivision 14 to read as follows:
14. SHALL DO ALL THINGS NECESSARY FOR THE OPERATION OF THE NEW YORK STATE DATA CENTER ESTABLISHED IN THE DEPARTMENT IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF THE CENSUS; TO COOPERATE WITH OTHER STATE AGENCIES, UNIVERSITIES, REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND OTHER ENTITIES IN THE DISSEMINATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC INFORMATION AND DATA THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE DATA CENTER PROGRAM; IN RELATION TO SUCH INFORMATION AND DATA, TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO OTHER STATE AGENCIES, UNIVERSITIES, REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND OTHER ENTITIES; AND TO PREPARE ESTIMATES AND THE OFFICIAL PROJECTIONS OF POPULATION, HOUSEHOLDS AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STATE FOR USE BY ALL STATE AGENCIES. ALL EMPLOYEES TRANSFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT SHALL BE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT FURTHER EXAMINATION OR QUALIFICATION TO THE SAME OR SIMILAR TITLES AND SHALL REMAIN IN THE SAME COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNITS AND SHALL RETAIN THEIR RESPECTIVE CIVIL SERVICE CLASSIFICATIONS, STATUS AND RIGHTS PURSUANT TO THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNITS AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS.
Section 2. Subdivision 17 of section 100 of the economic development law is REPEALED.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Demand for state projections by the Census Bureau?
You might be aware that the Census Bureau published National Population Projections (2010-2060) a couple of months ago.
In 2005, the Bureau published State Population Projections and they haven’t done that since.
Who would be using State Population Projections and for what purpose?
In 2005, the Bureau published State Population Projections and they haven’t done that since.
Who would be using State Population Projections and for what purpose?
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Finding geographies with geographies in American FactFinder
Someone asked "Is there a way on American Factfinder to get info for census tracts within Census Designated Places? In other words, Geo within a Geo?
I knew how to do this on the old FactFinder, but not on the new one. Fortunately, one of the other Data Detectives did!
If you go to Geographies, click “all geography types” and then select summary level 080 “Census Tract (or part)”. You can then walk down your selections and select, for example, “New York”, “Suffolk”, “Babylon”, “West Babylon” and at the bottom all the tracts and part of tracts within West Babylon CDP.
If you go to the “Name” tab you can do something similar (don’t forget to select “all geography types”). I find it easiest to start with opening the “Summary levels” instead of the “geography types”. You can select tracts for more places at once using this route.
The first option worked for me; still haven't mastered the second...
I knew how to do this on the old FactFinder, but not on the new one. Fortunately, one of the other Data Detectives did!
If you go to Geographies, click “all geography types” and then select summary level 080 “Census Tract (or part)”. You can then walk down your selections and select, for example, “New York”, “Suffolk”, “Babylon”, “West Babylon” and at the bottom all the tracts and part of tracts within West Babylon CDP.
If you go to the “Name” tab you can do something similar (don’t forget to select “all geography types”). I find it easiest to start with opening the “Summary levels” instead of the “geography types”. You can select tracts for more places at once using this route.
The first option worked for me; still haven't mastered the second...
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Commuting (Journey to Work) stats
Commuting (Journey to Work) refers to a worker’s travel from home to work. Place of work refers to the geographic location of the worker’s job. Work at home refers to a worker who does not commute to a different geographic area from work, meaning their place of work is their home. Daytime population refers to the estimated number of people who are residing and working in an area during the “daytime” working hours.
There are several surveys conducted by the Census Bureau that ask questions related to commuting including means of transportation, time of departure, mean travel time to work, vehicles available, distance traveled, and expenses associated with commuting.
There are several surveys conducted by the Census Bureau that ask questions related to commuting including means of transportation, time of departure, mean travel time to work, vehicles available, distance traveled, and expenses associated with commuting.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
State and Local Government Tax Revenue: 4th Quarter 2012
This summary shows quarterly tax revenue statistics on property, sales, license, income and other taxes. Statistics are shown for individual state governments as well as national estimates of total state and local taxes, including 12-month calculations. This quarterly survey has been conducted continuously since 1962. Internet address:
Monday, March 25, 2013
Pew Research Center Releases 2013 State of News Media Report
From the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism:
In 2012, a continued erosion of news reporting resources converged with growing opportunities for those in politics, government agencies, companies and others to take their messages directly to the public.
Signs of the shrinking reporting power are documented throughout this year’s report. Estimates for newspaper newsroom cutbacks in 2012 put the industry down 30% since its peak in 2000 and below 40,000 full-time professional employees for the first time since 1978. In local TV, our special content report reveals, sports, weather and traffic now account on average for 40% of the content produced on the newscasts studied while story lengths shrink. On CNN, the cable channel that has branded itself around deep reporting, produced story packages were cut nearly in half from 2007 to 2012. Across the three cable channels, coverage of live events during the day, which often require a crew and correspondent, fell 30% from 2007 to 2012 while interview segments, which tend to take fewer resources and can be scheduled in advance, were up 31%. Time magazine, the only major print news weekly left standing, cut roughly 5% of its staff in early 2013 as a part of broader company layoffs.
In 2012, a continued erosion of news reporting resources converged with growing opportunities for those in politics, government agencies, companies and others to take their messages directly to the public.
Signs of the shrinking reporting power are documented throughout this year’s report. Estimates for newspaper newsroom cutbacks in 2012 put the industry down 30% since its peak in 2000 and below 40,000 full-time professional employees for the first time since 1978. In local TV, our special content report reveals, sports, weather and traffic now account on average for 40% of the content produced on the newscasts studied while story lengths shrink. On CNN, the cable channel that has branded itself around deep reporting, produced story packages were cut nearly in half from 2007 to 2012. Across the three cable channels, coverage of live events during the day, which often require a crew and correspondent, fell 30% from 2007 to 2012 while interview segments, which tend to take fewer resources and can be scheduled in advance, were up 31%. Time magazine, the only major print news weekly left standing, cut roughly 5% of its staff in early 2013 as a part of broader company layoffs.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Debut Issue of 'Big Data' Journal Features Syracuse iSchool Roundtable
A new academic journal, Big Data, debuted this month, and its first issue features a recap of a spirited roundtable discussion conducted with a team from the Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool).
The article, Educating the Next Generation of Data Scientists [PDF], captures a wide range of perspectives about the subject voiced during a roundtable moderated by the journal?s editor-in-chief, Edd Dumbill. Participating on the discussion panel were iSchool Dean Elizabeth D. Liddy; Senior Associate Dean and Professor Jeffrey Stanton; information management and data science graduate student Kate Mueller; and Microsoft FUSE Lab?s Shelly Farnham.
The discussion began with panelists addressing the basic question of defining the field of data science. It turned to observations about patterns and trends in data education, including the iSchool at Syracuse University?s approach of educating for the full lifecycle of the data field. Panelists also spoke about students who are entering the field and their various backgrounds and subject matter orientations. The high demand for data graduates, as well as career options and the needs of business and industry for data specialists also were detailed. In addition, panelists touched on the importance of higher education continuing its connection to and collaboration with industries who are hiring in the data field...
The journal, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is designed to ?bring together the community to address current challenges and enforce effective efforts to organize, store, disseminate, protect, manipulate, and, most importantly, find the most effective strategies to make this incredible amount of information work to benefit society, industry, academia, and government,? the issue states.
The article, Educating the Next Generation of Data Scientists [PDF], captures a wide range of perspectives about the subject voiced during a roundtable moderated by the journal?s editor-in-chief, Edd Dumbill. Participating on the discussion panel were iSchool Dean Elizabeth D. Liddy; Senior Associate Dean and Professor Jeffrey Stanton; information management and data science graduate student Kate Mueller; and Microsoft FUSE Lab?s Shelly Farnham.
The discussion began with panelists addressing the basic question of defining the field of data science. It turned to observations about patterns and trends in data education, including the iSchool at Syracuse University?s approach of educating for the full lifecycle of the data field. Panelists also spoke about students who are entering the field and their various backgrounds and subject matter orientations. The high demand for data graduates, as well as career options and the needs of business and industry for data specialists also were detailed. In addition, panelists touched on the importance of higher education continuing its connection to and collaboration with industries who are hiring in the data field...
The journal, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is designed to ?bring together the community to address current challenges and enforce effective efforts to organize, store, disseminate, protect, manipulate, and, most importantly, find the most effective strategies to make this incredible amount of information work to benefit society, industry, academia, and government,? the issue states.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Household Debt in the U.S.: 2000 to 2011 and Measuring the Wealth of U.S. Households
The percentage of U.S. households holding some form of debt declined from 74 percent to 69 percent between 2000 and 2011, according to new statistics released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. At the same time, the median amount of household debt increased over this period from $50,971 to $70,000 (in 2011 constant dollars). These statistics are part of a larger package released today that contains statistics on household wealth, asset ownership and debt.
These statistics come from Household Debt in the U.S.: 2000 to 2011 and accompanying detailed tables that examine the median value of debt and percent holding debt for households, by various characteristics of the householder, such as race and Hispanic origin, age, education and income quintile.
Between 2000 and 2011, the largest increases in median debt were experienced in households with householders age 35 to 44 (to $108,000), 45 to 54 (to $86,500) and 55 to 64 (to $70,000). However, the largest percentage increases in debt belonged to householders 55 to 64 years old (64 percent) and 65 and older (more than doubling to $26,000). Furthermore, people 65 and older were the only age group whose likelihood of holding debt rose over the period (from 41 percent to 44 percent). The opposite pattern was observed for those under 65.
“Those 65 and over became more likely to hold debt against their homes, and their median housing debt increased, as well, which explains a significant portion of the increase in their overall debt between 2000 and 2011,” Census Bureau economist Marina Vornovytskyy said.
During the period, the composition of debt held by households also changed considerably. While the percentage holding credit card debt declined from 51 percent in 2000 to 38 percent in 2011, the percentage holding other unsecured debt, such as educational loans and medical bills not covered by insurance, rose from 11 percent to 19 percent.
“Householders under age 45 experienced the largest increases in both the likelihood of holding other debt and the amount of other debt,” Vornovytskyy said.
Also released was Household Wealth in the U.S.: 2000 to 2011 and associated detailed tables that examine the median value of assets and percent holding assets for households in 2011, by type of asset owned and householder characteristics similar to those explored in Household Debt in the U.S.: 2000 to 2011.
According to Household Wealth in the U.S.: 2000 to 2011, median net worth rose from $81,821 in 2000 to $106,585 in 2005, before declining to $68,828 in 2011 (in 2011 constant dollars). Median net worth excluding home equity has not exhibited the same degree of variability as overall median net worth: it showed no statistically significant change between 2000 and 2005 and decreased by $3,815 (or 18 percent) between 2005 and 2011.
"The changes in overall median net worth observed over the past decade have been driven primarily by changes in one of its major components — equity that American households hold in their homes," Census Bureau economist Alfred Gottschalck said.
Over this same time period, there was significant regional variation in the changes in median net worth. The West experienced the largest changes over the last decade, increasing from $78,999 in 2000 to $146,841 in 2005 and then decreasing to $59,431 by 2011.
Between 2010 and 2011, median net worth showed no statistically significant change. Median net worth excluding home equity increased from $15,546 to $16,942.
These statistics come from Household Debt in the U.S.: 2000 to 2011 and accompanying detailed tables that examine the median value of debt and percent holding debt for households, by various characteristics of the householder, such as race and Hispanic origin, age, education and income quintile.
Between 2000 and 2011, the largest increases in median debt were experienced in households with householders age 35 to 44 (to $108,000), 45 to 54 (to $86,500) and 55 to 64 (to $70,000). However, the largest percentage increases in debt belonged to householders 55 to 64 years old (64 percent) and 65 and older (more than doubling to $26,000). Furthermore, people 65 and older were the only age group whose likelihood of holding debt rose over the period (from 41 percent to 44 percent). The opposite pattern was observed for those under 65.
“Those 65 and over became more likely to hold debt against their homes, and their median housing debt increased, as well, which explains a significant portion of the increase in their overall debt between 2000 and 2011,” Census Bureau economist Marina Vornovytskyy said.
During the period, the composition of debt held by households also changed considerably. While the percentage holding credit card debt declined from 51 percent in 2000 to 38 percent in 2011, the percentage holding other unsecured debt, such as educational loans and medical bills not covered by insurance, rose from 11 percent to 19 percent.
“Householders under age 45 experienced the largest increases in both the likelihood of holding other debt and the amount of other debt,” Vornovytskyy said.
Also released was Household Wealth in the U.S.: 2000 to 2011 and associated detailed tables that examine the median value of assets and percent holding assets for households in 2011, by type of asset owned and householder characteristics similar to those explored in Household Debt in the U.S.: 2000 to 2011.
