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April 22, 2005

Headline News

Manufacturing Paces American Samoa’s Economy. (Released April 21, 2005)

Florida, California and Texas to Dominate Future Population Growth, Census Bureau Reports. (Released April 21, 2005)

Privately Owned Housing Starts in March Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 1,837,000 Down 17.6 Percent From the Revised February 2005 Figure of 2,229,000. (Released April 19, 2005)

Facts For Features: Father’s Day: June 19. (Released April 19, 2005)

Census Bureau to Update Information on Nation’s Housing. (Released April 19,2005)

Census Bureau Begins Preparing for 2010 Census Test on South Dakota Reservation. (Released April 18, 2005)

U.S. Total Business Sales for February Were $980.8 Billion, Down 0.4 Percent From Last Month. Month-End Inventories Were $1,288.3 Billion, Up 0.5 Percent From Last Month. (Released April 14, 2005)

New “Population Finder” Tool in American FactFinder Speeds Up Searches for Local Data. (Released April 14, 2005)

Nation’s Oldest City Now Part of One of the Fastest-Growing Areas, Census Bureau Reports. (Released April 14, 2005)

U.S. Retail and Food Service Sales for March Were $339.3 Billion, Up 0.3 Percent From the Previous Month. (Released April 13, 2005)

The Nation’s International Deficit in Goods And Services Increased to $61.0 Billion in February From $58.5 Billion (Revised) in January, As Imports Increased More Than Exports. (Released April 12, 2005)

February 2005 Sales of Merchant Wholesalers Were $291.4 Billion, Down 0.4 Percent From Last Month. End-of-Month Inventories Were $345.1 Billion, Up 0.6 Percent From Last Month. (Released April 07, 2005)

 

Fact of the Day

Transportation Leads U.S. in Number of Manufacturing Employees, Annual Survey Shows

The transportation equipment subsector was the largest manufacturing employer in the economy, with 1.7 million workers. These statistics are based on the 2003 Annual Survey of Manufacturers. Overall, the nation’s manufacturers employed 13.8 million people in 2003, down from 14.5 million in 2002.

Other major employers included manufacturers of fabricated metal products and food products (1.5 million each), computer and electronic products (1.1 million) and machinery (1.0 million). You can find this information in the Annual Survey of Manufacturers Statistics of Industries and Industry Groups, available online in PDF and as a print-on-demand report from the Customer Services Center. Data for 2002 and 2003 are provided on employment and payroll, number of production workers and wages, cost of materials, value added by manufacturers, value of shipments, total capital expenditures and other measures of economic activity for all manufacturing establishments. To access the report and general information about the survey and its other reports, come to the Census Bureau's home page and click on "Business" and then on the "Annual Survey of Manufactures."

 

Hot Tip

Still Time to Sign Up!

The Census Bureau offers training to help users understand our data and work with our data products more efficiently. There's still time to sign up for two of our more popular offerings, to be held in downtown Washington, DC just minutes from the subway and the train:

Using Census Statistics: Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS). May 16, 2005. $99.
Topical Workshop: Aging in the United States & Around the World. May 25, 2005. $99.

Register online by visiting our Catalog on the Census Bureau home page; look for the courses under "Recommended Products" on the catalog home page.

 

Recently Released

Census 2000

Census 2000 Shows 7.8 Million (2.6 Percent) Reported Being More Than One Race. Find out more in We the People of More Than One Race in the United States [PDF; File Size: 618 KB]. Part of a series of Census 2000 Special Reports, presenting data on demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the two-or-more races population as a whole and discussing the 12 largest race combinations within this population at the national level.


Population

Commute-to-Work Rankings Show New Yorkers and Marylanders Face Longest Commute Times. American Community Survey data for areas of 250,000 or more population on the average amount of time it takes to commute to work. States, counties, and cities with populations of this size are ranked by average commute-to-work time and the percentage of resident commuters who experience “extreme commutes” of 90 or more minutes.

