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 Boston--Worcester--Lawrence, MA--NH--ME--CT CMSA
Data followed by an * indicates a Significant Difference at the 90 percent level between that data and the data from the most current year.  Data followed by a "c" indicates the estimate for that year and the current year are both controlled; a statistical test is not appropriate.
TABLE 3. SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS
  2003
Estimate		 2002
Estimate		 2001
Estimate		 2000
Estimate
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Population 16 years and over
4,493,993
4,494,909
4,495,606
4,377,629 *
In labor force
69.33%
69.77%
70.23% *
69.82%
Civilian labor force
69.26%
69.68%
70.15% *
69.72%
Employed
64.16%
65.00% *
66.82% *
67.43% *
Unemployed
229,272
210,376
149,505 *
100,104 *
Percent unemployed
7.4
6.7 *
4.7 *
3.3 *
Armed Forces
0.06%
0.09%
0.08%
0.10%
Not in labor force
30.67%
30.23%
29.77% *
30.18%
 
Females 16 years and over
2,336,754
2,356,949 *
2,354,799 *
2,291,758 *
In labor force
62.45%
63.12%
63.44%
63.08%
Civilian labor force
62.43%
63.09%
63.43%
63.05%
Employed
58.03%
59.23%
60.51% *
60.96% *
 
Own children under 6 years
437,838
425,697
396,665 *
442,091
All parents in family in labor force
59.17%
60.99%
60.16%
63.02%
 
Own children 6 to 17 years
895,921
896,992
858,712 *
890,701
All parents in family in labor force
70.37%
71.97%
72.54%
70.79%
 
Population 16 to 19 years
265,823
254,298
250,377 *
252,968
Not enrolled in school and not a H.S. graduate
5.05%
5.33%
4.14%
6.96%
Unemployed or not in the labor force
3.47%
2.69%
2.01% *
3.88%
 
COMMUTING TO WORK
Workers 16 years and over
2,795,168
2,849,790 *
2,922,620 *
2,870,155 *
Car, truck, or van -- drove alone
74.68%
75.82% *
74.47%
72.90% *
Car, truck, or van -- carpooled
7.99%
8.16%
8.02%
8.84% *
Public transportation (including taxicab)
9.44%
8.94%
9.56%
10.27% *
Walked
3.22%
2.83%
3.63%
3.91% *
Other means
1.10%
1.07%
1.19%
1.03%
Worked at home
3.58%
3.18%
3.13%
3.04% *
Mean travel time to work (minutes)
26.9
26.8
26.8
27.0
 
Employed civilian population 16 years and over
2,883,429
2,921,655
3,003,997 *
2,951,938 *
OCCUPATION
Management, professional, and related occupations
42.18%
42.47%
41.94%
42.57%
Service occupations
14.22%
13.57%
13.88%
13.02% *
Sales and office occupations
25.46%
25.62%
26.28%
25.82%
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
0.14%
0.24%
0.18%
0.20%
Construction, extraction, and maintenance occupations
8.36%
7.43% *
7.52% *
7.15% *
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations
9.65%
10.68% *
10.20%
11.24% *
 
INDUSTRY
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining
0.22%
0.32%
0.31%
0.37% *
Construction
6.47%
6.17%
5.92%
5.67% *
Manufacturing
11.71%
12.34%
13.41% *
13.71% *
Wholesale trade
3.58%
3.42%
3.04% *
3.41%
Retail trade
11.15%
11.05%
10.80%
10.93%
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities
4.02%
4.11%
4.14%
4.25%
Information
2.98%
3.11%
3.74% *
3.66% *
Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing
8.84%
8.04%
8.93%
8.80%
Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services
12.11%
12.33%
12.56%
12.71%
Educational, health, and social services
23.83%
23.36%
22.37% *
21.59% *
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services
6.59%
7.17%
6.75%
6.62%
Other services (except public administration)
4.57%
4.41%
3.94% *
4.04%
Public administration
3.94%
4.18%
4.10%
4.23%
 
CLASS OF WORKER
Private wage and salary workers
80.03%
80.63%
80.66%
81.10% *
Government workers
12.86%
12.78%
12.78%
12.29%
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business
6.94%
6.43%
6.42%
6.45%
Unpaid family workers
0.17%
0.15%
0.14%
0.16%
 
INCOME AND BENEFITS (IN 2003 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Total households
2,215,852
2,215,347
2,227,417
2,185,835 *
Less than $10,000
8.02%
7.14% *
7.06% *
7.10% *
$10,000 to $14,999
5.30%
4.89%
4.83%
4.95%
$15,000 to $24,999
9.12%
8.89%
9.05%
9.15%
$25,000 to $34,999
8.98%
8.68%
8.68%
9.31%
$35,000 to $49,999
12.39%
12.23%
13.18%
14.16% *
$50,000 to $74,999
18.75%
19.49%
19.60%
18.56%
$75,000 to $99,999
14.51%
14.40%
13.53% *
13.69%
$100,000 to $149,999
14.29%
14.81%
14.22%
14.02%
$150,000 to $199,999
4.62%
4.93%
5.07%
4.58%
$200,000 or more
4.01%
4.53% *
4.78% *
4.48%
Median household income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
56,961
60,329 *
58,716 *
56,454
Mean household income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
72,602
76,743 *
75,784 *
74,565 *
 