According to Household Wealth in the U.S.: 2000 to 2011, median net worth rose from $81,821 in 2000 to $106,585 in 2005, before declining to $68,828 in 2011 (in 2011 constant dollars). Median net worth excluding home equity has not exhibited the same degree of variability as overall median net worth: it showed no statistically significant change between 2000 and 2005 and decreased by $3,815 (or 18 percent) between 2005 and 2011.
"The changes in overall median net worth observed over the past decade have been driven primarily by changes in one of its major components — equity that American households hold in their homes," Census Bureau economist Alfred Gottschalck said.
Over this same time period, there was significant regional variation in the changes in median net worth. The West experienced the largest changes over the last decade, increasing from $78,999 in 2000 to $146,841 in 2005 and then decreasing to $59,431 by 2011.
Between 2010 and 2011, median net worth showed no statistically significant change. Median net worth excluding home equity increased from $15,546 to $16,942.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
New migration tables show about 130,000 people moved per day
Across the country, 47.3 million people lived in a different house a year earlier and 17.3 million of them lived in a different county within the U.S., according to information the U.S. Census Bureau released on migration. This translates to an average of about 130,000 people moving every day.
Seven of the top 10 flows of movers were among counties in the Los Angeles and Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif., metropolitan areas. An estimated 44,020 people — or an average of about 121 per day — moved from Los Angeles County to San Bernardino County, Calif., which is the largest number of people moving from one county to another in the nation. The rest of the top 10 flows of movers were people moving among counties in the Miami, Phoenix, Detroit and Chicago metro areas.
These findings were released in a series of County-to-County Migration Flow Tables, which come from data collected by the American Community Survey between 2006 and 2010. In the survey, household members were asked where they lived a year ago and responses were combined into a weighted average for the period. The tables give added information on current county of residence, the county of residence one year ago and the estimated number of movers between the counties. Additional tables provide the same information broken down by selected characteristics: age, sex, race or Hispanic origin.
New Census Flows Mapper
To help users understand and interact with these statistics, the Census Bureau has developed an online mapping tool called Census Flows Mapper. This application allows users to select a county in the U.S. and view the outbound, inbound and net migration flows for that county. Additionally, users can choose flows based on characteristics such as age, sex, race or Hispanic origin.
The application also allows users to download data, zoom in and out on the map to an area of interest, view additional statistics of the selected county and save their map as a PDF file.
Other County-Level Highlights
The largest yearly county-to-county flows originated from Los Angeles County. The characteristics of those movers, however, are different depending on where they moved. About half (48.9 percent) of those moving to Orange County were between the ages of 18 and 34, compared with 35.7 percent moving to San Bernardino County. San Bernardino had a higher percentage of movers under 18 than Orange County (30.2 percent vs. 19.2 percent).
Besides the county-to-county flow tables, there are also tables that contain flows for minor civil divisions for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Seven of the top 10 flows of movers were among counties in the Los Angeles and Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif., metropolitan areas. An estimated 44,020 people — or an average of about 121 per day — moved from Los Angeles County to San Bernardino County, Calif., which is the largest number of people moving from one county to another in the nation. The rest of the top 10 flows of movers were people moving among counties in the Miami, Phoenix, Detroit and Chicago metro areas.
These findings were released in a series of County-to-County Migration Flow Tables, which come from data collected by the American Community Survey between 2006 and 2010. In the survey, household members were asked where they lived a year ago and responses were combined into a weighted average for the period. The tables give added information on current county of residence, the county of residence one year ago and the estimated number of movers between the counties. Additional tables provide the same information broken down by selected characteristics: age, sex, race or Hispanic origin.
New Census Flows Mapper
To help users understand and interact with these statistics, the Census Bureau has developed an online mapping tool called Census Flows Mapper. This application allows users to select a county in the U.S. and view the outbound, inbound and net migration flows for that county. Additionally, users can choose flows based on characteristics such as age, sex, race or Hispanic origin.
The application also allows users to download data, zoom in and out on the map to an area of interest, view additional statistics of the selected county and save their map as a PDF file.
Other County-Level Highlights
The largest yearly county-to-county flows originated from Los Angeles County. The characteristics of those movers, however, are different depending on where they moved. About half (48.9 percent) of those moving to Orange County were between the ages of 18 and 34, compared with 35.7 percent moving to San Bernardino County. San Bernardino had a higher percentage of movers under 18 than Orange County (30.2 percent vs. 19.2 percent).
Besides the county-to-county flow tables, there are also tables that contain flows for minor civil divisions for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Alzheimer's 2013 Facts and Figures
Released today, the Alzheimer's Association 2013 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report reveals new statistics on the ever-growing weight of Alzheimer's disease on our nation. The report uncovers new information on growing death rates, the cost of the disease, and the burden placed on long-distance caregivers.
"Unfortunately today there are no Alzheimer's survivors. If you have Alzheimer's disease, you either die from it or die with it. Now we know that 1 in every 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. Urgent, meaningful action is necessary, particularly as more and more people age into greater risk for developing a disease that has no cure and no way to slow or stop its progression," said Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association.
By 2025, the number of people 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease is estimated to reach 7.1 million – a 40 percent increase from 5 million aged 65 and older currently affected
"Unfortunately today there are no Alzheimer's survivors. If you have Alzheimer's disease, you either die from it or die with it. Now we know that 1 in every 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. Urgent, meaningful action is necessary, particularly as more and more people age into greater risk for developing a disease that has no cure and no way to slow or stop its progression," said Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association.
By 2025, the number of people 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease is estimated to reach 7.1 million – a 40 percent increase from 5 million aged 65 and older currently affected
Monday, March 18, 2013
UNdata - a data access system to UN databases
The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) launched an Internet-based data service for the global user community. It brings UN statistical databases within easy reach of users through a single entry point. Users can now search and download a variety of statistical resources of the UN system.
Since its foundation, the United Nations System has been collecting statistical information from member states on a variety of topics. The information thus collected constitutes a considerable information asset of the organization. However, these statistical data are often stored in proprietary databases, each with unique dissemination and access policies. As a result, users are often unaware of the full array of statistical information that the UN system has in its data libraries. The current arrangement also means that users are required to move from one database to another to access different types of information. UNdata addresses this problem by pooling major UN databases and those of several international into one single internet environment. The innovative design allows a user to access a large number of UN databases either by browsing the data series or through a keyword search.
Useful features like Country Profiles, Advanced Search and Glossaries are also provided to aid research. The numerous databases, tables and glossaries containing over 60 million data points cover a wide range of themes including Agriculture, Crime, Education, Employment, Energy, Environment, Health, HIV/AIDS, Human Development, Industry, Information and Communication Technology, National Accounts, Population, Refugees, Tourism, Trade, as well as the Millennium Development Goals indicators. Whilst this initial version of UNdata is fully equipped with all the functionalities for data access, the development team is continuously adding new databases and features to further enhance the usefulness to users. When fully developed, UNdata will have a comprehensive array of international and national databases providing the world instant access to a wealth of statistical information.
Since its foundation, the United Nations System has been collecting statistical information from member states on a variety of topics. The information thus collected constitutes a considerable information asset of the organization. However, these statistical data are often stored in proprietary databases, each with unique dissemination and access policies. As a result, users are often unaware of the full array of statistical information that the UN system has in its data libraries. The current arrangement also means that users are required to move from one database to another to access different types of information. UNdata addresses this problem by pooling major UN databases and those of several international into one single internet environment. The innovative design allows a user to access a large number of UN databases either by browsing the data series or through a keyword search.
Useful features like Country Profiles, Advanced Search and Glossaries are also provided to aid research. The numerous databases, tables and glossaries containing over 60 million data points cover a wide range of themes including Agriculture, Crime, Education, Employment, Energy, Environment, Health, HIV/AIDS, Human Development, Industry, Information and Communication Technology, National Accounts, Population, Refugees, Tourism, Trade, as well as the Millennium Development Goals indicators. Whilst this initial version of UNdata is fully equipped with all the functionalities for data access, the development team is continuously adding new databases and features to further enhance the usefulness to users. When fully developed, UNdata will have a comprehensive array of international and national databases providing the world instant access to a wealth of statistical information.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Ultimate Regional Vocabulary Throwdown
From BuzzFeed:
These maps break down the most debated items. "Pop" v. "soda" is only the tip of the iceberg.
These maps break down the most debated items. "Pop" v. "soda" is only the tip of the iceberg.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Federal Agencies with Statistical Programs
The Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) is an interagency committee dedicated to improving the quality of Federal statistics. The first meeting of the FCSM was held in the summer of 1975. The letter of invitation from Maria E. Gonzalez, founder of the FCSM, said that "The FCSM will focus on recommending standards for statistical methodology to be followed by Federal statistical agencies. The Committee shall investigate problems which affect the quality of Federal Statistical data, as well as make suggestions for improving statistical methodology in Federal agencies." The Office of Management and Budget invites individual statisticians, economists or managers working in the Executive Branch to participate as members of the FCSM based on their particular experience.
Here is a list of federal agencies with statistical programs.
Here is a list of federal agencies with statistical programs.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Online Tracking: The Things You Didn’t Know [Infographic]
From HERE:
When you are browsing the Internet, do you really know what information you are sharing? Most people don’t have a clue that everything they do online could be being tracked. This includes what websites you visit, what you are interested in, and even who you really are. Most people stay unaware of their own footprints on the Internet, and how online tracking is affecting their experience. By knowing more about your online footprint, you have a chance to enhance your own browsing experience.
Governments around the world want to control the Internet down to its smallest fiber. What few people know is that we are already tracked in a way that makes our privacy quite obscured. We think we have privacy when browsing, but nothing could farther from the truth. As a matter of fact, everything we do can be tracked. Everything.
When you are browsing the Internet, do you really know what information you are sharing? Most people don’t have a clue that everything they do online could be being tracked. This includes what websites you visit, what you are interested in, and even who you really are. Most people stay unaware of their own footprints on the Internet, and how online tracking is affecting their experience. By knowing more about your online footprint, you have a chance to enhance your own browsing experience.
Governments around the world want to control the Internet down to its smallest fiber. What few people know is that we are already tracked in a way that makes our privacy quite obscured. We think we have privacy when browsing, but nothing could farther from the truth. As a matter of fact, everything we do can be tracked. Everything.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Which state university grads earn the most?
From MoneyWatch:
Which of the nation's top state universities produce graduates who go on to make the biggest bucks?
Among all 50 state "flagship" schools, recent graduates of the University of California-Berkeley earn the highest median starting salary, at $53,100, according to CollegeMeasures.org. In comparison, new graduates at the University of South Dakota in the small town of Vermillion earn the least, at $35,900.
State flagship universities are typically the most prestigious public university in each of the 50 states. Such school typically attract higher performing students, receive greater financial support from their respective state governments and enjoy the best graduation rates among public institutions in their states.
Which of the nation's top state universities produce graduates who go on to make the biggest bucks?
Among all 50 state "flagship" schools, recent graduates of the University of California-Berkeley earn the highest median starting salary, at $53,100, according to CollegeMeasures.org. In comparison, new graduates at the University of South Dakota in the small town of Vermillion earn the least, at $35,900.
State flagship universities are typically the most prestigious public university in each of the 50 states. Such school typically attract higher performing students, receive greater financial support from their respective state governments and enjoy the best graduation rates among public institutions in their states.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Best publications for mobile apps
Someone from a listserv was looking for recommendations for publications (any format), Web sites, experts, and blogs that can keep the reader up-to-date on popular and innovative mobile apps, especially in business and higher education; inform about mobile computing trends; and/or provide insights about how mobile and cloud computing are disrupting existing business models and affecting socio-economic factors.
There were a number of responses, not all of which I have had a chance to check out:
The MaRS Market Intelligence team is actually putting together a Mobile Apps page on its Startup Library, an online resource created to help technology Entrepreneurs and startups, scheduled to launch on March 21. Here are "just a few of the resources (all free and publicly available on the web) that will be on that page." [Except *]
For General Mobile App trends & Statistics:
App Genome Report (Lookout) is a security survey of mobile apps, which by the start of 2013 had scanned and mapped over 500,000 mobile apps from multiple mobile platforms and app markets.
Distimo offers a free monthly publication, which provides industry metrics for all mobile platforms.
mobiThinking provides insight and information for mobile marketers offering analysis and interviews with leading industry professionals. Its extensive compendium of mobile statistics offers a section on mobile apps, app stores, pricing and failure rates.
Mobile Statistics is a simple, elegant website offers mobile and mobile app statistics through interactive graphs.
*MIT Technology Review. Heavy coverage of mobile.
iOS App Trends & Statistics:
iOSappStats houses relevant iOS app statistics, searchable by region, genre and paid versus free. This site also supplies news and reviews and a collection of compelling infographics focused on mobile app trends.
Android App Trends & Statistics:
AppBrain: Android Market Stats - This website offers stats on available Android apps as well as downloads, ratings, categories and more. Figures on Android phone use are also available.
