POP Clock Fun

OK, I’m curious: WHY did Census have on the American FactFfinder page:

U.S. Population Clock
10:59 am EST Jan 7, 2005
295,203,830
at 12:55 pm EDT on August 23, 2007?

A minute later, it was all corrected:
U.S. Population Clock
16:56 GMT (EST+5) Aug 23, 2007
302,679,004

Estimates by Age

Lenny writes:

The Missouri Census Data Census has added data for 2006 to its Population Estimates by Age web application.

The raw data used in this application has been downloaded from the National Center for Health Statistics web site and added as enhanced SAS datasets to the archive. These datasets can be accessed via Uexplore/Dexter in the popests/nchsbri subdirectory.

Higher Education

U.S. News' annual America's Best Colleges story. The New York Daily News and the Albany Times Union articles about the same.

SBA Supports Census

On August 16, 2007, the Office of Advocacy sent a letter to the House Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Chairman and Ranking Member describing the unintended consequences of a proposed funding cut to the Census budget in the FY 2008 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill (H.R. 3093). If enacted, the cut would jeopardize the Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons (SBO), on which Advocacy and researchers depend to understand the contributions and challenges of small business.

A copy of Advocacy's letter may be found here and a fact sheet summarizing Advocacy's letter can be found here.

For more information about the Office of Advocacy, please visit the website or telephone 202-205-6533.

Geo within Geo

At the joint SDC Affiliate/Dept. of Labor session last year, I mentioned Geo within Geo on the Census Web Page, American Factfinder. After the session, about a half dozen people noted that they had no idea what I was talking about.

If you go to the Detailed Tables or Quick Tables, the tab on the right is Geo within Geo. You can find all the places within a county, or all the block groups in a place, or any of those designations that don't come up naturally (states in the country, counties in the state, county subdivisions in the county).

Beats the heck out of trying to find all the places in Westchester County on a map, which I once tried to do.

N.Y. Regulator Expects All Insurers at Pandemic Flu Exercise

For several years, I've been receiving a weekly "Continuity e-Guide" from the Disaster Resource Guide. This week's post featured the title above, with an abstract of the article:

Call it a command performance: The New York State Insurance Department is holding a drill in September to evaluate how ready the nation’s financial services are to survive a flu pandemic, and it expects all state insurance companies to take part.

According to an article on the Insurance Journal website, the test has a bigger scope than any done so far in the United Sates. “Designed to simulate a global influenza outbreak, the exercise is being sponsored by the US Department of the Treasury and major financial services trade organizations,” the article says.

The simulation kicks off on September 24 and is expected to last three weeks. Participants will take part at their own locations by accessing a secure website to respond to such scenarios as transportation, communications and telecommunications disruptions.

"By participating, insurance companies will have an opportunity to review, test and update their pandemic plans against realistic scenarios that could cause massive absenteeism," NYSID Deputy Superintendent Louis W. Pietroluongo told the publication.

"Continuity plans typically focus on disruptions, like earthquakes, that are limited in time and place, but a flu pandemic could hit in waves over a protracted period of weeks or months," he added.

To read the full August 9 article from Insurance Journal, click here.

Post-Upfront Survey results published in Advertising Age

The most significant new trend to emerge in the 2007-08 upfront market is the switch to a new ratings system, according to a survey of media buyers and sellers participating in TV Guide Network’s 2007 Upfront Opinion Study.

Book Sales

Sales Barely Up, Book Trade Yearns for Next Blockbuster
from June 1, 2007, New York Times, Section C, Page 3, Column 1

ABSTRACT - Book Industry Study Group report shows publishers sold 3.1 billion books in 2006, up just 0.5 percent from 3.09 billion sold year before; net revenue rose 3.2 percent as result of higher retail book prices, to $35.7 billion from $34.6 billion; strongest growth segment in publishing last year continued to be religious books, where 263.4 million were sold, up 3.1 percent from previous year; adult trade paperbacks increased unit sales by 3.5 percent, to 418.2 million, with net revenue rising 6.1 percent, to $3.69 billion; sales of adult hardcovers dipped 0.1 percent, to 406 million copies last year, although revenue rose 2.4 percent, to $5.49 billion.

However, from Publishers Weekly: Book Sales Projected to Increase 4% in 2007.

From the Book Industry Study Group, Book Industry TRENDS 2007 Shows Publishers' Net Revenues Rose 3.2 Percent in 2006 to Reach $35.69 billion. Not so incidentally, "The BISG office has been closed since July 19 due to the steam pipe explosion that occurred immediately outside our building. We do not yet have a definite date when we will be able to return to our offices. We are able to access voice mail and e-mail so please do not hesitate to contact us. We will deal with all enquiries as quickly as we can. We apologize for any inconvenience and expect to resume normal service as soon as possible."

