August 23, 2007
Headline News
Population Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Demographic Dimensions 2006. (PDF - 1.49 MB). (Released August 20, 2007)
Census Issues Clarification on 2010 Census and Law Enforcement. (Released August 18, 2007)
Privately-Owned Housing Starts in July 2007 Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 1,381,000. (Released August 16, 2007)
Census Bureau Says 4 Million People on Texas Coast in Tropical Storm Erin's Path. (Released August 15, 2007)
Census Bureau Says 171,000 People on Hawaii's Big Island Brace for Hurricane Flossie. (Released August 14, 2007)
The Nation's International Deficit in Goods and Services Decreased to $58.1 Billion in June From $59.2 Billion (Revised) in May, as Exports Increased More Than Imports. (Released August 14, 2007)
U.S. Retail and Food Service Sales for July Reached $376.1 Billion, an Increase of 0.3 Percent From the Previous Month. (Released August 13, 2007)
U.S. Total Business Sales for June Were $1,111.2 Billion, Down 0.3 Percent From Last Month. (Released August 13, 2007)
New Web Site (http://business.census.gov) Helps Businesses Understand the Economic Census! (Released August 8, 2007)
Fact of the Day
Employment Facts
In the news recently is the August 1 bridge collapse on I-35 West in Minneapolis. In 2004, 81,000 people worked within one mile of the I-35 bridge corridor. Of these, 44.2 percent worked in Hennepin County, which encompasses Minneapolis, 19.2 percent worked in Ramsey County, and 10.5 percent worked in Anoka County. Find this information and more employment data at the Local Employment Dynamics home page.
Hot Tip
Community Economic Development HotReport Released
The Community Economic Development (CED) HotReport provides community and business leaders speedy access to information tailored to economic development decision-making. It is a free, easy to use portal to instantly obtain detailed information for local and regional areas on a wide variety of topics from a multitude of sources.
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) and the U.S. Census Bureau collaboratively designed the CED HotReport with local and regional experts to help communities and businesses plan for economic expansions and contractions using the best available information. For a complete list of measures and sources, see CED Measures (PDF - 72 KB).
The CED HotReport utilizes software developed by the Census Bureau known as TheDataWeb, DataFerrett and ReportWriter to retrieve data live from the original source whether within or outside of the Census Bureau and display it in maps, graphs and tables on interactive web pages. Comments and problems should be sent to did.local.employment.dynamics@census.gov.
Don't Miss the New American Community Survey Home Page!
Be sure to see the new American Community Survey (ACS) home page. In particular, see the "Highlights" section to read about exciting new 2006 data products and to find out what's different about 2006. On the web site you can sign up for ACS alerts which provide timely ACS news delivered by email, find key contact numbers, and read about what's coming in future years for the ACS.
Recently Released
Population
Estimates of County Population by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: July 1, 2006. How diverse is your county? These online tables containing county-level population estimates cross-tabulated by these demographic characteristics will provide the answer.
Population Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Demographic Dimensions 2006. Report available online in PDF (PDF - 1.49 MB) examining the growth of the older population in the AIDS-ravaged part of Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
Latest Economic Indicators
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: July 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: June 2007. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers.
US International Trade in Goods and Services: June 2007. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption.
Housing Starts and Building Permits: July 2007. Press release showing data for housing starts, completions, and building permits.
Economic Census and Surveys
New Web Site Helps Businesses Understand the Economic Census! The Census Bureau has launched a new web site (http://business.census.gov) to help businesses understand the Economic Census and how it benefits them. The site includes snapshots of economic information for selected industries and also includes business facts and ratios about every industry. The Economic Census is conducted every five years, and later this year more than four million businesses will receive forms for the 2007 Economic Census. Check out this new site today!
Nonemployer Statistics: 2005. Annual update detailing the number of self-employed businesses by industry and providing estimates of their receipts. Available online in PDF or as a print-on-demand from the Customer Services Center. Complements County Business Patterns: 2005, a report on businesses with paid employees.
Profiles of Older Workers. A series of reports for about 30 states providing a detailed picture of workers 55 and older at the county and metropolitan area levels for 2004. Based on data from the Local Employment Dynamics program. The reports highlight the age of the states' work force, job gains and losses, industries in which workers are concentrated and job stability and earnings.
The following states have been released as of the publish date of this newsletter:
Iowa (PDF - 1.31 MB)
Maine (PDF - 1.45 MB)
Housing
How Fast Are Apartments Being Rented or Purchased? Find out in Market Absorption of Apartments Fourth Quarter 2006 Absorptions, Completions in Third 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.
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 OMB postings within the last two weeks dealing with the programs and activities of the Census Bureau (you can find the complete listing of active notices at http://ask.census.gov and search on "OMB," or answer "1005"):
Suspension of the Geographically Updated Population Certification Program (GUPCP) for Places Incorporating or Annexing Between Censuses (Posted August 21, 2007) (USBC-2007-0038-0001).
Proposed Data Sharing Activity (Posted August 16, 2007) (USBC-2007-0037-0001). Written comments must be submitted on or before October 15, 2007.
Upcoming Releases
Population
Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2005. This report shows national-level trends of child-support income received by parents for children whose other parent lives elsewhere. It also examines other types of support received for the children, such as health insurance and noncash assistance.
International Data Base Update: 2007. 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.