Tracking Latest Developments in Mobile Apps:
Inside Mobile Apps publishes news and market research for the social application ecosystem. The AppData section of the site gives a weekly ranking of the top downloaded apps for iOS, Android and Facebook. Inside Mobile Apps is a part of the Inside Network which provides blogs and paid research products to clients in social media, mobile apps and social commerce.
TechNewsWorld publishes daily on major tech developments and news. It frequently posts articles on new app releases and developer profiles.
Blogs:
VisionMobile—blog
Xylogic—blog
BGR - Boy Genius Report
There were a number of responses, not all of which I have had a chance to check out:
The MaRS Market Intelligence team is actually putting together a Mobile Apps page on its Startup Library, an online resource created to help technology Entrepreneurs and startups, scheduled to launch on March 21. Here are "just a few of the resources (all free and publicly available on the web) that will be on that page." [Except *]
For General Mobile App trends & Statistics:
App Genome Report (Lookout) is a security survey of mobile apps, which by the start of 2013 had scanned and mapped over 500,000 mobile apps from multiple mobile platforms and app markets.
Distimo offers a free monthly publication, which provides industry metrics for all mobile platforms.
mobiThinking provides insight and information for mobile marketers offering analysis and interviews with leading industry professionals. Its extensive compendium of mobile statistics offers a section on mobile apps, app stores, pricing and failure rates.
Mobile Statistics is a simple, elegant website offers mobile and mobile app statistics through interactive graphs.
*MIT Technology Review. Heavy coverage of mobile.
iOS App Trends & Statistics:
iOSappStats houses relevant iOS app statistics, searchable by region, genre and paid versus free. This site also supplies news and reviews and a collection of compelling infographics focused on mobile app trends.
Android App Trends & Statistics:
AppBrain: Android Market Stats - This website offers stats on available Android apps as well as downloads, ratings, categories and more. Figures on Android phone use are also available.
Tracking Latest Developments in Mobile Apps:
Inside Mobile Apps publishes news and market research for the social application ecosystem. The AppData section of the site gives a weekly ranking of the top downloaded apps for iOS, Android and Facebook. Inside Mobile Apps is a part of the Inside Network which provides blogs and paid research products to clients in social media, mobile apps and social commerce.
TechNewsWorld publishes daily on major tech developments and news. It frequently posts articles on new app releases and developer profiles.
Blogs:
VisionMobile—blog
Xylogic—blog
BGR - Boy Genius Report
Monday, March 11, 2013
Recent Internal Revenue Service reports
Friday, March 8, 2013
Promotion of Prescription Drugs to Consumers and Providers, 2001–2010
Pharmaceutical firms heavily promote their products and may have changed marketing strategies in response to reductions in new product approvals, restrictions on some forms of promotion, and the expanding role of biologic therapies.
Total promotion peaked in 2004 at US$36.1 billion (13.4% of sales). By 2010 it had declined to $27.7B (9.0% of sales). Between 2006 and 2010, similar declines were seen for promotion to providers and direct-to-consumer advertising (both by 25%). DTCA’s share of total promotion increased from 12% in 2002 to 18% in 2006, but then declined to 16% and remains highly concentrated. Number of products promoted to providers peaked in 2004 at over 3000, and then declined 20% by 2010. In contrast to top-selling small molecule therapies having an average of $370 million (8.8% of sales) spent on promotion, top biologics were promoted less, with only $33 million (1.4% of sales) spent per product. Little change occurred in the composition of promotion between primary care physicians and specialists from 2001–2010.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that pharmaceutical companies have reduced promotion following changes in the pharmaceutical pipeline and patent expiry for several blockbuster drugs. Promotional strategies for biologic drugs differ substantially from small molecule therapies.
More from the Public Library of Science
Total promotion peaked in 2004 at US$36.1 billion (13.4% of sales). By 2010 it had declined to $27.7B (9.0% of sales). Between 2006 and 2010, similar declines were seen for promotion to providers and direct-to-consumer advertising (both by 25%). DTCA’s share of total promotion increased from 12% in 2002 to 18% in 2006, but then declined to 16% and remains highly concentrated. Number of products promoted to providers peaked in 2004 at over 3000, and then declined 20% by 2010. In contrast to top-selling small molecule therapies having an average of $370 million (8.8% of sales) spent on promotion, top biologics were promoted less, with only $33 million (1.4% of sales) spent per product. Little change occurred in the composition of promotion between primary care physicians and specialists from 2001–2010.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that pharmaceutical companies have reduced promotion following changes in the pharmaceutical pipeline and patent expiry for several blockbuster drugs. Promotional strategies for biologic drugs differ substantially from small molecule therapies.
More from the Public Library of Science
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Statistic Brain
"Statistic Brain is a group of passionate number people. We love numbers, their purity, and what they represent. Numbers can bring humans together, they tell us how we are alike and how we are beautifully unique. Numbers are a way to reflect on how far we’ve come and give us hope for the future.
"Our goal is to bring you accurate and timely statistics. We will never become number analysts because we believe numbers should only be interpreted by the reader. We want to educate, assist, and sometimes entertain with numbers on every subject."
"We hope that today you learn something new, find inspiration for tomorrow, and use your knowledge for something good."
Topics include
Business
Company
Crime
Demographic
Education
Entertainment
Financial
Food
Geographic
Government
Health
People
Sports
Tech
For instance, Credit Card Debt Statistics: Total U.S. credit card debt, $793.1 Billion. Average credit card debt per household, $15,799. Average household debt, $54,000.
"Our goal is to bring you accurate and timely statistics. We will never become number analysts because we believe numbers should only be interpreted by the reader. We want to educate, assist, and sometimes entertain with numbers on every subject."
"We hope that today you learn something new, find inspiration for tomorrow, and use your knowledge for something good."
Topics include
Business
Company
Crime
Demographic
Education
Entertainment
Financial
Food
Geographic
Government
Health
People
Sports
Tech
For instance, Credit Card Debt Statistics: Total U.S. credit card debt, $793.1 Billion. Average credit card debt per household, $15,799. Average household debt, $54,000.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
New York State Sporting License Sales Summary
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation tracks statistics of the various hunting and fishing licenses offered in New York State. One could go to the main DEC page and search for license sales summary; the information will be the link to the first result.
At the very bottom of the page is a link to Sales by County. When you download a year's report by county - the data goes back to the 2002-2003 season - one will see plus signs (+) in the far left column that, when clicked on, will provide additional info for that particular county.
At the very bottom of the page is a link to Sales by County. When you download a year's report by county - the data goes back to the 2002-2003 season - one will see plus signs (+) in the far left column that, when clicked on, will provide additional info for that particular county.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Opinion: the rich get so much more out of their dependence on the state than the poor
If the poor are dependent on the state, so, too, are America’s rich. The extraordinary accumulation of wealth enjoyed by the socioeconomic elite — in 2007, the richest 1 percent of Americans accounted for about 24 percent of all income — simply wouldn’t be possible if the United States weren’t organized as it is. Just about every aspect of America’s economic and legal infrastructure — the laissez-faire governance of the markets; a convoluted tax structure that has hedge fund managers paying less than their office cleaners; the promise of state intervention when banks go belly-up; the legal protections afforded to corporations as if they were people; the enormous subsidies given to corporations (in total, about 50 percent more than social services spending); electoral funding practices that allow the wealthy to buy influence in government — allows the rich to stay rich and get richer. In primitive societies, people can accumulate only as much stuff as they can physically gather and hold on to. It’s only in “advanced” societies that the state provides the means to socioeconomic domination by a tiny minority.
More from HERE.
More from HERE.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Megacommuters: 600K in U.S. Travel 90 Minutes, 50 Miles to Work; 10.8 Million Travel an Hour Each Way
About 8.1 percent of U.S. workers have commutes of 60 minutes or longer, 4.3 percent work from home, and nearly 600,000 full-time workers had “megacommutes” of at least 90 minutes and 50 miles. The average one-way daily commute for workers across the country is 25.5 minutes, and one in four commuters leave their county to work.
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey, which provides local statistics on a variety of topics for even the smallest communities.
According to Out-of-State and Long Commutes: 2011, 23.0 percent of workers with long commutes (60 minutes or more) use public transit, compared with 5.3 percent for all workers. Only 61.1 percent of workers with long commutes drove to work alone, compared with 79.9 percent for all workers who worked outside the home.
“The average travel time for workers who commute by public transportation is higher than that of workers who use other modes. For some workers, using transit is a necessity, but others simply choose a longer travel time over sitting in traffic,” said Brian McKenzie, a Census Bureau statistician and author of the brief.
Rail travel accounted for 11.8 percent of workers with long commutes, and other forms of public transportation accounted for 11.2 percent.
Workers who live in New York state show the highest rate of long commutes at 16.2 percent, followed by Maryland and New Jersey at 14.8 percent and 14.6 percent, respectively. The estimates for Maryland and New Jersey are not statistically different from each other. These states and several others with high rates of long commutes contain or are adjacent to large metropolitan areas.
Based on the 2006-2010 American Community Survey, 586,805 full-time workers are mega commuters — one in 122 of full-time workers. Mega commuters were more likely to be male, older, married, make a higher salary, and have a spouse who does not work. Of the total mega commutes, 75.4 percent were male and 24.6 percent women. Mega commuters were also more likely to depart for work before 6 a.m. Metro areas with large populations tend to attract large flows of mega commuters, according to Mega Commuting in the U.S.
Commuting Across County Lines
More than a fourth of all U.S. workers commute outside the county where they live, according to County-to-County Commuting Flows: 2006-2010, a report on commutes between counties. About 27.4 percent of all U.S. workers traveled outside the county where they live for work during a typical week, compared with 26.7 percent in 2000.
[See the Commuting Flows in Your County]
Small counties and county equivalents dominate the list of counties with the highest percentage of workers commuting outside the county where they live. Several of these counties are in Virginia or Georgia within close proximity to metro areas such as Washington, D.C., and Atlanta: including Manassas Park, Va. (91.2 percent), Echols County, Ga. (85.3 percent), Storey County, Ga. (84.6 percent), Camden County, N.C. (83.2 percent), Long County, Ga. (82.1 percent), Carroll County, Miss. (81.8 percent), and Falls Church, Va. (81.8 percent). Because of the margins of error, these percentages are not statistically different from several of the others.
Three counties in the New York City metropolitan area had the highest number of commuters leaving the county where they live for another county. They include workers living in Kings County (Brooklyn), Queens County (Queens) and Bronx County (The Bronx) traveling to New York County (Manhattan) for work.
Workers commuting from Los Angeles County to Orange County, and from Orange County to Los Angeles County in California represented the fourth and fifth largest flows of commuters across county lines, followed by three combinations in the Houston or Dallas metro areas in Texas.
Out-of-State Commutes
The Census Bureau also examined workers who commute across state lines.
In five states and the District of Columbia, one in 10 workers lived in a different state, according to the Out-of-State and Long Commutes: 2011 brief. Among these are several small Eastern states, including Delaware (14.8 percent), Rhode Island (12.8 percent), New Hampshire (10.8 percent) and West Virginia (10.0 percent). North Dakota also showed a high rate of workers who live in a different state at 11.6 percent. The percentages for New Hampshire and North Dakota are not statistically different from each other.
Among all workers in the District of Columbia, 72.4 percent live in a different state. Workers from just two states, Maryland and Virginia, accounted for 70.4 percent who work in the District of Columbia.
“The District of Columbia is a job center for all of its adjoining counties in Maryland and Virginia,” McKenzie said. “No other state’s workforce exceeded 20.0 percent in its rate of out-of-state commuters.”
New Hampshire (17.0), Delaware (16.4), Rhode Island (15.6), New Jersey (14.0) and West Virginia (12.1) also had high percentages of residents leaving the state for work. The percentage for Delaware is not statistically different from the percentages of New Hampshire and Rode Island.
The District of Columbia also had the highest rate of residents traveling across state lines to work at 25.2 percent, followed by Maryland at 18.3 percent. About 12.0 percent of Maryland workers commute to the District of Columbia, and about 13.0 percent of workers living in the nation’s capital commute to Maryland.
The Census Bureau is also releasing an infographic that provides a statistical snapshot about home-based workers in the United States. This infographic presents recent historical trends as well as economic and social characteristics of people working from home at least one day per week. The infographic looks at statistics from the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the American Community Survey. Learn more about home-based workers.
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey, which provides local statistics on a variety of topics for even the smallest communities.
According to Out-of-State and Long Commutes: 2011, 23.0 percent of workers with long commutes (60 minutes or more) use public transit, compared with 5.3 percent for all workers. Only 61.1 percent of workers with long commutes drove to work alone, compared with 79.9 percent for all workers who worked outside the home.
“The average travel time for workers who commute by public transportation is higher than that of workers who use other modes. For some workers, using transit is a necessity, but others simply choose a longer travel time over sitting in traffic,” said Brian McKenzie, a Census Bureau statistician and author of the brief.
Rail travel accounted for 11.8 percent of workers with long commutes, and other forms of public transportation accounted for 11.2 percent.
