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STATUS OF CALIFORNIA IN THE AMERICAN ECONOMY.
Term Paper ID:30503
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Considers whether Californians are better off than the rest of the nation.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Considers whether Californians are better off than the rest of the natioin. Discusses several factors to determine answer. Crime in California. Air pollution problem. Marriage and divorce rates. Health outlook including birth rate. Unemployment rate. Creation of new jobs. Poverty rates and high income leval. Inflation. Housing costs. 1 Table.
Paper Introduction:
The average American is interested in the state of the national economy, crime and pollution in that these are regularly reported in the news and may even provide a barometer for the nation’s performance. But the average American is far more interested in local issues since those are the statistics that have a real-world impact on his or her life. This research examines ten such issues and considers whether Californians are better off than the rest of the country as a whole.
The National Economy
One of the most common statistics used to measure the economy is the real gross domestic product (real GDP). The following chart illustrates that the national real GDP has been increasing over the past six quarters, which means that the American economy is producing more goods and services in each succe
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Births/Natality. (2 ). (2 1, September 5). Despite the higher unemployment rate in California, new jobs are beingcreated in the state. This means that in August 2 1, it cost $172.8 to purchase goods andservices that required only $1 to purchase in 1982 to 1984. In LosAngeles, Riverside and Orange Counties (combined), the CPI stood at 172.2 . During 1998,California had a total of 521,661 births, or more than 1 percent of thenation's total (California Health Facts, 2 1, p. Department ofLabor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1). Thisresearch examines ten such issues and considers whether Californians arebetter off than the rest of the country as a whole. 1, 2), meaning that it is in themiddle of the nation's states in terms of insurance costs. Consumer Price Indexes: Pacific Cities and U.S. During August 2 1, nonfarm employment increased bymore than 194, jobs (compared to more than 228, in Florida and2 2, in Texas). A studyconducted by Progressive Auto Insurance indicates that there can be asignificant difference in rates within California for the same coverage.Depending on the carrier, rates can vary as much as $616 in Los Angeles,and $514 in San Francisco ("Insurance Basics," 2 , p. Metropolitan Area Prices. 25), indicating that Californians are havingmore children than the rest of the nation as a whole. 2). However, while the crime index increasedin the West, murder fell by 3.9 percent while it increased by 1.3 percentin the Northeast. Internet address:http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe/stcty/a98_ .htm. (2 1, July 1 ). (2 1,October). In 1994, it was estimated thatCalifornia had a divorce rate of 4.3 percent, which was below the then-national average of 4.6 percent (State-by-State, 1995, p. (2 1, August 2). Local Area Unemployment Statistics. percent for 2 (Latest Numbers, 2 1, p. It is definitely more expensive tobuy a house in California, and particularly Southern California, than inthe nation as a whole. (2 1, October). Internet address: http://www.divorcereform.org/94staterates.html. Arlington, VA: Americans forDivorce Reform. Crime Index Trends. However, there is a high percentage of mothers(82.4 percent) who receive prenatal care during their first trimester,which contributes to the relatively low percentage (6.2 percent) of birthswith low birthweights. (2 ).Insure.com. 1): [pic] Although real GPD is increasing (although the rate of increase isslowing), the national unemployment picture is not as optimistic.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), unemployment reached the4.9 percent level in September 2 1, compared to an annual rate of 4. 1). Washington, DC: U.S. 8). Those in the Northeast (including New York) saw anoverall decrease in violent crime of 2.4 percent and a decline of 1.1percent was seen in the Midwest. Washington, DC: U.S. 2). Internet address:http://www.go2pivot.com/insurance-basics/articles.asp?ArticleNo=12. Thiscompares to 14.9 percent for Arizona, 19. The metropolitan area of San Jose led both the state and the nation inincome in 1999 with an average pay level of $61,117. Monthly Vital Statistics Report. The median price for a homein the Orange County metropolitan area was $352,7 in the second quarterof 2 1, and $234,4 in Los Angeles. State Estimates for People of All Ages in Poverty for US: 1998.(2 1, August). Ventura County(which is still considered part of Southern California but which is locatedwell north of Los Angeles proper) is unhealthful with regard to ozone (inthe severe range). Progressive Insurance. Internet address:http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost. 8), so it is difficult todetermine how Californians are faring with regard to marriage. 