Lets take a look at a few statistics around some Valentine’s Day rituals and their impact on the economy. Each year, the Census Bureau and other U.S. government agencies gather and publish statistics on family life and consumer goods.
If you buy non-chocolate candy for a loved one, the candy was probably produced by one of the 445 U.S. establishments that manufactured non-chocolate confectionary products. These establishments employed 20,419 people in 2012. California led the nation in this category with 46 establishments.
If your sweetheart prefers chocolate, the chocolate probably came from one of the 1,379 U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate products in 2012, employing 37,998 people. California again led the nation with 152 of these establishments, followed by New York, with 119.
Looking for love? You could try your luck with one of the 393 dating service establishments nationwide, as of 2007 (the most recent year for this statistic). These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed 3,125 people.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 2.1 million people got married in 2011, or nearly 5,800 marriages per day. Given the numbers of states that now recognize same-sex marriage compared to 2011, this number is bound to increase.
Speaking of marriage, the median age at first marriage was 29 years for men and 26 years for women in 2013.
Blog post contributed by –
Jesse Silva, Librarian for Federal and State Information, Political Science, Public Policy and Legal Studies