New State/Local Data for March 2009
US Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines for 2009
There are two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure:
- The poverty thresholds, and
- The poverty guidelines.
The poverty thresholds are the original version of the federal poverty measure. They are updated each year by the Census Bureau. The thresholds are used mainly for statistical purposes — for instance, preparing estimates of the number of Americans in poverty each year. (In other words, all official poverty population figures are calculated using the poverty thresholds, not the guidelines.) The poverty guidelines are the other version of the federal poverty measure. They are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use for administrative purposes — for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs. The poverty guidelines are sometimes loosely referred to as the “federal poverty level” (FPL), but that phrase is ambiguous and should be avoided, especially in situations (e.g., legislative or administrative) where precision is important. Key differences between poverty thresholds and poverty guidelines are outlined in a table under Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007
This Census Bureau report on educational attainment uses data from both the Current Population Survey and the American Community Survey, and describes the degree or level of school completed by adults 25 and older. A larger percentage of foreign-born than native-born residents had a master’s degree or higher in 2007, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Nationally, 11% of foreign-born — people from another country now living in the United States — and 10% of U.S.-born residents had an advanced degree.
In the West, the percentage of foreign-born who had completed at least a bachelor’s degree or higher was less than the percentage of the native-born (24% compared with 31%). Among the foreign-born, those living in the Northeast had the highest percentage of bachelor’s degrees or more (32%), which was the same as their native-born counterparts. The foreign-born in the South (26%) and Midwest (31%) were more likely than native-born residents to have at least a college degree (25% and 26%, respectively). Across all regions, a smaller percentage of foreign-born than native-born adults had completed at least a high school education. Other highlights from the report include:
- 84% of adults 25 and older had completed high school, while 27% had obtained at least a bachelor’s degree in 2007.
- A slightly larger proportion of women (85%) than men (84%) had completed high school, but a larger proportion of men had earned a bachelor’s degree (28% compared with 27%).
- The percentage of high school graduates was highest in the Midwest (87%), and the percentage of college graduates was highest in the Northeast (32%).
- Men earned more than women at each level of educational attainment. The percentage of female-to-male earnings among year-round, full-time workers 25 and older was 77%.
- Workers with a bachelor’s degree on average earned about $20,000 more a year ($46,805) than workers with a high school diploma ($26,894). Compared with non-Hispanic whites and Asians, black and Hispanic workers earned less at all attainment levels.
Characteristics of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population
According to a new analysis of data about the U.S. foreign-born population from the 2007 American Community Survey (ACS), a higher percentage of people born in India have a bachelors degree or higher (74 percent) than people born in any other foreign country. Egypt and Nigeria had rates above 60 percent. Based on 2007 ACS data, these figures come from new detailed characteristic profiles on the foreign-born population — people who were not U.S. citizens at birth — available by country of birth. Other findings available for foreign-born populations of 65,000 or more in areas with a total population of 500,000 or more include the following:
- Mexico tops the country of birth list with more than 11.7 million people. The next highest countries by birth include China (1.9 million), the Philippines (1.7 million), India (1.5 million), El Salvador and Vietnam (both at 1.1 million), and Korea (1 million). Cuba, Canada and the Dominican Republic round out the top 10 countries of birth.
- Median household income is $50,740 for the total population, $46,881 for the foreign-born population and $51,249 for the native population.
- Nationally, the median age for the total U.S. population is 36.7. The total foreign-born population has a median age of 40.2 and the total native population has a median age of 35.8.
- Overall, about 28 percent of the nation’s foreign-born entered in 2000 or later, 29 percent between 1990 and 1999, and 43 percent entered the United States before 1990.
- Among people for whom poverty status is determined, about 51 percent of residents born in Somalia are living in poverty. About a quarter of the population born in Iraq, the Dominican Republic, Jordan and Mexico are also living in poverty.
- About 13 percent of both natives and the total U.S. population are living in poverty, while about 16 percent of the foreign-born are.
Unemployment Rises Sharply Among Latino Immigrants in 2008
The Pew Hispanic Center has found that the current recession is having an especially severe impact on employment prospects for immigrant Hispanics, according to an analysis of the latest Census Bureau data.
The unemployment rate has increased more and the share of the working-age population that is employed has fallen more for immigrant Hispanics than for other racial and ethnic groups in the first year of the recession. Trends in other indicators during the one-year old recession, such as the change in labor force participation or the growth in the number of unemployed persons, also reveal a more severe impact on foreign-born Latinos.
Native-born Hispanics and blacks in the labor market have also felt strong negative effects from the recession. However, changes in the employment rate and other indicators of labor market activity during the recession have been less severe for them than for foreign-born Hispanics.
