Thursday, November 29, 2012

EEO Tabulation 2006-2010 (5-year ACS data)


"The U.S. Census Bureau released today the 2006-2010 American Community Survey Equal Employment Opportunity Tabulation. The tabulation consists of 107 tables about the labor force crossed by sex, race and ethnicity. The U.S. Census Bureau has produced this tabulation after every decennial census since the 1970s. However, for the first time, this tabulation uses American Community Survey (2006-2010) estimates.

The tabulation -- available on American FactFinder (the Census Bureau's online statistics search tool) -- is produced for the federal agencies responsible for monitoring employment practices and enforcing civil rights laws for the workforce. Employers use these estimates to measure their compliance with laws and regulations.."
EEO Tabulation 2006-2010(5 -year ACS data)

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Measuring Workforce Diversity

"Have you ever wondered about the diversity of your occupation?  What is its demographic composition, age distribution, educational attainment, earnings ranges, percent U.S. citizen, or from where people are commuting?  These questions and more can be answered using the new Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulation, which will be available tomorrow, Nov. 29..."
Measuring Workforce Diversity

Poverty and Shared Households by State: 2011

"Nationally, the number of people in shared households has risen since the onset of the most recent economic recession.1 This brief uses data from the American Community Survey (ACS) to explore the growth in shared households at the state level between 2007 and 2011. Comparisons are also made between 2010 and 2011. The report provides summary statistics on people sharing households, particularly their age and
relationship to the householder..."
Poverty and Shared Households by States: 2011

The Older Population in the United States: 2011

Find the latest statistics on the aged population in the United States.
The Older Population in the United States: 2011

The Black Alone Population in the United States: 2011

 Find the latest statistics on the African American population in the United States.
The Black Alone Population in the United States: 2011

Asian Alone Population in the United States: 2011

Find the latest statistics on the Asian population in the United States.
Asian Population in the United States: 2011

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

U.S. Universities Report Highest-ever R&D Spending in Fiscal Year 2011

"The National Science Foundation released a report today showing that university spending on research and development in all fields continued to increase between fiscal years (FY) 2010 and 2011, reaching $65 billion in FY 2011. This figure represents a 6.3 percent increase from the previous year and includes $4.2 billion in expenditures associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009..."
U.S. Universities R&D Spending:2011

The Middle-Class Tax Cuts' Impact on Consumer Spending & Retailers

"President Obama is committed to growing our economy from the middle out by ensuring a
strong, secure, and thriving middle-class. That’s why his top priority is promoting jobs and
growth while reducing our deficit in a balanced and responsible way..."
The Middle-Class Tax Cuts' Impact on Consumer Spending and Retailers

2012 World Energy Statistics

"Key World Energy Statistics from the IEA contains timely, clearly-presented data on the supply, transformation and consumption of all major energy sources. The interested businessman, journalist or student will have at his or her fingertips the annual Canadian production of coal, the electricity consumption in Thailand, the price of diesel oil in Spain and thousands of other useful energy.."
2012 World Energy Statistics

Monday, November 26, 2012

Secondhand smoke inside airports puts air travelers and employees at risk

"Average air pollution levels from secondhand smoke directly outside designated smoking areas in airports are five times higher than levels in smoke-free airports, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study conducted in five large hub U.S. airports also showed that air pollution levels inside designated smoking areas were 23 times higher than levels in smoke-free airports. In the study, designated smoking areas in airports included restaurants, bars, and ventilated smoking rooms..."
Second Hand Smoke in Airports

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults — United States, 2011

Find new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults - United States
Chronic 

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6146a2.htm?s_cid=mm6146a2_w

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Distribution of Household Income and the Middle Class

"Although not itself a subject of legislation, the shape of the income distribution enters Congress’s
decision-making process concerning such policy issues as taxes, means-tested benefits, and social
insurance programs. Congress also considers legislation specifically in the name of those in the
middle class, which is variously defined as some income level or income range within the distribution of U.S. households with income. After briefly analyzing the distribution of household money income in 2011, the report attempts to put the term “middle class” into some perspective..."
The Distribution of Household Income and the Middle Class

Disparities in breast cancer continue among U.S. women

"Black women have higher death rates from breast cancer than any other racial or ethnic group. They are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, according to a Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the decline in breast cancer death rates in the past 20 years, black women had higher death rates even though they had fewer new cases of breast cancer, the report says..."
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/p11_14_breast_cancer.html

Privacy: An Overview of Federal Statutes Governing Wiretapping and Electronic Eavesdropping

"This report provides an overview of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). ECPA consists of three parts. The first, often
referred to as Title III, outlaws wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping, except as otherwise
provided. The second, the Stored Communications Act, governs the privacy of, and government
access to, the content of electronic communications and to related records. The third outlaws the
use and installation of pen registers and of trap and trace devices, unless judicially approved for
law enforcement or intelligence gathering purposes..."
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/98-326.pdf

Federal Laws Relating to Cybersecurity: Discussion of Proposed Revisions

"For more than a decade, various experts have expressed increasing concerns about cybersecurity,
in light of the growing frequency, impact, and sophistication of attacks on information systems in
the United States and abroad. Consensus has also been building that the current legislative
framework for cybersecurity might need to be revised.