What Is the Population of Your County? Find out in County Population Estimates and Rankings: 2004. Internet tables showing population estimates, rankings, and components of change for the nation’s 3,141 counties and county equivalents since Census 2000 and up to July 1, 2004.

Current Population Survey March/April Match Files Show Child Support in 2002 and 2000. CD-ROM (C3-C05-ALLF-06-US1; $55) containing Current Population Survey microdata files; i.e., household and person records with identifying detail removed to preserve confidentiality. Disc contains 2002 and 2000 March/April Match Files on child support. On the home page, click on “Catalog,” go to “People,” “Current Population Survey,” then “All Files Composite.” Also available for download from the Data Ferrett. For advanced users only.

How Much Formal Education Does America Have? Find Out in Educational Attainment in the United States: 2004. Internet tables detailing education levels by race, Hispanic origin, sex, age, and other demographic characteristics at the national and state levels.

Older Workers a Factor in Your State? Look for answers in Local Employment Dynamics: A Profile of Older Workers. Series of reports, released on a flow basis, available online in PDF and in print free from the Customer Services Center, focusing on older workers by industry, job gains and losses, job stability, and earnings. Reports for 11 states now available: California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, West Virginia.

Want to Know the Projected Growth Rate of Your State? Check out the State Population Projections by Age and Sex: 2000 to 2030. Internet tables providing annual population projections by age and sex for each of the nation's 50 states and the District of Columbia.


Latest Economic Indicators

Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: March 2005. Press
release presenting advance monthly estimates of retail store sales by kind-of-business groups. Report shows seasonally adjusted estimates and percentage changes for major kind-of-business groups.

Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales: February 2005. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers.

Monthly Wholesale Trade: February 2005. 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.

New Residential Construction: March 2005. Press release showing data for housing Starts, completions, and building permits.

U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: February 2005. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption.


Economic Census and Surveys

2002 ZIP Code Business Patterns. Annual data available online and as a DVD (V1-E02-ZCBP-09-US1; $70) showing business data for about 30,000 ZIP Code areas.

Nation’s Manufacturers Employed 13.8 Million People in 2003. Look for the details in the 2003 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries. [PDF; File Size: 1146 KB] Data on employment and payroll, production workers and wages, cost of materials, value added by manufacturers, value of shipments, total capital expenditures, and other measures of manufacturing activity for all manufacturing establishments for 2002 and 2003.

Light Trucks Top Product Class by Manufacturers’ Shipment in 2003. See more than 1,300 manufactured product classes in 2003 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Value of Product Shipments. [PDF; File Size: 574 KB] Annual data for 2002 and 2003 for manufactured products ranging from airplanes to zippers. Leading product classes for which data are provided include light trucks, minivans, and sport-utility vehicles, automobiles and integrated microcircuits.

Business in Your State and County. Find out the facts in 2002 Economic Census Geographic Area Series. Series of reports available online in PDF presenting data from the economic census for each state, the District of Columbia, and the United States. Each state report presents, for establishments of firms with payroll, general statistics on number of establishments, revenue, payroll, and employment by kind of business for the state, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, counties, and places with 2,500 inhabitants or more. Reports available for sale on a print-on-demand basis from the Customer Services Center. Eventually available on DVD.

First 2002 Economic Census Subject Reports Released. Reports available online in PDF or as print-on-demand publications from the Customer Services Center providing national and, in some cases, state data on special topics including product lines (previously called merchandise line sales), concentration ratios, and establishment and firm size. Summary reports for some sectors supersede data from the Industry Series.


Governments

How Are Your Public Schools Doing Financially? Our 2003 Public Education Finances report has the answers. Internet tables on revenues, expenditures, debt and financial assets for public elementary and secondary school systems. Includes state rankings of revenues and expenditures per pupil.

How Is the Nest Egg for Government Employees? More information in 2003 State and Local Government 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 an aggregate at the national, state, and local levels.