Hispanic Farming and Ranching in the US
USDA has released information from a national-level investigation showing that small-scale Hispanic farmers and ranchers in the United States have special needs for information about government programs, agricultural production, marketing and finances. The study area focused on California, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, the four states and territory that have the highest number of Hispanic farmers and ranchers, according to the 2002 Agricultural Census. The study found that these producers are best identified not by location of their enterprises or the types of farming involved, but by their key farm goals— expand operation; maintain operation; retirement; maintain tradition; and start a farm or ranch operation.
The analysis identified research and outreach priorities to meet the needs of Hispanic producers, as well as suggested funding and programming priorities for USDA agencies. The following points emerged as particularly relevant to the development of programs to serve Hispanic clients:
- Language: Most clients do not see lack of Spanish-speaking service providers or Spanish-language publications as a major problem. Are translation services, therefore, the best use of scarce resources?
- Information gap: While outreach providers believe their Hispanic clients do not take sufficient advantage of information, services, and programs, these clients are often unaware of what is available.
- Access to government programs: In some cases, producers perceive government programs as difficult to access. How can we create more effective working relationships with these clients and the organizations representing them?
- Special programs: The goals and constraints of Hispanic producers are often similar to those of many small-scale farmers and ranchers. In some states and territories, however, this is not the case. How far should resources be allocated to the shared needs of the whole population, versus the specific needs of certain groups or states?
A Rising Share: Hispanics and Federal Crime
This report from the Pew Hispanic Center finds that sharp growth in illegal immigration and increased enforcement of immigration laws have altered the ethnic composition of offenders sentenced in federal courts. In 2007, Latinos accounted for 40% of all sentenced federal offenders--more than triple their share (13%) of the total U.S. adult population. The share of all sentenced offenders who were Latino in 2007 was up from 23% in 1991, according to an analysis of data from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC). Moreover, by 2007, immigration offenses represented nearly one-quarter (24%) of all federal convictions, up from just 7% in 1991. Among those sentenced for immigration offenses in 2007, 80% were Hispanic.
This heightened focus on immigration enforcement has also changed the citizenship profile of federal offenders. In 2007, Latinos without U.S. citizenship represented 29% of all federal offenders. Among all Latino offenders, some 72% were not U.S. citizens, up from 61% in 1991. By contrast, a much smaller share of white offenders (8%) and black offenders (6%) who were sentenced in federal courts in 2007 were not U.S. citizens. Among sentenced immigration offenders, most were convicted of unlawfully entering or remaining in the U.S. Fully 75% of Latino offenders sentenced for immigration crimes in 2007 were convicted of entering the U.S. unlawfully or residing in the country without authorization. Hispanics who were convicted of any federal offense were more likely than non-Hispanics to be sentenced to prison. But among all federal offenders sentenced to prison, Hispanics were also more likely than blacks or whites to receive a shorter prison term.
Rural Broadband at a Glance, 2009 Edition
Three-quarters of U.S. residents used the Internet to access information, education, and services in 2007. Broadband Internet access is becoming essential for both businesses and households; many compare its evolution to other technologies now considered common necessities—such as cars, electricity, televisions, microwave ovens, and cell phones. Although rural residents enjoy widespread access to the Internet, they are less likely to have high-speed, or broadband, Internet access than their urban counterparts. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the difference in access may lie in the higher cost and limited availability of broadband Internet in rural areas. As a result, rural residents depend more on Internet use outside of the home, in places like the library, school, and work, where broadband Internet access is available.
Farm Income Projections: 2009
USDA released its first forecast of net farm income for 2009, forecast to be $71.2 billion in 2009, down $18.1 billion (20 percent) from the preliminary estimate of $89.3 billion for 2008. Still, $71.2 billion would be 9 percent above the average of $65 billion earned in the previous 10-years. This data is found in the Farm Income and Costs briefing room which provides indicators of economic performance for the U.S. farm sector and major crop and livestock farm groups. Farm balance sheet estimates are used by USDA and other public and private sector clients to form a perspective about the financial health of the U.S. agricultural economy. Distributional analyses identify sub-sectors and business types that are performing well relative to past trends and to other groups and types of farms. Identification of these businesses enables analysts to more closely examine factors contributing to financial performance, such as assessment of debt-repayment difficulties of specific farm types, industry sub-sectors, and regions of the country.
