From Introduction:

Birth rates in the United States began to decline in 2008 after rising to their highest level in two decades, and the decrease appears to be linked to the recession, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of state fertility and economic data.

This analysis is based on data from the 25 states for which final 2008 birth numbers are available. State-level indicators were used because the magnitude and timing of the recent economic decline varies from state to state, thus allowing a more nuanced analysis of links with fertility than is possible at the national level.

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Appendix (PDF)

From Overview:

In 2007, New York City’s Center for Economic Opportunity launched Opportunity NYC–Family Rewards, an experimental, privately funded, conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to help families break the cycle of poverty. CCT programs offer cash assistance to reduce immediate hardship, but condition these transfers on families’ efforts to build up their “human capital,” often by developing the education and skills that may reduce their poverty over the longer term. Family Rewards is the first comprehensive CCT program in a developed country.

Aimed at low-income families in six of New York City’s highest-poverty communities, Family Rewards ties cash rewards to pre-specified activities and outcomes in children’s education, families’ preventive health care, and parents’ employment. The three-year program is being operated by Seedco — a private, nonprofit intermediary organization — in partnership with six community-based organizations. It is being evaluated by MDRC through a randomized control trial involving approximately 4,800 families and 11,000 children, half of whom can receive the cash incentives if they meet the required conditions, and half who have been assigned to a control group that cannot receive the incentives. This report presents initial findings during the program’s early operating period.

From Section 1:

The multi-generational American family household is staging a comeback -- driven in part by the job losses and home foreclosures of recent years but more so by demographic changes that have been gathering steam for decades.

As of 2008, a record 49 million Americans, or 16.1% of the total U.S. population, lived in a family household that contained at least two adult generations or a grandparent and at least one other generation, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of census data.

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From the press release:

Since the beginning of the current recession, homeownership and mobility rates have dropped; poverty has increased; and commuting patterns have shifted toward greener, more cost-effective options, according to a new report by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB).

PRB's Population Bulletin, "U.S. Economic and Social Trends Since 2000," by Linda A. Jacobsen and Mark Mather, is a wide-ranging analysis of how the U.S. population has changed since 2000. With the 2010 Census just around the corner, it is an appropriate time to compare the United States today with its demographic makeup at the last census in 2000.

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PRB Discuss Online: Linda Jacobsen and Mark Mather

The Multitasking of Household Production
Charlene M. Kalenkoski, Gigi Foster
Abstract; Abstract

Does Education Reduce the Risk of Hypertension? Estimating the Biomarker Effect of Compulsory Schooling in England
Nattavudh Powdthavee
Abstract; Abstract

Recent Advances in the Economics of Individual Subjective Well-Being
Alois Stutzer, Bruno S. Frey
Abstract; Abstract

Health Care Expenditure and Income in the OECD Reconsidered: Evidence from Panel Data
Badi H. Baltagi, Francesco Moscone
Abstract; Abstract

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Use of Drug Therapy
John R. Bowblis, Myeong-Su Yun
Abstract; Abstract

A Socio-economic Analysis of Youth Disconnectedness
Friedhelm Pfeiffer, Ruben R. Seiberlich
Abstract; Abstract

How Do Labor Markets Affect Crime? New Evidence on an Old Puzzle
(forthcoming in: Handbook on the Economics of Crime, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010)
David B. Mustard
Abstract; Abstract

The Glass Door: The Gender Composition of Newly-Hired Workers Across Hierarchical Job Levels
Wolter Hassink, Giovanni Russo
Abstract; Abstract

From news release:

The share of the U.S. labor force composed of the foreign born was little changed in 2009, and their unemployment rate rose from 5.8 to 9.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate of the native born increased from 5.8 percent in 2008 to 9.2 percent in 2009.

This news release compares the labor force characteristics of the foreign born with those of their native-born counterparts. The data on nativity are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of approximately 60,000 households. The foreign born are persons who reside in the United States but who were born outside the country or one of its outlying areas to parents who were not U.S. citizens. The foreign born include legally-admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary workers, and undocumented immigrants. The survey data, however, do not separately identify the numbers of persons in these categories. For further information about the survey, see the Technical Note.

