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February 23, 2007

Headline News

Capital Spending Up 10 Percent, Reaches $1.1 Trillion. (Released February 23, 2007)

Census Bureau Hires Managers for New Fayetteville Office. Recruitment Efforts for 3,000 Additional Jobs Under Way. (Released February 21, 2007)

Census Bureau Hires Managers for New Stockton Office. Recruitment Efforts for 2,000 Additional Jobs Under Way. (Released February 21, 2007)

The Key to an Accurate Census of American Indians Is Early Participation by Tribal Governments. (Released February 21, 2007)

Privately-Owned Housing Starts in January Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 1,408,000. (Released February 16, 2007)

American Community Survey Reports Present Portrait of Racial and Ethnic Population Groups. (Released February 15, 2007)

How Fast Are Apartments Being Rented or Purchased? (Released February 15, 2007)

U.S. Retail and Food Service Sales for January Reached $370.4 Billion, Virtually Unchanged From the Previous Month. (Released February 14, 2007)

U.S. Total Business Sales for December Were $1,066.0 Billion, Up 1.4 Percent From Last Month. (Released February 14, 2007)

The Nation's International Deficit in Goods and Services Increased to $763.6 Billion in 2006 From $716.7 Billion in 2005. (Released February 13, 2007)

Census Bureau to Update Employment Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Numbers (Regional). (Released February 12, 2007)

Quarterly Workforce Indicators Now Available on DVD!


Sign Up Early!

Understanding Federal Statistics (UFS) is a four-day, computer-based workshop at the Graduate School, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, DC. Openings are available for June and October 2007 workshops. Visit our web site for registration information.

 

Fact of the Day

The Asian Population

The report "The American Community - Asians: 2004," shows that about one-half of Asians in the United States lived in three states -- California, New York, and Texas. California (with about 35 percent), had more than one-third of the Asian population, followed by New York (about 10 percent) and Texas (about 6 percent). The ten states with the largest Asian populations in 2004 were California, New York, Texas, New Jersey, Hawaii, Illinois, Washington, Florida, Virginia, and Massachusetts. Combined, these states represented about three-fourths of the total Asian population.

 

Hot Tip

Quarterly Workforce Indicators Now Available on DVD!

A complete set of 2005 Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) (including employment, job creation, wages, and worker turnover) for 37 partner states under the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) partnership is now available on multiple DVDs from the Census Bureau. The QWI are built upon wage records in the Unemployment Insurance system and information from state Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data, covering over 75% of total wage and salary civilian jobs. In our catalog, click "Business," then "Local Employment Dynamics" for purchase or information!

 

Recently Released

Population

American Community Survey Reports Present Portrait of Racial and Ethnic Population Groups. Three reports provide information on a number of characteristics such as; education, household type, income, commuting, etc. Data are presented in tables, figures, and maps. In addition, the Asian and Hispanic reports present data for selected detailed groups (Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese for Asians; Guatemalans, Hondurans, Salvadorans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, and Peruvians for Hispanics). Two additional reports on the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population, and the American Indian and Alaska Native population will be released later this year.
The American Community -- Hispanics: 2004 (PDF - 1 MB)
The American Community -- Blacks: 2004 (PDF - 916 KB)
The American Community -- Asians: 2004 (PDF - 1 MB)


Latest Economic Indicators

Monthly Wholesale Trade: December 2006. Press release showing estimates for sales, inventories on a non-LIFO ("last in-first out") basis, and stock-sales ratios for merchant wholesalers by three-digit major kind-of-business groups.

U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: December 2006. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption.

Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: January 2007. Press release presenting advance monthly estimates of retail store sales by kind-of-business groups. Report includes seasonally adjusted estimates and percentage changes for major kind-of-business groups.

Manufacturing and Trade: Inventories and Sales: December 2006. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers.

Housing Starts and Building Permits: January 2007. Press release showing data for housing starts, completions, and building permits.


