Statistics and Indicators

Global ocean surface temperature fifth warmest

November 17, 2009 -- The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the sixth warmest October on record, according to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Based on records going back to 1880, the monthly National Climatic Data Center analysis is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides.

NCDC scientists reported that the average land surface temperature for October was also the sixth warmest on record. Additionally, the global ocean surface temperature was the fifth warmest on record for October.
Global Temperature Highlights    » read more »

Economic Research Service Report Demonstrates Need for Action

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2009 - USDA's Economic Research Service's (ERS) today released its annual report on Household Food Security in the U.S., which revealed that in 2008, 17 million households, or 14.6 percent, were food insecure and families had difficulty putting enough food on the table at times during the year.

This is an increase from 13 million households, or 11.1 percent, in 2007. The 2008 figures represent the highest level observed since nationally representative food security surveys were initiated in 1995. The full study is available at www.ers.usda.gov/features/householdfoodsecurity/.    » read more »

Nov. 16, 2009 -- (Salem) – “Today’s employment report shows that Oregon’s unemployment rate is starting to level off and stabilize, which is promising news. This week we will also receive the next quarterly state revenue forecast, which will provide another snapshot about the state of Oregon’s economy.

“Today’s employment report and the forecast later this week are critical indicators for state and local governments as we continue to budget prudently and plan for a long, slow economic recovery.    » read more »

Efforts to reduce detention and disproportionate minority contact are making a difference

November 16, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver today announced promising results from efforts to decrease Iowa’s rates of youth detention, especially for minority youth who are overrepresented in the state’s juvenile justice system.

Statewide, Iowa has decreased its overall detention of juveniles by about 15%, especially for low-level juvenile offenders, in each of the last two years, without any impact on public safety. In Black Hawk County, detention rates of minority youth declined by more than 20% for calendar year 2008. In Polk County, minority detention declined by 23.2%, and in Woodbury County minority detention was cut by 5.2%.    » read more »

System Traffic Down 4.1 Percent from August 2008

November 13, 2009 - The number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines in August 2009 declined by 4.1 percent from August 2008, dropping by 2.8 million to 65.0 million, the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today reported . August was the 17th consecutive month with a decrease in passengers from the prior year .

BTS, a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, in a release of preliminary data, reported that U.S. airlines carried 4.1 percent fewer domestic passengers than in August 2008. International passengers on U.S. carriers decreased 4.5 percent .    » read more »

Governor signs Executive Order No. 30 Establishing the New York 2010 Census Complete Count Committee

November 12, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson has signed Executive Order No. 30, establishing the New York 2010 Census Complete Count Committee. The Committee will raise awareness of the 2010 Census and will work to maximize the participation of all New Yorkers. New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez kicked off the State’s 2010 Census Complete Count Campaign today at an event in the State Capitol.    » read more »

Seasonally Adjusted Data

November 12, 2009 -- In the week ending Nov. 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 502,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 514,000. The 4-week moving average was 519,750, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 524,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.3 percent for the week ending Oct. 31, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.4 percent.    » read more »

November 9, 2009 -- Flights operated by the nation’s largest airlines arrived on time at a higher rate this past September than in either September of last year or in August 2009, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

According to information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the 19 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 86.2 percent in September, higher than both September 2008’s 84.9 percent and August 2009’s 79.7 percent.    » read more »

11/06/2009 -- WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the October 2009 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past October, the economy lost 190,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate increased to 10.2 percent.

"We have known for some time now that the unemployment rate could reach this level, and it is an unacceptable situation. We are working hard to reverse these circumstances for the millions of Americans who need and want work but cannot find it.    » read more »

Outlook also better for capital spending and credit availability

SAN FRANCISCO -- November 3, 2009 -- Optimism among small business owners improved during October, driven by improved outlook for revenue, capital spending and hiring, according to the latest results of the quarterly Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index.

Concluded October 9, the latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index optimism score came in at negative 15 (-15), a net six-point increase from the previous survey (conducted in July, 2009), and 129 points lower than the Index high of 114 (conducted December, 2006). A score of zero indicates that small business owners, as a group, are neutral -- neither optimistic nor pessimistic -- about their companies’ situations.    » read more »

October 30, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Lois Capps released the following statement today after the announcement that GDP rose 3.5% in the third quarter of 2009:

“Today’s announcement that GDP grew by 3.5% in the third quarter of this year is positive news and encouraging, providing another sign that our economy is slowly recovering from the deepest recession in 75 years. This growth is significant, amounting to a turnaround of nearly 10% in just two quarters and it stands in contrast to the beginning of the year when the economy contracted by 6.4%. This is also the largest reversal of GDP since 1980, and the first increase since last year.    » read more »

October 29, 2009 -- "Data released today by the Commerce Department show that real GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter of the year. This is in stark contrast to the decline of 6.4 percent annual rate just two quarters ago. Indeed, the two-quarter swing in the rate of growth of 9.9 percentage points was the largest since 1980. Analysis by both the Council of Economic Advisers and a wide range of private and public-sector forecasters indicate

"s that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 contributed between 3 and 4 percentage points to real GDP growth in the third quarter. This suggests that in the absence of the Recovery Act, real GDP would have risen little, if at all, this past quarter.    » read more »

Seasonally Adjusted Data

October 29, 2009 -- In the week ending Oct. 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 530,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 531,000. The 4-week moving average was 526,250, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 532,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.4 percent for the week ending Oct. 17, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.5 percent.    » read more »

October 29, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued the following statement on Mapping State Proficiency Standards onto NAEP Scales: 2005-2007, which the National Center for Education Statistics released today:

"Today's study confirms what we've known for a long time: States are setting the bar too low. In all but a few cases, states aren't expecting students to meet NAEP's standard of proficiency. Far too many states are telling students that they are proficient when they actually are performing below NAEP's basic level.    » read more »

October 19, 2009 -- Washington D.C. -- According to information released today by the FBI, 41 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty last year; 68 officers died in accidents while performing their duties; and 58,792 officers were assaulted while on duty. The 2008 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted released today provides comprehensive tabular data about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks.

Felonious Deaths    » read more »