January 23, 2009
Headline News
Business Spending on Fixed Assets Rises to $1.36 Trillion in 2007. (Released January 22, 2009)
Facts for Features: Super Bowl XLIII. (Released January 22, 2009)
Privately-Owned Housing Starts in December 2008 Were At a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 550,000. (Released January 22, 2009)
Medicaid Tops Funding for Nursing and Residential Care Facilities. (Released January 15, 2009)
U.S. Retail and Food Service Sales for November Reached $343.2 Billion, A Decrease of 2.7 Percent From the Previous Month. (Released January 14, 2009)
U.S. Total Business Sales for November Were $1,057.0 Billion, Down 5.1 Percent From Last Month. (Released January 14, 2009)
The Nation's International Deficit in Goods and Services Decreased to $40.4 Billion in November From $56.7 Billion (Revised) in October. (Released January 13, 2009)
November 2008 Sales of Merchant Wholesalers Were $349.2 Billion, Down 7.1 Percent From Last Month. (Released January 9, 2009)
Fact of the Day
Health Care and Social Assistance
Overall, health care and social assistance revenue increased 6.8 percent in 2007 to $1.66 trillion, up from $1.56 trillion in 2006. Revenue for continuing care retirement communities grew 10.1 percent to $20 billion. Revenue for hospitals grew 6.5 percent in 2007 to $687 billion. Revenue for physicians’ offices increased 5.6 percent to $346 billion and revenue for dentists’ offices increased 6.5 percent to $94 billion.
These tabulations, and more, come from the 2007 Service Annual Survey: Health Care and Social Assistance, which focuses on health care and social assistance providers for individuals, and gives estimates and sources of revenue for businesses with paid employees.
Hot Tip
Health Insurance
Health insurance statistics are always a hot topic! See our health insurance web page which has definitions, reports, links to related sites, frequently asked questions, working papers, and more! Take some time to browse this important site today, or bookmark it for future use!
Recently Released
Population
American Community Survey 2005-2007 PUMS Data Release. 2005-2007 Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files are an extract of the full data set, released in a manner that avoids disclosure of information about households or individuals. PUMS files allow advanced data users to create customized tabulations beyond the standard tables.
The American Community Survey: What the Media Needs to Know. (PDF; 1.1 MB). A new handbook that describes how the ACS is designed, key concepts, and how to get the most out of the survey data. It explains the various ways to find and access ACS data and the best ways for novice and experienced journalists to use the estimates. Step-by-step articles are included on how journalists have used the ACS to find and improve their published work.
USA Counties. This information resource contains more than 6,000 data items for 3,141 counties, 50 states, and the nation. Many new items are included this year, including 2008 data on the number of offices and total deposits for commercial banks and savings institutions, as well as 2007 data on federal government expenditures, Department of Defense expenditures, and direct payments for individuals (retirement and disability).
Economic Indicators
Monthly Wholesale Trade: November 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: November 2008. 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: December 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: November 2008. 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: December 2008. Press release showing data for housing starts, completions, and building permits.
Economic Census and Surveys
2007 Service Annual Survey: Truck Transportation, Couriers and Messengers, and Warehousing and Storage Services. This industry series tracks business activity and revenues for firms that haul, warehouse, and deliver America's freight.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Health Care and Social Assistance. From kidney dialysis to community food services, from chiropractors to optometrists, this sector focuses on care providers for individuals, whether medical care or social assistance. Users can track revenue by dollar figures or percent change.
Older Worker Profiles. Reports (will be released for each of over 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 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)
Colorado (PDF - 779 KB)
Wisconsin (PDF - 766 KB)
New Jersey (PDF - 800 KB)
Maryland (PDF - 1.03 MB)
Kentucky (PDF - 1.58 MB)
Oklahoma (PDF - 696 KB)
South Carolina (PDF - 1.34 MB)
Montana (PDF - 1.03 MB)
Oregon (PDF - 756 KB)
New Mexico (PDF - 486 KB)
Tennessee (PDF - 1.13 MB)
Washington (PDF - 1.03 MB)
Pennsylvania (PDF - 1.03 MB)
Minnesota (PDF - 736 KB)
Virginia (PDF - 2.37 MB)
Missouri (PDF - 849 KB)
North Dakota (PDF - 704 KB)
Idaho (PDF - 932 KB)
Kansas (PDF - 548 KB)
Governments
2007 State and Local Government Public Employee-Retirement Systems. State and local government defined-benefit employee retirement systems paid $168 billion to 7.5 million retirees and survivors in fiscal year 2007. Data are shown for individual retirement systems as well as aggregately at the national, state, and local levels.