The complex federal role in cybersecurity involves both securing federal systems and assisting in
protecting nonfederal systems. Under current law, all federal agencies have cybersecurity
responsibilities relating to their own systems, and many have sector-specific responsibilities for
critical infrastructure..."
https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42114.pdf

FTC Warns Mortgage Advertisers that Their Ads May Violate Federal Law

"After reviewing hundreds of mortgage advertisements, the Federal Trade Commission staff has sent letters to 20 companies, warning them that their ads may be deceptive.

The FTC sent the letters in coordination with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which issued warning letters to approximately a dozen other companies.  The CFPB sent its warning letters to mortgage brokers and lenders.  Both agencies have opened nonpublic law enforcement investigations of other advertisers that may have violated federal law..."
FTC Warns Mortgage Advertisers that Their Ads May Violate Federal Law

Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Foreign Policy Issues for Congress

 "This report provides an overview of transnational security issues related to patterns of interaction
among international terrorist and crime groups. In addition, the report discusses the U.S.
government’s perception of and response to the threat. It concludes with an analysis of foreign
policy options..."
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/200053.pdf

Friday, November 16, 2012

On Cyber Monday, Don’t Let a Cyber Grinch Steal Your Holiday Spirit

"As bargain hunters take to the Web this Cyber Monday in search of holiday deals, the Stop.Think.Connect.™ Campaign reminds online shoppers to be wary of the cybersecurity risks of theft, fraud and abuse. While many businesses offer great deals during the holiday season, cyber criminals may try to take advantage of unsuspecting online shoppers..."
On Cyber Monday, Don’t Let a Cyber Grinch Steal Your Holiday Spirit

Thursday, November 15, 2012

American Families and Living Arrangements: 2010

"The 2010 Census enumerated 308.7 million people in the United States, a 9.7 percent increase from 281.4 million in Census 2000. Of the total population in 2010, 300.8 million lived in 116.7 million households for an average of 2.58 people per household. This was down from an average of 2.59 in 2000 when 273.6 million people lived in 105.5 million households. The remaining 8.0 million people in 2010 lived in group-quarters arrangements such as school dormitories, nursing homes, or military barracks..."
American Families and Living Arrangements: 2010

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Offsetting a Carbon Tax’s Costs on Low-Income Households

"Imposing a tax on carbon dioxide emissions would reduce the damage from climate change but would also impose a larger burden, relative to income, on low-income households than on high-income households. This paper evaluates two broad groupings of options for reducing the regressive effects of a carbon tax; one group of options would affect large segments of the economy, for example by reducing payroll taxes, and the other group of options would be targeted at low-income households, for example by providing an additional payment to households currently receiving electronic transfer benefits..."
Offsetting a Carbon Tax’s Costs on Low-Income Households

Social Security: Cost-of-Living Adjustments

"To compensate for the effects of inflation, Social Security recipients received cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) through the legislative process sporadically from 1950 to 1974, and automatically through a trigger mechanism in all but two years from 1975 to 2012. No adjustment was made in 2010 and 2011. Benefits will be increased by 1.7% in 2013, after an increase of 3.6% in 2012. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), updated monthly by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is the measure that can trigger a change. The Social Security COLA is based on the percentage change in the index from the highest third calendar quarter average CPI-W recorded (most often, from the previous year) to the average CPI-W for the third calendar quarter of the current year. The COLA
becomes effective in December of the current year and is payable in January of the following year..."
Social Security: Cost-of_Living Adjustments

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Government Transparency and Secrecy: An Examination of Meaning and Its Use in the Executive Branch

"From the beginnings of the American federal government, Congress has required executive branch agencies to release or otherwise make available government information and records. Some scholars and statesmen, including James Madison, thought access to information— commonly referred to in contemporary vernacular as “transparency”—was an essential cornerstone of democratic governance. Today, the federal government attempts to balance access to information with the need to protect certain information (including national security information and trade secrets) in order to achieve transparency. As a consequence, access and
protection are often in tension with one another..."
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/secrecy/R42817.pdf