A Business Continuity Newsletter

I hope that you can click on the link to access the August 2007 issue of the CPM-Global Assurance e-Newsletter. If you can not open the link this way, you may have to subscribe. It's free. It may be useful for you, and if you're dealing with economic development, to your clients as well.

BOCES Study

The Rockefeller Institute has completed a study of the Capital Region Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Supervisory District of Albany, Schoharie, Schenectady, and Saratoga Counties for the New York State Department of Education. The study includes recommendations on Capital Region BOCES’ structure relative to neighboring BOCES regions; individual school districts in Schoharie County; the City School District of Albany; and the potential for further study of BOCES operations in the area from the Catskills to Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison and Oneida counties.

Here's a list of BOCES programs throughout the state. Here's another list.

Manufacturing companies and their plant locations

From BUSLIB:

"Does anyone know of a directory or database of manufacturing companies and their plant locations? I don't need subsidiary or division locations. There are plenty of database for that. I need to be able to determine where a company's manufacturing plants are located."

REPLY #1: "Try searching the EPA envirofacts warehouse to find plant locations. This source obviously does not cover every company or facility but it is free and easy to use.

"For example enter General Motors in 'facility selection' and then scroll to the bottom to hit search, when the results come up click on 'view facility information' - you get some basic information plus a map of the location and the Duns number so you can run a D&B report or obtain additional information from a D&B database."

REPLY #2: "This is true and an excellent resource and at last count had more than 1.3 million US facilities. However, remember two points about this database:
1. The database is about 24 months out of date
2. Any facility listed must have EPA registered emissions or waste (air, water, hazmat, etc.). Gasoline stations are exempt; i.e. no emissions and the facility will not be listed.
However, most plant facilities have some kind of emissions. Even Keebler Cookie plants are listed.

Another good site to see a companies facilities with address is the searchable OSHA database.

GA$

You'll notice that on the bar to the right, I've added a contraption that provides gas prices by ZIP code. If you have suggestions of other things to add to this blog, please leave in the comments section, or e-mail me.

Nearly 10% of U.S. Counties Now "Majority-Minority"

303 of them out of 3141 counties.

A story about this.

A Question of SIC and NAICS Codes

Question I see on a listserv: Been working with a group here this week. They're trying to update some data on some commercial loans and are asking me to verify SIC/NAICS for them. Come to find out that through D&B.com you can get SIC's, but they are listing NAICS codes. Patron also wants NAICS codes, especially for the companies where D&B's code doesn't match what they already had internally.
Problem is some of these businesses are pretty small.... Any ideas on sources of NAICS codes for small companies. (Have already tried Ward's
too....)

So I write: You might try Reference USA, available in many public and state libraries, which lists both SIC and NAICS codes for the companies listed.
If the company's not in there, and you have the SIC, you could do the conversion using this site, though it'll be tricky because many of the conversions aren't one-to-one.
Hope this is useful.

And I think I'm done. No such luck:

Some folks have been kind enough to point out the government site where you can move from SIC to NAICS. Our problem is that we have a conflict between the SIC in the patron's internal system and the information we're getting from D&B. The folks in the office don't always know exactly what the company does, so it would be hard for them to determine it themselves.
They'd like a source to go straight to the NAICS.....

I reply: "They'd like a source to go straight to the NAICS....."

If I understand your statement correctly, it seems that you are looking for the "standard" NAICS code. But look at the link here, particularly questions 5 and 6. It's quite possible that - and I'm making the example up - that D&B will assign IBM the NAICS code for computer manufacturer, Hoover will select software manufacturer, and Reference USA something else.
Which one is right? Based on the way information is gathered, perhaps all of them.

If I were doing your project, I'd decide that the either the client list is correct or the D&B list is correct, then fill in the holes, because you're not likely to find the consistency you seek, in my experience.

I was happy to get some confirmation from another librarian:
I agree. I have not ever ended up using the NAICS codes as much as my Library school professor promised I would, but I learned exactly what you are saying, had it drilled into my head, and then experienced it in some practice too: that for both SIC or NAICS, or really any classification system, there is some arbitrariness(?), maybe even a great deal of it. Further, for some it is the directory that does the assigning of the classifications and for some it is the company itself that checks a box (for example) assigning them to themselves. So much room for variables. Never going to be perfect. Must do what you suggested and just dive in and start.

So, now here's MY question: when you're looking for a primary SIC/NAICS code for a business - and recognizing that some will have multiple codes - what do YOU use?

Business Intelligence Resources

"A Subject Tracer™ Information Blog developed and created by Internet expert, author, keynote speaker and consultant Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. for monitoring business intelligence resources and sites on the Internet" located here. Some are links to paid sites, but most are free.