* Labor Force Characteristics of Foreign-Born Workers Technical Note
* Table 1. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations by selected characteristics, 2008-09 annual averages
* Table 2. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by presence and age of youngest child and sex, 2008-09 annual averages
* Table 3. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 25 years and over by educational attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2008-09 annual averages
* Table 4. Employed foreign-born and native-born persons 16 years and over by occupation and sex, 2009 annual averages
* Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers for the foreign born and native born by selected characteristics, 2008-09 annual averages
* Table 6. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by census regions and divisions, 2008-09 annual averages
* HTML version of the entire news release
* PDF version of the entire news release

Abstract:
Using demographic multi-state, cohort-component methods, we produce projections for 120 countries (covering 93% of the world population in 2005) by five-year age groups, sex, and four levels of educational attainment for the years 2005-2050. Taking into account differentials in fertility and mortality by education level, we present the first systematic global educational attainment projections according to four widely differing education scenarios. The results show the possible range of future educational attainment trends around the world, thereby contributing to long-term economic and social planning at the national and international levels, and to the assessment of the feasibility of international education goals.

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This statistical brief examines the status of Latino youth in the United States. Latino youth, who compose nearly 20% of all youth in the country, experience high levels of poverty, high dropout rates, low graduation rates, high unemployment rates, and low rates of health insurance. Given that Latinos will compose about 30% of the U.S. population by 2050, the ability of Latino youth to overcome these pressing challenges today will directly impact the economic and social success of our nation in the future.

To examine the effects of family process variables (specific things families do) and family status variables (who families are) on students' academic achievement and nonacademic outcomes, the author uses the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, a U.S. longitudinal dataset that follows a nationally representative sample of children from kindergarten through fifth grade, and the Programme for International Student Assessment, a cross-country cross-sectional dataset that assesses academic achievement of 15-year-old students. The U.S. data indicate that even after controlling for demographics and school inputs, student achievement was associated with such process variables as parental expectations and beliefs, learning structure, resource availability, home environment, parenting and disciplinary practices, and parental involvement. In addition, doing homework more frequently, having home Internet access, and owning a community library card had higher returns in terms of student achievement for black children or children from low socio-economic families than for their counterparts. U.S. students did not fare as well as their peers in other countries and economies, and family process variables, especially considered collectively, are important factors in explaining student achievement in an international setting.

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Multidimensional Measurement of Richness: Theory and an Application to Germany
Andreas Peichl, Nico Pestel
Abstract; Abstract

The Distributional Impact of Public Services When Needs Differ
Rolf Aaberge, Manudeep Singh Bhuller, Audun Langørgen, Magne Mogstad
Abstract; Abstract

Is There an Income Gradient in Child Health? It Depends Whom You Ask
David W. Johnston, Carol Propper, Stephen Pudney, Michael A. Shields
Abstract; Abstract

Who Wants to Work in a Rural Health Post? The Role of Intrinsic Motivation, Rural Background and Faith-Based Institutions in Rwanda and Ethiopia
Pieter Serneels, Jose G. Montalvo, Gunilla Pettersson, Tomas Lievens, Jean Damascene Butera, Aklilu Kidanu
Abstract; Abstract

A Simple Theory of Optimal Redistributive Taxation with Equilibrium Unemployment
Mathias Hungerbühler, Etienne Lehmann, Alexis Parmentier, Bruno Van der Linden
Abstract; Abstract

Public Education for the Children Left Behind
Carmen Camacho, I-Ling Shen
Abstract; Abstract

Overconfidence is a Social Signaling Bias
Stephen V. Burks, Jeffrey P. Carpenter, Lorenz Goette, Aldo Rustichini
Abstract; Abstract

Identification and Estimation of Distributional Impacts of Interventions Using Changes in Inequality Measures
Sergio Firpo
Abstract; Abstract

Polarization and Rising Wage Inequality: Comparing the U.S. and Germany
Dirk Antonczyk, Thomas DeLeire, Bernd Fitzenberger
Abstract; Abstract

From Press Release:

Among the overall youth population of the United States, Latinos make up 19% of all 10- to 17-year-olds, yet they represent 25% of youth who are incarcerated. A new fact sheet released today by NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., examines the racial and ethnic backgrounds of young people in the juvenile justice system.

Just the Facts: A Snapshot of Incarcerated Youth finds that Whites represent 59% of the U.S. population ages 10–17 and 30% of those who are incarcerated, while Latinos and Blacks make up 25% and 45%, respectively, of the incarcerated youth population.

