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June 24, 2009
Age and Sex in the United States: 2007 and 2008
Age and Sex in the United States: 2007 and 2008
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
A series of detailed tables with data on a wide range of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics by five-year age groups and sex. Topics covered include marital status, educational attainment, nativity and citizenship status, labor force and employment status, occupation, earnings, poverty and housing tenure. The data come from the Current Population Survey.
2007
2008
Posted by ljridley at 02:44 PM | Comments (0)
Fathers’ Alcohol Use and Substance Use among Adolescents
Fathers' Alcohol Use and Substance Use among Adolescents
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies
Highlights:
In 2006-2007, almost one in twelve (7.9 percent) fathers living with adolescents aged 12 to 17 had an alcohol use disorder, and 68.1 percent used alcohol in the past year but did not have an alcohol use disorder. The rate of past year alcohol use among adolescents was lower for those who lived with a father who did not use alcohol in the past year than for those who lived with a father who used alcohol but did not have an alcohol use disorder and for those who lived with a father with an alcohol use disorder (21.1 vs. 33.2 and 38.8 percent, respectively). The percentage of adolescents using illicit drugs in the past year increased with the level of paternal alcohol use, with illicit drug use reported by 14.0 percent of adolescents who lived with a father who did not use alcohol in the past year, 18.4 percent of those who lived with a father who used alcohol but did not have an alcohol use disorder, and 24.2 percent of those who lived with a father with an alcohol use disorder.
HTML format (contains the data table that was used to construct each figure; this data table is not found in printed or PDF version)
PDF format (recommended for printing)
Posted by ljridley at 02:34 PM | Comments (0)
Downward Mobility and Recovery Rates Remain Virtually Unchanged Since the Late 1960s
Ups and Downs: Does the American Economy Still Promote Upward Mobility?
By: Stephen J. Rose and Scott Winship
Source: Pew Charitable Trusts, Economic Mobility Project
As Americans face rising unemployment rates and greater uncertainty about the future in this current economic downturn, this report investigates the extent to which the American economy promotes upward economic mobility (in the form of income growth) and prevents downward economic mobility (in the form of income declines), and whether it does so to the same degree as in the past. There is widespread consensus that the current recession is likely to affect more families than any since the Great Depression. But more fundamental than the impact of any one recession is whether the United States has entered an era in which families must permanently lower their expectations for income growth and brace themselves for more and bigger income losses.
Posted by ljridley at 02:30 PM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2009
The Stat Police
A story from NPR's On the Media:
Politicians and journalists frequently cite statistics that are misleading, derived from dubious studies, or simply plucked out of thin air. So the U.K. has done something novel: they’ve created a new government agency to ensure that those all-important stats aren't fudged for political purposes. Chairman of the U.K. Statistics Authority, Sir Michael Scholar, explains what they do.
Listen here:
Transcript available here Monday (6/22/09) afternoon.
