PRB Discuss Online: What Are the Financial Implications of Aging in the United States?
The U.S. population is aging. The ratio of elderly to the working-age population in the United States will roughly double over the next few decades, straining the finances of the U.S. Social Security system and other government programs. Ron Lee, professor of demography and economics at the University of California-Berkeley, answered participants questions on this topic. Read a transcript of the questions and answers. (November 2008)

PRB Discuss Online: Growing Up in North America: How Are Children Faring Economically?
Globalization helped increase incomes in Canada, the United States, and Mexico for more than 10 years, but left many children vulnerable economically. While they differ substantially on many economic indicators, the 120 million children living in North America face surprisingly similar problems, including comparatively high rates of child poverty, particularly among indigenous communities and racial or ethnic minorities, and increasing income inequality. Katherine Scott, vice president of research, Canadian Council on Social Development; Mark Mather, associate vice president of Domestic Programs, Population Reference Bureau; and Nashieli Ramirez Hernandez, president of Consejo Directivo/Children’s Rights Network in Mexico answered participants' questions on this topic. Read a transcript of the questions and answers. (October 2008)

Finding and Using the Best Immigration Data Resources
Immigration is a polarizing topic in the United States, with people sharply divided about whether it is a positive or negative force for the country. Underlying these strong opinions are assumptions about the number and characteristics of foreigners living in the United States. What are the data behind these assumptions and how credible is the information? On Oct. 16, 2008, the Migration Policy Institute and Population Reference Bureau  held a seminar on how to find and use the most accurate and accessible data on immigration. View a webcast of the seminar. (October 2008)

Swing, Bellwether, and Red and Blue States: Demographics and the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election
While historical trends are useful in analyzing the outcome of the upcoming election, news reports and state polls in recent weeks have suggested that changes might be in play for 2008. Several states that have been reliably Republican over the past 20 to 40 years are considered swing (or "battleground") states this time around. Three post-2000 demographic trends emerge when examining these new swing states: each state has a higher voting-age population (VAP) growth rate than the national average; the Hispanic rate of growth in voting population has been especially high;  and much of the growth has occurred among minority groups and in suburban, exurban, and urban areas. (October 2008)

New Report Reveals Growing Inequality and Economic Hardships for Children in North America
Globalization has contributed to rising incomes in Canada, the United States, and Mexico but has not improved economic security for vulnerable children across the three countries, according to a new report, Growing Up in North America: The Economic Well-Being of Children in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. (October 2008)

Offshoring U.S. Labor Increasing
Offshoring is the movement of jobs and tasks from one country to another, usually from high-cost countries, such as the United States, to low-cost countries where wages are significantly lower. Offshoring is often confused with outsourcing, which is instead the movement of jobs and tasks from within a company to a supplier firm. The offshoring of manufacturing jobs has been occurring for decades, but the offshoring of services jobs is an incipient phenomenon, emerging in substantial numbers since 2002 and growing rapidly. (October 2008)

Most U.S. Workers Still Driving Alone
With gas prices soaring, there are reports of more Americans using carpools, public transportation, bikes, and running shoes to make their daily commutes. But new estimates from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey show that these reports may be overstating the trend; in 2007, the share of people driving alone to work (76 percent) was unchanged from 2000, when gas cost around $1.50 per gallon. And for some minority groups, the share of drivers has increased over the decade. (September 2008)

A Demographic Profile of U.S. Workers Around the Clock
The nature of work continues to change dramatically with the extension of work operations around the clock being one of the most striking alterations. Approximately two in every five workers in the United States work mostly during nonstandard times—evenings, nights, rotating shifts, or weekends. Jobs where employees typically work outside of the traditional work shift are among occupations with the largest projected growth in the next decade. (September 2008)

Tracking Trends in Low Fertility Countries: An Uptick in Europe?
PRB has made a major update to its table of total fertility rates (TFRs) in countries with low or very low fertility rates. The newest tabulations suggest that fertility may be rising in some countries. We will have to wait to find out if this signals a more general trend. (September 2008)

The 'Lucky Few' Reveal the Lifelong Impact of Generation
The often-overlooked generation of the "Lucky Few," those born from 1929 to 1945, exemplifies the connections between generation size and relationships to previous generations. Elwood Carlson, Florida State University professor in sociology of population and author of The Lucky Few: Between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boom, spoke at the Population Reference Bureau's monthly policy seminar on Sept. 10. (September 2008)