As of September 2009, the income gap in the United States has continued to widen, hitting middle-income and poor families the most. The seemingly endless job layoffs are being tagged as the main culprit to the disparity between rich American families and their poorer counterparts.
The main source for this data is the United States Census Bureau. Since its existence in 1903, this government agency has been responsible for national demographicand other economic data. The Bureau of the Census is part of the Economics and Statistics Administration of the United States Department of Commerce. Every ten years, the Census Bureau conducts a full population count (for years ending in zero). Annually, they make population projections and estimates as well as surveys on different topics like income, employment, housing, health and crime, to name a few. These are known as demographic surveys. The statistics that the Census Bureau gathers is used by federal, state and national governments as well as business, news, non-governmental organizations and academia.
One of the most important annual reports is the one on income disparity in the United States. In September of 2009, The Census Bureau published its latest Income, Poverty & Health Insurance Coverage in the United States for 2008. Tables in this publication clearly show the income disproportion and poverty gap between different income population groups in the US. The data is broken down by:
- Type of household – family households and non-family households;
- Race or Hispanic Origin of householder – White, Black, Asian, Hispanic;
- Age of householder – starting from 15 years old till over 65 years of age;
- Nativity of householder – native born or foreign born;
- Region – Northeast, Midwest, South, West;
- Metropolitan status; and:
- Earnings of full-time, year round workers broken down by gender.
The published report shows the real median household income (in dollars) for 2008 and 2007, including the percentage change between the two. The conclusion is clear: the economic gap has increased in the different population groups. Real median income has decreased by 3.6%.7 from $52,163 (2007) to $50,303 (2008).
Apart from statistical information, there are income graphs which visually depict the different types of data that were gathered. Line graphs on Earning Ratios and Poverty Rates show a comparison between certain years roughly beginning in 1959 and ending in 2008. Equally important to note are the data and graphs (line and bar graphs) pertaining to health coverage. The Appendices contain statistics and information on how the bureau came up with the report.
The detailed data, historical tables, unpublished data as well as press releases can all be found in the website of the Census Bureau.
Whether you are looking for statistics on population, income gap, economic or social data the source of all these information is the Bureau of Census. The government, industry leaders, educational institutions as well as news organizations and other organizations rely heavily on the accurate data gathering and analytical techniques used by this government agency. Private citizens can use the data provided by the Census Bureau to get a better picture of the economic and social disparities in America.
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