Posted by ljridley at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)
June 18, 2009
New Working Papers from the NBER
Measuring Discrimination in Education
Rema Hanna, Leigh Linden
Abstract; PDF
Economic Contextual Factors and Child Body Mass Index
Lisa M. Powell, Frank J. Chaloupka
Abstract; PDF
Physical Activity: Economic and Policy Factors
Melayne M. McInnes, Judith A. Shinogle
Abstract; PDF
Why Do Mothers Breastfeed Girls Less Than Boys? Evidence and Implications for Child Health in India
Seema Jayachandran, Ilyana Kuziemko
Abstract; PDF
Direct and Indirect Effects of Teenage Body Weight on Adult Wages
Euna Han, Edward C. Norton, Lisa M. Powell
Abstract; PDF
Why Do Skilled Immigrants Struggle in the Labor Market? A Field Experiment with Six Thousand Resumes
Philip Oreopoulos
Abstract; PDF
Physical Activity: Economic and Policy Factors
Melayne M. McInnes, Judith A. Shinogle
Abstract; PDF
Do Race and Fairness Matter in Generosity? Evidence from a Nationally Representative Charity Experiment
Christina M. Fong, Erzo F.P. Luttmer
Abstract; PDF
Adoption Curves and Social Interactions
William A. Brock, Steven N. Durlauf
Abstract; PDF
Schooling, Cognitive Skills, and the Latin American Growth Puzzle
Eric A. Hanushek, Ludger Woessmann
Abstract; PDF
The Quality of Medical Care, Behavioral Risk Factors, and Longevity Growth
Frank R. Lichtenberg
Abstract; PDF
Empirics of Strategic Interdependence: The Case of the Racial Tipping Point
William Easterly
Abstract; PDF
Opting For Families: Recent Trends in the Fertility of Highly Educated Women
Qingyan Shang, Bruce A. Weinberg
Abstract; PDF
The (Mythical?) Housing Wealth Effect
Charles Calomiris, Stanley D. Longhofer, William Miles
Abstract; PDF
The Equality Multiplier
Erling Barth, Karl O. Moene
Abstract; PDF
Birth Cohort and the Black-White Achievement Gap: The Roles of Access and Health Soon After Birth
Kenneth Y. Chay, Jonathan Guryan, Bhashkar Mazumder #15078 (CH ED HC HE LS PE)
Abstract; PDF
Posted by ljridley at 03:31 PM | Comments (0)
New Discussion Papers from the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
Childcare, Eldercare, and Labor Force Participation of Married Women in Urban China: 1982−2000
Margaret Maurer-Fazio, Rachel Connelly, Chen Lan, Lixin Tang
Abstract; PDF
Brain Drain in Globalization: A General Equilibrium Analysis from the Sending Countries' Perspective
Luca Marchiori, I-Ling Shen, Frédéric Docquier
Abstract; PDF
No Room to Live: Urban Overcrowding in Edwardian Britain
Ian Gazeley, Andrew T. Newell
Abstract; PDF
Do International Labor Standards Contribute to the Persistence of the Child Labor Problem?
Matthias Doepke, Fabrizio Zilibotti
Abstract; PDF
Parental Education and Wages: Evidence from China
Yuanyuan Chen, Shuaizhang Feng
Abstract; PDF
The Timing of Maternal Work and Time with Children
Jay Stewart
Abstract; PDF
Inequality and Volatility Moderation in Russia: Evidence from Micro-Level Panel Data on Consumption and Income
Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Klara Sabirianova Peter, Dmitriy Stolyarov
Abstract; PDF
Network Formations among Immigrants and Natives
Gil S. Epstein, Odelia Heizler (Cohen)
Abstract; PDF
Long-Term Impact of Youth Minimum Wages: Evidence from Two Decades of Individual Longitudinal Data
Ana Rute Cardoso
Abstract; PDF
Posted by ljridley at 02:56 PM | Comments (0)
June 16, 2009
The one-child family: France in the European context
The one-child family: France in the European context
By: Didier Breton and France Prioux
Source: Demographic Research
Abstract:
This paper observes the change since the 1970s in the proportion of men and women having only one child during their reproductive life, and examines their sociodemographic characteristics. The aim is to explore the significant variables of the complement of the parity progression ratio from first to second birth (1-A1). First, we present the theories, findings and results relating to the single-child family model in Europe. Then, we perform a multivariate analysis with the dependent variable of the model being the fact of not having had a second child ten years after the birth of a first child in stable unions.
Full text (PDF)
Posted by ljridley at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)
June 12, 2009
Two New Reports on Health Disparities
Sizable Health Disparities Evident In Every State Between Women of Different Racial and Ethnic Groups: New State-Level Data Show Disparities Vary Widely Across States
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
A decade after U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher called for the elimination of racial disparities in health, women of color in every state continue to fare worse than white women on a variety of measures of health, health care access and other social determinants of health according to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
News Release; Full Report (PDF)
HHS Secretary Sebelius Releases New Report on Health Disparities
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Reform.gov
“Minorities and low income Americans are more likely to be sick and less likely to get the care they need,” Secretary Sebelius said. “These disparities have plagued our health system and our country for too long. Now, it’s time for Democrats and Republicans to come together to pass reforms this year that help reduce disparities and give all Americans the care they need and deserve.”
