Lab Notes is our blog where we talk about the latest demographic, economic, social, and political trends—and whatever else is on our minds. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest and greatest Lab Notes delivered to your inbox. #LabNotes
Of all Rhode Island children enrolled in preschool, the percent in private settings dropped five percentage points between 2015 and 2016. Or did it? When a change is “statistically significant,” we can be reasonably confident that the change is real. We use statistics to help us understand an entire population from a sample. Think of a pot of chicken noodle soup. Assuming the pot is well-stirred, you can make a pretty good estimate based on one ladle of soup.
Read MoreFor Minnesota, 2016 brought greater gender parity in worker earnings than any other year this decade or the last. Among full-time, year-round workers, women earned 83 cents for every dollar earned by men (median earnings). This is a nickel more than the scenario in 2010.
Read MoreWe recently partnered with Minnesota Public Radio News to conduct the wide-ranging Ground Level Survey of Minnesotans. We asked a scientifically representative sample of 1,654 Minnesotans “When you think about Minnesota, are you generally hopeful or fearful about the future?” and here are five takeaways.
Read MoreThis September the U.S. Census Bureau announced that 40.6 million Americans officially live in poverty. In the same announcement the Bureau reported that 44.8 million Americans live in poverty. Huh? The difference lies in the way poverty is defined.
Read MoreWhether donning stethoscopes or steel-toed boots, the men and women of Minnesota are serious about working. Prior to age 60, Minnesota boasts a nation-leading labor force participation rate. But why are older Minnesotans entering full retirement more quickly than many older adults across the nation? One heartening theory: Minnesota’s older adults may be more economically secure, with more retirement savings, than late-career workers across much of the nation.
Read MoreWhy would a media company want to establish a research division? Not a market research division, mind you, but a unit dedicated to bringing the scientific method to better understanding the social and economic world around us?
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