Economic Census and Surveys

Capital Spending Up 10 Percent, Reaches $1.1 Trillion. Read more in Annual Capital Expenditures Survey: 2005. Available online in PDF format or in spreadsheet format (spreadsheets are not fully annotated, please see PDF for full annotation). The Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES) is part of a comprehensive program designed to provide more detailed and timely information on capital investment in structures and equipment by nonfarm businesses. The survey is based on a sample of approximately 46,000 companies with employees and approximately 15,000 companies without employees.


Housing

How Fast Are Apartments Being Rented or Purchased? Find out in, Market Absorption of Apartments Third Quarter 2006 Absorptions, Completions in Second Quarter 2006. Available online in PDF, or as print-on-demand report from the Customer Services Center. Shows data for the United States and regions concerning the rate at which non-subsidized, privately financed, unfurnished units in buildings with five or more units are rented or sold (that is, absorbed) after completion.


Geography

2006 First Edition TIGER/Line Files Released on Disc! The 2006 First Edition TIGER/Line files are now available for sale on DVD-ROM, or CD-ROM format. For ordering information, please see our catalog. On the catalog, click "Geography," then "TIGER/Line Files." These files are also downloadable free from the TIGER/Line web site. NOTE: we expect the Second Edition TIGER/Line files (free downloadable files online) to be available on the TIGER/Line website within several weeks. The disc version of the Second Edition will be available at a later point.


Governments

2005 State Government Finances. Detailed data for each state on revenue (such as taxes and federal aid), expenditures (such as police, fire and education) and cash and security holdings.


OMB Announcements

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has an online site to publish notices and rules from federal agencies on their programs. Many notices invite public comment. Below are some recent OMB postings dealing with the programs and activities of the Census Bureau:


Local Employment Dynamics

Quarterly Workforce Indicators Now Available on DVD! As mentioned in the "Hot Tip" section of this newsletter, a complete set of 2005 Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) (including employment, job creation, wages, and worker turnover) for 37 partner states under the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) partnership is now available on multiple DVDs from the Census Bureau. The QWI are built upon wage records in the Unemployment Insurance system and information from state Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data, covering over 75% of total wage and salary civilian jobs. To order the DVD (product ID, V1-E05-QWI1-27-US1, $400), call (301) 763-INFO (4636), or order directly through our catalog, (click "Business," then "Local Employment Dynamics").


Reference and Compendia

Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas commemorate anniversaries or observances or provide background information for topics in the news:

 

Upcoming Releases

Population

County and Puerto Rico Municipio Population Estimates: July 1, 2006. Internet tables showing population estimates, rankings and components of change for the nation's 3,141 counties and county equivalents since Census 2000 and up to July 1, 2006.

Extended Measures of Well-Being: Living Conditions in the United States, 2003. Internet files and PDF report providing national measures from the Survey of Income and Program Participation. Covers five broad domains, including possession of appliances and electronic goods (such as cellular telephones); housing conditions; neighborhoods and community services; ability to pay bills and buy groceries; and expectations of getting help from friends, families, and communities.

International Data Base Update: 2006. Internet files showing demographic indicators such as infant mortality, life expectancy, fertility rates, net migration, and population growth for 228 countries and areas of the world. Includes current estimates and moving population pyramids that project age and sex distribution to 2050.

The Effect of Taxes and Transfers on Income and Poverty in the United States: 2005. Internet files and PDF report examining how income distributions change when the definition of income is varied to reflect the inclusion or exclusion of different components (such as Social Security, food stamps and income taxes).


Economic Indicators

Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: January 2007. Press release showing advance information on key business indicators. Scheduled for release February 27, 2007.

New Residential Sales: January 2007. Press release reporting new one-family houses sold and for sale. Includes sales prices, months on the market, and stage of construction. Scheduled for release February 28, 2007.

Construction Spending (Put-in-Place): January 2007. Press release showing estimates of the value of total new construction put-in-place by type of construction (residential and non-residential), annual value, and by type of owner (private and public). Scheduled for release March 1, 2007.

Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: January 2007. Press release showing information on key business indicators. Shows revised durable goods totals, in addition to nondurable goods manufacturers' shipments, inventories, and orders. Scheduled for release March 6, 2007.