With earnings
81.07%
81.33%
82.06% *
82.02% *
Mean earnings (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
76,284
80,085 *
78,420 *
76,917
With Social Security
25.12%
25.40%
24.60%
25.14%
Mean Social Security income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
12,385
12,935 *
12,161
12,169
With retirement income
16.04%
15.74%
15.89%
15.38%
Mean retirement income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
16,376
16,764
17,339
15,259 *
 
With Supplemental Security Income
3.84%
4.34%
3.60%
3.64%
Mean Supplemental Security Income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
7,361
6,872
6,995
7,668
With cash public assistance income
2.53%
2.29%
1.88% *
2.02% *
Mean cash public assistance income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
3,944
4,768 *
4,104
4,126
With Food Stamp benefits in the past 12 months
3.89%
3.52%
3.35% *
3.58%
 
Families
1,455,323
1,453,483
1,441,929
1,409,964 *
Less than $10,000
4.19%
3.82%
3.44% *
3.74%
$10,000 to $14,999
3.17%
2.73%
2.71%
2.62%
$15,000 to $24,999
6.44%
6.44%
6.68%
6.89%
$25,000 to $34,999
7.62%
6.85%
7.19%
7.88%
$35,000 to $49,999
11.36%
11.75%
12.08%
12.96% *
$50,000 to $74,999
19.64%
20.65%
20.86%
20.31%
$75,000 to $99,999
17.77%
16.94%
15.96% *
16.47% *
$100,000 to $149,999
18.36%
18.63%
18.33%
17.53%
$150,000 to $199,999
5.94%
6.36%
6.55%
5.90%
$200,000 or more
5.50%
5.83%
6.21% *
5.70%
Median family income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
71,122
72,181
71,487
69,028
Mean family income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
86,169
89,110 *
89,147 *
86,841
 
Per capita income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
29,483
30,799 *
30,956 *
30,072
 
Nonfamily households
760,529
761,864
785,488
775,871
Median nonfamily income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
31,732
34,151 *
35,324 *
35,456 *
Mean nonfamily income (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars)
43,963
50,456 *
48,061 *
49,619 *
 
Median earnings (in 2003 inflation-adjusted dollars):
33,143
34,045
32,984
33,041
Male full-time, year-round workers
51,388
50,993
48,664 *
48,701 *
Female full-time, year-round workers
37,520
36,964
36,412
36,500
 
NUMBER BELOW POVERTY IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS
Families
100,299
87,115
83,152 *
82,218 *
With related children under 18 years
73.05%
79.38%
80.25% *
81.69% *
With related children under 5 years only
14.56%
16.72%
13.98%
17.87%
 
Families with female householder, no husband present
61,314
58,491
49,827
52,039
With related children under 18 years
82.81%
92.12% *
93.30% *
96.30% *
With related children under 5 years only
15.54%
16.86%
18.28%
17.42%
 
Individuals
500,975
466,579
445,842 *
462,110
18 years and over
70.57%
68.89%
71.10%
66.15%
65 years and over
12.85%
13.17%
14.46%
13.03%
Related children under 18 years
28.52%
29.60%
27.62%
32.32%
Related children 5 to 17 years
19.64%
20.66%
20.40%
22.51%
Unrelated individuals 15 years and over
38.42%
40.63% *
41.64%
39.98%
 
PERCENT BELOW POVERTY IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS
Individuals
8.8
8.2
7.9
8.2
18 years and over
8.1
7.4
7.3 *
7.2 *
65 years and over
9.5
8.9
9.4
8.8
Related children under 18 years
10.4
10.2
9.5
11.0
Related children under 5 years
11.9
11.6
9.4
12.3
Related children 5 to 17 years
9.8
9.8
9.6
10.5
Unrelated individuals 15 years and over
18.1
17.4
16.4 *
16.8
 
Profile Navigation
  
Viewing 2003 Multiyear Profile for Boston--Worcester--Lawrence, MA--NH--ME--CT CMSA
  Demographic - Table 1
  Social - Table 2
  Economic - Table 3
  Housing - Table 4

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See footnotes below.

Footnotes

The profile universe is limited to the household population and excludes the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability.

The number of householders does not necessarily equal the number of households because of differences in the weighting schemes for the population and occupied housing units.

Employment and unemployment estimates may vary from the official labor force data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics because of differences in survey design and data collection.

Occupation codes are 4-digit codes, but are still based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000.

Industry codes are 4-digit codes and are based on the North American Industry Classification System 2002. However, the Industry categories adhere to the guidelines issued in Clarification Memorandum No. 2, "NAICS Alternate Aggregation Structure for Use By U.S. Statistical Agencies," issued by the Office of Management and Budget.

1. An '-' entry in an Estimate column indicates that no sample observations were available to compute an estimate.
2. An '-' following a median estimate means the median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution.
3. An '+' following a median estimate means the median falls in the upper interval of an open-ended distribution.
4. An 'N' entry in an Estimate column indicates that data for this geographic area cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small.

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau  |  American Community Survey Office  |  Page Last Modified: August 29, 2007