Reasons People Do Not Work: 2004. People 15 or older list reasons they had not worked at a paid job for at least the prior four consecutive months, according to the national Survey of Income and Program Participation.
Housing
2006 State and County Housing Unit Estimates. Updated estimates of the nation's housing stock at the national, state and county levels for 2006.
Economic Indicators
Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: July 2007. Press release showing advance information on key business indicators. Scheduled for release August 24, 2007.
New Residential Sales: July 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 August 24, 2007.
Manufacturer's Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: July 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 August 31, 2007.
Construction Spending Put-in-Place: July 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 September 4, 2007.
August 09, 2007
Headline News
More Than 300 Counties Now "Majority-Minority." (Released August 9, 2007)
June 2007 Sales of Merchant Wholesalers Were $359.5 Billion, Up 0.6 Percent From Last Month. (Released August 8, 2007)
Census Bureau to Release New Data on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance. (Released August 6, 2007)
New Orders for Manufactured Goods in June Increased $2.7 Billion or 0.6 Percent to $419.5 Billion. (Released August 2, 2007)
Total Construction Activity for June 2007 ($1,175.4 Billion) Was 0.3 Percent Below the Revised May 2007 ($1,178.4 Billion) Figure. (Released July 31, 2007)
How Fast Are Apartments Being Rented or Purchased? (Released July 30, 2007)
The Homeownership Rate in the Second Quarter 2007 (68.2 Percent) Was Lower Than the Second Quarter 2006 Rate (68.7 Percent). (Released July 27, 2007)
Fact of the Day
Back-to-School Shopping
In August 2006, 7.1 billion dollars were spent at family clothing stores. Only in November and December — the holiday shopping season — were sales significantly higher. Similarly, sales at bookstores in August 2006 totaled $2.1 billion, an amount approached in 2006 only by sales in January and December. Find out more from the Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services report!
Hot Tip
New Site Helps Businesses Understand the Economic Census!
The Census Bureau has launched a new web site to help businesses understand the Economic Census and how it benefits them. The site includes snapshots of economic information for selected industries and also includes business facts and ratios about every industry. The Economic Census is conducted every five years, and later this year more than four million businesses will receive forms for the 2007 Economic Census. Check out this new site today!
Recently Released
Population
Estimates of County Population by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: July 1, 2006. How diverse is your county? These online tables containing county-level population estimates cross-tabulated by these demographic characteristics will provide the answer.
Latest Economic Indicators
Housing Vacancies: 2nd Quarter 2007. Press release showing rental and homeowner vacancy rates and characteristics of units available for occupancy.
Construction Spending (Put-in-Place): June 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).
Manufacturer's Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: June 2007. 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: June 2007. 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
Characteristics of Veteran-Owned Businesses: 2002 (PDF - 748 KB) and Characteristics of Veteran Business Owners: 2002 (PDF - 300 KB). A look at military veterans who own businesses and their characteristics, such as age, race, educational attainment, and disability. Statistics come from the Survey of Business Owners, which was part of the 2002 Economic Census.
Nonemployer Statistics: 2005. Annual update detailing the number of self-employed businesses by industry and providing estimates of their receipts. Available online in PDF or as a print-on-demand from the Customer Services Center. Complements County Business Patterns: 2005, a report on businesses with paid employees.
Profiles of Older Workers. A series of reports for about 30 states providing a detailed picture of workers 55 and older at the county and metropolitan area levels for 2004. Based on data from the Local Employment Dynamics program. The reports highlight the age of the states' work force, job gains and losses, industries in which workers are concentrated and job stability and earnings.
The following states have been released as of the publish date of this newsletter:
Housing
How Fast Are Apartments Being Rented or Purchased? Find out in Market Absorption of Apartments Fourth Quarter 2006 Absorptions, Completions in Third 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.
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 OMB postings within the last two weeks dealing with the programs and activities of the Census Bureau (you can find the complete listing of active notices at http://ask.census.gov and search on "OMB," or answer "1005"):
- Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Census Employment Inquiry (Posted July 26, 2007) (USBC-2007-0036-0001) Written comments must be submitted on or before September 24, 2007.
- Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Business and Professional Classification Report (Posted July 26, 2007) (USBC-2007-0035-0001) See notice for guidance on comments.
Upcoming Releases
Population
International Data Base Update: 2007. 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.
Population Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Demographic Dimensions 2006. Report available online in PDF or as print-on-demand report from the Customer Services Center, examining the growth of the older population in the AIDS-ravaged part of Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
Reasons People Do Not Work: 2004. Report available online in PDF or as print-on-demand report from the Customer Services Center. People 15 or older list reasons they had not worked at a paid job for at least the prior four consecutive months, according to the national Survey of Income and Program Participation.
Housing
2006 State and County Housing Unit Estimates. Updated estimates of the nation's housing stock at the national, state and county levels for 2006.
Economic Indicators
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: July 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 August 13, 2007.
Manufacturing and Trade: Inventories and Sales: June 2007. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Scheduled for release August 13, 2007.
US International Trade in Goods and Services: June 2007. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption. Scheduled for release August 14, 2007.
Housing Starts and Building Permits: July 2007. Press release showing data for housing starts, completions, and building permits. Scheduled for release August 16, 2007.
Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: July 2007. Press release showing advance information on key business indicators. Scheduled for release August 24, 2007.
New Residential Sales: July 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 August 24, 2007.
