Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of articles published in the last 7-10 days that may be of interest:

Health
1. Fewer Americans have employer- based health insurance; Gallup.com, February 14, 2012
Brief Introduction: Fewer Americans got their health insurance from an employer in 2011 (44.6%) than in 2010 (45.8%), continuing the downward trend Gallup and Healthways have documented since 2008. As employer-based health insurance has declined, the percentage of Americans who are uninsured has increased, rising to 17.1% this year, the highest seen since 2008.

2. Risk of preterm birth rises for Hispanic women the longer they're in the U.S.; U.S. News.com, February 9, 2012
Brief Introduction: The longer Hispanic women live in the United States, the more likely they are to have a preterm birth, a new study says. Researchers analyzed data from 2,141 Hispanic women with a prior live birth who took part in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2006.

Education
1. Suspended from school in early grades; Washington Post, February 12, 2012
Brief Introduction: Thousands of elementary students were suspended from public schools last year in Washington and its suburbs, some of them so young that they were learning about out-of-school discipline before they could spell or multiply.

2. Detroit to Parents: Time to get involved in education; NPR.org, February 7, 2012
Brief Introduction: In Detroit, officials say they are trying everything they can to revive the city's public school system, from replacing dilapidated buildings to hiring new school leaders. Detroit Public Schools is also focusing on a neglected piece of the education equation: parents.

Race
1. Labor force growth slows, Hispanic share grows; Pew Research Center, February 13, 2012
Brief Introduction: Hispanics will account for three-quarters of the growth in the nation’s labor force from 2010 to 2020, according to new projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). One major reason is that the Hispanic population is growing rapidly due to births and immigration. At the same time, the aging of the non-Hispanic white population is expected to reduce their numbers in the labor force.

2. Why Latinos aren't saving for retirement; Forbes.com, February 14 ,2012
Brief Introduction: While all populations found retirement planning to be an overwhelming task, Hispanics felt the least prepared. A hefty 54 percent say they felt “not very” or “not at all” prepared. This compares with 50 percent of African-Americans, 48 percent of white and 44 percent of Asian respondents who said they did not feel prepared.