1). 1). Not all states had gains in employment during August:Mississippi, Missouri and Oregon each saw declines in the number of jobsavailable in excess of 1.5 percent (Regional and State, 2 1, p. This 4.9 percent level (thesame level was reached in August 2 1) is the highest unemployment figuresince 1997 (Labor Force Statistics, 2 1, p. Orange County had an average income of $37,452,ranking it 25th in the nation. 1), which was slightly above thenational average. Los Angeles County is in violation of safe levels with regard tocarbon monoxide (which is at serious levels), ozone (at extreme levels) andPM-1 (also at serious levels). 1). Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary. In the West (including California), the crime indexincreased by 1.1 percent, indicating that Westerners saw greater crime thanother Americans. In the Southern California region, the Los Angeles metropolitan area(including Long Beach) had an average income of $37,788 in 1999, ranking it24th in the nation. California's workers are primarily employed in private industry (84percent) where the average pay was $37,31 compared to $33,244 for thenation. City Average. The answer is a definite "Maybe." References August Housing Affordability Index. 1). Themajority of California's private industry workers are employed in services(35.5 percent), retail trade (19.5 percent) or manufacturing (15.7percent). Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency.Internet address: http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/greenbk/ancl.html#CALIFORNIA. Crime in California The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) technique used by the Federal Bureauof Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies to collect crimestatistics has developed the Crime Index as a way to compare criminalactivity across the country and over time. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.Internet address: http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/dn/nipaweb/TableViewFixed.asp#Mid. Live births, birth rates, and fertility rates, by race.(2 1, April 17). San Diego County, located south of Orange County, hasozone levels in the serious range (Currently Designated, 2 1). 1). State-by-State Divorce Rates. In San Bernardino County, located to the eastof Los Angeles County, ozone levels are in the severe range while PM-1 levels are in the moderate (but still unhealthful) range. Thus, while more violent crime was being committed inthe West from 1999 to 2 , fewer murders were being committed therecompared to the Northeast (Crime Index Trends, 2 1, p. California also had a teenage birth rate of 11.4 percent, which makesit difficult for these young women to support their families. Aside from the actual number of jobs available, it is also importantto note how Californians fare in terms of benefits provided by employers.During 1993 (the latest year for which figures are available), 47 percentof California companies offered health insurance to their employees. Although manufacturing had a higher-than-state-average income of$49,672 in 1999, services was slightly below the state average at $35,885and retail trade was the lowest paying industry in the state at $2 ,4 3(Average Annual, 2 1, p. Hyattsville, MD: National Centerfor Health Statistics. Adjacent Orange County is in violationwith carbon monoxide (at serious levels), ozone (at extreme levels) and PM-1 (also at serious levels). Internet address:http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/californ.htm. Butthe average American is far more interested in local issues since those arethe statistics that have a real-world impact on his or her life. 1). Housing prices are also high, which makes findinghousing difficult for those employed in the retail sector. Average Annual Pay in California, 1999. Best and worst states for auto insurance premiums. Currently Designated Nonattainment Areas for All Criteria Polluntants. Property crimes did not increase or decreasefrom 1999 to 2 . Since people areunlikely to have children if they do not feel secure in their futures(given the choice), it is likely that at least during 1998, Californianshad relatively positive outlooks for their futures. Departmentof Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Based onthese statistics, it is possible to assert that California does not have ashigh a divorce rate as some other states (Nevada had a divorce rate of ninepercent in 1994), but rather that the state tends toward the nationalaverage. Department of Labor, Bureau of LaborStatistics. 