American Community Survey - Comment Request

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

Abstract

Given the rapid demographic changes experienced in recent years and the strong expectation that such changes will continue and accelerate, the once-a-decade detailed data collection as part of a decennial census is no longer acceptable for producing much of the data required by the Federal government, states, municipalities, and tribal governments. To meet the needs and expectations of the country, the Census Bureau developed the American Community Survey (ACS). This survey collects detailed population and housing data every month and provides tabulations of these data on a yearly basis. In the past, the long-form data were collected only at the time of each decennial census. After years of development and testing, the ACS began full implementation in households in January 2005 and in group quarters (GQs) in January 2006.

Collecting long-form data during the decade through the ACS has had a profound effect on the census design plan. The collection of long- form data had added substantial burden and complexity to past decennial censuses. Implementing the ACS means that the Decennial Census can focus on its constitutional mandate to accurately count the population to apportion the House of Representatives. The ACS--supported by a complete and accurate address system--has simplified the census design, resulting in improvements in both coverage and data quality, while providing current data on detailed population, social, economic, and housing characteristics.

The ACS provides more timely information for critical economic planning by governments and the private sector. In the current information-based economy, federal, state, tribal, and local decision makers, as well as private business and non-governmental organizations, need current, reliable, and comparable socioeconomic data to chart the future. In 2006, the ACS began publishing up-to-date profiles of American communities every year, providing policymakers, planners, and service providers in the public and private sectors this information every year--not just every ten years.

The ACS released estimates of population and housing characteristics for geographic areas of all sizes in December 2010. These data products, used by federal agencies and others, are similar in scope to the Summary File 3 tables from Census 2000. The 2010 Census did not include these detailed characteristics, leaving the ACS as the source of data for uses previously associated with the decennial census long form.

The Census Bureau presently plans to resubmit the ACS to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for extended clearance. The current ACS content has been reviewed by the Census Bureau, in conjunction with Federal agency stakeholders, to determine potential areas for improved item response and/or data quality.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on or before May 9, 2011.


ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at dHynek@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions should be directed to James Treat, U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office, Washington, DC 20233, by FAX to (301) 763-8070 or via the Internet at james.b.treat@census.gov.

Full Announcement 

Census Bureau says 15.7 percent in poverty - UPI.com

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Using an expanded definition of poverty, the U.S. Census Bureau said it determined that 15.7 percent of Americans -- 47.8 million -- live in poverty.

Included in the new calculation are factors such as family and medical expenses, as well as government subsidies, researchers said. The definition of poverty for families generally ranges from $21,000 to $25,000 annually.

Census Bureau researcher Kathleen Short, the report's author, wrote the "new group of poor would consist of a larger population of elderly people, working families and married-couple families than are identified in the official poverty measure."

People older than 65 and younger than 15 accounted for the rate of poverty being higher, researchers said. Wednesday's report said 18 percent of children and 16.1 percent of the elderly live in poverty.

Full Article:

New Poverty Data

In response to the new Census data on poverty, income and health insurance coverage, Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity has compiled a variety of resources to help journalists, policymakers and advocates locate timely analysis, statements and events examining the new figures. We’ve also provided tools for you to share in discussions about the new poverty data:

• Resource guide: includes a listing of events, blog postings, reports and analysis. The guide will be continuously updated with new resources as they become available.
• Twitter campaign: help highlight the importance of the new Census Bureau figures and raise awareness of poverty in the United States by tweeting about the new data using the #poverty hashtag
• Exclusive commentary: Caroline Ratcliffe and Signe-Mary McKernan  of the Urban Institute authored an exclusive commentary for Spotlight, “Help Children Born into Poverty”
• Idea Generator: in collaboration with Spotlight, American Radio Works launched the Reducing Poverty Idea Generator, an online platform for exchanging ideas about how to help low-income Americans achieve financial security. Post your ideas about how to reduce poverty in the United States.

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is an initiative of the AARP Foundation,
the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
The California Endowment, the Eos Foundation, the Endowment for Health (New Hampshire),
the Ford Foundation, the Foundation for the Mid South, The George Gund Foundation,
the Hagedorn Foundation, Living Cities, the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, 
the Northwest Area Foundation, the Open Society Institute, the Public Welfare Foundation,
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rosenberg Foundation, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, the Stoneman Family Foundation, the Women's Funding Network and other major national
foundations. The Kaiser Family Foundation provides in-kind television and web cast facilities.

