March 21, 2008
Headline News
New Orleans' Parishes Top Nation in Population Growth Rate. (Released March 20, 2008)
Privately-Owned Housing Starts in February 2008 Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 1,065,000. This Is 0.6 Percent Below the Revised January 2008 Estimate of 1,071,000. (Released March 18, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of Seattle 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of Philadelphia 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of Los Angeles 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of Kansas City 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of Denver 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of Dallas 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of Chicago 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Opens Charlotte 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of Boston 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of Atlanta 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Census Bureau Announces Location of New York 2010 Regional Census Center. (Released March 13, 2008)
Facts for Features: Mother's Day: May 11, 2008. (Released March 13, 2008)
U.S. Total Business Sales for December Were $1,163.5 Billion, Up 1.5 Percent From Last Month. Month-End Inventories Were $1,457.9 Billion, Up 0.8 Percent From Last Month. (Released March 13, 2008)
U.S. Retail and Food Service Sales for February Reached $380.2 Billion, a Decrease of 0.6 Percent From the Previous Month. (Released March 13, 2008)
U.S. Information Sector Revenue for the Fourth Quarter of 2007, Not Adjusted for Seasonal Variation, Holiday or Trading-Day Differences, or Price Changes, Was $292.4 Billion, an Increase of 5.1 Percent (+/- 0.7) From the Third Quarter of 2007. (Released March 12, 2008)
The Nation's International Deficit in Goods and Services Increased to $58.2 Billion in January From $57.9 Billion (Revised) in December, as Imports Increased More than Exports. (Released March 11, 2008)
January 2008 Sales of Merchant Wholesalers Were $387.7 Billion, Up 2.7 Percent From Last Month. End-of-Month Inventories Were $414.8 Billion, Up 0.8 Percent From Last Month. (Released March 10, 2008)
Fact of the Day
New Orleans' Parishes Top Nation in Population Growth Rate
St. Bernard and Orleans, two Louisiana parishes hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, were the nation's fastest-growing counties in 2007, according to the newest population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. St. Bernard, the nation's fastest-losing county from 2005 to 2006, experienced a 42.9 percent population increase between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, upping its population by almost 6,000. Orleans' population rose by 13.8 percent, or nearly 29,000. Find these and other county and Puerto Rico Municipio estimates on our web page today!
Hot Tip
County and City Data Book: 2007 Now Available
The brand new, most comprehensive source of information about the individual counties and cities in the United States is now available. This book includes data for all U.S. states, counties, and cities with a population of 25,000 or more with additional data for places with a population of 100,000 or more. Also included is a complete set of state maps showing all counties, places of 25,000 or more population, and metropolitan areas. Available online in PDF format, or order your printed copy now!!
Recently Released
Population
County and Puerto Rico Municipio Population Estimates: July 1. Internet tables showing population estimates, rankings and components of change, for the nation's counties and county equivalents since Census 2000 and up to July 1, 2007.
Texas Towns Lead Nation In Labor Force Growth. The County and City Data Book: 2007, provides population, housing, and business data for counties and cities with 25,000 or more residents, and places of 2,500 or more residents. Tables included incorporate information from government agencies and private nonprofit organizations. Covers everything from area populations to vital statistics.
2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Report presents microdata records (with any information that might identify a specific person or household removed) on individuals involved in fishing, hunting, and other wildlife-associated recreation, such as wildlife observation, photography, and feeding. Data include state in which these activities occurred; number of trips taken; duration of trips; and expenditures for food, lodging, transportation, and equipment.
2008 Elections. Website provides a look at the population, selected characteristics, and 2004 voting percentage of each state as it approaches its 2008 primary or caucus.
Who's Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005. Tables providing data on child care arrangements of preschoolers and grade-schoolers according to various demographic characteristics of the mother. They also profile children who care for themselves on a regular basis and examine the size of weekly child care payments made by selected characteristics of the family.
Women More Likely to Work During Pregnancy. Maternity Leave and Employment Patterns: 1961-2003 analyzes trends in women's work experience before their first child, identifying the maternity leave arrangements they use before and after the birth, and examines how rapidly they return to work.
Latest Economic Indicators
Wholesale Trade: January 2008. 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: January 2008. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption.
Quarterly Services Survey: 4th Quarter 2007. Press release showing quarterly estimates of total operating revenue and the percentage of revenue by class of customer for the services industries.
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: February 2008. 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: January 2008. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers.