2008 3rd Quarter Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenue. Quarterly tax revenue data on property, sales, license, income, and other taxes. Data are shown for individual state governments as well as national-level estimates of total state and local taxes, including 12-month calculations. This quarterly survey has been conducted continuously since 1962.
Reference and Compendia
Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009. "Uncle Sam's Almanac" presents its usual dazzling array of statistics on topics from "A" (aerobics) to "Z" (zinc production). Published since 1878, the upcoming 128th edition includes several dozen new tables and more than 1,400 overall, describing life in our nation and the world.
Facts for Features: Valentine's Day 2009 (February 14)
St. Patrick's Day (March 17, 2009) and Irish-American Heritage Month (March)
Upcoming Releases
Population
Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007. Internet tables detail education levels by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, nativity, occupation, and other demographic characteristics at the national level.
Foreign-Born Characteristics: 2007. There were an estimated 38 million people in 2007 living in the United States who were born outside of the country. New data profiles show educational attainment, income, year of entry, occupations, and more based on a group's country of birth. For example, Chinese-born residents in one part of the country are much more likely to graduate high school than others.
School Enrollment in the United States: 2007. Annual update at the national level on the demographics of Americans age 3 and older enrolled in classes - from nursery school through graduate studies - as well as those in vocational training.
Population Change in Central and Outlying Counties of Metropolitan Statistical Areas: 2000 to 2007. Analysis of population change and demographic components of change in both core and outlying portions of metro areas. This change is examined by region and division and metro area population size category, as well as for 12 of the most populous metro areas.
Economic Census and Surveys
2007 Annual Capital Expenditures Survey. These data provide statistics on business spending for new and used structures and equipment, including all domestic, private, nonfarm businesses. These figures are critical to evaluate productivity growth, the ability of U.S. business to compete with foreign business, changes in industrial capacity, and measures of overall economic performance.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Securities, Commodity Contracts and Other Financial Investments. Revenues for the financial industry are tracked yearly. Whether underwriting securities, managing portfolio assets or brokering commodities, these data track the change in revenue for firms that make up the securities section of the financial industry.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Information Sector Services. These data show revenues for establishments typically engaged in activities associated with transforming information into a commodity. From cultural products, such as motion pictures, to the distribution of information through different media, such as wireless signals for cell phones, this sector covers everything from production and processing to distribution of information.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Rental and Leasing Services. This industry series produces revenue and expense data on a wide variety of rental and leasing services, including data on passenger car rentals, formal wear, video tape and disc rentals, machinery and equipment rentals, and rentals of other consumer goods.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services. Revenues and expenses are tracked for law offices, accounting offices, tax preparation, management consulting, interior design, graphic design, and a host of other professional, scientific and technical services. Find out how much advertising and public relations firms made in revenues, as well as how much they spent.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services. How much did travel firms make? Did they bring in more revenue from business or leisure travel? This sector also provides expenses and revenues for remediation services, waste management, investigative services, landscapers, locksmiths, and telemarketers.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Arts, Entertainment, and Recreations Services. Report provides estimates such as revenue and expenses for taxable and tax-exempt performing arts, spectator sports, museums, historical sites, amusement, gambling, and similar institutions. The data cover firms with paid employees.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Other Services (Except Public Administration, Religious, Labor, and Political Organizations, and Private Households). Report provides estimates such as revenue and expenses for taxable repair and maintenance firms, and taxable personal and laundry services. Also included in the report are tax-exempt religious, grant-making, civic, professional, and similar organizations. The data cover firms with paid employees.
Economic Indicators
Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: December 2008. Press release showing advance information on key business indicators. Scheduled for release January 29, 2009.
New Residential Sales: December 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 January 29, 2009.
Construction Spending (Put-in-Place): December 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 February 2, 2009.
Housing Vacancies: Fourth Quarter 2008. Press release showing rental and homeowner vacancy rates and characteristics of units available for occupancy. Scheduled for release February 3, 2009.
Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: December 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 February 5, 2009.
Reference and Compendia
Facts for Features:
African-American History Month (February). To commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, the Census Bureau presents a collection of demographic and economic statistics about the black community.
