These statistics are from Geographical Mobility: 2007, a series of tables that describe the movement of people in the United States. The tables include data on why people moved, types of moves, distance moved and the characteristics of those who moved in 2007.

The Northeast had the lowest moving rate (9 percent), followed by the Midwest (13 percent), the South (14 percent) and the West (15 percent). The moving rates for the South and the West were not significantly different.

Housing-related issues – such as the desire to own a home or to live in a better neighbourhood – were the most common reasons given for moving (42 percent), followed by family-related issues (30 percent), employment reasons (21 percent) and other (7 percent). For those moving to the U.S. from abroad, more people listed employment as their reason (52 percent) than any other.

Of the 12.3 million people who moved to another county, the largest group moved less than 50 miles (42 percent); 22 percent moved more than 500 miles.

The black population had the highest moving rate (17 percent) among race and ethnic groups, followed by Hispanics (16 percent), Asians (15 percent) and non-Hispanic whites (12 percent).

Other findings included:

• Among movers in metropolitan areas, principal cities experienced a net loss of 1.9 million people in 2007. In contrast, the suburbs had a net gain of 2 million people.
• About 1.2 million people moved to the United States from abroad. Of that group, 93 percent moved to metropolitan areas.
• About 52 percent moved to principal cities, while 42 percent moved to the suburbs.
• People who were ages 20 to 24 and 25 to 29 had the highest moving rates (27 percent and 26 percent) in 2007. The majority in both age groups moved within the same county (66 percent and 63 percent). Neither of the comparisons within these age groups was statistically different from the other.
• Of those who moved within the same county (ages 20 to 24 and 25 to 29), the main reason for moving was housing related (45 percent and 52 percent).
• People who were separated and people who were married with their spouse absent were the most likely to move, while those who were widowed were the least likely to move. People who were never married were more than twice as likely to move as people who were married with their spouse present.
• Nearly one-third (29 percent) of renters changed residences between 2006 and 2007, compared with about one in 15 who lived in owner-occupied housing (7 percent).
• For the population 16 and over, those who were unemployed (23 percent) were more likely to move than those who were employed (14 percent) or those not in the labour force (10 percent).

Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhouses, condominiums and co-ops – increased 3.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.00 million units in July, 13.2 percent lower than the 5.76 million-unit pace in July 2007.

NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate said the up-and-down pattern may break soon. “We hope the new tools in the hands of home buyers from the recently enacted housing stimulus package will spark a sustained sales uptrend in the months ahead,” he said. “Buyers who’ve been on the sidelines should take a closer look at what’s available to them now in terms of financing and incentives. Given some of the inventory on the market, we also strongly encourage buyers to get a professional home inspection.”

The American median existing-home price for all housing types was $212,400 in July, down 7.1 percent from a year ago when the median was $228,600.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said home prices in some regions could soon increase. “Sales have picked up significantly in several Florida and California markets. Home prices generally follow sales trends after a few months of lag time,” he said. “Still, inventory remains high in many parts of the country and will require time to fully absorb. We expect more balanced conditions in 2009 and will eventually return to normal long-term appreciation patterns.”

Analysis of NAR price data since 1968 shows home prices normally rise 1 to 2 percentage points above the overall rate of inflation, building wealth over the typical period of homeownership.

Total housing inventory at the end of July rose 3.9 percent to 4.67 million existing homes available for sale, which represents an 11.2-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 11.1-month supply in June. The rise in supply results from a sharp increase in condo inventory; the single family supply declined.

Single-family home sales rose 3.1 percent from June but are 12.4 percent below the 5.01 million-unit level a year ago. The median existing single-family home price was $210,900 in July, down 7.7 percent from July 2007.

West
Regionally, existing-home sales in the West jumped 9.7 percent in July to a level of 1.13 million and are 0.9 percent higher than July 2007. The median price in the West was $273,200, down 22.2 percent from a year ago.

Northeast
In the Northeast, existing-home sales rose 5.9 percent to an annual pace of 900,000 in July, but are 11.8 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $278,700, which is 4.9 percent lower than July 2007.

Midwest
Existing-home sales in the Midwest increased 0.9 percent to an annual rate of 1.12 million in July, but are 17.0 percent lower than July 2007. The median price in the Midwest was $175,400, up 1.0 percent from a year ago.

South
In the South, existing-home sales slipped 0.5 percent to an annual pace of 1.85 million in July, and are 18.1 percent below a year ago. The median price in the South was $179,300, down 3.5 percent from July 2007.

According to Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Hotton, the job market is tight and competitive. “In February there were more than 3.8 million openings in the job market. While this sounds like a lot, there were more than twice as many people applying for those jobs. The current unemployment rate is five percent, and the Federal Reserve forecasts that rate will rise as high as 5.7 percent in the coming months.”

Hotton adds, “There are many places job-hunters can go for help landing a job, but they should ensure they are using an organization they can trust.”