12). Internet address: http://data.bls.gov/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?series_id=LFS21 . (2 1, May 31). The crime index includesmurder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theftand motor vehicle theft. This represents an inflation rate of 3.6 percent over the previous 12months, which compares to 2.7 percent for the nation as a whole. InAugust, the median price for an existing single family home was $2 1,8 inthe West, compared to $154,7 for the nation as a whole, and $134,9 inthe Midwest. San Francisco was thesecond-highest paying area in California (at $5 ,119) and ranked third inthe nation. Internet address:http://www.onerealtorplace.com/Research.nsf/files/ 1q2m1q.gif/$FILE/ 1q2m1q.gif. This compares unfavorably with the Midwest (at 162.7) and even theSouth (at 133.7) (August Housing, 2 1, p. Washington, DC: U.S. Table 1.2: Real Domestic Gross Product. Jobs in California In August 2 1, the unemployment rate in California was 5.2 percent(Local Area Unemployment, 2 1, p. Atotal of 62.7 percent of employees were eligible to enroll in the healthplans offered by employers, and approximately 54.4 percent of privatesector employees were actually enrolled in these health plans (CaliforniaHealth Facts, 2 1, p. However,the state does report its marriage statistics, and the institution ofmarriage is still popular in the state. Internet address:http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pdf/nvs49_1t1.pdf. For many years, California weathered downturns in thenational economy better than the nation as a whole due to the large numbersof defense and aerospace companies located in the state. The CPI for the United States in August 2 1 was 172.8(using the period 1982-1984 as a base) (Consumer Price Indexes, 2 1, p.1). percent for New Mexico, and 15.6percent for Texas (the other states that border Mexico). Insurance basics. NationalAssociation of Realtors. Families/Divorce Rates in California California does not report its divorce statistics to the federalgovernment ("Births, Marriages," 1998, p. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2 1). All industry sectors in California saw an increase in wages from1998 to 1999, although only a small increase was realized in the retailtrade (where a number of workers are employed only part-time). However, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners(NAIC) has compiled information about the five best and five worst statesin which to obtain auto insurance, and California does not rank among theseten states ("Best and Worst," 2 , pp. Conclusion Whether Californians are better off in today's economic climate thanother Americans depends a great deal on their personal situation.California is a very diverse state, with both a higher poverty level and ahigh income level. It wasmore expensive to live in Northern California than in Southern Californiawhere the CPI stood at 175.9 for the Western region as a whole, and 181.7for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area. Thus, airpollution continues to be a serious problem for residents of SouthernCalifornia relative both to other counties in the state and the nation as awhole. California Health Facts. But inflation is generally keeping pace with the rest of thenation, so Californians are able to spend in line with other Americans.Are Californians better off? In 1997, more than 237, marriages were recorded in the state, up from 219, in 1996 and 199, in 1995 ("Births, Marriages," 1998, p. An index of 1 indicates that the incomeis just sufficient, while an index of 12 indicates that the household has12 percent of the income necessary. (2 1, September 28).Washington, DC: U.S. Washington, DC: U.S.Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2 1, September). San Diego's income was $34,269 (41st in thenation), Ventura's income was $33,978 (44th in the nation) and SanBernardino's income was $28,34 (157th in the nation) (Average Annual,2 1, p. Internet address:http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/mvsr/mv46_12.pdf. The nation's HAI stood at 134.1 inAugust 2 1, while the HAI for the West stood at 1 2.1 (meaning that on thewhole, incomes in the West were barely sufficient to qualify for a homeloan). Department of Labor, Bureau of LaborStatistics. Certainly otherfactors contribute to the poverty rate in California, including the largenumber of low-wage jobs that the state has, and other states have higherpoverty levels (the highest level in 1998 was in New Mexico, although boththe District of Columbia and Louisiana both had rates in excess of 18percent) (State Estimates, 2 1, pp. Internet address:http://www.bls.gov/cps/home.htm. S. Income in California Although California has a higher poverty rate than the nation as awhole, it also has a higher income level (yet another indication of thestate's diversity). (2 1,September). Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey. Washington, DC: U. In 2 (the most recent year for which figuresare available), violent crime increased by a small ( .1 percent) amountacross the nation as a whole. Pollution in California Although there are many types of pollution, California, andparticularly Southern California, is associated with air pollution.Indeed, the term "smog" was invented to describe the combination of smokeand fog that often blankets the Los Angeles basin. California also has an infant morality rate of 5.8per 1, births (California Health Facts, 2 1, p. Washington,DC: U.S. 1, 2). This metropolitan area had aninflation rate of 5.1 percent over the previous 12 months, which issignificantly higher than that in Southern California (Consumer PriceIndexes, 2 1, p. Department of Labor, Bureau of LaborStatistics. General Health in California In 1998 (the latest year for which final figures are available),California had a birth rate of 16 births per 1, population (CaliforniaHealth Facts, 2 1, p. (1998, July 28).Monthly Vital Statistics Report. 