Pennsylvania State Data Center

A look at trends in County Data Books with data for 2005, 2010, and 2015.

Pennsylvania received $145.9 billion in federal funding in 2010 according to the recently released Consolidated Federal Funds Report for Fiscal Year 2010. The Commonwealth’s share of funding represents 4.5 percent of the $3.3 trillion spent by the federal government and ranks 5th among the states.

School bells are ringing across the Commonwealth signaling the end of summer vacation. Back-to-school time stirs up a number of mixed emotions for children. Some eagerly anticipate the start of a new year and all its promise, while others dread the return to school buses, packed lunches, and homework. Parents, on the other hand, have a much more uniform reaction to the news – pure joy!

The occurrence of Halloween, which dates back to Celtic rituals performed thousands of years ago, has long been associated with thoughts of witches, ghosts, devils, and other creatures of the night. In the United States, the first recorded instance of Halloween festivities occurred in Anoka, Minnesota in 1921. However, Allentown, Pennsylvania’s annual Halloween parade, rumored to be the nation’s first, dates to 1905. While the customs and rituals associated with All-Hallows Eve have changed dramatically over the years, Halloween has grown to one of the most popular and widely celebrated holidays in the United States.

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be commemorated by Pennsylvania and the rest of the country with parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues.

The holiday season is a time for celebration, gift-giving and family. From the Christmas shopping bonanza that fills the coffers of Pennsylvania malls and retail outlets to other wintertime celebrations like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, Pennsylvania’s economy sees a boost of activity in the holiday season.

The holiday season is a time for celebration, gift-giving and family. From the Christmas shopping bonanza that fills the coffers of Pennsylvania malls and retail outlets to other wintertime celebrations like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, Pennsylvania’s economy sees a boost of activity in the holiday season.

Black-owned businesses in Pennsylvania increased 25.1 percent between 1997 and 2002, according to a newly released U.S. Census Bureau report, 2002 Survey of Business Owners: Black-Owned Firms. The growth rate of the commonwealth’s Blackowned firms was more than 5 times the state average for all businesses (4.4 percent). More than 4,900 Black-owned firms have been added since 1997, bringing the total to 24,757. In contrast to Pennsylvania businesses as a whole, black-owned establishments have experienced steady growth since 1992.

Hispanic-owned businesses in Pennsylvania increased 40 percent between 1997 and 2002, according to a newly released U.S. Census Bureau report, 2002 Survey of Business Owners: Hispanic-Owned Firms. The growth rate of the commonwealth’s Hispanic-owned firms was 9 percent higher than the national average and more than 9 times the state average for all businesses (4.4 percent). More than 3,000 Hispanic-owned firms have been added in Pennsylvania since 1997, bringing the total to 11,023. The growth in Hispanic-owned businesses mirrors the increase in Hispanic population during this period. Pennsylvania’s Hispanic population grew 36.6 percent from 1997-2002, while the total population grew by just 2.7 percent. Still, persons of Hispanic or Latino origin accounted for just 3.4 percent of Pennsylvania’s population in 2002, and 1.3 percent of all businesses.

Women-owned businesses in Pennsylvania increased at more than double the state’s rate of growth between 1997 and 2002, according to a newly released Census Bureau report, 2002 Survey of Business Owners: Women-Owned Firms. The report shows that after falling in 1997, the number of Pennsylvania businesses owned by women grew 11.9 percent between 1997 and 2002, below the national rate of 20 percent, but faster than the 4.4 percent growth rate for all firms in the state. The 24,129 firms added during this period bring the number of women-owned businesses to 227,119, or 26.0 percent of the total businesses in the state. Women-owned businesses (192,494) represented an even higher proportion (29.7 percent) of firms with no paid employees. The number of people employed by women-owned businesses (280,654) also grew at twice the commonwealth’s rate (+8.8) and their businesses supported a payroll of $6.3 billion. Women-owned businesses also took in $39.1 billion in revenue in 2002, about 4.1 percent of the state total. In comparison with other states, the commonwealth had the third lowest rate (45.7) of women-owned firms per 1,000 adult women.

Industry classification systems have changed, and this change is reflected in the new report, Pennsylvania County Industry Trends 2001-2002. The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) system developed by the United States, Canada and Mexico is the industry classification system used in this report. Previous reports used the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) system. This report was produced by the Pennsylvania State Data Center in partnership with Penn State University’s Technical Assistance Program (PENNTAP), Team Pennsylvania Foundation and the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis.

With less than a week remaining until Christmas, Pennsylvania businesses have risen to the challenge of filling the purchasing needs of shoppers throughout the state. The Pennsylvania State Data Center at Penn State Harrisburg reports that according to the 1997 Economic Census, there were 50,208 retail trade establishments in Pennsylvania in 1997 with over 650,000 paid employees. Retail trade establishments generated nearly $110 billion in sales in Pennsylvania in 1997.

The Pennsylvania State Data Center at Penn State Harrisburg reports that Pennsylvania ranked sixth in the nation in gross state product with a total value of $382.98 billion in 1999. Pennsylvania ranked behind California, New York, Texas, Illinois and Florida. Pennsylvania’s gross state product increased 5.0 percent between 1998 and 1999, according to data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. All figures represent current dollars.

Hunters age 16 and older spent more than $691.546 million in Pennsylvania in 1996. Of this $505,527 million or 73 percent of these monies were spent on equipment and $186,019 on trip-related expenses.

Pennsylvania ranked sixth in the nation in gross state product (GSP) in 1998, with a GSP of $364.039 billion, reports the Pennsylvania State Data Center, located at Penn State Harrisburg.

Outdoor recreation is a popular activity in Pennsylvania. State Park attendance and boat registrations increased by three and one percent, respectively, in 1999.

The new North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) has created a number of new sectors for which data is now available for the first time in the 1997 Economic Census. Many of these new sectors were in the services area.

Total Pennsylvania exports were valued at $17.8 billion in 1999. This was a 0.6 percent increase from 1998. In the same time period, U.S. exports increased by 1.8 percent to $692.8 billion.

Retail trade sales in the state totaled $109.9 billion in 1997. This was a 25 percent increase from 1992 when sector sales totaled $87.8 billion. From 1992 to 1997, the retail trade sector saw a 30 percent decrease in total establishments and a 25 percent decrease in employees. Total annual payroll, however, increased by 5 percent in this time period.

Sales for the wholesale trade industry in Pennsylvania rose 26.1 percent from 1992 to 1997 to $159.4 billion. The industry saw a 15.3 percent decrease in establishments during that time period to 17,138. The industry employed 237,567 Pennsylvanians in 1997 and the annual payroll for all wholesale trade establishments in the state was $8.6 billion. Total operating expenses for the Commonwealth’s wholesale trade was $17.1 billion in 1997 and overall end-of-year inventories decreased from 1996 to 1997 by $407.3 million (4.6 percent).

The Commonwealth had a total of 292,118 business establishments in 1997. This was a 1.8 percent increase over 1996. In that time period, the number of people employed in the state grew by 111,173, or 2.4 percent, and total payroll increased by 6 percent to $137.3 billion.

Total for NAICS 31-33 in Pennsylvania, 2015