Posted by ljridley at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)
Effects of Early Life on Elderly Health
Effects of Early Life on Elderly Health
By: Diana Lavery and Marlene Lee
Source: Population Reference Bureau
Personal choices made earlier in life can have lasting effects on elderly health. Decisions about exercise, nutrition, smoking, and drinking behavior, as well as some less obvious choices such as pursuit of higher education, whether or not to marry, and which neighborhood to live in all have consequences much later in life. Not only can such choices in one's adult life affect elderly health, but so can characteristics of one's childhood.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) supports analysis of the effects of early life on elderly health. Knowledge gained from these analyses can help design programs to improve the choices people make both for themselves and for their children. This newsletter discusses some of the current research undertaken by NIA-sponsored and other researchers on the effects of early life on adult and elderly health.
Posted by ljridley at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)
Changes in Fertility Rates Among Muslims in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
Changes in Fertility Rates Among Muslims in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh: An interview with Mehtab Karim, a senior research adviser and senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and World Affairs
By: Eric Zuehlke
Source: Population Reference Bureau
The number of Muslims worldwide is projected to grow over the next decade to reach one-quarter of the world's population, largely because of higher fertility among Muslim populations. Yet, it is simplistic to argue that there is a specifically Islamic pattern of fertility due solely to religious influence, says Mehtab Karim, a senior research adviser and senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and World Affairs. Karim visited PRB as part of its ongoing Policy Seminar series and presented findings based on the latest Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Posted by ljridley at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)
Housing Inequality in the United States
Housing Inequality in the United States: A Decomposition Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Homeownership
By: Sanjaya DeSilva
Source: Source: Levy Economics Institute of Bard College
In recent years, as the homeownership rate in the United States reached its highest level in history, homeownership itself remained unevenly distributed, particularly along racial and ethnic lines. By using data from the 2000 Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) and 2006 American Community Survey (ACS) to study the trajectory into homeownership of black, Asian, white, and Latino households, this paper explores the various socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, as well as the distinct immigration experiences and spatial patterns that shape racial and ethnic inequality in homeownership. The unique (merged) dataset enables the authors to distinguish assimilation (length of residence) from immigration cohort effects, and to control for various spatial characteristics at the PUMA (Public Use Microdata Area) level. The paper employs a decomposition technique that delineates the distinct effects that composition differentials have on the visible white-minority disparity in homeownership. The findings reveal substantial differences along racial-ethnic lines, highlight the importance of immigration and spatial context in determining Asian and Mexican homeownership rates, and emphasize the unique role that family structure and unobserved factors (e.g. prejudice and discrimination) continue to play in shaping the black-white homeownership gap.
Posted by ljridley at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)
The Economics of Climate Change Migration
The economics of climate change mitigation: how to build the necessary global action in a cost-effective manner
By: Jean-Marc Burniaux, Jean Chateau, Rob Dellink, Romain Duval and Stéphanie Jamet
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Economics Department
This paper examines the cost of a range of national, regional and global mitigation policies and the corresponding incentives for countries to participate in ambitious international mitigation actions. The paper illustrates the scope for available instruments to strengthen these incentives and discusses ways to overcome barriers to the development of an international carbon price, based on the quantitative assessment from two global and sectorially-disaggregated CGE models. Key step towards the emergence of a single international carbon price will most likely involve the phasing out of subsidies of fossil fuel consumption and various forms of linking between regional carbon markets, ranging from direct linking of
existing emission trading systems to more indirect forms through the use of crediting mechanisms. The paper discusses regulatory issues raised by the expansion of emission trading and crediting schemes as well as the complementary contribution of R&D policies. Finally, the paper emphasises the importance of incorporating deforestation into a global agreement as well as the key role of international transfers, not least to overcome the relatively strong economic incentives in some countries to free ride on other regions mitigation actions.
