Statistics and Indicators

Seasonally Adjusted Data

March 12, 2009 -- In the week ending March 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 654,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 645,000. The 4-week moving average was 650,000, an increase of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average of 643,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.0 percent for the week ending Feb. 28, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.8 percent.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, DC (March 11, 2009) – A new poll shows three in five voters support President Obama’s call for “this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America.” The Zogby Interactive poll shows 58 percent of voters agree with President Obama, including a significant 73 percent of moderates. Obama’s push for strong climate and energy legislation has broad-based support across age, income, education, regional and ethnic groups.    » read more »

Wireless-Only Phone Use Varies Widely Across United States

March 11, 2009 -- Oklahoma leads the nation in the percentage of households with cell phones only, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than a quarter of households (26.2 percent) in Oklahoma had only wireless and no landline phones in 2007. On the other end of the spectrum, only 5.1 percent of households in Vermont were wireless–only in 2007.

The report from CDC′s National Center for Health Statistics, “Wireless Substitution: State–level Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January–December 2007,” is the latest report on wireless substitution in the United States.    » read more »

March 06, 2009 -- America’s steepest drop in employment in over 30 years shows just how long the road to economic recovery will be. The pain of February’s widespread job losses was felt across virtually every employment sector -- with manufacturing and construction especially hard hit. Unemployment among African American men hit 14.9 percent last month – almost double the level a year ago.

The economy has spiraled into a vicious downward cycle: Workers are losing their jobs and can't maintain their mortgage payments. Housing foreclosures are exacerbating the downward slide in housing prices and tightening credit. Frozen credit markets are forcing firms to lay off more workers.    » read more »

March 5, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson issued the following statement regarding the unemployment report released today by the New York State Department of Labor.

“The latest unemployment numbers, released today by the Department of Labor, are unprecedented and serve as stark reminder of the economic crisis that our State is facing. More than 125,000 New Yorkers have lost their jobs in the last six months. The increase in the unemployment percentage over the last two months is the largest such increase in New York State in at least 20 years. Currently, almost half a million New Yorkers are collecting unemployment benefits.    » read more »

Three out of Four of Those without Health Coverage Were Uninsured for at Least Six Months

March 4, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – Approximately 86.7 million Americans—one out of three people (33.1 percent) under 65 years of age—were uninsured at some point during 2007-2008, according to a report released today by the health consumer organization Families USA.

The report, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, shows that most of those who were uninsured lacked coverage for lengthy periods of time: nearly three-fourths (74.5 percent) were uninsured for at least six months, and almost two-thirds (60.2 percent) were uninsured for nine months or more.    » read more »

March 3, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - Nursing home residents, beds, and occupancy rates have remained nearly constant in the last five years, even though the older population has increased, according to Across the States 2009, Profiles of Long-Term Care and Independent Living, a new state-by-state report from the AARP Public Policy Institute.

Specifically, the report finds that spending for long-term care services is not a primary force behind escalating Medicaid costs. The report shows that on average, Medicaid funds spent on home and community-based services (HCBS) can serve three older people or adults with disabilities for each resident in a nursing home.    » read more »

Washington, DC - 03/02/2009 - Explosive growth in the number of people on probation or parole has propelled the population of the American corrections system to more than 7.3 million, or 1 in every 31 U.S. adults, according to a report released today by the Pew Center on the States. The vast majority of these offenders live in the community, yet new data in the report finds that nearly 90 percent of state corrections dollars are spent on prisons.

One in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections examines the scale and cost of prison, jail, probation and parole in each of the 50 states, and provides a blueprint for states to cut both crime and spending by reallocating prison expenses to fund stronger supervision of the large number of offenders in the community.    » read more »

March 2, 2009 -- (Washington, DC) - Blacks have been arrested nationwide on drug charges at higher rates than whites for nearly three decades, even though they engage in drug offenses at comparable rates, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Using data obtained from the FBI, the report reveals the extent and persistence of racial disparities in US drug-law enforcement. The data also show that most drug arrests are for nothing more serious than possession.    » read more »

Seasonally Adjusted Data

Feb. 26, 2009 -- In the week ending Feb. 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 667,000, an increase of 36,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 631,000. The 4-week moving average was 639,000, an increase of 19,000 from the previous week's revised average of 620,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.8 percent for the week ending Feb. 14, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.7 percent.    » read more »

February 26, 2009 -- (Salem) – “Today’s news isn't just a number. It represents our family members and neighbors deeply affected by this recession. I want Oregonians to know that the state is doing everything it can to support these individuals and families during this difficult time.

“Increases in unemployment and food assistance benefits mean more money to pay bills and to put food on the table. More Medicaid dollars from the federal government will help the growing number of families turning to the state for health care coverage. And premium assistance means more Oregonians who have lost their job will be able to continue their employer-sponsored health insurance for themselves and their families.    » read more »

Philadelphia, PA - 02/25/2009 - Despite all the attention the current financial woes of city government are getting, residents see crime as the top problem facing Philadelphia. In a poll conducted last month, respondents took every opportunity to express their concern for public safety and to indicate that they consider crime the major downside of living here.

These findings are from a wide-ranging poll of 1,600 city residents commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia Research Initiative and conducted by Abt SRBI Public Affairs, working with Rutgers Professor Cliff Zukin.    » read more »

February 23, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The second annual America Saves Week survey revealed declining percentages of Americans who believe they are saving enough for retirement and expect to pay off their home mortgage before retirement. But the survey also found that far more Americans are concerned about the impact of the current recession on their personal finances (77%) with over half (53%) being “very concerned."    » read more »

February 18, 2009 -- Young adults in the United States aged 18-29 face a number of health challenges, including increases in obesity, high injury rates, and lack of insurance coverage compared to older adults, according to the latest report on the nation′s health.

Health, United States: 2008 is the 32nd annual edition of the report prepared by CDC′s National Center for Health Statistics, and includes a compilation of health data from a number of sources within the federal government and in the private sector. The report uses the most current data available at the time of publication.    » read more »

February 17, 2009 -- OLYMPIA – Even though the census is a year away, census workers are needed soon. The local Census Office will be hiring 4,000 temporary employees for 2009.

“This is not only an opportunity for thousands of Washingtonians to gain much-needed employment, this census ensures Washington receives its fair share of federal funds,” Gregoire said. “Every Washingtonian who completes the census form means about $800 of federal funds each year coming to Washington for roads, community and senior centers, schools, hospitals and emergency preparedness.”

Census forms will be sent to households across the country in March 2010. April 1, 2010, is designated as Census Day, when returned forms are due to be mailed.    » read more »