Public Employment Service: This is a federally-funded, state-operated program with 1,700 offices across the country. It provides free assistance, and also operates America’s Job Bank which lists hundreds of thousands of job opportunities.

Temporary (Temp) Services: These agencies place people looking for temporary employment and their services are usually free of charge. Temporary positions can sometimes evolve into permanent positions and give job hunters an opportunity to bring in some money while the employment search continues.

Employment Agencies: In some cases, people looking for jobs must pay a fee to these kinds of agencies, which search for employees to fill permanent or part-time positions. Businesses seeking employees, however, typically pay for these employment agency services.

Executive or Career Counseling Services: They help job hunters evaluate their career path and provide guidance on resume writing, interview coaching and presentation. These services may charge thousands of dollars for their services and do not guarantee job placement.

BBB offered the following advice for job seekers when enlisting the help of an agency or counselor:

• Always check out a job placement or career counseling organization first to view reliability reports that show not only how many complaints a company may have received, but also if it works to resolve disputes with clients.

• Carefully review any contracts for counseling or placement services, ensuring all oral promises are included, even if that means taking the contract home and having a trusted friend or relative also review the documents.

• Job seekers should be wary of paying upfront fees to a placement agency, and be extremely cautious when giving out credit card or bank account information.

In July, average hourly earnings edged up by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $18.06, seasonally adjusted. This followed gains of 6 cents in May and 5 cents in June.

Data on American average weekly earnings are collected from the payroll reports of private non-farm establishments. Earnings of both full-time and part-time workers holding production or non-supervisory jobs are included.

July 2008 earnings not seasonally adjusted

In June, average hourly earnings edged up by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $18.01, seasonally adjusted. This followed gains of 2 cents in April and 6 cents in May.

Data on American average weekly earnings are collected from the payroll reports of private non-farm establishments. Earnings of both full-time and part-time workers holding production or non-supervisory jobs are included.

June 2008 earnings not seasonally adjusted

NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate, said there is something of a quandary in the current market. “A recent online survey of Realtors shows nearly a quarter of potential home buyers are waiting on the sidelines,” he said. “However, timing the market can be very tricky, which is why home buyers should always have a long-term view to build wealth.”

Total housing inventory at the end of June rose 0.2 percent which represents an 11.1 month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 10.8 month supply in May.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said first-time home buyers are critical to the health of the housing market. “About four in 10 homes are purchased by first-time buyers, which frees existing owners to trade up,” Yun said. “With many potential first-time home buyers on the sidelines, a first-time buyer tax credit would have a significant positive impact on both housing and the economy. Combined with permanent increases to mortgage loan limits and enhancing the FHA loan program, the housing stimulus package working its way through Congress would go a long way toward helping consumers and boosting the overall economy.”

Yun said there is a downward distortion in the price data. “With short sales and foreclosures accounting for approximately one-third of transactions, it’s hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison with a year ago when they were only a minor portion of the market,” he said.

Despite the overall sales decline, unpublished snapshot data shows existing-home sales rising significantly from a year ago in Bakersfield, California; Fort Myers, Florida; and Las Vegas.

“Sales are now beginning to pick up in Orlando, Florida, Phoenix, and Oakland, California,” Yun said. “Interestingly, sales fell in Atlanta, Houston, and Kansas City, Missouri, despite affordable home prices and solid local employment conditions.”

The median existing single-family home price was $213,800 in June, which is down 6.7 percent from a year ago.

The median existing condo price was $224,200 in June, which is 2.2 percent lower than June 2007.

West
Existing-home sales in the West rose 1.0 percent in June to a pace of 1.03 million but are 6.4 percent lower than a year ago. The median price in the West was $288,400, which is 17.2 percent below June 2007.

South
In the South, existing-home sales fell 3.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.85 million in June, and are 18.1 percent below June 2007. The median price in the South was $185,300, down 2.4 percent from a year ago.

Midwest
Existing-home sales in the Midwest declined 3.4 percent to an annual pace of 1.12 million in June, and are 17.6 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $175,300, up 2.8 percent from June 2007.

Northeast
In the Northeast, existing-home sales fell 6.6 percent to an annual rate of 850,000 in June, and are 15.8 percent below June 2007. The median price in the Northeast was $256,700, down 12.6 percent from June 2007.

“The “Measure of America” reveals huge gaps among some groups in our country to access opportunity and reach their potential,” said Sarah Burd-Sharps, co-author of the book. “Some Americans are living anywhere from 30 to 50 years behind others when it comes to issues we all care about: health, education and standard of living. For example … people in last-ranked Mississippi are living 30 years behind those in first-ranked Connecticut.”

Using U.S. government statistics on longevity, educational attainment and enrolment, and earnings, the report reveals where America is today and sets a benchmark against which we will be able to assess where we are tomorrow. The report identifies which parts of the country are moving forward and which are stalled or even falling behind.