Workers who live in New York state show the highest rate of long commutes at 16.2 percent, followed by Maryland and New Jersey at 14.8 percent and 14.6 percent, respectively. The estimates for Maryland and New Jersey are not statistically different from each other. These states and several others with high rates of long commutes contain or are adjacent to large metropolitan areas.
Based on the 2006-2010 American Community Survey, 586,805 full-time workers are mega commuters — one in 122 of full-time workers. Mega commuters were more likely to be male, older, married, make a higher salary, and have a spouse who does not work. Of the total mega commutes, 75.4 percent were male and 24.6 percent women. Mega commuters were also more likely to depart for work before 6 a.m. Metro areas with large populations tend to attract large flows of mega commuters, according to Mega Commuting in the U.S.
Commuting Across County Lines
More than a fourth of all U.S. workers commute outside the county where they live, according to County-to-County Commuting Flows: 2006-2010, a report on commutes between counties. About 27.4 percent of all U.S. workers traveled outside the county where they live for work during a typical week, compared with 26.7 percent in 2000.
[See the Commuting Flows in Your County]
Small counties and county equivalents dominate the list of counties with the highest percentage of workers commuting outside the county where they live. Several of these counties are in Virginia or Georgia within close proximity to metro areas such as Washington, D.C., and Atlanta: including Manassas Park, Va. (91.2 percent), Echols County, Ga. (85.3 percent), Storey County, Ga. (84.6 percent), Camden County, N.C. (83.2 percent), Long County, Ga. (82.1 percent), Carroll County, Miss. (81.8 percent), and Falls Church, Va. (81.8 percent). Because of the margins of error, these percentages are not statistically different from several of the others.
Three counties in the New York City metropolitan area had the highest number of commuters leaving the county where they live for another county. They include workers living in Kings County (Brooklyn), Queens County (Queens) and Bronx County (The Bronx) traveling to New York County (Manhattan) for work.
Workers commuting from Los Angeles County to Orange County, and from Orange County to Los Angeles County in California represented the fourth and fifth largest flows of commuters across county lines, followed by three combinations in the Houston or Dallas metro areas in Texas.
Out-of-State Commutes
The Census Bureau also examined workers who commute across state lines.
In five states and the District of Columbia, one in 10 workers lived in a different state, according to the Out-of-State and Long Commutes: 2011 brief. Among these are several small Eastern states, including Delaware (14.8 percent), Rhode Island (12.8 percent), New Hampshire (10.8 percent) and West Virginia (10.0 percent). North Dakota also showed a high rate of workers who live in a different state at 11.6 percent. The percentages for New Hampshire and North Dakota are not statistically different from each other.
Among all workers in the District of Columbia, 72.4 percent live in a different state. Workers from just two states, Maryland and Virginia, accounted for 70.4 percent who work in the District of Columbia.
“The District of Columbia is a job center for all of its adjoining counties in Maryland and Virginia,” McKenzie said. “No other state’s workforce exceeded 20.0 percent in its rate of out-of-state commuters.”
New Hampshire (17.0), Delaware (16.4), Rhode Island (15.6), New Jersey (14.0) and West Virginia (12.1) also had high percentages of residents leaving the state for work. The percentage for Delaware is not statistically different from the percentages of New Hampshire and Rode Island.
The District of Columbia also had the highest rate of residents traveling across state lines to work at 25.2 percent, followed by Maryland at 18.3 percent. About 12.0 percent of Maryland workers commute to the District of Columbia, and about 13.0 percent of workers living in the nation’s capital commute to Maryland.
The Census Bureau is also releasing an infographic that provides a statistical snapshot about home-based workers in the United States. This infographic presents recent historical trends as well as economic and social characteristics of people working from home at least one day per week. The infographic looks at statistics from the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the American Community Survey. Learn more about home-based workers.
Friday, March 1, 2013
U.S. Government Printing Office Joins Pinterest
The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) expands its social media presence by joining Pinterest. Connecting people through ‘things’ they find interesting is the founding principle of Pinterest and a natural fit with GPO’s core mission of Keeping America Informed on the three branches of the Federal Government. GPO will use Pinterest to share historic photos, videos, products, and Government publications with the public. Pinterest joins GPO’s other social media platforms of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Government Book Talk blog.
Link to GPO’s Pinterest
More of the story.
Link to GPO’s Pinterest
More of the story.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Welcome to NYC Open Data
This catalog supplies hundreds of sets of public data produced by New York City agencies and other City organizations. The data sets are now available as APIs and in a variety of machine-readable formats, making it easier than ever to consume City data and better serve New York City’s residents, visitors, developer community and all!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
30 Percent of Adults Receiving Government Assistance Have a Disability
Among the 46.0 million adults who received income-based government assistance in 2011, 30.4 percent of them had a disability, according to a report released from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The report, Disability Characteristics of Income-Based Government Assistance Recipients in the United States: 2011, offers information about the occurrence of disabilities among people 18 and older who received income-based government assistance. The information is based on data from the 2011 American Community Survey.
"On average, people with disabilities have lower employment and earnings; therefore, understanding what assistance people with disabilities receive may help governments better coordinate and administer their programs,” said Bernice Boursiquot, a Census Bureau statistician and co-author of the report.
People with a disability include those having vision, hearing, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care or independent living difficulties. Among recipients of public assistance, 18.2 percent had difficulty walking or climbing stairs, 14.6 percent had trouble leaving home to go shopping or visit the doctor without assistance, and 14.2 percent encountered trouble with memory, concentration, or making decisions.
Recipients received assistance in three forms: cash assistance (cash or money income), in-kind assistance (services, goods or vouchers) or both cash and in-kind assistance. Among people who received both cash and in-kind assistance, 58.3 percent had a disability. Among recipients of only cash assistance, 33.2 percent had a disability. Recipients of only in-kind benefits had the lowest disability rate at 22.6 percent.
This report also found that 22 states had disability rates above the national estimate of 30.4 percent among those receiving assistance. In comparison, 15 states had rates below the national estimate.
States west of the Appalachian Mountains had higher rates of disability among recipients of income-based assistance. In comparison, states in the Southwest and along the Eastern Seaboard had lower rates.
West Virginia, Kentucky and Arkansas were three of the top five states for disability prevalence in the total population, as well as in the total population receiving government assistance. In West Virginia, 26.8 percent of people with disabilities reported having ambulatory difficulty, defined as severe difficulties walking or climbing stairs.
The report, Disability Characteristics of Income-Based Government Assistance Recipients in the United States: 2011, offers information about the occurrence of disabilities among people 18 and older who received income-based government assistance. The information is based on data from the 2011 American Community Survey.
"On average, people with disabilities have lower employment and earnings; therefore, understanding what assistance people with disabilities receive may help governments better coordinate and administer their programs,” said Bernice Boursiquot, a Census Bureau statistician and co-author of the report.
People with a disability include those having vision, hearing, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care or independent living difficulties. Among recipients of public assistance, 18.2 percent had difficulty walking or climbing stairs, 14.6 percent had trouble leaving home to go shopping or visit the doctor without assistance, and 14.2 percent encountered trouble with memory, concentration, or making decisions.
Recipients received assistance in three forms: cash assistance (cash or money income), in-kind assistance (services, goods or vouchers) or both cash and in-kind assistance. Among people who received both cash and in-kind assistance, 58.3 percent had a disability. Among recipients of only cash assistance, 33.2 percent had a disability. Recipients of only in-kind benefits had the lowest disability rate at 22.6 percent.
This report also found that 22 states had disability rates above the national estimate of 30.4 percent among those receiving assistance. In comparison, 15 states had rates below the national estimate.
States west of the Appalachian Mountains had higher rates of disability among recipients of income-based assistance. In comparison, states in the Southwest and along the Eastern Seaboard had lower rates.
West Virginia, Kentucky and Arkansas were three of the top five states for disability prevalence in the total population, as well as in the total population receiving government assistance. In West Virginia, 26.8 percent of people with disabilities reported having ambulatory difficulty, defined as severe difficulties walking or climbing stairs.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
America's richest cities in 2013
From MoneyWatch:
Real estate is all about location, location, location -- especially when you're wealthy. After all, when you can afford to live anywhere you want, you won't settle for anything less than perfection.
Recently released census data suggests which cities have the greatest appeal for rich people. These metropolitan areas have the highest percentage of households with high income (defined as income levels in the top 5 percent of national income distribution). That represents an annual household income of at least $191,469.
All average listing prices from Trulia.com
Real estate is all about location, location, location -- especially when you're wealthy. After all, when you can afford to live anywhere you want, you won't settle for anything less than perfection.
Recently released census data suggests which cities have the greatest appeal for rich people. These metropolitan areas have the highest percentage of households with high income (defined as income levels in the top 5 percent of national income distribution). That represents an annual household income of at least $191,469.
All average listing prices from Trulia.com
Friday, February 22, 2013
2012 Small Business Profiles for States and Territories
The Office of Advocacy’s Small Business Profiles for the States and Territories supply data on small businesses in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia... The usefulness of the publication is the great detail it provides about small businesses at the state level. The following topics are covered: the number of firms, demographics of business ownership, small business income, banking, business turnover, industry composition, and employment gains and losses by size of business.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
How the 50 States Rate in Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data
The ability to see how government uses the public purse is fundamental to democracy. Transparency in government spending promotes fiscal responsibility, checks corruption, and bolsters public confidence.
In the past few years, state governments across the country have made their checkbooks transparent by creating online transparency portals. These government-operated websites allow visitors to view the government’s checkbook – who receives state money, how much, and for what purposes. Most of these websites are also searchable, making it easier for residents to follow the money and monitor government spending of many sorts. Today almost every state operates a transparency website with the state’s checkbook accessible to the public.
Over the past two years, the number of states that give citizens access to their state’s checkbook has increased from 32 to 46.
This report is U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s third annual ranking of states’ progress toward “Transparency 2.0” – a new standard of comprehensive, one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility.
In the past few years, state governments across the country have made their checkbooks transparent by creating online transparency portals. These government-operated websites allow visitors to view the government’s checkbook – who receives state money, how much, and for what purposes. Most of these websites are also searchable, making it easier for residents to follow the money and monitor government spending of many sorts. Today almost every state operates a transparency website with the state’s checkbook accessible to the public.
Over the past two years, the number of states that give citizens access to their state’s checkbook has increased from 32 to 46.
This report is U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s third annual ranking of states’ progress toward “Transparency 2.0” – a new standard of comprehensive, one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Critical Materials: Present Danger to U.S. Manufacturing | RAND
By Richard Silberglitt, James T. Bartis, Brian G. Chow, David L. An, Kyle Brady
A high percentage of many raw and semi-finished materials critical to U.S. manufacturing are imported. China is the controlling producer of 11 of these materials and has instituted export restrictions that have led to two-tier pricing, creating pressure to move manufacturing to China. This report suggests the need for actions to mitigate the impact of such market distortions on the global manufacturing sector.
From RAND
A high percentage of many raw and semi-finished materials critical to U.S. manufacturing are imported. China is the controlling producer of 11 of these materials and has instituted export restrictions that have led to two-tier pricing, creating pressure to move manufacturing to China. This report suggests the need for actions to mitigate the impact of such market distortions on the global manufacturing sector.
From RAND
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
China’s Army Is Seen as Tied to Hacking Against U.S.
A growing body of digital forensic evidence — confirmed by American intelligence officials who say they have tapped into the activity of a unit of cyberwarriors in China’s army — leaves little doubt that an overwhelming percentage of the attacks on American corporations, organizations and government agencies originate in and around a 12-story building on the outskirts of Shanghai.
An unusually detailed 60-page study, to be released Tuesday by Mandiant, an American computer security firm, tracks for the first time individual members of the most sophisticated of the Chinese hacking groups — known to many of its victims in the United States as “Comment Crew” or “Shanghai Group” — to the doorstep of the headquarters of a People’s Liberation Army unit.
While Comment Crew has drained terabytes of data from companies like Coca-Cola, increasingly its focus is on companies involved in the critical infrastructure of the United States — its electrical power grid, gas lines and waterworks.
READ MORE
An unusually detailed 60-page study, to be released Tuesday by Mandiant, an American computer security firm, tracks for the first time individual members of the most sophisticated of the Chinese hacking groups — known to many of its victims in the United States as “Comment Crew” or “Shanghai Group” — to the doorstep of the headquarters of a People’s Liberation Army unit.
While Comment Crew has drained terabytes of data from companies like Coca-Cola, increasingly its focus is on companies involved in the critical infrastructure of the United States — its electrical power grid, gas lines and waterworks.
READ MORE
Monday, February 18, 2013
Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2010
From the Bureau of Justice Statistics:
Over 118 million applications for firearm transfers or permits were subject to background checks from the inception of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 on March 1, 1994, through December 31, 2010. During this time period, about 2.1 million applications, or 1.8%, were denied. In 2010, 1.5% of the 10.4 million applications for firearm transfers or permits were denied by the FBI (approximately 73,000) or by state and local agencies (approximately
80,000). The denial rate for applications checked by the FBI (1.2%) was lower than the rate for checks by
state and local agencies.
