While the unemployment rate edged down to 10.0 percent in November, and nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged (-11,000). These national data mask the fact that the employment situation is very uneven by county/region and that most counties in distress continue to experience challenging conditions.

See the new October 2009 employment and unemployment estimates (released 12/2/09) in the interactive ranking table at http://proximityone.com/county_employment.htm. Thematic maps shown on that page are also presented in the Applications Gallery.

While the U.S. lost 4.9 million jobs between 2008Q1 to 2009Q1, many sectors in many counties continue to grow.  Use the interactive ranking table at http://proximityone.com/macroview.htm to examine patterns in counties, regions and states of interest to you.  The interactive ranking table presents data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics quarterly census of employment and wages. Proximity integrates quarter to quarter data into a time-series structure and augments these data with related data to enable situation and outlook analyses for counties, metros and regions.

New estimates of total population, K-12 school age population and school age population in poverty for 2007 and 2008 are available in the interactive ranking table at http://proximityone.com/k12trends.htm.  Proximity integrates these data with other data to facilitate related analyses and to develop more current estimates and projections of school district demographics and alternative measures.

December Web Sessions

December 3, 2009; 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern Time; Topics include:

Analyzing Metropolitan Area Economic-Demographic Patterns

... Analyzing metropolitan area economic-demographic patterns in context of metropolitan areas

December 10, 2009; 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern Time; Topics include:

Analyzing Census Tract Demographics

... Analyzing census tract demographics

... Examining community and neighborhood patterns. See related http://proximityone.com/tracts/guide

December 17, 2009; 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern Time; Topics include:

Children's Demographics & School/School District Pattern Analysis

... Children's demographics:  general topics plus using the ACS 05-07 special tabulation

... School/School District pattern analysis

Using new/updated sources and uses of funds data, school/school district administratively reported data,

and latest geocoded school shapefiles and school district boundary shapefiles

Register here: http://proximityone.com/webmeetings.htm

See related CV GIS & GeoDemographics webinars, in the CommunityViewer GIS Updates section, designed specifically for CommunityViewer GIS users.

CommunityViewer Updates ...

1 -- The latest version of CommunityViewer GIS provides a new feature useful for developing dataset documentation/metadata for publication and reference.  With CV running, click the Layout button using the Database>dBCreate form to generate an HTML file describing each field in the open dataset.  Use an optional associated field description file to automatically extend descriptive narrative for each field.  See the County Trends Dataset (CTD1 Data Fields) to view an example.  The HTML table showing field descriptions was generated using the dBCreate>Layout operation.  The HTML table was then simply pasted into the Web page file.

2 -- The new Guide to Site Analysis (http://proximityone.com/siteanalysis/guide/) provide examples of using the CV Site Analysis operations.

3 -- Join us in the computer hands-on workshop in San Diego, February 25, 2010: Analyzing GeoDemographic-Economic Characteristics and Trends. More information.

4 -- December Web Sessions for CommunityViewer GIS Users

CV Weekly Web Sessions are held most Tuesdays.  See http://proximityone.com/cv/guide/index.html?news.htm#cvwebinars for session schedule/description and registration details.

12.01.09 -- Using File>Project Editor, Project File Structure, File>Copy & Insert

Application: Modifying/Extending the U.S. by County base project

12.08.09 -- Using File>GeoGateway,

Application: Building a County focused project; downloading/using selected shapefiles

-- building a county focused GIS project

 > adding city/place boundaries, census tracts, water features, roads

 > using no-cost shapefiles

-- creating alternative map views

12.15.09 -- Using Database>dBCreate, Database>dBrowser

Application: Creating & modifying U.S. by county demographic database

-- using U.S. by county Census downloadable population estimates file

-- creating dbase file using dBCreate

-- using dBrowser to sort, filter, analyze, export data from database file created

12.22.09 -- Using Database>dBMerge

-- merging/integrating multi-sourced data

12.29.09 -- Using Tools>Find Address, Tools>Find Address (Batch)

-- easy to use address geocoding and point shapefile development and use

The new Site Analysis with CommunityViewer (CV) GIS (http://proximityone.com/siteanalysis/guide/) provides examples of using CV Site Analysis for a range of applications. The example in this section shows how site analysis can be used to analyze address-oriented data and service areas.

A new document/Web section provides the current/latest metropolitan statistical area designations.  See the Metro Geographic Designations at http://proximityone.com/metros/guide/.

The present version provides the latest definitions for U.S. metropolitan statistical areas as designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget based on the latest Census Bureau county-level population estimates. Metropolitan statistical area designations are typically updated annually. This is the final update before Census 2010.

December 2009 updates are shown here.   Other sections of the Metro Geographic Designations shown details of metro structures and listings organized in various ways.  It our plan to keep the Metro Geographic Designations guide updated and providing the best best reference/resource regarding metro geographic designations and structure.  Links and information about access to related metro data are provided in the introductory section.

Join us in the computer hands-on workshop in San Diego, February 25, 2010: Analyzing GeoDemographic-Economic Characteristics and Trends. More information.  Bring your laptop computer with CommunityViewer GIS and the CV GIS San Diego Project pre-installed. Download/install information is sent when workshop registration is complete. Download/install the software and datasets and get started.

Using the CV GIS San Diego Project

Even if you are not able to participate, you can use the CV GIS San Diego Project and datasets.  This continuously updated fileset includes multi-sourced demographic-economic data for geographic areas ranging from state to intersection.  The geographic focus in on southern California and San Diego County.  These applications can be a useful guide to similar applications for geographies and subject matter of interest to you

The Applications Gallery http://proximityone.com/gallery/guide illustrates wide-ranging applications and projects developed using CommunityViewer and related geodemographic-economic resources.   This section reviews new and updated topics.

U.S. by County Employment Situation -- http://proximityone.com/gallery/guide/index.htm?us_national.htm#ctylaus

Examining China's Mega-Clusters -- http://proximityone.com/gallery/guide/index.htm?china.htm

Census Day is April 1, 2010, and marks the reference date for Census 2010 data.  The Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) is now integrally linked with Census 2010.  The "Census 2010/ACS" DMINews section provides monthly highlights of current and pending developments regarding these programs.  The focus is on data access and use and to a lesser extent data development and related operations. Proximity will continue to maintain the decennial census focused Web pages Census 2000 and Census 2010.

Metropolitan Areas

The new metropolitan statistical area designations are the final set of updates before Census 2010.  Though not officially announced, it is expected that metropolitan statistical area Census 2010 summary data will be for these geographic designations.

Redistricting

A CommunityViewer GIS application example is now begin developed using the Census 2010 Dress Rehearsal (P.L. 94-171) data for redistricting and other applications.  This downloadable GIS application/project fileset will be available in January and covered in the January DMINews.

RankingTables -- http://proximityone.com/rankingtables.htm

-- County Monthly Employment and Unemployment Trends -- http://proximityone.com/county_employment.htm

-- MacroView: County Quarterly Establishments, Employment, Earnings by Sector by -- http://proximityone.com/macroview.htm

-- School District Demographic-Economic Characteristics 2007-2008 -- http://proximityone.com/k12trends.htm