Disability.gov: Countdown to the 20th Anniversary of the ADA: Day 25 - Disability Statistics

Image via Wikipedia

By Guest Blogger Cherise J. Hunter, Research Analyst, Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor

Did you know that a VERY important announcement is made the first Friday of EVERY month? It is publicized on virtually every news network and is often viewed as a major indicator of the status of the U.S. economy by politicians, researchers, economists and everyday citizens alike. It is the release of the nation’s unemployment rate - which, by the way, currently stands at 9.9 percent. It is released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and represents the most comprehensive measure of national employment and unemployment. These measures are obtained from a survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS), conducted monthly by the U.S. Census Bureau for the BLS.


Unfortunately, the CPS was not originally designed to capture whether or not the person being surveyed has a disability (although certain questions address the issue). However, since June 2008, the Census Bureau has asked six new questions, the purpose of which is to identify whether the person who is surveyed has a disability and the nature of the disability. The six survey questions are:

• Is {person} deaf or does {person} have serious difficulty hearing?
• Is {person} blind or does {person} have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses
• Because of a physical, mental or emotional condition, does {person} have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions?
• Does {person} have serious walking or climbing stairs?
• Does {person} have difficulty dressing or bathing?
• Because of a physical, mental or emotional condition, does {person} have difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor's office or shopping?

This information is vital for the disability community because it provides a primary source of data on employment status and characteristics of the labor force, emerging trends and changes in the employment rate of individuals with disabilities. What do the current numbers reveal? Well, according to the April 2010 CPS (not seasonally adjusted), the employment rate of the civilian noninstitutional population with disabilities, ages 16 to 64, was 28.9 percent compared to 70.0 percent for persons without disabilities. The unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities was 15.5. One of the most striking statistics involves the participation rate. Only 34.5 percent of individuals with disabilities ages 16 to 64 are participating in the labor force compared to 77.3 percent of persons with no disability!

Evaluating and researching this data will take time. But stay tuned! In addition, to the disability labor force status data released every month at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t06.htm, a CPS supplement is currently being planned by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and BLS to delve further into disability employment data in order to better explain what these numbers really mean for people with disabilities and employers.

For More Information
To learn more about the CPS disability statistics, visit
http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm. To find data from June 2008 through May 2010, visit http://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpsatab6.htm and select one or more questions from the data table on the page, then scroll down to click the "Retrieve data" button.

2010 Census Multimedia Center: A 2010 Census Message from President Obama (:30) -

2010 Census Multimedia Center: A 2010 Census Message from President Obama (:30) -

U.S. poverty - UPI.com

Poverty rates grew substantially in eight states in 2008 under the weight of the worst economic conditions in the United States since the Great Depression.

Connecticut saw the largest increase with an additional 1.4 percent of the state's population living in poverty, the U.S. Census Bureau said.

Other states showing significant increases in their poverty percentages included California, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Oregon and Pennsylvania.

Continue Reading

U.S. income gap widens in recession - Stocks & economy- msnbc.com

Image via CrunchBase

The recession has hit middle-income and poor families hardest, widening the economic gap between the richest and poorest Americans as rippling job layoffs ravaged household budgets.

The wealthiest 10 percent of Americans — those making more than $138,000 each year — earned 11.4 times the roughly $12,000 made by those living near or below the poverty line in 2008, according to newly released census figures. That ratio was an increase from 11.2 in 2007 and the previous high of 11.22 in 2003.

Household income declined across all groups, but at sharper percentage levels for middle-income and poor Americans. Median income fell last year from $52,163 to $50,303, wiping out a decade's worth of gains to hit the lowest level since 1997.
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Health Affairs Blog: Census Survey May Understate Medicaid Enrollment, Overstate Uninsured Ranks

by Chris Fleming

Widely cited estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau likely overstate the number of uninsured people and understate the number of people with Medicaid coverage because of an inability of people to recall their insurance status accurately from the previous year, according to a study published yesterday on the Health Affairs Web site.

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Health Affairs Blog: New Census Estimates of Health Insurance Coverage

by Lisa Dubay

On the heels of the President’s speech on health care reform, the Census Bureau released to little fanfare new estimates of health insurance coverage from the Current Population Survey (CPS). Between 2007 and 2008, the number of individuals without health insurance rose from 45.7 million to 46.3 million, increasing the ranks of the uninsured by 683,000.

Read More

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Uninsured: The Best and Worst States (abcnews.go.com)
• Doing the Math on the Uninsured (meganmcardle.theatlantic.com)

Statement: Greenstein on Census’ 2008 Health Insurance and Poverty Data — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Today’s grim Census Bureau report shows the nation lost substantial ground in 2008 on poverty, median income, and the number of people who are uninsured. Several aspects of the Census report stand out.

The number of people living in poverty jumped by 2.6 million to 39.8 million — the highest since 1960. The poverty rate — the percentage of people living in poverty — also rose, to 13.2 percent, which is its highest level since 1997. Similarly, real median household income fell by $1,860 to $50,303, its lowest level since 1997.

