March 2010 Employment Numbers

From NPR: "Non-farm payrolls rose in March for only the second time since the start of the recession, the Labor Department reported Friday, but the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website has the latest Employment Situation update. The Chair of Economic Advisors, Christina Romer, issued a statement on the new employment numbers. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner gave an interview on Thursday about the unemployment situation.

Sources: Goldstein, J. (2 April 2010). "Jobs Outlook: 'We've Turned The Corner'." NPR.org.
Neuman, S. (2 April 2010). "Jobs Added, But Unemployment Rate Unchanged." NPR.org.

2010 Census Response Rate

From the Helena Independent Record: "It may have been April Fools' Day, but Thursday also marked 'Census Day,' and no prank was pulled on the number of Montana households that had returned their questionnaires on time."

You can see the response rate percentage for states, counties, and local areas on the Census Bureau's Take 10 Map. Census data is used to allocate federal funding to states, counties, and municipalities; to help make decisions about infrastructure planning; and to apportion Congressional seats (the original reason the Census is mandated in the Constitution). If you have not received your Census form by April 12th, contact one of the 2010 Census Toll-free help lines. You can find answers to common questions about the Census on the 2010 Census website.

Source: Kidston, M.J. (2 April 2010). "Montana census participation on par with nation." Helena Independent Record.

2010 Census

From the Missoulian: "Having accurate data is critical for many reasons, explained Jim Foley, UM executive vice president.

"In 1990, when Montana's residents weren't fully counted and acknowledged, the state lost one of its two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Also, $400 billion federal dollars is distributed to states based on population demands - in turn based on census data."

Information about the 2010 Census is available on the Census Bureau website. The site includes answers to frequently asked questions and a sample form so you can see what the ten questions will be.

As mentioned in a related story in the Missoulian, the Census Bureau and local Census office are looking for employees, particularly local Census takers.

Source: Cohen, B. (10 Dec. 2009). "Census office opens with a bang in Missoula." Missoulian. A1.

Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook

From the Associated Press: "Staying warm won't be quite as expensive this winter. People who heat with natural gas should do especially well, seeing their lowest bills in five years."

The Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook, produced by the Energy Information Administration, includes Projected Winter Fuel Expenditures by Fuel and Region and detailed information about energy production and consumption.

Source: Hebert, H.J., AP (6 Oct. 2009). "Keeping warm should be a bit cheaper this winter." Google News.

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance in the United States: 2008

From the Washington Post: "More Americans went without health insurance last year, median income fell and the poverty rate rose to its highest level in 11 years as the recession took root, according to a Census Bureau report released Thursday."

The Census Bureau released new data on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage yesterday.

Sources: Morello, C. (10 Sept. 2009). "Number of Uninsured Rises to 46.3 Million." Washington Post.
Leonhardt, L. (10 Sept. 2009). "A Decade With No Income Gains." New York Times.

Unemployment Numbers

From the Washington Post: "The job market continued its long, steep decline in August, with the jobless rate soaring to 9.7 percent and employers continuing to shed jobs, albeit at a slower rate than expected.

"Analysts generally believe that economic output began rising by late summer. But new Labor Department data released Friday morning shows that that improvement isn't yet flowing through to the job market, as employers remain highly reluctant to add staff."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks unemployment figures and posts them monthly. The data for August 2009 unemployment has just been released.

Source: Irwin, N. (4 Sept. 2009). "Unemployment Rises to 9.7 Percent; 216,000 Jobs Lost in August." Washington Post.

Doing Better for Children Report

From the Associated Foreign Press: "The United States allocates more public funds to its children than most other industrialised states but gets relatively less than its peers in return, the OECD said in a report on Tuesday."

Portions of the new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, Doing Better for Children, are available on the OECD website. This includes the United States-specific highlights and a comparison of child well-being across the OECD.

Source: Associated Foreign Press (2 Sept. 2009). "US gets less from more in spending on children: OECD." Google News.

Home Sales and Durable Goods Figures

From the Associated Press: "Consumers and businesses went on a big- ticket spending spree in July, sending home, car and equipment sales soaring by the largest amount in years."

The numbers for new home sales and durable goods are posted on the Census Bureau's Economic Indicators site.

Source: Zibel, A., AP (27 August 2009). "Consumers take giant leap with big-ticket items in July." Denver Post.

National Park Use Statistics

From the Associated Press: "It could be the upside of the economic downturn: The Obama administration says visits to national parks are up nearly 4 percent this year.

"The National Park Service said Monday that 127.7 million visits were made to national parks in the first six months of the year, an increase of about 4.5 million over the same period in 2008. In June alone, visits to national parks increased by more than 700,000 compared to June of last year."

You can find statistics on visits to national parks on the National Park Service Public Use Statistics Office website.

Source: Daly, M., AP (17 Aug. 2009). "Park Service says visits to national parks are up." Google News.

Kids Count

From the Missoulian: "Montana, in terms of the well-being of its children, ranks below the national average and has even slipped slightly, according to a national report released Tuesday.

"The 2009 Kids Count report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, shows federal data in 10 key areas - such as teen deaths, single-parent households and infant mortality - to determine children's overall well-being nationally and by individual states."

The Kids Count report is a product of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. It draws on data from several federal agencies, including:

• Census Bureau
  
  • American Community Survey
    
  • Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Program (SAIPE)
• National Center for Health Statistics

The Census Bureau also provides data on low income uninsured children, living arrangements of children, and child care. The CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System is another good source of data about children and teens at risk.