Fact Sheet (PDF)

Youth Radio: Racial and Ethnic Disparities Juvenile Justice Data Map
Source: Burns Institute for Juvenile Justice Fairness & Equity

From Press Release:

A new interactive map of juvenile justice disparities across the country has become available to the public. The tool also provides state-by-state statistics, like California's drug arrests between 2003 and 2006, which show that the number of African American youth arrested increased by six over that period, while the number of Latino youth arrested for similar offenses decreased by 21.

Some notable data from a quick scan of the map's California statistics:

-In 2006, there were 3,024 Latino youth arrested for various offenses—making them the racial group with the highest number of arrests.

-The number of black and Latino youth incarcerated continues to increase.

-In 2007, there were 21,201 secure detentions of Latino youth, almost double the number of cases involving black youth.

For the first time in nearly 40 years, the number of state prisoners in the United States has declined, according to Prison Count 2010, a new survey by the Pew Center on the States. As of January 2010, there were 1,403,091 persons under the jurisdiction of state prison authorities, 5,739 fewer than on December 31, 2008. This marks the first year-to-year drop in the nation’s state prison population since 1972. While the study showed an overall decline, it revealed great variation among jurisdictions. The prison population declined in 27 states, while increasing in 23 states and in the federal system.

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Can We Measure Individual Risk Attitudes in a Survey?
Xiaohao Ding, Joop Hartog, Yuze Sun
Abstract; PDF

The Evolution of the Returns to Human Capital in Canada, 1980-2005
Brahim Boudarbat, Thomas Lemieux, Craig Riddell
Abstract; PDF

Intergenerational Income Mobility in Urban China
Cathy Honge Gong, Andrew Leigh, Xin Meng
Abstract; PDF

Economic Mobility, Family Background, and the Well-Being of Children in the United States and Canada
Miles Corak, Lori Curtis, Shelley Phipps
Abstract; PDF

Growth, History, or Institutions? What Explains State Fragility in Sub-Saharan Africa
Graziella Bertocchi, Andrea Guerzoni
Abstract; PDF

The Intergenerational Transmission of Employers
Miles Corak, Patrizio Piraino
Abstract; PDF

A New Model for Equitable and Efficient Resource Allocation to Schools: The Israeli Case
Iris BenDavid-Hadar, Adrian Ziderman
Abstract; PDF

Wages and Immigrant Occupational Composition in Sweden
Jörgen Hansen, Roger Wahlberg, Sharif Faisal
Abstract; PDF

Gender Wage Gap: A Semi-Parametric Approach with Sample Selection Correction
Matteo Picchio, Chiara Mussida
Abstract; PDF

Trends in Economic Research: An International Perspective
Ana Rute Cardoso, Paulo Guimaraes, Klaus F. Zimmermann
Abstract; PDF

Financial Constraints and Innovation: Why Poor Countries Don't Catch Up
Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Monika Schnitzer
Abstract; PDF

Does Immigration Induce 'Native Flight' from Public Schools? Evidence from a Large Scale Voucher Program
Christer Gerdes
Abstract; PDF

Non-Response Biases in Surveys of School Children: The Case of the English PISA Samples
John Micklewright, Sylke V. Schnepf, Chris Skinner
Abstract; PDF

Increasing Income Inequality: Productivity, Bargaining and Skill-Upgrading
Anders Frederiksen, Odile Poulsen
Abstract; PDF

The Design of Unemployment Transfers: Evidence from a Dynamic Structural Life-Cycle Model
Peter Haan, Victoria L. Prowse
Abstract; PDF

Estimation of Heterogeneous Treatment Effects on Hazard Rates
Simen Gaure, Knut Roed, Gerard J. van den Berg, Tao Zhang
Abstract; PDF

The Effect of Education on Smoking Behavior: New Evidence from Smoking Durations of a Sample of Twins
Pierre Koning, Dinand Webbink, Nicholas G. Martin
Abstract; PDF

Social Mobility: Is There an Advantage in Being English in Scotland?
Maarten van Ham, Allan Findlay, David Manley, Peteke Feijten
Abstract; PDF

Labour Supply and Commuting
(forthcoming in: Journal of Urban Economics)
Eva Gutiérrez-i-Puigarnau, Jos van Ommeren
Abstract; PDF

Education and the Welfare Gains from Employment Protection
Olivier Charlot, Franck Malherbet
Abstract; PDF

The Credibility Revolution in Empirical Economics: How Better Research Design Is Taking the Con out of Econometrics
(forthcoming in: Journal of Economic Perspectives)
Joshua Angrist, Jörn-Steffen Pischke
Abstract; PDF