Reference and Compendia

Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news:

 

Upcoming Releases

Census 2000

Disability and American Families: 2000. Census 2000 Special Report available online in PDF and in print free from the Customer Services Center. Contains information on disability prevalence in families at the national, regional, and state levels, with data on family income, employment status of the family householder, and poverty status of families with a member who has a disability.


Population

Estimates of U.S. Population by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: July 1, 2004. National-level population estimates cross-tabulated by these demographic characteristics.

School Enrollment — Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2003. Latest national estimates of the number of people in school — from nursery school to college — with updated information on the impact of baby boomers’ children on the student population.


Economic Indicators

Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments and Orders: March 2005. Press release showing advance information is scheduled for release April 27, 2005.

Housing Vacancies and Homeownership: First Quarter 2005. Press release showing rental and homeowner vacancy rates and characteristics of units available for occupancy is scheduled for release April 25, 2005.

Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: March 2005. Press release showing final information is scheduled for release May 3, 2005.

New Residential Sales: March 2005. Press release reporting new one-family houses sold and for sale is scheduled for release April 26, 2005.

Value of Construction Put in Place: March 2005. Press release showing estimates of the value of total new construction put in place by type of construction and by type of owner is scheduled for release May 2, 2005.


Economic Censuses and Surveys

2002 Economic Census. Volume 1, NAICS Report Series Disc A. First in a series of DVDs, available only on a subscription basis ($300), with data from the census. This disc has the 651 Industry Series reports, which are available online in PDF.


Governments

2004 State Government Tax Collections. Data on tax collections by category, such as severance taxes, occupation and business licenses, individual income taxes, general sales taxes and property taxes, for the nation and states.


Reference and Compendia

2004-2005 Statistical Abstract CD-ROM. Annual data book with hundreds of tables drawn from numerous government and nongovernment sources.

Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news:

 

April 08, 2005

Headline News

February 2005 Sales of Merchant Wholesalers Were $291.4 Billion, Down 0.4 Percent From Last Month. End-of-Month Inventories Were $345.1 Billion, Up 0.6 Percent From Last Month. (Released April 7, 2005)

Report Profiles People of More Than One Race in the United States. [PDF; File Size: 618 KB] (Released April 7, 2005)

Current Population Survey March/April Match Files on Child Support Now Available on CD-ROM. (Released April 4, 2005)

Manufacturing Corporations' Seasonally Adjusted After-Tax Profits Averaged 7.2 Cents Per Dollar of Sales for the Fourth Quarter of 2004, Not Statistically Different From 7.3 Cents of the Preceding Quarter. (Released April 4, 2005)

Total Construction Activity for February 2005 ($1,047.3 Billion) Was 0.4 Percent Above the Revised January 2005 ($1,043.6 Billion) Figure. (Released April 1, 2005)

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: May 2005. (Released March 31, 2005)

New Orders for Manufactured Goods in February Increased $0.6 Billion or 0.2 Percent to $380.4 Billion. (Released March 31, 2005).

Americans Spend More Than 100 Hours Commuting to Work Each Year, Census Bureau Reports. (Released March 30, 2005)

Census Bureau Updating Information on America's Spending Habits. (Released March 30, 2005)

National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and National Hospital Week (May 8-14). (Released March 30, 2005)

College Degree Nearly Doubles Annual Earnings, Census Bureau Reports. (Released March 28, 2005

New Orders for Manufactured Durable Goods in February Increased $0.6 Billion or 0.3 Percent to $200.8 Billion. (Released March 24, 2005).