Over 118 million applications for firearm transfers or permits were subject to background checks from the inception of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 on March 1, 1994, through December 31, 2010. During this time period, about 2.1 million applications, or 1.8%, were denied. In 2010, 1.5% of the 10.4 million applications for firearm transfers or permits were denied by the FBI (approximately 73,000) or by state and local agencies (approximately
80,000). The denial rate for applications checked by the FBI (1.2%) was lower than the rate for checks by
state and local agencies.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Undocumented Immigrants by California county
Here is a study of undocumented immigrant data estimates for California counties, or cluster of counties.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Electoral college reform (fifty states with equal population)
The electoral college is a time-honored, logical system for picking the chief executive of the United States. However, the American body politic has also grown accustomed to paying close attention to the popular vote. This is only rarely a problem, since the electoral college and the popular vote have only disagreed three times in 200 years. However, it's obvious that reforms are needed.
The fundamental problem of the electoral college is that the states of the United States are too disparate in size and influence. The largest state is 66 times as populous as the smallest and has 18 times as many electoral votes. This allows for Electoral College results that don't match the popular vote. To remedy this issue, the Electoral Reform Map redivides the fifty United States into 50 states of equal population. The 2010 Census records a population of 308,745,538 for the United States, which this map divides into 50 states, each with a population of about 6,175,000.
The fundamental problem of the electoral college is that the states of the United States are too disparate in size and influence. The largest state is 66 times as populous as the smallest and has 18 times as many electoral votes. This allows for Electoral College results that don't match the popular vote. To remedy this issue, the Electoral Reform Map redivides the fifty United States into 50 states of equal population. The 2010 Census records a population of 308,745,538 for the United States, which this map divides into 50 states, each with a population of about 6,175,000.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Most Frequent Procedures Performed in U.S. Hospitals, 2010
From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality:
Most hospitalizations involve one or more procedures, which can range from simple vaccinations to complex surgical procedures. The principal procedure is the procedure that is performed for definitive treatment (e.g., an appendectomy), but procedures can also be performed to make a diagnosis (e.g., tissue samples or exploratory surgery). Hospitalizations usually involve more than one procedure, which together constitute the all-listed procedures performed during a hospital stay.
This Statistical Brief presents data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) on the most common all-listed procedures performed during hospital stays in the United States in 2010, overall and by patient age. Changes between 1997 and 2010 in the number of stays and the rate of hospitalization in the population are presented for hospital stays with the most common procedures performed in 2010.
Most hospitalizations involve one or more procedures, which can range from simple vaccinations to complex surgical procedures. The principal procedure is the procedure that is performed for definitive treatment (e.g., an appendectomy), but procedures can also be performed to make a diagnosis (e.g., tissue samples or exploratory surgery). Hospitalizations usually involve more than one procedure, which together constitute the all-listed procedures performed during a hospital stay.
This Statistical Brief presents data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) on the most common all-listed procedures performed during hospital stays in the United States in 2010, overall and by patient age. Changes between 1997 and 2010 in the number of stays and the rate of hospitalization in the population are presented for hospital stays with the most common procedures performed in 2010.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Geographic Concentration of High-Income Households: 2007–2011
Two questions present themselves when considering the geographic concentration of high-income households. First, where do most high-income households live? Second, where are the highest concentrations of high-income households?
More from the Census Bureau.
More from the Census Bureau.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Abraham Lincoln Resources to Teach About Our 16th President
From humble roots to the leader of a nation during one of its most difficult times, Abraham Lincoln is one of the most respected and admired presidents. On his birthday, February 12, we recognize his contributions to our country.
16th President Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865
Abraham Lincoln - An Extraordinary Life
Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln's Home
Lincoln Memorial
Activity: WebRangers Abraham Lincoln Review and Quiz
Lesson Plans: Lincoln Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides
Video: What Was in Lincoln's Pockets?
16th President Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865
Abraham Lincoln - An Extraordinary Life
Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln's Home
Lincoln Memorial
Activity: WebRangers Abraham Lincoln Review and Quiz
Lesson Plans: Lincoln Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides
Video: What Was in Lincoln's Pockets?
Friday, February 8, 2013
Traffic Count Data for New York State
The Traffic Data Report describes NYSDOT's Statewide Traffic Monitoring System and the tools used to collect, summarize, interpret and publish traffic data both on and off the State highway system.
For those wanting something more sophisticated, the Traffic Data Viewer (TDV) is an interactive map program that displays published traffic data graphically. On the interactive map individuals have control of displaying data for individual traffic stations , the type of data available, and the location of counters used to collect the data. Estimates of Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) are available graphically for segments of roadway that contain a traffic station. Traffic Volume Reports containing hourly data are also available for most traffic stations.
For those wanting something more sophisticated, the Traffic Data Viewer (TDV) is an interactive map program that displays published traffic data graphically. On the interactive map individuals have control of displaying data for individual traffic stations , the type of data available, and the location of counters used to collect the data. Estimates of Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) are available graphically for segments of roadway that contain a traffic station. Traffic Volume Reports containing hourly data are also available for most traffic stations.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Census Bureau's New Infographic on America’s Foreign-Born Population
During the last 50 years, the foreign-born population of the United States has undergone dramatic changes in size, origins and geographic distribution. How do we know about America’s foreign-born? This new infographic provides a statistical snapshot of our foreign-born population from the American Community Survey and the decennial censuses.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Congressional district stats
A side note about the 2011 ACS estimates for the 113th Congress: the Census Bureau's "Easy Stats" website provides ACS estimates only one district at a time. The Bureau didn't provide data in bulk for all districts (which seems odd, since so many of us would want to analyze comparative statistics across multiple districts, and not be constrained by having to click through Easy Stats one district at a time).
But one of the refreshingly enterprising analysts who participates in the NICAR listserv - a terrific collection of individuals interested in meaningful analysis of Census and other statistical data sets -- wrote a Python script to collect all the 113th Congressional ACS data in one place. Here's the write up and here's a link to the resulting CSV file.
But one of the refreshingly enterprising analysts who participates in the NICAR listserv - a terrific collection of individuals interested in meaningful analysis of Census and other statistical data sets -- wrote a Python script to collect all the 113th Congressional ACS data in one place. Here's the write up and here's a link to the resulting CSV file.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Pew Report on Global Social Networking
Social networking has spread around the world with remarkable speed. In countries such as Britain, the United States, Russia, the Czech Republic and Spain, about half of all adults now use Facebook and similar websites. These sites are also popular in many lower-income nations, where, once people have access to the internet, they tend to use it for social networking.
Meanwhile, cell phones have become nearly ubiquitous throughout much of the world, and people are using them in a variety of ways, including texting and taking pictures. Smart phones are also increasingly common – roughly half in Britain, the U.S., and Japan have one. Globally, most smart phone users say they visit social networking sites on their phone, while many get job, consumer, and political information.
More from Pew Research.
***
An element of our mission at the Library of Congress is to collect the story of America and to acquire collections that will have research value. So when the Library had the opportunity to acquire an archive from the popular social media service Twitter, we decided this was a collection that should be here.
In April 2010, the Library and Twitter signed an agreement providing the Library the public tweets from the company’s inception through the date of the agreement, an archive of tweets from 2006 through April 2010. Additionally, the Library and Twitter agreed that Twitter would provide all public tweets on an ongoing basis under the same terms.
The Library’s first objectives were to acquire and preserve the 2006-10 archive; to establish a secure, sustainable process for receiving and preserving a daily, ongoing stream of tweets through the present day; and to create a structure for organizing the entire archive by date.
More from the Library of Congress.
Meanwhile, cell phones have become nearly ubiquitous throughout much of the world, and people are using them in a variety of ways, including texting and taking pictures. Smart phones are also increasingly common – roughly half in Britain, the U.S., and Japan have one. Globally, most smart phone users say they visit social networking sites on their phone, while many get job, consumer, and political information.
More from Pew Research.
***
An element of our mission at the Library of Congress is to collect the story of America and to acquire collections that will have research value. So when the Library had the opportunity to acquire an archive from the popular social media service Twitter, we decided this was a collection that should be here.
In April 2010, the Library and Twitter signed an agreement providing the Library the public tweets from the company’s inception through the date of the agreement, an archive of tweets from 2006 through April 2010. Additionally, the Library and Twitter agreed that Twitter would provide all public tweets on an ongoing basis under the same terms.
The Library’s first objectives were to acquire and preserve the 2006-10 archive; to establish a secure, sustainable process for receiving and preserving a daily, ongoing stream of tweets through the present day; and to create a structure for organizing the entire archive by date.
More from the Library of Congress.
Monday, February 4, 2013
What You Need to Know about the 2013 Tax Season
When it comes to tax season, every year is a little different. Laws change, some benefits kick in while others end, and natural disasters can have an impact on your tax return.
The deadline for filing your taxes is April 15, 2013. While this is the normal deadline, there are some important new things you should know for the 2013 tax season.
Tax Season Started Late This Year
The 2013 tax season started about a week later this year due to tax law changes enacted by Congress at the beginning of January. Most people can file their individual income tax returns starting January 30, but you might have to wait until the end of February or March if you’re filing certain forms.
More HERE.
The deadline for filing your taxes is April 15, 2013. While this is the normal deadline, there are some important new things you should know for the 2013 tax season.
Tax Season Started Late This Year
The 2013 tax season started about a week later this year due to tax law changes enacted by Congress at the beginning of January. Most people can file their individual income tax returns starting January 30, but you might have to wait until the end of February or March if you’re filing certain forms.
More HERE.
Friday, February 1, 2013
U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health
Here are recent health statistics:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - Costs for Hospital Stays in the United States, 2010
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - Emergency Department Visits and Hospital Inpatient Stays for Seasonal and 2009 H1N1 Influenza, 2008–2009
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - 1999-2009 Cancer Incidence and Mortality Data
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey - National Health Care Expenses in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2010
National Academy of Sciences - U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - Costs for Hospital Stays in the United States, 2010
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - Emergency Department Visits and Hospital Inpatient Stays for Seasonal and 2009 H1N1 Influenza, 2008–2009
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - 1999-2009 Cancer Incidence and Mortality Data
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey - National Health Care Expenses in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2010
National Academy of Sciences - U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Introducing A Brand New Airline Fees Guide
From Airfare watchdog:
In the first three quarters of last year, U.S. airlines made almost half a trillion dollars in baggage and change fees alone. It seems like there's a fee for everything these days. (Actually, there sort of is.) Figuring out which airline to book with and what the true cost of your travel will be is sort of like playing Guess Who? (but not nearly as fun). Need help? Let us introduce you to the brand new Comprehensive Airline Fees Guide, which comes in an easy-to-read PDF format. Here you'll find every major fee charged by every major domestic carrier. The best part? It won't cost you a dime.
In the first three quarters of last year, U.S. airlines made almost half a trillion dollars in baggage and change fees alone. It seems like there's a fee for everything these days. (Actually, there sort of is.) Figuring out which airline to book with and what the true cost of your travel will be is sort of like playing Guess Who? (but not nearly as fun). Need help? Let us introduce you to the brand new Comprehensive Airline Fees Guide, which comes in an easy-to-read PDF format. Here you'll find every major fee charged by every major domestic carrier. The best part? It won't cost you a dime.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Homeownership Rates Among Foreign-Born Increase with Time in US, Citizenship
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than half (52 percent) of foreign-born householders owned their homes in 2011. In contrast, about two-thirds (67 percent) of native-born householders owned their homes.
A new report, Homeownership Among the Foreign-Born Population: 2011, released today, examines the homeownership and renter status among foreign-born households based on data from the 2011 American Community Survey.
"Homeownership is a goal shared by many residents of the United States, both native- and foreign-born, citizen and noncitizen," said Elizabeth Grieco, chief of the Foreign-Born Population Branch at the Census Bureau. "For immigrants in particular — who maintain nearly one in seven households in the U.S. — making the transition from renter to homeowner represents a significant investment in the United States."
A household is designated as native- or foreign-born based on the nativity of the householder, regardless of the other occupants’ nativity. A householder is the person, or one of the people, in whose name the home is owned, being bought or rented. Country and region of origin of the household are based on the nativity of the householder as well.
This report found that foreign-born naturalized citizens were more likely to own their homes than foreign-born noncitizens. In naturalized citizen households, 66 percent were owner-occupied. That compares with 34 percent of noncitizen households.
Rates of homeownership among foreign-born households also increased with time spent in the United States. Among foreign-born households with a householder who entered the country before 1980, nearly three-fourths were owned rather than rented. Among households headed by someone who entered the U.S. since 2000, only one-fourth were owned.
According to the brief, just 10 metropolitan statistical areas accounted for about half the nation’s foreign-born households in 2011, led by New York and Los Angeles, each of which had more than 1 million foreign-born households. Rounding out the top five were Miami, Chicago and Houston.