Governments

2006 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Employment and Payroll. Annual estimates on how many people are employed by state and local governments - from state-owned alcoholic beverage stores to law enforcement officers to higher education - and the payroll of these governments. Summary data are provided for each state.


Reference and Compendia

Facts for Features: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May). Statistics for Asians, and Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, covering demographics and businesses.


 

February 09, 2007

Headline News

December 2006 Sales of Merchant Wholesalers Were $337.1 Billion, Up 1.8 Percent From Last Month. End-of-Month Inventories Were $393.8 Billion, Down 0.5 Percent From Last Month. (Released February 8, 2007)

New Orders for Manufactured Goods in December Increased $9.4 Billion or 2.4 Percent to $405.2 Billion. (Released February 2, 2007)

State, Local and Tribal Governments Benefit by Early Participation in the 2010 Census. (Released February 1, 2007)

Total Construction Activity for December 2006 ($1,177.7 Billion) Was 0.4 Percent Below the Revised November 2006 ($1,182.9 Billion) Figure. (Released January 31, 2007)

Internet Access Revenue for Cable and Other Program Distribution Reaches $11 Billion. (Released January 30, 2007)

The Homeownership Rate in the Fourth Quarter 2006 (68.9 Percent) Was Not Statistically Different From the Third Quarter 2005 Rate (69.0 Percent). Released January 29, 2007)

Investment Bank and Securities Dealing Receipts Up 25 Percent, Census Bureau Reports. (Released January 29, 2007)

Sales of New One-Family Houses in December 2006 Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 1,120,000. (Released January 26, 2007)

New Orders for Manufactured Durable Goods in December Increased $6.7 Billion or 3.1 Percent to $221.9 Billion. (Released January 26, 2007)

Emergency and Other Relief Services Revenue Increases 27 Percent in 2005, Census Bureau Reports. (Released January 26, 2007)


Sign Up Early!

Understanding Federal Statistics (UFS) is a four-day, computer-based workshop at the Graduate School, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, DC. Openings are available for June and October 2007 workshops. Visit our web site for registration information.

 

Fact of the Day

LUCA Program Integral Part of 2010 Census

The Local Update of Census Addresses program, also known as LUCA, is a decennial census partnership program that allows the Census Bureau to benefit from local knowledge in developing its Master Address File (MAF) for the 2010 Census. Tribal and local governments can contribute to a more complete and accurate census for their community by reviewing and commenting on the list of housing unit and group quarters addresses that the Census Bureau will use to deliver questionnaires within their community. Accurate census data are important in a number of ways. In addition to the constitutional requirement for the decennial census to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, census data are used to allocate federal monies to state, local, and tribal governments. Census data provide the statistical support for grant applications that fund community, social, economic, and environmental programs and other needed improvements and enhancements. Census data also help communities plan for future needs. The program kicked off in January with advance notice letters mailed to the highest elected official and other contacts in all active functioning governments.

 

Hot Tip

Facts For Features Offer Informative Tidbits

Facts for Features and Special Editions consist of collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances, or to provide background information for topics in the news. Click here for a list of observances typically covered.

 

Recently Released

Population

Census Bureau Releases Geographic Mobility Tables for 2000-2005. Online detailed tables providing a range of 5-year mobility statistics by demographic, social, and economic characteristics. For example, mobility by region, sex, and age; migration flows between regions, by income in 2004, labor force status, occupation and industry; distance of intercounty move by selected characteristics.

Census 2000 Data Retabulated for the 110th Congress and State Legislative Districts Nationwide including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia! Census 2000 100 percent and sample data are now available for newly seated 110th Congress (which includes the new plans for Georgia and Texas) as well as the current state legislative districts most recently used in the 2006 election cycle. These data can be accessed at the American FactFinder (AFF) site (once on the AFF site, scroll to down to the 110th Congressional District and State Legislative District Summary Files). While the Census Bureau traditionally retabulates data for the Congress when there are changes to the geography, this is the first time that sample data have been presented for the newly drawn state legislative district plans.