January 09, 2009
Headline News
U.S. Commercial Trucks Cover 94 Billion Miles in 2007; Transportation and Warehousing Revenues Grow. (Released January 8, 2009)
After-Tax Profits for Retail Corporations With Assets Greater Than $50 Million Averaged 1.6 Cents Per Dollar of Sales for the Third Quarter 2008 (the 3 Months Ending October 31, 2008). (Released January 7, 2009)
New Orders for Manufactured Goods in November Decreased $18.7 Billion or 4.6 Percent to $384.6 Billion. (Released January 6, 2009)
Census Bureau to Survey Nation's Spending Habits. (Released January 5, 2009)
Facts for Features: Irish-American Heritage Month (March) and St. Patrick's Day (March 17): 2009. (Released January 5, 2009)
Facts for Features: Women's History Month: March 2009. (Released January 5, 2009)
Total Construction Activity for November 2008 ($1,078.4 Billion) Was 0.6 Percent Below the Revised October 2008 ($1,085.3 Billion) Figure. (Released January 5, 2009)
Census Bureau Projects U.S. Population of 305.5 Million on New Year's Day. (Released December 29, 2008)
New Orders for Manufactured Durable Goods in November Decreased $1.8 Billion or 1.0 Percent to $186.9 Billion. (Released December 24, 2008)
Fact of the Day
January 1, 2009 Population!
The U.S. Census Bureau projected the January 1, 2009, total U.S. population to be 305,529,237 — up 2,743,429 (0.9 percent), from New Year’s Day 2008. In January 2009, one birth is expected to occur every eight seconds in the United States and one death every 12 seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person every 36 seconds to the U.S. population in January 2009, resulting in an increase in the total U.S. population of one person every 14 seconds.
Hot Tip
Take Advantage of the Estimates Web Page!
Take advantage of the rich source of information found through our Estimates web page! From the Census Bureau home page, click “Estimates.” Note the drop-down options as you roll your mouse over each of the menu items on the orange bar at the top of the page. Each menu item provides a range of options including analyses of the estimates, graphics, geographic topics, archives, and more! Become familiar with this important and informative web page!
Headline News
Population
The American Community Survey: What the Media Needs to Know. (PDF; 1.1 MB). This new handbook describes how the ACS is designed, key concepts, and how to get the most out of the survey data. It explains the various ways to find and access ACS data and the best ways for novice and experienced journalists to use the estimates. Step-by-step articles are included on how journalists have used the ACS to find and improve their published work.
Americans with Disabilities: 2005. Online publication (PDF; 638 KB) and detailed tables containing national-level data on the socioeconomic characteristics of people with disabilities, such as poverty, program participation, employment status, and earnings. Includes estimates of people with a wide range of specific disabilities, for example; difficulty seeing or hearing, the need for personal assistance with preparing meals, the use of a wheelchair, and Alzheimer's.
International Data Base. The world population is undergoing constant changes in fertility, infant mortality, life expectancy, and other factors. Which countries have fertility rates at or above replacement levels? Will the annual number of births peak anytime soon? Answers to these and other questions about the population of the world's 225 countries can be found in this 2008 update.
State Population Estimates: July 1, 2008. Internet tables showing July 1, 2008, population estimates and components of change for the nation, states, and Puerto Rico.
Economic Indicators
Construction Spending (Put-in-Place): November 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).
Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: November 2008. Press release showing information on key business indicators. Shows revised durable goods totals, in addition to nondurable goods manufacturers' shipments, inventories, and orders.
Quarterly Financial Report for Retail Trade: Third Quarter, 2008. Press release shows third quarter sales of large retail trade corporations. Includes large U.S. retailers' after-tax profits.
Economic Census and Surveys
2007 Service Annual Survey: Truck Transportation, Couriers and Messengers, and Warehousing and Storage Services. This industry series tracks business activity and revenues for firms that haul, warehouse and deliver America’s freight.