Full text (PDF)
OECD Economics Department Working Papers
Posted by ljridley at 09:44 AM | Comments (0)
June 05, 2009
New Working Papers from the NBER
The Random Coefficients Logit Model Is Identified
by Patrick Bajari, Jeremy Fox, Kyoo il Kim, Stephen P. Ryan
Abstract; PDF
Pollution, Health, and Avoidance Behavior: Evidence from the Ports of Los Angeles
by Enrico Moretti, Matthew Neidell
Abstract; PDF
Family Networks and School Enrolment: Evidence from a Randomized Social Experiment
by Manuela Angelucci, Giacomo DeGiorgi, Marcos A. Rangel, Imran Rasul
Abstract; PDF
Quantity-Quality and the One Child Policy:The Only-Child Disadvantage in School Enrollment in Rural China
by Nancy Qian
Abstract; PDF
Why do Institutions of Higher Education Reward Research While Selling Education?
by Dahlia K. Remler, Elda Pema
Abstract; PDF
Toxic Exposure in America: Estimating Fetal and Infant Health Outcomes
by Nikhil Agarwal, Chanont Banternghansa, Linda Bui
Abstract; PDF
The Relationship Between Neighborhood Quality and Obesity Among Children
by Bisakha Sen, Stephen Mennemeyer, Lisa C. Gary
Abstract; PDF
Short Run Constraints and the Increasing Marginal Value of Time in Recreation
by Raymond B. Palmquist, Daniel J. Phaneuf, V. Kerry Smith
Abstract; PDF
Food Stamp Program and Consumption Choices
by Neeraj Kaushal, Qin Gao
Abstract; PDF
Studying the Child Obesity Epidemic With Natural Experiments
by Robert Sandy, Gilbert Liu, John Ottensmann, Rusty Tchernis, Jeffrey Wilson, O.T. Ford
Abstract; PDF
Effects of Weight on Adolescent Educational Attainment
by Robert Kaestner, Michael Grossman, Benjamin Yarnoff
Abstract; PDF
The Impact of the AIDS Pandemic on Health Services in Africa: Evidence from Demographic and Health Surveys
by Anne Case, Christina Paxson
Abstract; PDF
The Impact of State-Level Nutrition-Education Program Funding on BMI: Evidence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
by Kerry Anne McGeary
Abstract; PDF
Differences in the U.S. Trends in the Prevalence of Obesity Based on Body Mass Index and Skinfold Thickness
by Richard V. Burkhauser, John Cawley, Maximilian D. Schmeiser
Abstract; PDF
Child Care Subsidies and Childhood Obesity
by Chris M. Herbst, Erdal Tekin
Abstract; PDF
Direct and Indirect Effects of Teenage Body Weight on Adult Wages
by Euna Han, Edward C. Norton, Lisa M. Powell
Abstract; PDF
Why Do Skilled Immigrants Struggle in the Labor Market? A Field Experiment with Six Thousand Resumes
by Philip Oreopoulos
Abstract; PDF
Posted by ljridley at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
New Discussion Papers from the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
Population Aging, Elderly Migration and Education Spending: Intergenerational Conflict Revisited
Mehmet S. Tosun, Claudia R. Williamson, Pavel Yakovlev
Abstract; PDF
Sample Attrition Bias in Randomized Experiments: A Tale of Two Surveys
Luc Behaghel, Bruno Crépon, Marc Gurgand, Thomas Le Barbanchon
Abstract; PDF
Participation in Higher Education: A Random Parameter Logit Approach with Policy Simulations
Darragh Flannery, Cathal O'Donoghue
Abstract; PDF
An Empirical Analysis of the Dynamics of the Welfare State: The Case of Benefit Morale
Martin Halla, Mario Lackner, Friedrich Schneider
Abstract; PDF
Still Waiting for Mister Right? Asymmetric Information, Abortion Laws and the Timing of Marriage
Simon W. Bowmaker, Patrick M. Emerson
Abstract; PDF
Optimal Family Policy in the Presence of Moral Hazard, When the Quantity and Quality of Children Are Stochastic
Alessandro Cigno, Annalisa Luporini
Abstract; PDF
The Impact of Demographic Change on Human Capital Accumulation
Michael Fertig, Christoph M. Schmidt, Mathias Sinning
Abstract; PDF
Corruption and the Shadow Economy: A Structural Equation Model Approach
Andreas Buehn, Friedrich Schneider
Abstract; PDF
Low Pay Persistence in European Countries
Ken Clark, Nikolaos C. Kanellopoulos
Abstract; PDF
A Reevaluation of the Role of Family in Immigrants' Labor Market Activity: Evidence from a Comparison of Single and Married Immigrants
Sarit Cohen-Goldner, Chemi Gotlibovski, Nava Kahana
Abstract; PDF