Latest Economic Indicators

Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: December 2006. Press release showing advance information on key business indicators.

New Residential Sales: December 2006. Press release reporting new one-family houses sold and for sale. Includes sales prices, months on the market, and stage of construction.

Housing Vacancies: 4th Quarter 2006. Press release showing rental and homeowner vacancy rates and characteristics of units available for occupancy.

Construction Spending (Put-in-Place): December 2006. Press release showing estimates of the value of total new construction put-in-place by type of construction (residential and non-residential), annual value, and by type of owner (private and public).

Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: December 2006. Press release showing information on key business indicators. Shows revised durable goods totals, in addition to nondurable goods manufacturers' shipments, inventories, and orders.

Monthly Wholesale Trade: December 2006. Press release showing estimates for sales, inventories on a non-LIFO ("last in-first out") basis, and stock-sales ratios for merchant wholesalers by three-digit major kind-of-business groups.


Economic Census and Surveys

2002 Economic Census Volume 1, Disc E Now Available! Disc E is the final disc in the 2002 Economic Census, Volume 1, NAICS Report Series Subscription. It contains all data from Disc 1D plus Product Lines Sales & Establishment and Firm Size data for all Economic Census sectors, Miscellaneous Subjects data for selected Economic Census sectors, data from the Mining, Construction, & Manufacturing sector Summary reports, data from the 2003 Nonemployer Statistics report, and data from the remaining Puerto Rico Geographic Area Series reports. Also available online in PDF, or for purchase as print-on-demand reports. To order the DVD (product ID, V1-E02-NAIE-17-US1, $70), call (301) 763-INFO (4636), or order directly through our catalog.


Governments

2005 State Government Finances. Detailed data for each state on revenue (such as taxes and federal aid), expenditures (such as police, fire and education) and cash and security holdings.


OMB Announcements

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has an online site to publish notices and rules from federal agencies on their programs. Many notices invite public comment. Below are some recent OMB postings dealing with the programs and activities of the Census Bureau:


Reference and Compendia

Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas commemorate anniversaries or observances or provide background information for topics in the news:

St. Patrick's Day and Irish-American Heritage Month

African-American History Month: February 2007

Women's History Month: March 2007

Super Bowl XLI

 

Upcoming Releases

Population

International Data Base Update: 2006. Internet files show demographic indicators such as infant mortality, life expectancy, fertility rates, net migration and population growth for 228 countries and areas of the world including current estimates and moving population pyramids that project age and sex distribution to 2050.

The American Community - Hispanics: 2004. Report available online in PDF or in print presenting a portrait of the Hispanic or Latino population in the United States. Information on a number of characteristics (education, household type, income, commuting, etc.) based on data from the 2004 American Community Survey. Data are presented at the national level for selected Hispanic groups with populations of 250,000 or more (e.g., Guatemalans, Hondurans, Salvadorans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, and Peruvians) in tables, charts, and maps.


Economic Indicators

Monthly Wholesale Trade: December 2006. Press release showing estimates for sales, inventories on a non-LIFO ("last in-first out") basis, and stock-sales ratios for merchant wholesalers by three-digit major kind-of-business groups. Scheduled for release February 8, 2007.

U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: December 2006. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption. Scheduled for release February 13, 2007.

Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: January 2007. Press release presenting advance monthly estimates of retail store sales by kind-of-business groups. Report includes seasonally adjusted estimates and percentage changes for major kind-of-business groups. Scheduled for release February 14, 2007.

Manufacturing and Trade: Inventories and Sales: December 2006. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Scheduled for release February 14, 2007.

Housing Starts and Building Permits: January 2007. Press release showing data for housing starts, completions, and building permits. Scheduled for release February 16, 2007.

Governments

2006 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Employment and Payroll. Annual estimates on how many people are employed by state and local governments - from state-owned alcoholic beverage stores to law enforcement officers to higher education - and the payroll of these governments. Summary data are provided for each state.