Older Americans Month Celebrated in May. (Released March 24, 2005)

Sales of New One-Family Houses in February 2005 Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 1,226,000. This Is 9.4% Above the Revised January 2005 Figure of 1,121,000. (Released March 24, 2005)

Privately Owned Housing Starts in February Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 2,195,000 Up 0.5 Percent From the Revised January 2005 Figure of 2,183,000. (Released March 16, 2005)

 

Fact of the Day

Mobile Homes Cost More Out West

In January 2005, the average sales price of a mobile home in the West was $78,500, well above other regions and the U.S. average of $61,400, according to the Manufactured Homes Survey (MHS) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and conducted by the U. S. Census Bureau. Historical data show that both the Pacific and Mountain States have had higher average prices than elsewhere. (The latest data for states is 2003.)

Of the 138,000 mobile homes in the country in 2003, doubles were the clear favorite (103,900) over singles (29,400). Texas led the nation, with 11,700 units, followed by Florida (10,900), California (8,100), and North Carolina (8,100).

The MHS web site has data on placements, average sales price, dealers' inventories, average floor space, foundation, location (e.g., inside parks or courts), air conditioning, and other topics. To find this site, come to the Census Bureau home page and click on "C "in "Subjects A to Z." Then click on "Construction Statistics" and then on "Manufactured Housing."

 

Hot Tip

Metro Area Definitions Used in American Community Survey Data: Vintage June 1999

As metropolitan areas around the country change, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issues new definitions of these areas listing all the component areas. For Census 2000 data products, the Census Bureau used the metro definitions current at the time of the data collection -- those that OMB issued in June 1999.

After the census, OMB released new definitions of metro areas reflecting major changes in the underlying concepts, as well as definitions for "micropolitan areas." The Census Bureau subsequently released Census 2000 population data for these areas.

In the statistics based on American Community Survey, we have been using the June 1999 definitions of metro areas. The 2005 data products (to be released in the summer of 2006) will be the first to reflect the new definitions. For more information on the old and new definitions for metropolitan areas, visit the Census Bureau home page and click on "M" in "Subjects A to Z." Then click on "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas."

 

Recently Released

Census 2000

Report Profiles People of More Than One Race in the United States. Find out more in We The People of More Than One Race in the United States. [PDF; File Size: 618 KB] Part of a series of Census 2000 special reports, presenting data on demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the two-or-more races population as a whole and discussing the 12 largest race combinations within this population at the national level.

Population

Commute-to-Work Rankings. American Community Survey data for areas of 250,000 or more population on the average amount of time it takes to commute to work. States, counties and cities with populations of this size are ranked by average commute-to-work time and the percentage of resident commuters who experience "extreme commutes" of 90 or more minutes.

Current Population Survey March/April Match Files Show Child Support in 2002 and 2000. CD-ROM (C3-C05-ALLF-06-US1; $55) containing Current Population Survey microdata files. Disc contains 2002 and 2000 March/April Match Files on child support. On the sales catalog, go to People, Current Population Survey, then All Files Composite.

How Much Formal Education Does America Have? Find Out in Educational Attainment in the United States: 2004. Internet tables detailing education levels by race, Hispanic origin, sex, age, and other demographic characteristics at the national and state levels.

Older Workers a Factor in Your State? Look for answers in Local Employment Dynamics: A Profile of Older Workers. Series of reports, released on a flow basis, available online in PDF and in print free from the Customer Services Center, focusing on older workers by industry, job gains and losses, job stability, and earnings. Reports for 11 states now available: California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, West Virginia.

Latest Economic Indicators

Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments and Orders: February 2005. Press release showing advance information on two key business indicators - durable goods shipments and orders.

Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: February 2005. Press release showing information on two key business indicators - durable goods shipments and orders.

Monthly Wholesale Trade: February 2005. 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.

New Residential Sales: February 2005. Press release reporting new one-family houses sold and for sale.

Quarterly Financial Report for Manufacturing, Mining, and Trade: Fourth Quarter 2004. [PDF; File Size: 1618 KB] Up-to-date aggregate statistics on U.S. manufacturing, mining, wholesale trade, and retail trade corporations.

Value of Construction Put in Place: February 2005. Press release showing estimates of the value of total new construction put in place by type of construction and by type of owner.

