Voice for Liberty

22Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

State population estimates for 2020

Compared to the nation and surrounding states, Kansas is growing slowly. An interactive visualization. Each year the United States Census Bureau releases population estimates for the United States. Today, the Bureau released estimates for state populations as of July 1, 2020. I present this data, along with associated computations of my own, in an interactive visualization. The nearby example shows data for Kansas as of July 1, 2020. While Kansas is approaching three million in population, it will take many years to reach that benchmark. The estimated population of Kansas is 2,913,805 persons, growing by 1,170 persons (0.04 percent) from 2019. This rate of growth is slow, ranking number 33 among the states. The nearby chart of the rate of population growth in Kansas shows growth is fl...

20Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Newsletter

Newsletter for December 20, 2020

Click here to view the freshest edition of the newsletter from Voice For Liberty. This edition is dated December 20, 2020. Some headlines: * Kansas jobs, November 2020 * Real personal income in Wichita and other metropolitan areas * Downtown Wichita population for 2019 * Real gross domestic product by county * Small area income and poverty estimates * Wichita jobs and employment, October 2020 You can subscribe so that you receive each edition of this newsletter by email. Just click here. All you need to supply is your email address, and it's easy to unsubscribe. If you aren't getting the emails after you've subscribed, click here for suggestions on how to fix it.

18Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

Kansas jobs, November 2020

In Kansas for November 2020, the labor force grew while the number of people working fell, resulting in a rise in the unemployment rate. Data released today from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows a declining employment picture in Kansas for November 2020. (Click charts and tables for larger versions.) Using seasonally adjusted data, from October 2020 to November 2020, nonfarm employment in Kansas fell by 2,900 jobs (0.5 percent). Over the year, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs for November 2020 was lower by 58,300 (4.1 percent) over the same month last year. This is using seasonally adjusted data. The non-adjusted figure is 56,900 fewer jobs (4.0 percent). Over the year (November 2019 to November 2020), the Kansas labor force rose b...

Real personal income in Wichita and other metropolitan areas

15Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

Real personal income in Wichita and other metropolitan areas

When adjusted for regional differences, per capita personal income in Wichita is relatively high. In recent years growth in per capita and total personal income has been slow, but better in 2019. The Bureau of Economic Analysis, a division of the United States Department of Commerce, generates personal income data for the nation, the states, and metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs. Today BEA released data for 2019, and I present the metro data in an interactive visualization. When presenting economic data, the term "real" commonly means that dollar amounts have been adjusted for the effects of inflation. That is the case for this data. BEA goes further in also adjusting data for regional price parity and personal consumption expenditures price index. The difference when using values...

13Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Newsletter

Newsletter for December 13, 2020

Click here to view the freshest edition of the newsletter from Voice For Liberty. This edition is dated December 13, 2020. Some headlines: Downtown Wichita population for 2019 Real gross domestic product by county Small area income and poverty estimates Wichita jobs and employment, October 2020 You can subscribe so that you receive each edition of this newsletter by email. Just click here. All you need to supply is your email address, and it's easy to unsubscribe. If you aren't getting the emails after you've subscribed, click here for suggestions on how to fix it.

11Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

Real gross domestic product by county

Real GDP values by county, presented in an interactive visualization. This week the Bureau of Economic Analysis, an agency of the United States Department of Commerce, released gross domestic product figures by county for 2019. These values are real, that is, adjusted for inflation. According to BEA, "Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 2,484 counties, decreased in 612 counties, and was unchanged in 17 counties in 2019." A nearby example shows real GDP per capita for some large Kansas counties. The news release from BEA is here. To learn more about the data and use the interactive visualization, click here.

10Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Wichita city government

Downtown Wichita population is up

New Census Bureau data shows the downtown Wichita population growing in 2019. Data released today by the United States Census Bureau shows the estimated population for zip code 67202 in 2019 was 1,751, an increase of 80 from the prior year. Zip code 67202 is greater downtown Wichita, from the Arkansas River east to Washington, and Kellogg north to Central, roughly. The source of this data is U.S. Census Bureau, 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. This is not the Bureau's estimate of the population in 2019. This is because for areas of population less than 65,000, the Bureau does not provide one-year estimates. Instead, the five-year estimates use data gathered over a longer time period in order to provide greater accuracy. The Bureau cautions that the five-year estima...

9Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

Small area income and poverty estimates

An interactive visualization of household income and poverty data for states and counties, now with data through 2019. The United States Census Bureau gathers statistics in a program called Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, or SAIPE. This week the Bureau released figures for 2019. In the nearby example showing the poverty rate for Sedgwick County, Kansas, and the United States, we see that poverty rates have declined since the end of the Great Recession. We also see that the poverty rate for Sedgwick County and the nation trend closely, and both are higher than the statewide rate for Kansas. Of note: This data ends with the calendar year 2019, so the effects of the pandemic had not yet happened. This interactive visualization presents median household income and all-ages pover...

6Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Newsletter

Newsletter for December 6, 2020

Click here to view the freshest edition of the newsletter from Voice For Liberty. This edition is dated December 6, 2020. Some headlines: Wichita jobs and employment, October 2020 Kansas tax revenue, November 2020 Monthly state retail sales You can subscribe so that you receive each edition of this newsletter by email. Just click here. All you need to supply is your email address, and it's easy to unsubscribe. If you aren't getting the emails after you've subscribed, click here for suggestions on how to fix it.

5Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

Monthly state retail sales

Monthly retail sales by state and major retail sector, in an interactive visualization. The United States Census Bureau has released a new experimental data product reporting monthly retail sales at the state level for major retail sectors. I've gathered the data and created an interactive visualization. The data is supplied as percent change from the same month one year prior. It does not include non-store retailers. In the charts, you can easily observe the sharp drop in most retail sectors in the spring. In this example from chart 4, comparing Kansas to the nation, we can see that Kansas has fared better. To learn more about the data and access the interactive visualization, click here.

5Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

National employment, November 2020

An interactive visualization of national employment data, updated through November 2020. Data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows the national employment situation improving, but at a diminishing rate in recent months. BLS summarized the situation: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 245,000 in November, and the unemployment rate edged down to 6.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. These improvements in the labor market reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. However, the pace of improvement in the labor market has moderated in recent months. In November, notable job gains occurred ...

Wichita jobs and employment, October 2020

3Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

Wichita jobs and employment, October 2020

For the Wichita metropolitan area in October 2020, the number of unemployed persons is up, the unemployment rate is up, and the number of people working is down, all by large amounts, when compared to the same month one year ago. The recent trend, however, is positive. Data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows the effects of the response to the pandemic in the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area for October 2020. Click charts and tables for larger versions. Total nonfarm employment fell from 307,600 last October to 295,800 in October 2020, a loss of 11,800 jobs (3.8 percent). (This data is not seasonally adjusted, so month-to-month comparisons are not valid.) For the same period, employment in the nation fell by 6.0 p...

2Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Kansas state government

Kansas tax revenue, November 2020

For November 2020, total Kansas tax revenue was 4.3 percent greater than last November. Over the five months of the current fiscal year, tax revenue rose by 20.6 percent. Tax reports from the State of Kansas for November 2020 show tax revenues falling from the previous month, but higher than the same month last year, despite the effects of the response to the pandemic. When reporting on Kansas tax collections, the comparison is usually made to the estimated collections. Those estimates were revised in April based on economic conditions affected by the response to the pandemic. To get a feel for the effects of the response to the pandemic, it is best to compare to the same month the prior year. (The estimated revenue figures are still important because the state budget is based on them. ...

22Nov By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Newsletter

Newsletter for November 22, 2020

Click here to view the freshest edition of the newsletter from Voice For Liberty. This edition is dated November 22, 2020. Some headlines: Kansas jobs for October Presidential transition End this now. Nominate Sarah Lopez. You can subscribe so that you receive each edition of this newsletter by email. Just click here. All you need to supply is your email address, and it's easy to unsubscribe. If you aren't getting the emails after you've subscribed, click here for suggestions on how to fix it.

Proceed with the presidential transition

21Nov By Bob Weeks2 Comments

United States government

Proceed with the presidential transition

Further delay in starting the transition to the Biden administration harms Americans. Kansas Republican leaders, please get started. I sincerely hope that the Republican federal officeholders who represent me, or who will soon represent me and my state, recognize that the presidential election is over, that Joe Biden won, and they encourage and help with a peaceful and effective transition to the new presidential administration. While none of these leaders -- Senator Pat Roberts, Senator Jerry Moran, Representative Ron Estes, Representative Roger Marshall, Representative-elect Jake LaTurner, and Representative-elect Tracey Mann -- have the power to compel the transition to start, they can add their names to the small list of Republicans urging my president Donald J. Trump to get along wi...

Updated: Effects of pandemic on employment in states

21Nov By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

Updated: Effects of pandemic on employment in states

The effects of the response to the pandemic vary widely among the states. To learn more and explore the data, visit the interactive visualization at Visualization: Employment in the states. This data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor. Data is current through October 2020.

20Nov By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

Kansas jobs, October 2020

In Kansas for October 2020, the unemployment rate continued to fall, and both the labor force and the number of jobs rose. Data released today from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows an improving employment picture in Kansas for October 2020. (Click charts and tables for larger versions.) Using seasonally adjusted data, from September 2020 to October 2020, nonfarm employment in Kansas rose by 7,200 jobs (0.5 percent). Over the year, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs for October 2020 was lower by 53,000 (3.7 percent) over the same month last year. This is using seasonally adjusted data. The non-adjusted figure is 51,200 fewer jobs (3.6 percent). Over the year (October 2019 to October 2020), the Kansas labor force rose by 25,594 people ...

16Nov By Bob Weeks1 Comment

Sedgwick county government

End this now. Nominate Sarah Lopez.

Sedgwick County Republicans have a chance to do the decent thing and avoid the spectacle of a rump county commissioner. Rump: a small or inferior remnant or offshoot especially: a group (such as a parliament) carrying on in the name of the original body after the departure or expulsion of a large number of its members (from Oxford languages) Now that the vote canvass is complete in Sedgwick County, Sarah Lopez has won the seat for Sedgwick County Commissioner, District 2. The vote count is 17,041 for Lopez and 16,777 for the incumbent Michael O'Donnell, a margin of 264 votes. O'Donnell is within his rights to ask for (and pay for) a recount, but that is unlikely to change the outcome of the election based on recent experience. In the August 2018 primary election in a different commissi...

8Nov By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Newsletter

Newsletter for November 8, 2020

Click here to view the freshest edition of the newsletter from Voice For Liberty. This edition is dated November 8, 2020. Some headlines: Kansas tax revenue for October National employment Kansas and Wichita jobs Presidential approval You can subscribe so that you receive each edition of this newsletter by email. Just click here. All you need to supply is your email address, and it's easy to unsubscribe. If you aren't getting the emails after you've subscribed, click here for suggestions on how to fix it.

6Nov By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Economics

Updated: National employment

An interactive visualization of employment data, updated through October 2020. To learn more about the data and access the visualization, click here.