These figures are particularly grim because they come after the disappointing record of the 2001-2007 expansion. Poverty was actually higher — and median income for working-age households lower — at the end of that expansion than during the 2001 recession. Such a dismal record during an expansion has never occurred before, since the nation began collecting these data.

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Podcast: Examining the New 2008 Census Data on Poverty, Income, and Health Insurance Coverage — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Robert Greenstein discusses the grim Census Bureau data that shows the nation lost substantial ground in 2008 on poverty, median income, and the number of people who are uninsured. Several aspects of the Census report are highlighted.

Listen to Podcast (11:59)

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Private Health Coverage Declined, Became Less Secure in 2008 — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The Census Bureau reported today that 46.3 million U.S. residents lacked health insurance in 2008, an increase of 632,000 over the previous year. [1] Nearly 6.6 million more people were uninsured in 2008 than in 2001, when the previous recession hit bottom. The proportion of the population without health insurance climbed to 15.4 percent in 2008, slightly above (but not statistically different from) the 15.3 percent rate in 2007 and considerably above the 14.1 percent figure in 2001.

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Updated Poverty Data

US Census Bureau
Poverty: 2008


Highlights

The data presented here are from the Current Population Survey (CPS), 2009 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), the source of official poverty estimates. The CPS ASEC is a sample survey of approximately 100,000 household nationwide. These data reflect conditions in calendar year 2008.
Highlights

* The official poverty rate in 2008 was 13.2 percent, up from 12.5 percent in 2007. This was the first statistically significant annual increase in the poverty rate since 2004, when poverty increased to 12.7 percent from 12.5 percent in 2003.
* In 2008, 39.8 million people were in poverty, up from 37.3 million in 2007 -- the second consecutive annual increase in the number of people in poverty.
* In 2008, the poverty rate increased for non-Hispanic Whites (8.6 percent in 2008 -- up from 8.2 percent in 2007), Asians (11.8 percent in 2008 -- up from 10.2 percent in 2007) and Hispanics (23.2 percent in 2008 -- up from 21.5 percent in 2007). Poverty rates in 2008 were statistically unchanged for Blacks (24.7 percent).
* The poverty rate in 2008 (13.2 percent) was the highest poverty rate since 1997 but was 9.2 percentage points lower than in 1959, the first year for which poverty estimates are available.
* Since 1960, the number of people below poverty has not exceeded the 2008 figure of 39.8 million people.[1]
* The poverty rate increased for children under 18 years old (19.0 percent in 2008 -- up from 18.0 percent in 2007) and people 18 to 64 years old (11.7 percent in 2008 -- up from 10.9 percent in 2007), while it remained statistically unchanged for people 65 years and over (9.7 percent).[2]

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HCBS.org / More Info:Facts for Features: Americans with Disabilities Act: July 26

The U.S. Census Bureau has compiled a set of disability-related facts and figures as part of its Facts for Features series. Facts for Features consist of 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. This edition of Facts for Features commemorates the 19th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Available Files

* Data PDF (67K, 3 pages)
* Data


HCBS.org

Medical News: World's Population Grows Increasingly Long in the Tooth - in Geriatrics, General Geriatrics from MedPage Today

By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today The world is aging so fast that within a decade there will be more people 65 and older than children under 5 for the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts. As of last year, there were 506 million seniors worldwide, and by 2040 that number is projected to swell to 1.3 billion, according to a report by Kevin Kinsella and Wan He, PhD, of the Census Bureau's International Programs Center. That would double the proportion of older people -- from 7% to 14% of the overall population. Read More: Medical News: World's Population Grows Increasingly Long in the Tooth - in Geriatrics, General Geriatrics from MedPage Today

Elder Boom Will Be Felt Worldwide - Forbes.com

Population older than 65 could reach 1.3 billion by 2040 (HealthDay News) -- The proportion of people who are age 65 and older will double from 7 to 14 percent of the world's total population by 2040, says a new U.S. Census Bureau study. The over-65 population worldwide will grow from 506 million as of last year to 1.3 billion in 30 years. The unprecedented rate of increase will present challenges and opportunities, according to the report, commissioned by the U.S. National Institute on Aging. And the number of people 100 and older -- centenarians -- has risen dramatically, from an estimated few thousand in 1950 to more than 340,000 worldwide today; the greatest numbers of centenarians are found in the United States and Japan, according to the latest Census Bureau figures. Read More: Elder Boom Will Be Felt Worldwide - Forbes.com

Census Bureau Annual Social & Economic Supplement

The Census Bureau plans to request clearance for the collection of 
data concerning the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to be 
conducted in conjunction with the February, March, and April Current 
Population Survey (CPS). The Census Bureau has conducted this 
supplement annually for over 50 years. The Census Bureau, the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics, and the Department of Health and Human Services 
sponsor this supplement.