Agricultural Baseline Projections
This USDA ERS report provides long-run (10-year) projections for the agricultural sector through 2018. Projections cover agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the sector, such as farm income and food prices. Prices for corn, oilseeds, and many other crops remain well above their historical levels, although season-average annual prices are not projected to reach the record highs seen in the first half of 2008. Highlights include:
- Over the next several years, the livestock sector continues to adjust to higher feed prices seen in 2007 and 2008.
- Although net farm income initially declines from the highs of 2007 and 2008, it remains historically strong and rebounds to near-record levels in the latter part of the projections.
- U.S. retail food prices increase more than general inflation through 2011, but return to the longer term relationship of rising less than the general inflation rate over the remainder of the projection period.
The Baseline Database covers projections for major field crops (corn, sorghum, barley, oats, wheat, rice, soybeans, and upland cotton) and livestock (beef, pork, poultry and eggs, and dairy) starting with the February 2000 report.
Growing Crops for Biofuels has Spillover Effects
A USDA report finds that federal mandates for biofuel production promote expanded crop acreage which can shift cropping patterns and affect livestock production due to higher prices for corn and other grain crops. An increase in the extent and intensity of input use and agricultural land in production increases the potential for environmental degradation. Research on crop productivity and conversion efficiency, as well as conservation practices like no-till and buffer strips, could lessen the environmental impacts of biofuels.
Grain Prices Impact Entire Livestock Production Cycle
A USDA ERS report finds that, between 2006 and 2008, feed costs nearly doubled and are expected to result in lower meat and dairy production in 2009. Feed prices have declined since mid-2008 and are expected to be lower in 2009, but the biological timeline of livestock production means meat producers are limited in what they can do in the shortrun to change production. Changes in U.S. livestock-industry structure and the use of alternative feeds, such as byproducts from ethanol production, will help reduce the impact of higher input costs on livestock producers.
Encouraging Healthy Lunch Choices Among School Children
With over 30 million children served each school day, USDA-sponsored school meals provide an important opportunity to improve diet and health. Schools can exert considerable control over the food choices they offer and the manner in which they are presented. Understanding how simple rules of thumb and certain cues, like presentation and visual appeal, can influence our on-the-spot decisions can reveal potential options to increase the link between intentions and behaviors. Choice architecture relies heavily on subtle cues, or “nudges,” to encourage people to follow through on their intentions. Behavioral economic theory suggests several possibilities to structure school cafeteria environments in a non-coercive manner to encourage healthy choices.
Eating and Health Module
The Eating & Health (EH) Module of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), produced by USDA ERS, collects data to analyze relationships among time use patterns and eating patterns, nutrition, and obesity; food and nutrition assistance programs; and grocery shopping and meal preparation. Knowing more about eating patterns, grocery shopping, and meal preparation, as well as understanding whether participants in food and nutrition assistance programs face different time constraints than non-participants can inform the design of food assistance and nutrition policies and programs. This data set can be used to measure where, when, and how long Americans eat, and also with whom they are eating. Estimates, analysis, and microdata files are available for 2006 and 2007 data. There is also a User's Guide that provides detailed guidance to researchers on how to use the EH Module to measure time use and eating patterns.
LandLink Conservation Finance
The Trust of Public Land (a non-profit land conservation organization) publishes LandVote® annually. LandVote® 2008 provides an overview of the year's voting trends, and at-a-glance overviews of regional voting activities with illustrated maps. LandVote tracks two major types of conservation ballot measures. The first type are ballot measures that authorize sales, property, income, and other taxes to pay for conservation. These are often called “pay as you go” funding sources. When a ballot measure authorizes a new tax, LandVote counts the estimated revenue generated for the duration of the tax. When the tax is not limited to a specific term, a duration of 20 years is used to generate the figure. In all cases the total funds generated over the life of the measure are conservatively estimated and do not reflect likely increases in the tax base. When a ballot measure increases an existing open space tax, LandVote counts only the value of the added increment. A second type of ballot measure is the bond measure, a ballot question that authorizes the use of bonded indebtedness (general obligation bonds) for the purpose of financing capital improvements such as land conservation. In tabulating results, LandVote counts the face value of the bonds authorized, rather than the much higher value of repaying the bonds in the future. Users can also access TPL’s database after signing in.
Upcoming Conference – May 3-4, 2009
Colorado's Safety Net
Building and Monitoring Caring Communities
A second annual symposium on Colorado's health care safety net presented by the Colorado Health Institute (CHI). The conference will address:
- What do the data tell us about Colorado’s safety net providers?
- What are the characteristics of safety net users?
- What can the safety net teach the broader health care community about collaborative models of care?
- What unique models of care exist in rural and urban Colorado communities?
- What does Colorado’s health care safety net need to stay viable in the future?