The Report shows that although America is one of the richest nations in the world, it is woefully behind when it comes to providing opportunity and choices to all Americans to build a better life. The report further breaks down its findings into the USA’s 436 Congressional districts. The following are just a few of the many findings of the report:

• In Texas’ 29th Congressional District, the percentage of the adult population with less than a high school degree is at about the level of the U.S. average in the early 1970s.
• Among the nation’s 436 congressional districts, New York’s 14th District (in Manhattan) ranks first and California’s 20th District (around Fresno) ranks last; the average resident of New York’s 14th District earns more than three times as much as the average California’s 20th District resident.
• Nationally, Asian males have the highest human development index score and African American males the lowest, with a staggering 50-year gap between the two groups.
• Despite the fact that the United States spends roughly $5.2 billion every day on health care, more per capita than any other nation in the world, Americans live shorter lives than citizens of every Western European and Nordic country except for one.

  Obesity and the lack of health insurance for some 47 million Americans are the most significant factors in premature death.

Gas stations employed more than 910,000 people, with a total annual payroll of $15 billion. At the county level, Los Angeles (1,723); Harris (Houston), Texas (1,397); and Cook (Chicago), Illinois (1,090) had the highest number of gas stations.

Nationally, the average annual payroll per gas station employee in 2006 was $16,449. Hawaii ($27,669), Connecticut ($21,927) and Alaska ($21,890) had the highest average annual payroll per employee in this industry. Among larger counties, Honolulu, Hawaii ($32,142), Troup, Georgia ($31,833), and Hunterdon, New Jersey ($28,869), were among those that reported average annual payroll per employee higher than the national average.

Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhouses, condominiums and co-ops – increased 2.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.99 million units in May but are 15.9 percent below the 5.93 million-unit pace in May 2007.

NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate, said buyers are seeing value in the current housing market. “Home buyers are starting to get off the fence and into the market, drawn by drops in home prices in many areas and armed with greater access to affordable mortgages,” he said. “Today’s buyer plans to stay in a home for 10 years, which is a good strategy for building long-term wealth.”

The American median existing-home price for all housing types was $208,600 in May, down 6.3 percent from a year ago when the median was $222,700.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said there’s still a lot of inventory in the market. “The large supply of homes on the market clearly favours buyers, and it should take several months to draw the inventory down,” he said. “Stabilisation in home prices can only occur with buyers returning to the market, so we are encouraged by rising home sales, particularly in distressed markets. Foreclosures and short sales appear to be a larger part of the market, particularly in California, and are creating a drag on current home prices.”

Total housing inventory at the end of May fell 1.4 percent to 4.49 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 10.8-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a 11.2-month supply in April.

Although conditions remain mixed around the United States, unpublished snapshot data shows a number of areas are experiencing much higher sales activity than May 2007, including Sacramento, the San Fernando Valley and Monterey County in California; Sarasota, Florida; and Battle Creek, Michigan.

“Keep in mind that the volume of home sales is the primary driver of economic activity that is tied to housing,” Yun said. “It’d be premature to say the improvement marks a turnaround. The market is fragile, so a first-time home buyer tax credit and a permanent raise in loan limits would be important steps to get the housing engine humming.”

Single-family home sales rose 1.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.41 million in May from 4.34 million in April, but are 14.5 percent below the 5.16 million-unit pace in May 2007. The median existing single-family home price was $206,700 in May, which is 6.8 percent below a year ago.

Existing condominium and co-op sales increased 5.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 580,000 units in May from 550,000 in April, but are 24.6 percent lower than the 769,000-unit level a year ago. The median existing condo price was $223,400 in May, down 2.1 percent from May 2007.

Midwest
Existing-home sales in the Midwest rose 5.5 percent in May to a pace of 1.16 million but are 16.5 percent lower than a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $165,300, which is 0.7 percent below May 2007.

Northeast
In the Northeast, existing-home sales rose 4.6 percent to an annual rate of 910,000 in May, but are 15.0 percent below May 2007. The median price in the Northeast was $278,000, down 2.4 percent from a year ago.

West
Existing-home sales in the West increased 2.0 percent to an annual pace of 1.02 million in May, but are 12.8 percent below a year ago. The median price in the West was $286,600, which is 16.0 percent lower than May 2007.

South
In the South, existing-home sales slipped 0.5 percent to an annual rate of 1.91 million in May, and are 17.0 percent below May 2007. The median price in the South was $175,000, down 4.3 percent from May 2007.

In May, average hourly earnings edged up by 5 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $17.94, seasonally adjusted. This followed gains of 6 cents in March and 2 cents in April.

Data on American average weekly earnings are collected from the payroll reports of private non-farm establishments. Earnings of both full-time and part-time workers holding production or non-supervisory jobs are included.

May 2008 earnings not seasonally adjusted