In the ASEC, the Census Bureau collects information on work experience,
personal income, noncash benefits, health insurance coverage, and migration.
The work experience items in the ASEC provide a unique measure of the 
dynamic nature of the labor force as viewed over a one-year period. 
These items produce statistics that show movements in and out of the 
labor force by measuring the number of periods of unemployment 
experienced by people, the number of different employers worked for 
during the year, the principal reasons for unemployment, and part-/
full-time attachment to the labor force. We can make indirect 
measurements of discouraged workers and others with a casual attachment 
to the labor market.

The income data from the ASEC are used by social planners, 
economists, government officials, and market researchers to gauge the 
economic well-being of the country as a whole and selected population 
groups of interest. Government planners and researchers use these data 
to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of various assistance 
programs. Market researchers use these data to identify and isolate 
potential customers. Social planners use these data to forecast 
economic conditions and to identify special groups that seem to be 
especially sensitive to economic fluctuations. Economists use ASEC 
data to determine the effects of various economic forces, such 
as inflation, recession, recovery, and so on, and their differential
 effects on various population groups.

A prime statistic of interest is the classification of people in 
poverty and how this measurement has changed over time for various 
groups. Researchers evaluate ASEC income data not only to determine 
poverty levels but also to determine whether government programs are 
reaching eligible households.

New questions are proposed for the ASEC, beginning in 2010. The 
questions are related to: 
(1) Medical expenditures; 
(2) presence and cost of a mortgage on property; 
(3) child support payments; and 
(4) amount of child care assistance received. 

These questions will enable analysts and policymakers to obtain
better estimates of family and household income, and to gauge 
poverty status more precisely. To offset respondent burden, 
some questions will be removed from the ASEC. Those removed 
include questions on transportation assistance, child care 
services, and questions on receipt of government assistance 
related to welfare reform.

Full Announcement

American Community Survey 5-Year Data Products

Notice and request for comments.

The U.S. Census Bureau has released American Community Survey

(ACS) data products in the form of 1-year estimates for 2005, 2006, 

and 2007, and 3-year estimates for the period of 2005-2007. 

Annual updates of these products are planned. Specifically, 

in 2009 and 2010, the Census Bureau will publish 1-year estimates 

for the 2008 ACS and the 2009 ACS, and 3-year estimates for the 

2006-2008 ACS and 2007-2009 ACS, respectively. Beginning in late 2010, 

the Census Bureau plans to introduce 5-year data products covering 

the period of 2005-2009. The Census Bureau is proposing to modify 

its current line of data products to accommodate the 5-year estimates 

and is requesting comments from current and potential users of ACS 

data products to help guide this modification. The release of the 

5-year estimates will achieve a goal of the ACS to provide small 

area data similar to the data published after Census 2000, based on 

the long-form sample. Plans for the production of an ACS Summary 

File for race, ethnic origin, ancestry, and country of birth, 

and another for American Indians and Alaska Natives, will be 

described in a future Federal Register notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 20, 2009.

Census Advisory Committee on the Hispanic Population

Request for Nominations

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is requesting nominations of individuals to the Census Advisory Committee (CAC) on the Hispanic Population. The Census Bureau will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources.

Membership

1. Members are appointed by and serve at the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce. They are appointed to the nine-member Committee for a period of three years.

2. Members will be reevaluated at the conclusion of the three-year term with the prospect of renewal, pending meeting attendance, administrative compliance, advisory committee needs, and the Secretary's concurrence. Committee members are selected in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce (DOC) guidelines. The Committee aims to have a balanced representation, considering such factors as:

• geography,
• gender,
• technical expertise,
• community involvement, and
• knowledge of census procedures and activities.

The Committee aims to include members from diverse backgrounds, including:

• state and local governments,
• academia,
• media,
• research,
• community-based organizations, and
• the private sector.

No employee of the federal government can serve as a member of the Committee. Meeting attendance and active participation in the activities of the Advisory Committee are essential for sustained Committee membership, as well as submission of required annual financial disclosure statements.

Alaska Native Areas (ANAs) Program for the 2010 Census

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is providing notification of final criteria and guidelines for Alaska Native Areas (ANAs) for the 2010 Census.

ANAs are geographic entities within the state of Alaska defined for the collection, tabulation, and presentation of decennial census data and will be used for the 2010 Census. ANAs also will be used to tabulate and present period estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) after 2010 and potentially other Census Bureau statistical data. ANAs consist of two types of unique geographic entities: Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANRCs) and Alaska Native village statistical areas (ANVSAs).