> BLS DAILY REPORT, TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1997 > > Workplace injuries fell in 1995 to their lowest rate in nearly a > decade, says BLS, according to an item in The Wall Street Journal's > "Work Week" column (page A1). A total of 6.6 million injuries and > illnesses were reported that year, the latest for which statistics are > available, making a rate of 8.1 cases for every 100 full-time workers. > In 1973, the rate was 11 cases per 100 full-time workers. > > The Census Bureau estimates the U.S. population hit 265.3 million as > of July 1, 1996. That's a 0.9 percent increase from the same date in > 1995, a slightly smaller gain than in previous years. The increase > comes from 3.9 million births and a net influx of 856,000 legal > immigrants. The gain is partially offset by 2.3 million deaths and a > net loss of 10,000 Americans living abroad. The numbers reflect a > steady slowdown in the birth rate and an increase in the death rate > every year since 1990. The country's median age rose to 34.6 years > from 34.3 (USA Today, page 3A). > > Officials are starting early in their defense of the 2000 Census, says > the New York Times (March 23, page A37). The Census Bureau is already > offering a spirited and detailed defense of its plans for the census > three years from now and says it expects to be sued if it does what it > wants to do. The bureau's director Martha Farnsworth Riche, plus > several groups that are interested in the accuracy of the census, are > urging support for statistical sampling which the bureau plans to use > for the first time to complete and correct its count of the > population. The bureau also plans to continue using a controversial > long-form questionnaire to document details of daily life .... > >