New Residential Construction: February 2008. Press release showing data for housing starts, completions, and building permits.
Economic Census and Surveys
Information and Communication Technology Survey: 2006. First published in 2005, these data are a supplement to the Annual Capital Expenditures Survey. Covering capitalized and noncapitalized business expenditures on technology, this survey was created to meet the need for data on e-business infrastructure investment, an area vital to U.S. productivity growth.
Current Industrial Reports (CIR). Reports available online in PDF format providing monthly, quarterly, and annual measures of industrial activity. The data are used to satisfy economic policy needs and for market analysis, forecasting and decision-making in the private sector. Reports are available on a flow basis.
Older Worker Profiles. Reports (it will be released for each of over 30 states) providing detailed pictures 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 older workers are concentrated, job stability, and earnings.
The following states are available as of the publish date of this newsletter:
- Iowa (PDF - 1.31 MB)
- Maine (PDF - 1.45 MB)
- Vermont (PDF - 762 KB)
- Indiana (PDF - 1.53 MB)
- Arkansas (PDF - 1.81 MB)
- Hawaii (PDF - 558 KB)
- Delaware (PDF - 464 KB)
Governments
Local Governments and Public School Systems by Type and State: 2007. The Census of Governments is taken at 5-year intervals and covers three major subject fields. The first (released now), Government Organization, provides a universal list of government units classified according to type of government for use in the Employment and Finance phases of the census. The Employment phase is scheduled for release in Fall 2008. The Finance phase is tentatively scheduled for release in December 2008 (State government only) and in summer of 2009 (State and Local governments). Data available as Internet tables or in spreadsheet format.
2007 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. Preliminary summary of taxes collected by each state government for up to 25 tax categories. These data include collections by state governments only and do not include data on taxes collected by local governments.
Reference and Compendia
Facts for Features: Mother's Day (May 11)
Facts for Features: Cinco de Mayo
Facts for Features: St Patrick's Day (March 17) and Irish-American Heritage Month (March)
Facts for Features: Older Americans Month: May 2008
Facts for Features: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: May 2008
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 which project age and sex distributions to 2050.
2007 Metropolitan and Micropolitan Area Population. Internet tables showing population estimates and rankings of change for the nation's metro and micro areas between April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2007.
What It's Worth: Field of Training and Economic Status: 2004. Series of tables from the Survey of Income and Program Participation examining the relationship between field of training and monthly earnings.
Economic Indicators
Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufactures' Shipments and Orders: February 2008. Press release showing advance information on key business indicators. Scheduled for release March 26, 2008.
New Residential Sales: February 2008. 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 March 26, 2008.
Quarterly Financial Report - Manufacturing, Mining, and Wholesale Trade: 4th Quarter 2007. Press release showing up-to-date aggregate statistics on U.S. manufacturing, mining, and wholesale trade corporations. Scheduled for release March 31, 2008.
Quarterly Financial Report - Retail Trade: 4th Quarter 2007. Press release shows second quarter sales of large retail trade corporations. Includes large U.S. retailers' after-tax profits. Scheduled for release March 31, 2008.
Construction Spending (Put-in-Place): February 2008. 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 April 1, 2008.
Manufacturer's Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: February 2008. 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 April 2, 2008.
Economic Census and Surveys
Consolidated Federal Funds Report: 2006. This annual data set provides an overview of federal spending at the national, state and county levels. The data are obtained from federal government agencies and describe spending for procurement contracts, salaries and wages, direct payments, loans and insurance. Department of Homeland Security data are included.
New Foreign Trade Regulations Take Effect. The US Census Bureau's first major revision in two decades includes new legal and online filing requirements, modified filing timeframes and stricter penalties.
Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures: 2007. This report shows detailed statistics on capital expenditures and operating costs for pollution prevention and pollution treatment for the manufacturing sector. These data are available by cost category (treatment/capture, prevention, disposal and recycling) and the media (air, water discharge and solid waste), both by state and industry.
Public Education Finances: 2006. Comprehensive look at school district revenues and expenditures. Highlights include spending on salaries, construction, support services, administration and transportation. The report allows users to calculate per pupil expenditures and compare funding sources for public education by state.
Top-Ranked States by Industry. A new web page highlighting facts from the 2002 Economic Census about every state by receipts per capita for every industry helps promote the 2007 Economic Census.
March 06, 2008
Headline News
It's Not Too Late to Return Your Economic Census Forms. (Released March 3, 2008)
Business Spending on Technology Infrastructure $250 Billion in 2006. (Released March 6, 2008)
Facts for Features: Cinco de Mayo. (Released March 5, 2008)
New Orders for Manufactured Goods in January Decreased $10.8 Billion or 2.5 Percent to $429.2 Billion. (Released March 5, 2008)
Total Construction Activity for January 2008 ($1,121.5 Billion) Was 1.7 Percent Below the Revised December 2007 Figure ($1,140.4 Billion). (Released March 3, 2008)
Facts for Features: Older Americans Month: May 2008. (Released March 3, 2008)
Facts for Features: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: May 2008. (Released March 3, 2008)
Nearly Half of Preschoolers Receive Child Care from Relatives. (Released February 28, 2008)
Texas Towns Lead Nation in Labor Force Growth. (Released February 28, 2008)
New Orders for Manufactured Durable Goods in January Decreased $12.0 Billion (or 5.3 Percent) to $212.8 Billion. (Released February 27, 2008)
Sales of New One-Family Houses In January 2008 Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 588,000. (Released February 27, 2008)
Women More Likely to Work During Pregnancy. (Released February 25, 2008)
Fact of the Day
Treasure Trove of Data on County and Cities!
For cities with populations of 25,000 or more, Redmond, WA was the rainiest with an annual average of 82.86 inches. Calexico, CA and El Centro, CA both had the distinction of having the lowest annual precipitation at 2.96 inches. On the subject of housing, in the year 2000, Alcona County, MI had the greatest proportion of housing units that were owner-occupied at 89.9 percent, while Bronx County, NY had the lowest such proportion at 19.6 percent. There is much more data available in our County and City Data Book, so keep this resource handy in your webpage favorites list, or order it in print!
Hot Tip
Use Census Bureau Data Effectively!
Data are always interesting for its own sake, but application of the data is the key to success. Find out how local governments, community groups, businesses, and others have utilized data from the Census Bureau to locate facilities, apply for grants, or to conduct research. Spend a few minutes reading examples of how data have been used by decision-makers to answer key questions in ways that benefit business, the individual, or the community!
Recently Released
Population
Texas Towns Lead Nation In Labor Force Growth. The County and City Data Book: 2007, provides population, housing, and business data for counties and cities with 25,000 or more residents, and places of 2,500 or more residents. Tables included incorporate information from government agencies and private nonprofit organizations. Covers everything from area populations to vital statistics.
2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Report presents microdata records (with any information that might identify a specific person or household removed) on individuals involved in fishing, hunting, and other wildlife-associated recreation, such as wildlife observation, photography, and feeding. Data include state in which these activities occurred; number of trips taken; duration of trips; and expenditures for food, lodging, transportation, and equipment.
2008 Elections. Website provides a look at the population, selected characteristics, and 2004 voting percentage of each state as it approaches its 2008 primary or caucus.
Living Arrangements of Children: 2004. Report examines the diversity of children's living arrangements, from living with two biological parents to living in blended families. These national-level data come from the Survey of Income and Program Participation.
Most Comprehensive Source for Data on Counties in the United States! USA Counties features more than 5,900 data items for the United States, the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), and all of the nation's 3,141 counties and county equivalents. This compendium covers many areas, such as agriculture, building permits, crime, education, elections, employment, housing, poverty, and social programs. It is the most comprehensive source for data on counties in the United States.
Who's Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005. Tables provide data on child care arrangements of preschoolers and grade-schoolers according to various demographic characteristics of the mother. They also profile children who care for themselves on a regular basis and examine the size of weekly child care payments made by selected characteristics of the family.
Women More Likely to Work During Pregnancy. Maternity Leave and Employment Patterns: 1961-2003 analyzes trends in women's work experience before their first child, identifying the maternity leave arrangements they use before and after the birth, and examines how rapidly they return to work.
Latest Economic Indicators
Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: January 2008. Press release shows advance information on key business indicators.
New Residential Sales: January 2008. Press release reports new one-family houses sold and for sale. Includes sales prices, months on the market, and stage of construction.
Construction Spending (Put-in-Place): January 2008. Press release shows 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: January 2008. Press release shows information on key business indicators. Shows revised durable goods totals, in addition to nondurable goods manufacturers' shipments, inventories, and orders.