1). In 1998, the latestyear for which figures are available, the national poverty rate stood at12.7 percent, while California's poverty rate was at 14.9 percent. (1995). Internet address:http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr .htm. Crime hasincreased in the state more than in other regions, but murder has actuallydeclined. 2). (2 1,September 21). In 1999 (the latest year for which figures areavailable), California's average income was $37,577 compared to $33,34 forthe nation as a whole and $36,518 for the Pacific region (Average Annual,2 1, p. Internet address: http://www.bls.gov/ro9/Aug2 1.pdf. The National Economy One of the most common statistics used to measure the economy is thereal gross domestic product (real GDP). Housing Costs in California According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), housing costsin the West are considerably higher than elsewhere in the nation. 1). The Visalia-Tulare-Porterville area had the lowest annual payin the state among metropolitan areas (at $22,7 1) and ranked 3 8th in thenation overall (Average Annual, 2 1, p. There isalso a high (32.8) percentage of births to unmarried mothers in California;this, coupled with the number of teenage mothers suggests that youngchildren living in California may be at higher risk than elsewhere in theUnited States as a whole. Table 1. Washington, DC: U.S. Poverty Rates in California Given California's diverse geography, large population and itslocation as a border state with Mexico, it is not surprising that the statehas a poverty rate that is higher than the national average (as a borderstate, California receives a large number of immigrants-both legal andillegal-who work at low wage jobs within the state). The Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) has developed a list of those states and counties that are notin compliance with regard to regulations regarding safe air pollutantlevels, and both California as a whole and Southern California inparticular continue to struggle with pollution. Unfortunately for itsresidents, Southern California continues to have poor air quality, despitestrides that it has made in recent years. The average American is interested in the state of the nationaleconomy, crime and pollution in that these are regularly reported in thenews and may even provide a barometer for the nation's performance. 2). 1). Census Bureau. (2 1, September). Internetaddress: http://www.bls.gov/ro9/ro9news.htm. 1). This compares to a national figure of 14.6 per1, ("Table 1," 2 1, p. Hyattsville, MD:National Center for Health Statistics. National Association ofRealtors. Internet address:http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel 1/ucrprelim2 .htm. The following chart illustratesthat the national real GDP has been increasing over the past six quarters,which means that the American economy is producing more goods and servicesin each successive quarter; the data presented in this graph is compiled bythe federal government (Table 1.2, 2 1, p. Births, marriages, divorces and deaths for 1997. Internet address: http://www.insure.com/auto/rates.html. Thus, those Californians living in metropolitan areasgenerally were doing better than those living elsewhere during 1999. Internet address:http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/births.htm. However,aerospace has been hit hard during the 199 s and the early part of thecurrent decade, and companies associated with the so-called "new" economyhave located in other areas (including the state of Washington). Inflation in California The Consumer Price Index (CPI) provides a standard way of comparingthe price of goods and services from one period to another, and from oneregion to another. 1; Births/Natality, 2 1,p. Latest Numbers. (2 1, May 21). The median price in San Diego was$298,3 , while the San Bernardino area had a median price of only $157,5 (Metropolitan Area Prices, 2 1, p. Thus,although California has a higher unemployment rate than the nation as awhole, it continues to be able to create new jobs, offering a slightlypositive outlook for its residents. Auto Insurance Costs in California Due to the nature of automobile insurance-it varies based on the ageof the driver, the car being insured and other such variables-it isdifficult to compare rates from one state to another, or even one region toanother. The NAR has developed the Housing Affordability Index (HAI),which indicates whether the median income is sufficient for buyers toqualify for a conventional loan. Washington, DC: U.S. Internet address:http://www.onerealtorplace.com/Research.nsf/files/ 1 8hai.gif/$FILE/ 1 8hai.gif.
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