Older Worker Profiles. Reports (will be released for each of over 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 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)
Colorado (PDF - 779 KB)
Wisconsin (PDF - 766 KB)
New Jersey (PDF - 800 KB)
Maryland (PDF - 1.03 MB)
Kentucky (PDF - 1.58 MB)
Oklahoma (PDF - 696 KB)
South Carolina (PDF - 1.34 MB)
Montana (PDF - 1.03 MB)
Oregon (PDF - 756 KB)
New Mexico (PDF - 486 KB)
Tennessee (PDF - 1.13 MB)
Washington (PDF - 1.03 MB)
Pennsylvania (PDF - 1.03 MB)
Minnesota (PDF - 736 KB)
Virginia (PDF - 2.37 MB)
Missouri (PDF - 849 KB)
North Dakota (PDF - 704 KB)
Idaho (PDF - 932 KB)
Kansas (PDF – 548 KB)
West Virginia (PDF – 1.14 MB)
Governments
2007 State and Local Government Public Employee-Retirement Systems. Annual data on revenues, expenditures, financial assets, and membership for public employee-retirement systems. Data are shown for individual retirement systems as well as aggregately at the national, state, and local levels.
2008 3rd Quarter Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenue. Quarterly tax revenue data on property, sales, license, income, and other taxes. Data are shown for individual state governments as well as national-level estimates of total state and local taxes, including 12-month calculations. This quarterly survey has been conducted continuously since 1962.
Reference and Compendia
Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009. "Uncle Sam's Almanac" presents its usual dazzling array of statistics on topics from "A" (aerobics) to "Z" (zinc production). Published since 1878, the upcoming 128th edition includes several dozen new tables and more than 1,400 overall, describing life in our nation and the world.
Facts for Features: Valentine's Day
Upcoming Releases
Population
American Community Survey 2005-2007 PUMS Data Release. The Census Bureau releases 2005-2007 Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files. The files are an extract of the full data set, released in a manner that avoids disclosure of information about households or individuals. PUMS files allow advanced data users to create customized tabulations beyond the standard tables.
Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007. Internet tables detail education levels by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, nativity, occupation, and other demographic characteristics at the national level.
Foreign-Born Characteristics: 2007. New data profiles show educational attainment, income, year of entry, occupations, and more based on a group's country of birth. For example, Chinese-born residents in one part of the country are much more likely to graduate high school than others.
School Enrollment in the United States: 2007. Annual update at the national level on the demographics of Americans age 3 and older enrolled in classes — from nursery school through graduate studies — as well as those in vocational training.
USA Counties. This information resource contains more than 6,000 data items for 3,141 counties, 50 states, and the nation. Many new items are included this year, including 2008 data on the number of offices, total deposits for commercial banks and savings institutions, 2007 data on federal government expenditures, Department of Defense expenditures, and direct payments for individuals (retirement and disability).
Economic Census and Surveys
2007 Service Annual Survey: Health Care and Social Assistance. From kidney dialysis to community food services, from chiropractors to optometrists, this sector focuses on care providers for individuals, whether medical care or social assistance. Users can track revenue by dollar figures or percent change.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Securities, Commodity Contracts and Other Financial Investments. Revenues for the financial industry are tracked yearly. Whether underwriting securities, managing portfolio assets or brokering commodities, these data track the change in revenue for firms that make up the securities section of the financial industry.
2007 Annual Capital Expenditures Survey. These data provide statistics on business spending for new and used structures and equipment, including all domestic, private, nonfarm businesses. These figures are critical to evaluate productivity growth, the ability of U.S. business to compete with foreign business, changes in industrial capacity, and measures of overall economic performance.
2007 Service Annual Survey: Information Sector Services. These data show revenues for establishments typically engaged in activities associated with transforming information into a commodity. From cultural products, such as motion pictures, to the distribution of information through different media such as wireless signals for cell phones, this sector covers everything from production and processing to distribution of information.
Economic Indicators
Monthly Wholesale Trade: November 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 January 9, 2009.
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: November 2008. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption. Scheduled for release January 13, 2009.
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: December 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 January 14, 2009.
Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales: November 2008. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Scheduled for release January 14, 2009.
Housing Starts and Building Permits: December 2008. Press release showing data for housing starts, completions, and building permits. Scheduled for release January 22, 2009.
Reference and Compendia
Facts for Features:
African-American History Month (February). To commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, the Census Bureau presents a collection of demographic and economic statistics about the black community.
St. Patrick's Day and Irish-American Heritage Month (March). Statistical information from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas on the nation's Irish-American population and other facets of this celebration of all things Irish.
Super Bowl XLIII (February 1). An array of statistics from the Census Bureau’s demographic subject areas relating to the 43rd edition of our nation's most celebrated sporting event. The game has evolved into the nation’s most-watched television broadcast of the year and the day on which it occurs, Super Bowl Sunday, into a de facto national observance. Includes data for Tampa, Fla., site of the big game, as well as cities represented by the two participating NFL teams.