Nearly half, or about 45 percent, of the metropolitan areas in the Northeast, particularly in New York and Pennsylvania, exceeded the national homeownership average for foreign-born households of 52 percent. These areas included Allentown, Pa.; Lancaster, Pa.; Philadelphia; Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Syracuse, N.Y.
Homeownership by the foreign-born varied considerably around the country. States such as Alaska, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire and New Mexico had homeownership rates of about 60 percent among foreign-born households. In contrast, fewer than 40 percent of foreign-born households were owned rather than rented in Washington, D.C., and New York.
There was considerable variation in homeownership rates among the various region-of-birth households in 2011. For example, 66 percent of households with a householder from Europe were owner-occupied, compared with 40 percent of households headed by someone born in Africa. In general, foreign-born households with a householder from Europe, Asia and other regions were more likely to own their homes than those headed by someone from Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
The American Community Survey provides a wide range of important statistics about people and housing for every community across the nation. The results are used by everyone from town and city planners to retailers and homebuilders. The survey is the only source of local estimates for most of the 40 topics it covers, such as education, occupation, language, ancestry and housing costs for even the smallest communities. Ever since Thomas Jefferson directed the first census in 1790, the census has collected detailed characteristics about our nation’s people. Questions about jobs and the economy were added 20 years later under James Madison, who said such information would allow Congress to “adapt the public measures to the particular circumstances of the community,” and over the decades, allow America “an opportunity of marking the progress of the society.”
A new report, Homeownership Among the Foreign-Born Population: 2011, released today, examines the homeownership and renter status among foreign-born households based on data from the 2011 American Community Survey.
"Homeownership is a goal shared by many residents of the United States, both native- and foreign-born, citizen and noncitizen," said Elizabeth Grieco, chief of the Foreign-Born Population Branch at the Census Bureau. "For immigrants in particular — who maintain nearly one in seven households in the U.S. — making the transition from renter to homeowner represents a significant investment in the United States."
A household is designated as native- or foreign-born based on the nativity of the householder, regardless of the other occupants’ nativity. A householder is the person, or one of the people, in whose name the home is owned, being bought or rented. Country and region of origin of the household are based on the nativity of the householder as well.
This report found that foreign-born naturalized citizens were more likely to own their homes than foreign-born noncitizens. In naturalized citizen households, 66 percent were owner-occupied. That compares with 34 percent of noncitizen households.
Rates of homeownership among foreign-born households also increased with time spent in the United States. Among foreign-born households with a householder who entered the country before 1980, nearly three-fourths were owned rather than rented. Among households headed by someone who entered the U.S. since 2000, only one-fourth were owned.
According to the brief, just 10 metropolitan statistical areas accounted for about half the nation’s foreign-born households in 2011, led by New York and Los Angeles, each of which had more than 1 million foreign-born households. Rounding out the top five were Miami, Chicago and Houston.
Nearly half, or about 45 percent, of the metropolitan areas in the Northeast, particularly in New York and Pennsylvania, exceeded the national homeownership average for foreign-born households of 52 percent. These areas included Allentown, Pa.; Lancaster, Pa.; Philadelphia; Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Syracuse, N.Y.
Homeownership by the foreign-born varied considerably around the country. States such as Alaska, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire and New Mexico had homeownership rates of about 60 percent among foreign-born households. In contrast, fewer than 40 percent of foreign-born households were owned rather than rented in Washington, D.C., and New York.
There was considerable variation in homeownership rates among the various region-of-birth households in 2011. For example, 66 percent of households with a householder from Europe were owner-occupied, compared with 40 percent of households headed by someone born in Africa. In general, foreign-born households with a householder from Europe, Asia and other regions were more likely to own their homes than those headed by someone from Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
The American Community Survey provides a wide range of important statistics about people and housing for every community across the nation. The results are used by everyone from town and city planners to retailers and homebuilders. The survey is the only source of local estimates for most of the 40 topics it covers, such as education, occupation, language, ancestry and housing costs for even the smallest communities. Ever since Thomas Jefferson directed the first census in 1790, the census has collected detailed characteristics about our nation’s people. Questions about jobs and the economy were added 20 years later under James Madison, who said such information would allow Congress to “adapt the public measures to the particular circumstances of the community,” and over the decades, allow America “an opportunity of marking the progress of the society.”
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
New Analyses of Census Data Examine Nation’s 65+ Labor Force, Working Students, Changes in Self-Employment
Three new American Community Survey briefs released today from the U.S. Census Bureau focus on individuals 65 and older in the labor force, students who are working or have worked in the past year, and the self-employed.
The percentage of people 65 and older in the labor force increased from 12.1 percent in 1990 to 16.1 percent in 2010. The increase was greater for women.
“As with all age groups, the increase in labor force participation of women has been a driving factor for this overall trend,” said Braedyn Kromer, an analyst in the Census Bureau’s Labor Force Statistics Branch.
Between 1990 and 2010, women 65 and older experienced a 4.1 percentage point increase in labor force participation, while women 16 to 64 experienced a 1.9 percentage point increase. This compares with a 3.2 percentage point increase in the labor force participation rate for men 65 and older and a 5.2 percentage point decline in the participation rate for men 16 to 64.
These statistics are part of a series of short, topic-based briefs produced to highlight results from the 2011 American Community Survey. The three briefs released are Labor Force Participation and Work Status of People 65 Years and Older, and School Enrollment and Work Status: 2011, and Changes in Self-Employment: 2010 to 2011.
“The American Community Survey allows us to measure important demographic characteristics of the nation's labor force and helps identify the impacts of changes in the labor market,” said Jennifer Cheeseman Day, assistant division chief for employment characteristics in the Census Bureau's Social, Economic and Housing Statistics Division.
The School Enrollment and Work Status: 2011 brief highlights statistics on school enrollment and examines the proportion of students who worked and the amount of time they worked over the previous year. For example, the majority of undergraduate college students, 72 percent, worked during the year. Some other highlights included in the brief are:
--In 2011, 20 percent of college undergraduate students worked full-time, year-round.
--Almost half of graduate students worked full-time, year-round.
--The majority of graduate students, 82 percent, worked at least part-time during the year.
The Changes in Self-Employment: 2010 to 2011 brief examines changes in self-employment from 2010 to 2011 for the United States, the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Self-employment refers to individuals working in their own incorporated or nonincorporated businesses. Some highlights included in the brief are:
--Incorporated self-employment fell as a share of total employment nationally and in 13 states between 2010 and 2011. It increased in one state and was essentially unchanged in 36 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
--From 2010 to 2011, the share of nonincorporated self-employment of total employment decreased nationally and in five states (Colorado, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas) and the District of Columbia. It increased in one state and Puerto Rico and was essentially unchanged in 44 states.
--In general, incorporated self-employed workers were more likely to work in management and professional occupations and had higher employment outcomes in 2011 than nonincorporated self-employed workers. The higher employment outcomes show that they were more likely to work full-time, year-round, have health insurance and earned higher incomes.
The American Community Survey provides a wide range of important statistics about people and housing for every community across the nation. The results are used by everyone from town and city planners to retailers and homebuilders. The survey is the only source of local estimates for most of the 40 topics it covers, such as education, occupation, language, ancestry and housing costs for even the smallest communities. Ever since Thomas Jefferson directed the first census in 1790, the census has collected detailed characteristics about our nation's people. Questions about jobs and the economy were added 20 years later under James Madison, who said such information would allow Congress to "adapt the public measures to the particular circumstances of the community," and over the decades, allow America "an opportunity of marking the progress of the society."
Monday, January 28, 2013
Black History Month: February 2013
To commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, American historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week. The first celebration occurred on Feb. 12, 1926. For many years, the second week of February was set aside for this celebration to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist/editor Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, as part of the nation's bicentennial, the week was expanded into Black History Month. Each year, U.S. presidents proclaim February as National African-American History Month.
Profile America: Facts for Features
Profile America: Facts for Features
Sunday, January 27, 2013
JSTOR Journal Archives Now Free to Public
From the Library Journal:
The archives of more than 1,200 journals are now available for limited free reading by the public, JSTOR announced. Anyone can sign up for a JSTOR account and read up to three articles for free every two weeks.
This is a major expansion of the Register & Read program, following a 10-month test, during which more than 150,000 people registered for access to an initial set of 76 journals. The new additions bring more than 4.5 million articles from nearly 800 scholarly societies, university presses, and academic publishers into the Register & Read offerings.
The archives of more than 1,200 journals are now available for limited free reading by the public, JSTOR announced. Anyone can sign up for a JSTOR account and read up to three articles for free every two weeks.
This is a major expansion of the Register & Read program, following a 10-month test, during which more than 150,000 people registered for access to an initial set of 76 journals. The new additions bring more than 4.5 million articles from nearly 800 scholarly societies, university presses, and academic publishers into the Register & Read offerings.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Pew Releases Report on Health Info Online Searching
From Pew Internet & American Life Project:
Online resources join the stream of information flowing in from people's interactions with clinicians, family, and fellow patients. When respondents were asked about the last time they had a serious health issue and to whom they turned for help, either online or offline:
- 70% of U.S. adults got information, care, or support from a doctor or other health care professional.
- 60% got information or support from friends and family.
- 24% got information or support from others who have the same health condition
Online resources join the stream of information flowing in from people's interactions with clinicians, family, and fellow patients. When respondents were asked about the last time they had a serious health issue and to whom they turned for help, either online or offline:
- 70% of U.S. adults got information, care, or support from a doctor or other health care professional.
- 60% got information or support from friends and family.
- 24% got information or support from others who have the same health condition
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Virtual tour of the Census Bureau's new American FactFinder features
Census Bureau published a virtual tour of the new AFF features due to be released next week, January 29.
Please note that the “Advanced Search” option gets you to a slightly enhanced version of the current FactFinder with access to all available data.
Please note that the “Advanced Search” option gets you to a slightly enhanced version of the current FactFinder with access to all available data.
Census Bureau Reports Fast Growth in Ph.D.s and Master’s Degree Holders
From 2002 to 2012, the highest rate of increases in education attainment levels were doctorate and master’s degrees, according to new statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. The population with a doctorate grew by about 1 million, or 45 percent, while those who held a master’s climbed by 5 million, or 43 percent.
Meanwhile, the population with an associate degree rose by 5 million, or 31 percent. Those whose highest degree was a bachelor’s degree grew at a smaller rate: 25 percent to 41 million. Meanwhile, the number of those without a high school or GED diploma declined by 13 percent, falling to 25 million. The rates of increase for doctorate and master’s holders were not significantly different from one another.
The statistics come from Educational Attainment in the United States: 2012, a series of national-level tables showing attainment levels by a wide range of demographic characteristics, including sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, household relationship, citizenship and nativity, labor force status, occupation and industry. Also included are detailed information on years of school completed, showing for each level of attainment exactly how many years of education adults have. A variety of historical time series tables going back to 1940 are also provided, as are graphs illustrating historical data.
Women outnumbered men in 2012 among people whose highest level of education was a bachelor’s degree (21 million versus 19 million) or a master’s degree (9 million compared with 7.4 million). Conversely, more men had doctorate (2 million versus 1.2 million) or professional degrees (1.8 million compared with 1.2 million). Between 2002 and 2012, however, the gap between the number of men and women with professional degrees shrank.
The tabulations also show that education continues to pay off. Among people 25 and older who had any earnings in 2011, average earnings were $59,415 for people with a bachelor’s degree (but no graduate degree), compared with $32,493 for people with a high school diploma, but no college.
These statistics come from the Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement, which is conducted in February, March and April each year at about 100,000 addresses nationwide.
Meanwhile, the population with an associate degree rose by 5 million, or 31 percent. Those whose highest degree was a bachelor’s degree grew at a smaller rate: 25 percent to 41 million. Meanwhile, the number of those without a high school or GED diploma declined by 13 percent, falling to 25 million. The rates of increase for doctorate and master’s holders were not significantly different from one another.
The statistics come from Educational Attainment in the United States: 2012, a series of national-level tables showing attainment levels by a wide range of demographic characteristics, including sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, household relationship, citizenship and nativity, labor force status, occupation and industry. Also included are detailed information on years of school completed, showing for each level of attainment exactly how many years of education adults have. A variety of historical time series tables going back to 1940 are also provided, as are graphs illustrating historical data.
Women outnumbered men in 2012 among people whose highest level of education was a bachelor’s degree (21 million versus 19 million) or a master’s degree (9 million compared with 7.4 million). Conversely, more men had doctorate (2 million versus 1.2 million) or professional degrees (1.8 million compared with 1.2 million). Between 2002 and 2012, however, the gap between the number of men and women with professional degrees shrank.
The tabulations also show that education continues to pay off. Among people 25 and older who had any earnings in 2011, average earnings were $59,415 for people with a bachelor’s degree (but no graduate degree), compared with $32,493 for people with a high school diploma, but no college.