Economic Census and Surveys

Nation's Manufacturers Employed 13.8 Million People in 2003. See more in 2003 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries. [PDF; File Size: 1146 KB] Data on employment and payroll, production workers and wages, cost of materials, value added by manufacturers, value of shipments, total capital expenditures and other measures of manufacturing activity for all manufacturing establishments for 2002 and 2003.

Light Trucks Top Product Class by Manufacturers' Shipment in 2003. See more than 1300 manufactured product classes in 2003 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Value of Product Shipments. [PDF; File Size: 574 KB] Annual data for 2002 and 2003 for manufactured products ranging from airplanes to zippers. Leading product classes for which data are provided include light trucks, minivans and sport-utility vehicles, automobiles and integrated microcircuits.

Business in Your State and County. Find out the facts in 2002 Economic Census Geographic Area Series. Series of reports available online in PDF presenting data from the Economic Census for each state, the District of Columbia, and the United States. Each state report presents, for establishments of firms with payroll, general statistics on number of establishments, revenue, payroll, and employment by kind of business for the state, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, counties, and places with 2,500 inhabitants or more. Reports available for sale on a print-on-demand basis from the Customer Services Center. Eventually available on DVD.

Size Up the Industrial Outlook. Consult the 2002 Economic Census Industry Series. All 651 industry and industry group reports are now available online in PDF presenting national-level data on number of establishments, revenue, annual payroll, and number of paid employees. Includes data by product lines and, for largest firms, concentration information. Reports for sale also available on a print-on-demand basis from the Customer Services Center. Eventually available on DVD.

First 2002 Economic Census Subject Reports Released. Reports available online in PDF or on print-on-demand from the Customer Services Center providing national and, in some cases, state data on special topics including product lines (previously called merchandise line sales), concentration ratios, and establishment and firm size. Summary reports for some sectors supersede data from the Industry Series.

Governments

How Are Your Public Schools Doing Financially? Find out in 2003 Public Education Finances. Internet tables on revenues, expenditures, debt and financial assets for public elementary and secondary school systems. Includes state rankings of revenues and expenditures per pupil.

How Is the Nest Egg for Government Employees? More information in 2003 State and Local Government 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.

Reference and Compendia

Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news:

 

Upcoming Releases

Census 2000

Disability and American Families: 2000. Census 2000 Special Report available online in PDF and in print free from the Customer Services Center. Contains information on disability prevalence in families at the national, regional, and state levels, with data on family income, employment status of the family householder, and poverty status of families with a member who has a disability.

Population

County Population Estimates and Rankings: 2004. Internet tables showing population estimates, rankings and components of change for the nation's 3,141 counties and county equivalents since Census 2000 and up to July 1, 2004.

Estimates of U.S. Population by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: July 1, 2004. National-level population estimates cross-tabulated by these demographic characteristics.

School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2003. Latest national estimates of the number of people in school - from nursery school to college - with updated information on the impact of baby boomers' children on the student population.

State Population Projections by Age and Sex: 2000 to 2030. Internet tables providing annual population projections by age and sex for each of the nation's 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Economic Indicators

Monthly Wholesale Trade: February 2005. 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 is scheduled for release April 7, 2005.

U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: February 2005. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption is scheduled for release April 12, 2005.

Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: March 2005. Press release presenting advance monthly estimates of retail store sales by kind-of-business groups. Report shows seasonally adjusted estimates and percentage changes for major kind-of-business groups is scheduled for release April 13, 2005.

Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales: February 2005. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers is scheduled for release April 14, 2005.

New Residential Construction: March 2005. Press release showing data for housing starts and completions and building permits is scheduled for release April 19, 2005.

Governments

2004 State Government Tax Collections. Data on tax collections by category, such as severance taxes, occupation and business licenses, individual income taxes, general sales taxes and property taxes, for the nation and states.

Reference and Compendia

Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news: