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Cell Phone Users Surpass 100 Million,
According to New Statistical Abstract
Nearly 110 million people in the United States used a cellular telephone
in 2000 compared with about 5 million subscribers in 1990, according to
the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2001 released today by the
Commerce Department's Census Bureau.
"Over the decade, the average monthly cell phone bill decreased from
$81 to $45," said Lars Johanson, technical coordinator of the annual
publication. "Another indicator of the spectacular growth of the industry
was the jump in its employees, from about 21,000 to 185,000."
The Abstract, published every year since 1878, features new tables with
data from Census 2000 and revised economic census tables that use the new
North American Industry Classification System categories. The new edition
has more than 1,400 tables and charts with statistics from the most recent
year or period available. It also features a new section on hotels and
restaurants.
Other highlights:
- In the spring of 1999, 46 million adults said they attended a
musical performance sometime in the previous year, 35 million surfed
the Internet, 32 million did crossword puzzles, 11 million played
bingo and 7 million flew a kite.
- Also, in the spring of 1999, 6.2 million householders said they
remodeled their bathrooms in the prior year; 4.7 million redid
their kitchens; and 3.4 million refinished their bedrooms. About
2.5 million households added a deck, porch or patio.
- Teenage birth rates (ages 15 to 19) fell to an all-time low in 1999,
49.6 births per 1,000. This was 20 percent lower than the peak
reported in 1991 when the rate was 62.1 births per 1,000.
- U.S. consumption of red meat and poultry increased from 63 billion
pounds in 1990 to 76 billion pounds in 2000, a 21 percent increase.
- Per capita consumption of caloric sweeteners (sugar, syrups and
honey) increased from 137 pounds in 1990 to 158 pounds in 1999.
- More than 19 million drivers were stopped by police at least once
in 1999; major reasons were: speeding (51 percent), vehicle defects
(11 percent) and record checks (9 percent).
- Fatalities in alcohol-related crashes declined steadily between
1990 and 1999, from nearly half of all accidents to a ratio of less
than 4-in-10.
- About 1 million people were involved in violent acts between
intimate partners (current and former spouses and boyfriends and
girlfriends) in 1998, down from more than 1.2 million such acts
five years earlier.
- As of February 2000, people had worked for their current employer a
median of three and one-half years. Fewer than 1-in-10 workers were
with the same employer for 20 years or more.
The 2001 Statistical Abstract is available from the U.S. Government
Printing Office (ISBN No. 003-024-08863-1, $38 for the softbound edition
and No. 003-024-08864-9, $48 for the hardbound edition) by calling
202-512-1800.
It is also available from the National Technical Information Service
(PB2001965801, $37 for the softbound edition and PB2001965301, $45 for the
hardbound edition) by calling 1-800-553-6847.
A CD-ROM version of the book will be available in early 2002.