These statistics come from the Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement, which is conducted in February, March and April each year at about 100,000 addresses nationwide.
Wayback Machine Updated with More URLs
From Internet Archive Blogs
The Wayback Machine has been updated with much more data and some code improvements. Now it covers from late 1996 to December 9, 2012 so you can surf the web as it was up until a month ago. Also, it has gone from having 150,000,000,000 URLs to having 240,000,000,000 URLs, a total of about 5 petabytes of data. (Want a humorous description of a petabyte? start at 28:55) This database is queried over 1,000 times a second by over 500,000 people a day helping make archive.org the 250th most popular website.
The Wayback Machine has been updated with much more data and some code improvements. Now it covers from late 1996 to December 9, 2012 so you can surf the web as it was up until a month ago. Also, it has gone from having 150,000,000,000 URLs to having 240,000,000,000 URLs, a total of about 5 petabytes of data. (Want a humorous description of a petabyte? start at 28:55) This database is queried over 1,000 times a second by over 500,000 people a day helping make archive.org the 250th most popular website.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Updated Public Authority Payrolls on SeeThroughNY
From HERE:
Updated payroll files for 62,545 state and local public authority employees in New York have been posted on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center's government transparency website for taxpayers.
The top average pay in the latest SeeThroughNY update was the $97,675 reported for the Long Island Power Authority, which has been widely criticized for its handling of Superstorm Sandy.
Updated payroll files for 62,545 state and local public authority employees in New York have been posted on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center's government transparency website for taxpayers.
The top average pay in the latest SeeThroughNY update was the $97,675 reported for the Long Island Power Authority, which has been widely criticized for its handling of Superstorm Sandy.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Extremism Running Amok at America's Restaurant Chains
Obesity rates may show signs of leveling off, but it looks like America’s major restaurant chains are doing everything possible to reverse the trend, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group unveils the latest "winners" of its Xtreme Eating Awards in the current issue of its Nutrition Action Healthletter.
"It's as if IHOP, The Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano's Little Italy, and other major restaurant chains are scientifically engineering these extreme meals with the express purpose of promoting obesity, diabetes, and heart disease," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "You'd think that the size of their profits depended on their increasing the size of your pants."
One might think that the Bistro Shrimp Pasta from The Cheesecake Factory is one of the less fattening things on the menu, what with its shrimp, mushrooms, tomato, and arugula. It actually has more calories than any other entrée (at 3,120), along with 89 grams of saturated fat (enough to keep your arteries busy from Monday morning to noon on Friday, says CSPI). It's the nutritional equivalent of three orders of Olive Garden's Lasagna Classico plus an order of Tiramisu. [Photo by Jorge Bach of the CSPI]
"It's as if IHOP, The Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano's Little Italy, and other major restaurant chains are scientifically engineering these extreme meals with the express purpose of promoting obesity, diabetes, and heart disease," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "You'd think that the size of their profits depended on their increasing the size of your pants."
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Electric Vehicles: 10 Predictions for 2013
From Pike Research:
If 2012 was the year when the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) industry shifted from neutral to first gear, then the industry will be racing ahead in second gear in 2013.... Sales of PEVs in 2013 will continue to outpace the first years of hybrid vehicle sales as more than 210,000 PEVs will be sold globally and more than three dozen PEV models will debut. Consumers will have a much greater variety in vehicle types and in all-electric range, while consumer familiarity with the capabilities of the segment will also greatly increase.
California will continue to drive PEV sales in the United States as purchases will expand into smaller urban and suburban regions with more dealers beginning to offer the vehicles. In China, the PEV market will begin to reap the benefits of the many international automotive joint- ventures (JVs) that have developed during prior years. The industry will not be without its casualties and consolidation as several startup electric vehicle (EV) companies are likely to be absorbed or discontinue operations during the year.
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which is now accessible in many large cities in the developed world, provides a baseline of public charging to pacify anxious EV drivers and will be more frequently utilized in 2013. Increasingly detailed analytics about PEV sales and charging habits will be the basis for identifying the most suitable locations for public EV charging. This data will begin to offer value to vehicle manufacturers and utilities as the percentage of PEV sales in some cities will approach double digits.
If 2012 was the year when the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) industry shifted from neutral to first gear, then the industry will be racing ahead in second gear in 2013.... Sales of PEVs in 2013 will continue to outpace the first years of hybrid vehicle sales as more than 210,000 PEVs will be sold globally and more than three dozen PEV models will debut. Consumers will have a much greater variety in vehicle types and in all-electric range, while consumer familiarity with the capabilities of the segment will also greatly increase.
California will continue to drive PEV sales in the United States as purchases will expand into smaller urban and suburban regions with more dealers beginning to offer the vehicles. In China, the PEV market will begin to reap the benefits of the many international automotive joint- ventures (JVs) that have developed during prior years. The industry will not be without its casualties and consolidation as several startup electric vehicle (EV) companies are likely to be absorbed or discontinue operations during the year.
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which is now accessible in many large cities in the developed world, provides a baseline of public charging to pacify anxious EV drivers and will be more frequently utilized in 2013. Increasingly detailed analytics about PEV sales and charging habits will be the basis for identifying the most suitable locations for public EV charging. This data will begin to offer value to vehicle manufacturers and utilities as the percentage of PEV sales in some cities will approach double digits.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Estimating Law Enforcement Firearms
From the Small Arms Survey:
Law enforcement small arms present a contradiction of visibility and scarcity. Of the roughly 875 million firearms in the world, in virtually all large countries law enforcement weapons are the most visible in public. They are also the smallest major category of small arms, covering some 25 million fire-arms, compared to approximately 200 million military and 650 million civilian guns world-wide (Small Arms Survey, 2007). The agencies covered in this analysis include law enforcement agencies responsible for domestic security, i.e. police, gendarmes, official paramilitaries, and smaller agencies such as customs, game management, and prisons
Law enforcement small arms present a contradiction of visibility and scarcity. Of the roughly 875 million firearms in the world, in virtually all large countries law enforcement weapons are the most visible in public. They are also the smallest major category of small arms, covering some 25 million fire-arms, compared to approximately 200 million military and 650 million civilian guns world-wide (Small Arms Survey, 2007). The agencies covered in this analysis include law enforcement agencies responsible for domestic security, i.e. police, gendarmes, official paramilitaries, and smaller agencies such as customs, game management, and prisons
Friday, January 18, 2013
Canada Year Book, 2012
Source: Statistics Canada:
This edition marks the Canada Year Book’s final release.
Statistics Canada recognizes that today’s data users need information that is both up-to-date and accessible online. In 2012, we took a major step in that direction by making all of our online information free, enabling users to easily download and manipulate statistical data. In the future, we will be developing new approaches to web-based publications. Our goal, as always, is to keep Canadians informed about our country’s social and economic life.
This edition marks the Canada Year Book’s final release.
Statistics Canada recognizes that today’s data users need information that is both up-to-date and accessible online. In 2012, we took a major step in that direction by making all of our online information free, enabling users to easily download and manipulate statistical data. In the future, we will be developing new approaches to web-based publications. Our goal, as always, is to keep Canadians informed about our country’s social and economic life.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
World Travel Trends Report 2012/2013
From ITB Berlin:
The report covers the main trends in outbound travel demand for the first eight months of 2012 together with estimates for the full year and also contains ini- tial forecasts for 2013...
In addition, it focuses on various topics and market segments that were discussed at the Forum. These include the role of technology and social media, the challenges facing the cruise business, niche markets such as adventure travel and medical tourism, and the need for better accessibility for people with disabilities.
As the following sections make clear, the world travel industry again proved its resilience and ability to overcome crises this year. Despite many different negative factors, the travel and tourism industry is expected to reach a new all-time high in 2012. According to IPK’s World Travel Monitor, outbound (international) trips will increase by 4% in 2012, which is only slightly lower than last year’s 5% growth figure.
The report covers the main trends in outbound travel demand for the first eight months of 2012 together with estimates for the full year and also contains ini- tial forecasts for 2013...
In addition, it focuses on various topics and market segments that were discussed at the Forum. These include the role of technology and social media, the challenges facing the cruise business, niche markets such as adventure travel and medical tourism, and the need for better accessibility for people with disabilities.
As the following sections make clear, the world travel industry again proved its resilience and ability to overcome crises this year. Despite many different negative factors, the travel and tourism industry is expected to reach a new all-time high in 2012. According to IPK’s World Travel Monitor, outbound (international) trips will increase by 4% in 2012, which is only slightly lower than last year’s 5% growth figure.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Paying Taxes 2013: The global picture
From PriceWaterhouseCoopers:
The Paying Taxes indicators (the Total Tax Rate, the time to comply and the number of payments) have now been part of the World Bank Group Doing Business project for eight years, monitoring the changes and reforms made to tax regimes around the world. The simple aim of the study is to supply business leaders and policy makers with robust data to enable tax systems to be compared on a like for like basis, and to help inform the dialogue which underlies the development of tax policy.
The study is unique in that it now not only covers 185 economies, but it also provides an insight into how tax systems have developed over a significant period of time, using a consistent methodology.
The period covered (2004 to 2011) has been a particularly turbulent one. Initially there was a period of significant growth, followed by an abrupt and severe economic downturn. We are now in a period of slow, gradual, but inconsistent recovery. It is not surprising therefore that with this volatile economic backdrop, the interest in the payments made by business and received by governments has become more intense and widespread.
The Paying Taxes indicators (the Total Tax Rate, the time to comply and the number of payments) have now been part of the World Bank Group Doing Business project for eight years, monitoring the changes and reforms made to tax regimes around the world. The simple aim of the study is to supply business leaders and policy makers with robust data to enable tax systems to be compared on a like for like basis, and to help inform the dialogue which underlies the development of tax policy.
The study is unique in that it now not only covers 185 economies, but it also provides an insight into how tax systems have developed over a significant period of time, using a consistent methodology.
The period covered (2004 to 2011) has been a particularly turbulent one. Initially there was a period of significant growth, followed by an abrupt and severe economic downturn. We are now in a period of slow, gradual, but inconsistent recovery. It is not surprising therefore that with this volatile economic backdrop, the interest in the payments made by business and received by governments has become more intense and widespread.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Financials for US Financial Institutions
The FDIC Institution Directory (ID) provides the latest comprehensive financial and demographic data for every FDIC-insured institution, including the most recent quarterly financial statements, with performance and condition ratios.
Use the FDIC Institution Directory to:
Find Bank Holding Companies
Identify the Regulatory Top Holder of FDIC-insured Subsidiaries
Identify all insured institutions owned by a bank holding company
Look up summary financial information of the insured institutions owned by a bank holding company
Find Institutions
Look up demographic and financial information on any bank or thrift insured by the FDIC
List FDIC insured banks and thrifts by location, size or other characteristics
Trace inactive (closed) banks to their successor institutions
Download Institution Lists and Summary Financial Reports displayed on a screen
Find Offices
Look up the locations of all offices (branches) of banks or thrifts insured by the FDIC Download lists of offices.
Use the FDIC Institution Directory to:
Find Bank Holding Companies
Identify the Regulatory Top Holder of FDIC-insured Subsidiaries
Identify all insured institutions owned by a bank holding company
Look up summary financial information of the insured institutions owned by a bank holding company
Find Institutions
Look up demographic and financial information on any bank or thrift insured by the FDIC
List FDIC insured banks and thrifts by location, size or other characteristics
Trace inactive (closed) banks to their successor institutions
Download Institution Lists and Summary Financial Reports displayed on a screen
Find Offices
Look up the locations of all offices (branches) of banks or thrifts insured by the FDIC Download lists of offices.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Big Cuts In State and Local Government Jobs
Combined state and local government employment across the U.S. has declined significantly since the Great Recession began in December 2007, according to a new report from the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
During the past year, state and local governments cut a total of about 489,000 jobs, a decline of 2.5 percent. Percentage cuts in state and local government employment are actually greater, if we compare current employment levels to peak levels. As of December 2012, for the nation as a whole, state and local government employment is down 3.4 percent or 681,000 jobs from the peak level recorded in August of 2008.
The report shows that the impact of the Great Recession on state and local public employment has been much deeper than any other recession in the last 50 years.
During the past year, state and local governments cut a total of about 489,000 jobs, a decline of 2.5 percent. Percentage cuts in state and local government employment are actually greater, if we compare current employment levels to peak levels. As of December 2012, for the nation as a whole, state and local government employment is down 3.4 percent or 681,000 jobs from the peak level recorded in August of 2008.
The report shows that the impact of the Great Recession on state and local public employment has been much deeper than any other recession in the last 50 years.
Friday, January 11, 2013
How Prevalent is Gun Violence in America?
From Bureau of Justice Statistics.
In 2005, 11,346 persons were killed by firearm violence and 477,040 persons were victims of a crime committed with a firearm. Most murders in the United States are committed with firearms, especially handguns.