Walk This Way

I came across this site called "Walk Score TM". You type in an address, see a walking map. "Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc."
The site asks, "Why is walking important?". Some of the reasons: "Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities."
*Better health
*Reduction in greenhouse gas
*More transportation options
*Increased social capital (promotes face-to-face interaction with your neighbors)
*Stronger local businesses

The scoring range:
* 90 - 100 - Walkers' paradise
* 70 - 90 = Very Walkable
* 50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations
* 25 - 50 = Not Walkable
* 0 - 25 = Driving Only

The test is very upfront about its flaws. It doesn't factor in:
* Street width and block length: Narrow streets slow down traffic. Short blocks make it easier to navigate the grid.
* Safety: How much crime is in the neighborhood? How many traffic accidents are there? Are crosswalks well marked and streets well lit?
* Pedestrian-friendly design: Are there walking paths? Are buildings close to the sidewalk with parking in back? Are sidewalks shaded by trees?
* Topography: Hills can make walking difficult, especially if you're carrying groceries.
* Public transit: Good public transit is important for walkable neighborhoods.
* Freeways and bodies of water: Freeways can divide neighborhoods. Swimming is harder than walking.
* Weather: In some places it's just too hot or cold to walk regularly.

I decided to try it out. My house in the Pine Hills of Albany got a 69, about right. My mother's a 37, which I think is high; she's not going to walk across W.T. Harris Blvd in Charlotte.
Just for fun, I did work places. My old job in downtown Albany, not far from where Bob, Lenny, and Nancy work, got an 86.
My new place in Corporate Woods a 38, which is desperately flawed, since more than half the places within a mile of the location is on the other side of Interstate 90, and, as they say, "You can't get there from here."

Still, an interesting concept.

The "Nonprofitization" of Social Services

"A new article by the Rockefeler Institute of Government's Roundtable on Religion and Welfare Policy reports on Congressional consideration of tax incentives for charitable giving, amidst new information about the federal government's increasing reliance on such charitable groups to deliver health care, education, and human services in America. That increase was reflected in more federal money to nonprofit organizations and a growth in the number of public charities, according to a study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress. Researchers estimated that federal money to nonprofit organizations increased more than 230 percent from 1980 to 2004, when adjusted for inflation. And the number of registered public charities has grown more than 30 percent since 2000 from about 646,000 to 851,000. The new data confirm trends toward the "nonprofitization" of social services, the subject of research at the Rockefeller Institute by Richard Nathan and others."

Hey There, Sports Fans

I'm a sucker for a simple-to-do survey. I'm a member of the Sports Illustrated Box Seat, and as such fill out a number of surveys during the year.

One survey in early 2006 they asked questions about typical shopping habits, the best places to shop for apparel and info about personal style. The results came in, in April 2006:

SI Subscribers are apparel shoppers. During the past 12 months . . .
-74% have shopped for apparel at a Retail Store
-18% have shopped for apparel online
-8% have shopped for apparel from a catalog

SI Subscribers are more likely to visit department stores (such as Macy’s and
Kohl’s), specialty clothing stores (like Banana Republic and The Gap), and Sporting
Goods Stores (such as Dick’s and Champ’s) than mass merchandise stores (like
Wal-mart)

SI Subscribers' favorite stores to shop for apparel are -- Target, Kohl’s, Old
Navy, Macy’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Gap, and Costco

SI’s Subscribers, who shop for apparel online or via catalogs, gravitate toward
the major and established outlets
-L.L. Bean
-Land’s End

SI Subscribers are brand conscious . . . and recognize the importance of looking
good for one’s career . . . are willing to spend more for apparel . . . and plan their purchases before shopping
-85% agree that quality is more important than trends when choosing apparel
-68% are willing to spend a little more for a good brand name
-65% agree that to be successful, you need to look successful
-38% agree that when shopping for apparel, price is the most important factor
to consider
-66% agree that when they shop, they usually know what they want ahead of
time and plan their purchases before shopping

A Brain Drain or an Insufficient Brain Gain?

Upstate New York’s weak population and labor force growth in recent years has raised concerns about a loss of educated workers. In new research released this week, the Buffalo Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds that upstate New York’s population loss is not due to an unusually large number of educated workers leaving the region; rather, it stems from an unusually low rate of educated workers moving in. Here's a Times Union (Albany) article about the report.

On a related issue, New York State ranks 44th in high school graduation rates, according to this TU piece in today's paper.

Gated Communities

That was the topic du jour last week. While I found a number of relevant pieces, from the Wikipedia piece to a 2003 brief study on the UCLA site, with statistics, I wasn't finding much from Census other than:
1) There were 3 million owner-occupied homes in gated communities;
2) 6.7% of people now live in them; and
2) The 2010 Census will be complicated by them, as the needs between security/privacy and the government imperative will likely clash big time.

But where are those hard numbers? Eventually, I called the folks doing the American Housing Survey. I was told to click on the National Data for 2005, then go to the neighborhood tables (2-8, 3-8, etc.). There, one will find data on "Secured Communities". AHA!