USA Today's Paul Overberg presents "Breaking Local Stories with Census Data," part of the free business journalism workshop, "Breaking Local Stories with Economic Data," hosted by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.
This presentation focuses on the Texas region, however the tools and resources provided can be applied anywhere in the United States.
For more information about free training for business journalists, please visit businessjournalism.org.
2. Overberg
Paul
Paul Overberg, a database editor at USA TODAY,
finds news in all kinds of data. He focuses on who the
American people are and how they live -- their
demographics.That includes income in all forms; their
lack of income, or poverty; and their jobs, the primary
source of income for most people.
Through IRE/NICAR, he often helps local reporters
learn about this kind of data. He also has worked as a
science and health editor and as a local reporter and
business editor. poverberg@usatoday.com
@poverberg
3. Where we’re headed
Real news stories
using Census data on:
• Establishments
• Number of employees
• Size of payroll
• Breakdowns by industry, size and
age of establishment
• Worker demographics
• How to find each type of data
• How to turn data → stories!
Photo by Flickr user Rosipaw
4. Firms with no
employees
“There are more than 21 million
businesses ...with no employees,
according to the U.S. Census Bureau
drawing on IRS data. In Orange
County, the number is around
250,000. ...” -- Jan Norman, Orange
County Register, March 12, 2012
h"p://www.ocregister.com/ar2cles/
one-‐342923-‐businesses-‐million.html
5. Firms with no employees
census.gov/econ/nonemployer
• Use highlighted metro
dropdown menu to choose
“San Antonio-New Braunfels”
Start here: census.gov/econ/nonemployer
6. Firms with no employees
Drill for detail or
compare to other areas.
• Data from IRS (tax
returns)
• Counting difficulties!
7. Firms with no employees
• Best used for trends
• Note recent trends
Change in small San Antonio firms, by industry, 2006-10
Mining
Hotel/food service
TOTAL
Utilities
Transportation
Wholesale
Finance
Retail Construction
Construction
Manufacturing
Arts, entertainment
Health care
Real estate
Administration
Education
-30%
-20%
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
-20% 0% 20% 40%
Change in firms
Changeinreceipts
8. Video: Finding Economic Census data
How to find detailed
Economic Census
data in American
FactFinder
• Look up data from
2002 and 2007.
• Think about 2012
data coming later this
year and next.
Review the video at:
h"p://bit.ly/econdata13
9. Economic Census• 2012 Economic Census under way
• Most local data coming in 2014
• Good for long trends
• Good for small areas
10. Economic Census
“... Somerville’s stores
dominated Somerset County
retailing before slipping badly
in the 1974-75 recession. ...
Bellomo said ... stores cannot
match burgeoning commercial
strips in Hillsborough, Green
Brook and North Plainfield.”
-- The (Bridgewater, N.J.)
Courier-News, March 12, 1981
11. Economic Census
Basics:
• Number of establishments
• Sales
• Annual payroll, Q1 payroll
• Paid employees
Keep in mind:
• Where people work, not
where they live
• Establishments, not firms
Photo by Flickr user rutlo
12. County Business Patterns
“...There were 198 funeral homes
in Maryland in 2010 ... 18 fewer
homes than ... in 2002.”
-- Jack Lambert, Aug. 3, 2012,
Baltimore Business Journal
h"p://www.bizjournals.com/bal2more/
print-‐edi2on/2012/08/03/
fewer-‐deaths-‐put-‐damper-‐on-‐
smaller.html?page=all
14. Video: Gauging local industrial diversity
How County Business
Patterns data can help
you gauge diversity --
and health -- of local
industries
Review the video at:
h"p://bit.ly/econdata13
15. Quarterly Workforce Indicators
“A study released this
week by the Ewing
Marion Kauffman
Foundation found ... the
job creation and hiring
rate in firms less than 2
years old has outpaced
that of more established
firms since 2008. ...” --
Diane Stafford, Nov. 30,
2012, Kansas City Star
h"p://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/30/3940317/kauffman-‐report-‐startups-‐lead.html
18. Local building permits
“...The Elkhart housing
market hit a trough in building
permits at the end of April
2009, and the South Bend
housing market hit that trough
at the end of November
2011. ...”
-- Justin Leighty,The Elkhart
Truth, Feb. 8, 2013
h"p://www.elkhar"ruth.com/ar2cle/20130207/NEWS01/702089993
19. Local building permits
Start here:
census.gov/construction/bps
• Click either highlighted link.
• Make dropdown selections.
21. Local building permits
• "Metro" option opens
text file to use in
spreadsheet.
• Note link structure for
March 2013:
census.gov/
construction/bps/txt/
tb3u201303.txt
census.gov/construction/bps/txt/tb3u201303.txt
22. Questions?
Thanks for coming!
Paul Overberg
USA TODAY
poverberg@usatoday
Twitter: @poverberg
http:/bit.ly/econdata13
for workshop slides, videos, handouts
Photo by Flickr user Xurble