Source: Moy, C. (29 July 2009). "Children's well-being down in state - Montana slips a spot to 30th in federal study." Missoulian. A1.

Montana State Highway Patrol Annual Report

From the Missoulian: "A Montana Highway Patrol report shows Flathead County had the state's deadliest roads in 2008."

The Montana State Highway Patrol Annual Report for 2008 has information on highway patrol activity, annual traffic rates, seat belt usage rates, and collisions and fatalities.

Source: Associated Press (4 May 2009). "Flathead has deadliest roads in state." Missoulian. B3.

NAEP Data Explorer

The Institute of Education Sciences (part of the Department of Education) released a new product today, the NAEP Data Explorer. "With the NAEP Data Explorer (NDE) you can create statistical tables, charts, and maps to help you find answers. Explore the results of decades of assessment of students' academic performance, as well as information about factors that may be related to their learning."

Latest Unemployment Data

From the Montana Department of Labor and Industry press release: "Montana's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 6.0% in February. Despite the slight increase from 5.6% in January, Montana continues to be well below the national average of 8.1%. 'Although the employment situation in Montana continues to deteriorate in response to the national recession, I feel confident that once the various projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act come online, we’ll be able to put many of these Montanans back to work,' says Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly. 'In fact, we are already helping the economy recover by issuing an additional $25 increase in weekly unemployment benefits paid for through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and we look forward to providing additional stimulus funding for the Montana economy.'"

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry website has information on unemployment benefits and includes a form for filing for unemployment online.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released unemployment figures for February 2009 for regions and states. The BLS also provides information on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and other employment and income-oriented figures.

Source: Associated Press (27 March 2009). "State unemployment rate up to 6 percent." Missoulian.

America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2008

From the Census Bureau press release: "With declining fertility rates and the aging of baby boomers, the percentage of families with their own child living at home decreased to 46 percent in 2008, from 52 percent in 1950, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau."

The new Census Bureau report, America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2008, offers information on marital status, household relationships, poverty status, teen employment numbers, children's health insurance coverage, and much more.

Source: Roberts, S. (25 Feb. 2009). "Census Finds Fewer Homes Have a Child in Residence." New York Times.

2007 Census of Agriculture

From New West: "Farmers in the West have the better access than the rest of the nation to high-speed Internet, according to data from the 2007 Census of Agriculture."

The 2007 Census of Agriculture website includes detailed reports on farm characteristics (such as acreage, employees, internet access, expenses, and government payments), crop and livestock production, and more. You can retrieve detailed tables on states or counties.

The Online Highlights section offers fact sheets, the ability to create customized tables, and detailed maps.

Source: Lowery, C. (22 Feb. 2009). "When it Comes to Broadband Access, Rural West is Doing Dandy: The Rural West leads the nation in access to high-speed Internet." New West.

January 2009 Unemployment Numbers

From the New York Times: "The United States lost almost 600,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent, its highest level in more than 16 years, the Labor Department said Friday."

The latest unemployment numbers are available through the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS website also has the Commissioner's statement on the employment situation and trend data related to unemployment.

Source: Andrews, E.L. (6 February 2009). "Economy Shed 598,000 Jobs in January." New York Times.

December 2008 Unemployment Numbers

From the New York Times: "The unemployment rate jumped to 7.2 percent in December from 6.8 percent in November and 5 percent last April, when the recession was four months old and just beginning to bite. More than 11 million Americans are now unemployed."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) issued the latest report on employment today. A statement from the BLS Commissioner was also issued.

Source: Uchitelle, L. (9 Jan. 2009). "Jobless Rate Hits 7.2%, a 16-Year High." New York Times.

Financial Crisis Timeline

Trying to keep track of the current financial crisis and efforts taken to address the problems? The St. Louis Fed has created a new website outlining the crisis and policy efforts in timeline form. This interesting site breaks actions down by month and links to relevant press releases, reports, SEC filings and Congressional testimony.

The Financial Crisis Timeline website provides quick access to relevant data collected by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. There are also helpful links to other key players in the fiscal crisis.

2009 Statistical Abstract

Need some quick statistics and don't know where to look? The Statistical Abstract of the United States is the place to start.

The Census Bureau released the 2009 Statistical Abstract of the United States this week. It compiles key statistics covering many aspects of American life: education, health, business, energy, demographics, labor force characteristics, prices, transportation, etc. Tables include references to the source of the information, so if you want to find additional or related information you will have a place to go next. Try it out.

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States

From the Census Bureau press release: "Real median household income in the United States climbed 1.3 percent between 2006 and 2007, reaching $50,233, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the third annual increase in real median household income.

"Meanwhile, the nation's official poverty rate in 2007 was 12.5 percent, not statistically different from 2006. There were 37.3 million people in poverty in 2007, up from 36.5 million in 2006. The number of people without health insurance coverage declined from 47 million (15.8 percent) in 2006 to 45.7 million (15.3 percent) in 2007."

The Census Bureau released new data yesterday on income, poverty and health insurance coverage in the United States. This release includes data tables on income, poverty, and health insurance and two full-length reports:

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007

Income, Earnings, and Poverty Data From the 2007 American Community Survey

The Montana Census and Economic Information Center (CEIC) has described how to retrieve Montana information from these new data releases.

Source: Fletcher, M.A. (26 Aug. 2008). "Nation's Poverty Rate Holds Steady as More Get Health Insurance." Washington Post.