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Between 2006 and 2011, growth in the U.S. population of children ages 0 to 17 was entirely due to growth in the number of children born to at least one immigrant parent. Over these 5 years, the population of children of immigrants grew 1.5 million, from 15.7 to 17.2 million. Nationally, the population of children of native-born parents fell slightly over this time period, from 55.6 to 55.0 million. In North Carolina, these trends are…
“One of the defining features of the Great Recession and not-so-great recovery has been the surge in long-term unemployment… Analysts have advanced several explanations for the persistence of long-term unemployment: an unintended consequence of extending jobless benefits; a mismatch between the skills unemployed workers have and what employers want; a breakdown in the efficiency of labor markets; or simply bad timing. Whatever the reason, it’s a major concern for policymakers, who fear that many of the long-term unemployed may never find their way back into…
On Monday, we took a county-by-county look at high school graduates' most likely college destination among North Carolina's 5 largest public universities. The map was East Carolina purple for 40 eastern counties, Appalachian State gold to the west, UNC-Charlotte green in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, and NC State red in the piedmont (and a few counties to the east and west, as well). Because UNC-Chapel Hill pulls broadly from all counties but has a smaller…
Update: Examine attendance at all UNC system schools here. With May 1 fast approaching, college-bound high school seniors are facing decisions about where they will be this fall. Within North Carolina, they are choosing between many universities. Focusing on the five largest universities in the University of North Carolina school system—Appalachian State, East Carolina, NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, and UNC Charlotte—here’s a look at the school each county’s high school graduates is most likely…
"Transportation for America's recent report, "Aging in Place: Stuck Without Options," shows that as we grow too old to drive safely, alternative transportation options are a necessity but often hard to find. Based on recent surveys, 88 percent of older adults continue to drive at age 65, but that percentage drops to 69 percent by age 75. This means that by age 75, 31 percent of seniors must seek alternative ways to get around. ...the not-so-distant future also includes…
Statewide, the educational attainment of North Carolina’s adult population is similar to national patterns. Among North Carolina residents 25 and older: 17.8% have a bachelor’s degree 6.4% have a master’s degree 1.5% have a professional degree (e.g., MD or JD) 1.1% have a doctorate degree Within the state, North Carolina’s metropolitan areas have much higher concentrations of highly educated individuals. For example, 48% of adults in Wake and 40% of adults in Mecklenburg have a bachelor’s…
North Carolina is an attractive state for individuals of all ages. Our state’s colleges and universities and military bases draw young adults. Job opportunities in both lower-skill and high-tech industries bring more individuals to the state. And, when individuals are done working, they are increasingly choosing North Carolina as a place to retire. These factors, combined with the nationwide increase in international migration from 1990-2010, pulled many individuals to the state. Today, nearly half of…
“Poverty is a thief,” said Michael Reisch, a professor of social justice at the University of Maryland, testifying before a Senate panel on the issue. “Poverty not only diminishes a person’s life chances, it steals years from one’s life.” –from The New York Times Statewide life expectancy at birth is 78.2 years. Swain County has the lowest life expectancy (72.2) while Watauga has the highest (81.5), with Wake and Chatham close behind (81.3 years). On…
North Carolina is a sticky state; only Texas is stickier. (And I’m not talking about humidity.) “Sticky” states have a high percentage of adults who were born in the state still living there. Just as migration patterns highlight the relative appeal of a location—individuals tend to move to areas with greater opportunities and away from those without them—“stickiness” may be another gauge of an area’s attractiveness. The same educational and employment opportunities that bring people…
We are excited to announce NC in Focus, a new blog series that will appear on Thursdays. These posts will highlight North Carolina data in relation to current discussions about population trends at the national level. NC in Focus will consist primarily of a graph or chart with one or two sentences of explanation and links to the original articles that inspired our look into NC data. Nationally, teen births have fallen 52% from their…
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