Economic Census and Surveys
Information and Communication Technology Survey: 2006. First published in 2005, these data are a supplement to the Annual Capital Expenditures Survey. Covering capitalized and noncapitalized business expenditures on technology, this survey was created to meet the need for data on e-business infrastructure investment, an area vital to U.S. productivity growth.
Current Industrial Reports (CIR). Reports available online in PDF format provide monthly, quarterly, and annual measures of industrial activity. The data are used to satisfy economic policy needs and for market analysis, forecasting and decision-making in the private sector. Reports are available on a flow basis.
Older Worker Profiles. Report (it will be released for each of over 30 states) provides 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 report highlights the age of the states' work force, job gains and losses, industries in which older workers are concentrated, job stability, and earnings.
The following states are available as of the publish date of this newsletter:
Iowa (PDF - 1.31 MB)
Maine (PDF - 1.45 MB)
Vermont (PDF - 762 KB)
Indiana (PDF - 1.53 MB)
Arkansas (PDF - 1.81 MB)
Hawaii (PDF - 558 KB)
Delaware (PDF - 464 KB)
Governments
Local Governments and Public School Systems by Type and State: 2007. The Census of Governments is taken at 5-year intervals and covers three major subject fields. The first (released now), Government Organization, provides a universal list of government units classified according to type of government for use in the Employment and Finance phases of the census. The Employment phase is scheduled for release in Fall 2008. The Finance phase is tentatively scheduled for release in December 2008 (State government only) and in summer of 2009 (State and Local governments). Data available as Internet tables or in spreadsheet format.
2007 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. Preliminary summary of taxes collected by each state government for up to 25 tax categories. These data include collections by state governments only and do not include data on taxes collected by local governments.
Reference and Compendia
Facts for Features: Cinco de Mayo
Facts for Features: St Patrick's Day (March 17) and Irish-American Heritage Month (March)
Facts for Features: Black History Month (February)
Facts for Features: Older Americans Month: May 2008
Facts for Features: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: May 2008
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 which project age and sex distributions to 2050.
County and Puerto Rico Municipio Population Estimates: July 1. Internet tables showing population estimates, rankings and components of change, for the nation's counties and county equivalents since Census 2000 and up to July 1, 2007.
2007 Metropolitan and Micropolitan Area Population. Internet tables showing population estimates and rankings of change for the nation's metro and micro areas between April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2007.
What It's Worth: Field of Training and Economic Status: 2004. Series of tables from the Survey of Income and Program Participation examining the relationship between field of training and monthly earnings.
Economic Indicators
Wholesale Trade: January 2008. 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 March 10, 2008.
US International Trade in Goods and Services: January 2008. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption. Scheduled for release March 11, 2008.
Quarterly Services Survey: 4th Quarter 2007. Press release showing quarterly estimates of total operating revenue and the percentage of revenue by class of customer for the services industries. Scheduled for release March 12, 2008.
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: February 2008. 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 March 13, 2008.
Manufacturing and Trade: Inventories and Sales: January 2008. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Scheduled for release March 13, 2008.
New Residential Construction: February 2008. Press release showing data for housing starts, completions, and building permits. Scheduled for release March 18, 2008.
Economic Census and Surveys
Consolidated Federal Funds Report: 2006. This annual data set provides an overview of federal spending at the national, state and county levels. The data are obtained from federal government agencies and describe spending for procurement contracts, salaries and wages, direct payments, loans and insurance. Department of Homeland Security data are included.
New Foreign Trade Regulations Take Effect. The US Census Bureau's first major revision in two decades includes new legal and online filing requirements, modified filing timeframes and stricter penalties.
Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures: 2007. This report shows detailed statistics on capital expenditures and operating costs for pollution prevention and pollution treatment for the manufacturing sector. These data are available by cost category (treatment/capture, prevention, disposal and recycling) and the media (air, water discharge and solid waste), both by state and industry.
Public Education Finances: 2006. Comprehensive look at school district revenues and expenditures. Highlights include spending on salaries, construction, support services, administration and transportation. The report allows users to calculate per pupil expenditures and compare funding sources for public education by state.
Top-Ranked States by Industry. A new web page highlighting facts from the 2002 Economic Census about every state by receipts per capita for every industry helps promote the 2007 Economic Census.
Reference and Compendia
Women's History Month (March). In commemoration of this annual observance highlighting the contributions of women, this edition provides statistical information on topics such as earnings, educational attainment, business ownership, careers, military service, and marriage.