In 2006, firearms were used in 68 percent of murders, 42 percent of robbery offenses and 22 percent of aggravated assaults nationwide.
In 2005, 11,346 persons were killed by firearm violence and 477,040 persons were victims of a crime committed with a firearm. Most murders in the United States are committed with firearms, especially handguns.
In 2006, firearms were used in 68 percent of murders, 42 percent of robbery offenses and 22 percent of aggravated assaults nationwide.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Correlation between legal polygamy and same-sex relationship recognition
From GayNZ.com:
NONE of the 50 countries that have legalized polygamy have legal status of marriage equality AND for 37 of 50, homosexual law reform is yet to be achieved.
NONE of the 11 countries - Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden - that have legalized marriage equality have legal status of polygamy.
(Tip of the hat to Arthur@AmeriNZ)
NONE of the 50 countries that have legalized polygamy have legal status of marriage equality AND for 37 of 50, homosexual law reform is yet to be achieved.
NONE of the 11 countries - Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden - that have legalized marriage equality have legal status of polygamy.
(Tip of the hat to Arthur@AmeriNZ)
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
2012 alt-fuel car sales demand solid
From HERE:
December 2012 alt-fuel vehicle sales continued to trend well ahead of 2011 figures and pushed 2012's sales of hybrids, diesels and plug-ins past the half-million vehicle threshold. Plug-in vehicle sales totaled 6,769 units for December, which was more than twice as high as a year earlier and just 15 units shy of October's monthly record of 6,784. Last year's plug-in sales, which were just shy of the 50,000-unit threshold (not including lower volume cars like the Tesla Model S) were spurred by consistent demand for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug in and a late surge of sales for the Nissan Leaf battery-electric.
December sales marked a 45-percent increase from 2011.
US alt-fuel sales last month totaled 55,096 units, up from November's 46,216 vehicles. December sales marked a 45-percent increase from 2011 and represented last year's second-highest monthly total, behind March's 57,130 vehicles.
December 2012 alt-fuel vehicle sales continued to trend well ahead of 2011 figures and pushed 2012's sales of hybrids, diesels and plug-ins past the half-million vehicle threshold. Plug-in vehicle sales totaled 6,769 units for December, which was more than twice as high as a year earlier and just 15 units shy of October's monthly record of 6,784. Last year's plug-in sales, which were just shy of the 50,000-unit threshold (not including lower volume cars like the Tesla Model S) were spurred by consistent demand for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug in and a late surge of sales for the Nissan Leaf battery-electric.
December sales marked a 45-percent increase from 2011.
US alt-fuel sales last month totaled 55,096 units, up from November's 46,216 vehicles. December sales marked a 45-percent increase from 2011 and represented last year's second-highest monthly total, behind March's 57,130 vehicles.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
How Many Minimum-Wage Hours Does It Take To Afford a Decent Life?
So much of the talk surrounding the jobs crisis focuses on unemployment, but a huge portion of those who do have jobs are barely clinging to a decent lifestyle. In 2010, one in five American adults worked for poverty-level wages, 4.4 million of whom earned wages at or below the federal minimum.
The infographic, from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, makes painfully clear just how hard it is to make ends meet on these wages. Want a modest two-bedroom apartment in New York state for the standard 30 percent of your income? You're going to have to toil at a minimum-wage job for 136 hours a week
The infographic, from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, makes painfully clear just how hard it is to make ends meet on these wages. Want a modest two-bedroom apartment in New York state for the standard 30 percent of your income? You're going to have to toil at a minimum-wage job for 136 hours a week
Monday, January 7, 2013
Recent Census Bureau Stats
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
First-Year Undergraduate Remedial Coursetaking
A primary goal of the U.S. Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Blueprint for Reform is to improve the college readiness of high school graduates. College readiness is a complex benchmark and has been measured in several ways, including transcript analysis and standardized test scores. One such measure, and the focus of this Statistics in Brief, is remedial coursework enrollment.
Consistent with earlier National Center for Education Statistics publications, this brief defines remedial courses as courses for students lacking skills necessary to perform college-level work at the degree of rigor required by the institution. At the start of their college careers, students who are not sufficiently prepared to complete entry-level courses are often encouraged or required to take developmental or remedial courses. Results from previous surveys conducted by the NCES that collected data on the percentage of students enrolled in remedial coursework found that 28 percent of first-year students who entered 2- or 4-year degree-granting postsecondary institutions were enrolled in remedial courses in both 1995 and 2000.
Consistent with earlier National Center for Education Statistics publications, this brief defines remedial courses as courses for students lacking skills necessary to perform college-level work at the degree of rigor required by the institution. At the start of their college careers, students who are not sufficiently prepared to complete entry-level courses are often encouraged or required to take developmental or remedial courses. Results from previous surveys conducted by the NCES that collected data on the percentage of students enrolled in remedial coursework found that 28 percent of first-year students who entered 2- or 4-year degree-granting postsecondary institutions were enrolled in remedial courses in both 1995 and 2000.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
HUD, Census Bureau Expand Access to Detailed Info on Nation’s Housing
Nearly 20 percent of recent movers identified “convenience to job” as the most important factor in their choice of neighborhood in 2011, according to the American Housing Survey, the definitive source of information on the quality of housing in the United States. For the first time ever, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have made survey results available on the Census Bureau’s American FactFinder data access tool.
A wide range of specific topics is covered in the survey, including plumbing and source of water and sewage disposal; housing problems; householder’s satisfaction with home and neighborhood; value, purchase price and type of mortgage; 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 and are provided for apartments, single-family homes, manufactured housing, new construction and vacant housing units.
Topics new to the housing survey include safety features, potential health hazards and features providing accessibility to people with disabilities. Among the accessibility features in occupied homes were floors with no steps between rooms (64 percent of homes have this feature), entry level bathrooms (48 percent), entry level bedrooms (36 percent) and handles or levers on sinks (28 percent). The least common accessibility features were elevators (found in 0.2 percent of homes), ramps (1 percent), handrails or grab bars (excluding steps) in nonbathroom areas (2 percent), raised toilets (7 percent) and built-in shower seats (8 percent).
Other highlights on the nation’s 115 million occupied homes:
--The median year these homes were built was 1974, with owner-occupied units being slightly newer (1976 compared with 1972 for renter-occupied).
--The median size of single-family detached and mobile home units is 1,800 square feet, with owner-occupied units being larger (1,800 square feet) than renter-occupied ones (1,300 square feet). Newly constructed units are also usually larger, with a median size of 2,200 square feet.
--Most homes have three or more bedrooms (64 percent). New homes (those built in the last four years) generally have more bedrooms, with 74 percent of them having three or more.
--About half the homes (52 percent) have two or more bathrooms. Again, new units have more bathrooms, with 83 percent of them having two or more.
--More than eight in 10 units have a washing machine (83 percent) and clothes dryer (81 percent).
--About two-thirds of the units (66 percent) have central air-conditioning and another 22 percent have window units – new units are more likely to have central air-conditioning (87 percent).
--The most common Energy Star-rated appliances found in housing units are refrigerators (35 percent), washing machines (30 percent) and dishwashers (22 percent). Energy Star refers to an international energy efficiency rating.
--About seven in 10 respondents (71 percent) rate their homes highly (ratings of eight to 10) with 29 percent giving them the “best” rating of 10. Residents of new construction tend to rate their homes even more highly with 84 percent giving them a rating between eight and 10 and 46 percent rating them as a 10.
--Recent movers were also asked how they found their current units. The most common methods for home owners were talking with a real estate agent (20 percent), Realtor.com (17 percent) and word of mouth (16 percent). For renters, the most common ways included word of mouth (34 percent), sign on the outside of the building (11 percent) and Craigslist (11 percent).
--On average, households pay $927 per month, or 24 percent of their household income, for housing. The cost is higher for residents of new construction, with median cost being $1,340 per month or 24 percent of household income. Renters generally pay less in housing cost ($845 versus $1,008 for owners per month), but they usually pay a higher percentage of their household income (31 percent versus 20 percent for owners).
--More than a fifth (21 percent) of all primary mortgage holders reported a change in their monthly payment in the last 12 months. The main reason for their payment change was because of a change in property taxes or homeowners insurance (71 percent).
--Twelve percent of households reported a smoker living in the unit.
--Sixteen percent of units reported having a swimming pool.
--Mold was reported in 4 percent of housing units. Respondents most commonly reported mold sighting in their bathrooms (45 percent), bedrooms (22 percent) and basements (20 percent).
--In 2011, owners spent a median of $33 on routine maintenance.
--Of the 43,740 owned homes in which a home improvement had been made in the last two years, 35 percent replaced or added an appliance or some type of major equipment, 19 percent replaced or added plumbing fixtures and 17 percent replaced or added a heating and air-conditioning system.
--The cost of an average kitchen remodel was $5,000. Adding or renovating a kitchen, however, was much more expensive ($27,353). The average bathroom cost $2,432 to remodel, with renovations or additions costing an average of $3,422.
A wide range of specific topics is covered in the survey, including plumbing and source of water and sewage disposal; housing problems; householder’s satisfaction with home and neighborhood; value, purchase price and type of mortgage; 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 and are provided for apartments, single-family homes, manufactured housing, new construction and vacant housing units.
Topics new to the housing survey include safety features, potential health hazards and features providing accessibility to people with disabilities. Among the accessibility features in occupied homes were floors with no steps between rooms (64 percent of homes have this feature), entry level bathrooms (48 percent), entry level bedrooms (36 percent) and handles or levers on sinks (28 percent). The least common accessibility features were elevators (found in 0.2 percent of homes), ramps (1 percent), handrails or grab bars (excluding steps) in nonbathroom areas (2 percent), raised toilets (7 percent) and built-in shower seats (8 percent).
Other highlights on the nation’s 115 million occupied homes:
--The median year these homes were built was 1974, with owner-occupied units being slightly newer (1976 compared with 1972 for renter-occupied).
--The median size of single-family detached and mobile home units is 1,800 square feet, with owner-occupied units being larger (1,800 square feet) than renter-occupied ones (1,300 square feet). Newly constructed units are also usually larger, with a median size of 2,200 square feet.
--Most homes have three or more bedrooms (64 percent). New homes (those built in the last four years) generally have more bedrooms, with 74 percent of them having three or more.
--About half the homes (52 percent) have two or more bathrooms. Again, new units have more bathrooms, with 83 percent of them having two or more.
--More than eight in 10 units have a washing machine (83 percent) and clothes dryer (81 percent).
--About two-thirds of the units (66 percent) have central air-conditioning and another 22 percent have window units – new units are more likely to have central air-conditioning (87 percent).
--The most common Energy Star-rated appliances found in housing units are refrigerators (35 percent), washing machines (30 percent) and dishwashers (22 percent). Energy Star refers to an international energy efficiency rating.
--About seven in 10 respondents (71 percent) rate their homes highly (ratings of eight to 10) with 29 percent giving them the “best” rating of 10. Residents of new construction tend to rate their homes even more highly with 84 percent giving them a rating between eight and 10 and 46 percent rating them as a 10.
--Recent movers were also asked how they found their current units. The most common methods for home owners were talking with a real estate agent (20 percent), Realtor.com (17 percent) and word of mouth (16 percent). For renters, the most common ways included word of mouth (34 percent), sign on the outside of the building (11 percent) and Craigslist (11 percent).
--On average, households pay $927 per month, or 24 percent of their household income, for housing. The cost is higher for residents of new construction, with median cost being $1,340 per month or 24 percent of household income. Renters generally pay less in housing cost ($845 versus $1,008 for owners per month), but they usually pay a higher percentage of their household income (31 percent versus 20 percent for owners).
--More than a fifth (21 percent) of all primary mortgage holders reported a change in their monthly payment in the last 12 months. The main reason for their payment change was because of a change in property taxes or homeowners insurance (71 percent).
--Twelve percent of households reported a smoker living in the unit.
--Sixteen percent of units reported having a swimming pool.
--Mold was reported in 4 percent of housing units. Respondents most commonly reported mold sighting in their bathrooms (45 percent), bedrooms (22 percent) and basements (20 percent).
--In 2011, owners spent a median of $33 on routine maintenance.
--Of the 43,740 owned homes in which a home improvement had been made in the last two years, 35 percent replaced or added an appliance or some type of major equipment, 19 percent replaced or added plumbing fixtures and 17 percent replaced or added a heating and air-conditioning system.
--The cost of an average kitchen remodel was $5,000. Adding or renovating a kitchen, however, was much more expensive ($27,353). The average bathroom cost $2,432 to remodel, with renovations or additions costing an average of $3,422.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Census Dotmap
This is a map of every person counted by the 2010 US and 2011 Canadian censuses. The map has 341,817,095 dots - one for each person.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Inaugural Exhibition Materials
From the Library of Congress:
Eighteen presidents are featured in this display--George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, William Harrison, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.
Eighteen presidents are featured in this display--George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, William Harrison, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.
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