PRB Report Examines U.S. Economic and Social Trends Since 2000

WASHINGTON, March 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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.

The authors look beyond employment and income and examine other important aspects of people's lives–educational attainment, homeownership, commuting, marriage, fertility, and migration trends.

The report highlights the persistent racial gap in higher education enrollment and completion, even though more young adults are in college and graduate school now than ever before. The divergence is all the more significant since blacks and Hispanics are projected to make up 43 percent of all youth in the United States by 2030. "If current racial and ethnic gaps in school enrollment and completion persist, then the United States may not have a workforce with the knowledge and skills needed for future economic success," says Linda A. Jacobsen, vice president of Domestic Programs at PRB. Jacobsen's co-author, Mark Mather, is associate vice president of Domestic Programs at PRB.

Major findings include:

• Job losses and housing market declines have disproportionately affected blacks and Latinos. Latinos have been especially vulnerable because of their concentrations in California, Florida, and several other states with steep declines in home values and high rates of foreclosure.
• There is a growing poverty gap between children and the elderly. Social Security benefits have kept most older Americans above the official poverty line, while families with children have not fared as well. However, the number of children without health insurance dropped sharply from 2007 to 2008, from 8.1 million to 7.3 million.
• Fewer people are moving, but some parts of the country continue to experience high levels of out-migration.
• Fertility rates have declined during past economic downturns, and the current recession is expected to have a similar impact on birth rates in 2008 and 2009.

PRB has published additional material to accompany the Bulletin, including:

• "10 Years, 10 Key Findings About U.S. Population."
• Audio commentary from the authors on data on unemployment, housing values, educational attainment, and marriage patterns by race/ethnicity.
• "Hard Times for Latino Men in U.S.," by Mark Mather, shows that Latino men may be feeling the effects of the recession more than other demographic groups.

All materials are available at www.prb.org/Publications/PopulationBulletins/2010/useconomicsocialtrends.aspx

The Population Reference Bureau informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and future generations.

SOURCE Population Reference Bureau