Intra-Household Time Allocation: Gender Differences in Caring for Children
Inmaculada García-Mainar, José Alberto Molina, Víctor M. Montuenga
Abstract; PDF
Social Incentives in the Workplace
(forthcoming in: Review of Economic Studies)
Oriana Bandiera, Iwan Barankay, Imran Rasul
Abstract; PDF
Postponing Maternity in Ireland
Cathal O'Donoghue, David Meredith, Eamon O'Shea
Abstract; PDF
The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness
Betsey Stevenson, Justin Wolfers
Abstract; PDF
Google Econometrics and Unemployment Forecasting
(forthcoming in: Applied Economics Quarterly, 2009)
Nikos Askitas, Klaus F. Zimmermann
Abstract; PDF
Posted by ljridley at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
New Study Reveals Scope of Drug and Crime Connection
New Study Reveals Scope of Drug and Crime Connection; As Many as 87 Percent of People Arrested for Any Crime Test Positive for Drug Use
Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released data from the 2008 Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM II), the only Federal drug survey which tests for drugs in addition to relying on interview data. The report, which surveys drug use among booked male arrestees in 10 major metropolitan areas across the country, shows the majority of arrestees in each city test positive for illicit drug use, with as many as 87 percent of arrestees testing positive for an illegal drug.
2008 ADAM II Report (PDF)
2008 ADAM II Report Fact Sheet (PDF)
Posted by ljridley at 10:09 AM | Comments (0)
June 04, 2009
Fellowships available at MEASURE DHS
FELLOWSHIPS IN POPULATION AND HEALTH
ICF Macro is seeking applications from advanced Ph.D. students and recent Ph.D. graduates in demography, social sciences, and public health to conduct research studies on population and health issues in developing countries. The fellows are expected to work at their home institution to analyze data collected in the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Service Provision Assessment (SPA) Surveys in one or more countries and prepare publishable-quality manuscripts on policy-relevant topics. Candidates are invited to submit a brief research proposal (3-4 pages), clearly outlining the research question(s), scope of analysis, and potential policy significance of their proposed study.
Candidates should also submit a brief application letter, a curriculum vitae, names of three references, and proof of their status either as an advanced Ph.D. student (those with completed course requirements and working on their dissertation/thesis) or as a recent Ph.D. graduate (past five years). Strong preference will be given to candidates from developing countries.
The applications are due before June 15, 2009. Selected candidates will be notified before July 15, 2009 and will be asked to submit a detailed outline and analysis plan for their study before August 30, 2009. A completed first draft of the manuscript will be due before December 15, 2009. In February 2010, Macro will organize a two-week workshop for the fellows to revise and polish their manuscripts for publication. Participation in the workshop is required.
Each selected fellow will be awarded a $5,000 stipend to cover his/her research expenses, which will be paid in three installments, upon submission of a detailed analysis plan, after completion of a draft manuscript, and after satisfactory completion of final revised manuscript. In addition, Macro will cover travel, lodging, and per diem expenses for each fellow to attend the workshop.
Please send applications to Vinod Mishra, Director of Research, Demographic and Health Research Division, ICF Macro, 11785 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300, Calverton, MD 20705, USA.
Email: vinod.mishra@macrointernational.com
Fax: 1-301-572-0999.
For information on Demographic and Health Surveys and Service Provision Assessment Surveys, visit www.measuredhs.com.
For more information on ICF Macro employment, visit: http://www.macrointernational.com/Employment/job_openings.aspx#HQ-FPH5-14-09
Posted by ljridley at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)