Monday, November 12, 2012

Choices for Deficit Reduction

"The United States is facing fundamental budgetary challenges. Federal debt held by the public exceeds 70 percent of the nation's annual output (gross national product or GDP) - a percentage not seen since 1950- and a continuation of current policies would boost the debt further. Although debt would decline to 58 percent of GDP in 2022 under the current-law assumptions that underlie the Congressional budget Office's (CBO's) baseline projections, those projections depend heavily on significant increases in taxes and decreased in spending that are scheduled to take effect at the beginning of January. If, instead, lawmakers maintained current policies by preventing most of those changes from occurring - what CBO refers to as the alternative fiscal scenario - debt held by the public would increase to 90 percent of GDP 10 years from now and continue to rise rapidly thereafter..."
Choices for Deficit Reduction

2013 capital planning and stress testing program

"The Federal Reserve Board on Friday launched the 2013 capital planning and stress testing program, issuing instructions to firms with timelines for submissions and general guidelines. The program includes the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) of 19 firms as well as the Capital Plan Review (CapPR) of an additional 11 bank holding companies with $50 billion or more of total consolidated assets...
2013 Capital Planning and Stress Testing Program

Federal Employees Health Benefit Program(FEHBP):Available Health Insurance Options

"FEHBP is generally available to employees, annuitants, and dependents. Eligible individuals may elect coverage in an approved health benefits plan for either individual or family coverage. For the 2013 plan year, there are about 230 different plan choices, including all regionally available options. As a practical matter, an individual's choice of plans is ofter limited to 10 to 15 different plans, depending on where the individual resides. While enrollees have a range of choices, they typically decide which option best match their needs, the amount of their wages they will contribute to health insurance, and how risk-averse they are to potential out-of-pocket costs..."
Federal Employees Health Benefit Program

Friday, November 9, 2012

Supplemental Poverty Measure and How Does it Differ from the Official Measure

"Since the publication of the first official U.S. poverty estimates in 1964, there has been a continuing debate about the best approach to measure income and poverty in the United States. An interagency technical working group recognized that alternative estimates of income and poverty can provide useful information to the public as well as to the federal government. Therefore, in 2009, it asked the Census Bureau, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to develop a new measure that will allow for an improved understanding of the economic well-being of American families and how federal policies affect those living in poverty.."
Supplemental Poverty Measure and How Does it Differ from the Official Measure?

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Veterans Day: Nov. 11, 2012

"Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation. A national ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia..."
Veterans Day: 2012 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

What Happens Next in the Election Process

"Here’s a look at what happens between now and the inauguration:

Between now and December 17:

The governors of all of the states must certify the election results, and provide copies of the Certificates of Ascertainment to the Archivist of the United States and your state’s electors.

December 17:

Electors meet in their state and cast their ballots for the President and Vice President. A copy of these votes is sent to the Vice President for the official count in Congress. The votes must be received by December 26.

January 6:

Congress meets in a joint session to officially count the electoral votes. As President of the Senate, the Vice President oversees the process and announces the final results.

January 20:

January 20 is the official day of the inauguration, however, this year because it falls on a Sunday, the public swearing in ceremony will be held on Monday, January 21, 2013..."

What Happens Next in the Election Process

Arrests in the United States: 1990-2010

"Presents annual estimates of arrests in the United States covering the period between 1990 and 2010. Based on data collected by the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, this report expands the FBI's set of published arrest estimates to include offense-specific arrest estimates grouped by age, sex, and race. These breakdowns of arrests and arrest trends provide a detailed description of the flow of individuals into the criminal justice system over a long period. The national estimates represent arrests by state and local law enforcement agencies, and control for variations in sample coverage from year to year..."
Arrests in the United States:1990-2010

Monday, November 5, 2012

American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2012


"The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode horseback from state to state, getting endorsements from 24 state governments, to have a day to honor American Indians. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November 1990 as "National American Indian Heritage Month." Similar proclamations have been issued every year since 1994. This Facts for Features presents statistics for American Indians and Alaska Natives, as this is one of the six major race categories.."
American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month:Nov. 2012

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Crime in the U.S.:2011

"This edition of Crime in the United States indicates that violent crime continued to decrease in 2011. While these statistics are reflective of most communities, many communities are still confronting crime, drugs, violence, and domestic terrorism. To combat these challenges, law enforcement personnel, with the support of involved citizens, have dedicated themselves to protecting our neighborhoods and making this country safer for our fellow citizens; the FBI shares these commitments. We, too, are trying to make an impact at the neighborhood level. Part of realizing that goal is sharing the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program’s data, which is provided by our 18,000+ law enforcement partners across the nation..."
Crime in the U.S.: 2011

National Donations Management Network

" FEMA, the Aidmatrix Foundation and Corporate Sponsors have partnered to launch a virtual portal to allow companies or individuals to offer their support on-line to leading organizations in humanitarian relief. This portal is designed to make it as easy to offer financial support, product donations, or to donate your skills and time to nonprofit organizations active in disaster relief. Please select below if you would like to extend your support to national nonprofits or to a specific state and their nonprofit partners..."
National Donation Management Network