By Staff
Friday, September 20, 2024 1:03 PM
Americans are struggling to pay the rent, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau.
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that nearly half of all renter households spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs in 2023.
“The median cost of housing for renters rose from $1,354 to $1,406 (after adjusting for inflation)," said Molly Ross, a survey statistician with the U.S. Census Bureau. "And new data from the 2023 ACS, 1-year estimates, show that the share of a rented household’s income that goes toward these housing costs differs by householder race.”
She noted that according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), households are considered cost-burdened when they spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent, mortgage payments and other housing costs. She noted households spending more than 50 percent of their income are considered severely cost-burdened.
These figures are even more dire when examining America’s diverse ethnic groups. Black or African American renters saw this number rise to 56 percent of households spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Meanwhile, Asian renters spent more than 43 percent of their household income on rent.
The report found this number was even higher among American Indians or Alaska Natives who spent nearly 49 percent of their income on rent, while 51 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders spent 30 percent of their income on rent.
By Staff
Friday, September 20, 2024 8:05 AM
Expo West is where innovation meets insight and connections; Prevent Blindness names Howard Purcell, OD, as 2025 Person of Vision Award recipient; EssilorLuxottica and Meta ink long-term partnership; Zeiss to license Creal's technology; and Prevent Blindness declares Fourth Annual Inflammatory Eye Disease Awareness Week all topped this week’s
VMAIL news feed. Click on the headlines below to catch up on anything you might have missed.
By Staff
Friday, September 20, 2024 12:21 AM
LAS VEGAS—According to new consumer data from the
Contact Lens Institute (CLI), several straightforward, high-return actions by eyecare practices have the potential to increase retention rates among new contact lens wearers.
By Staff
Friday, September 20, 2024 12:15 AM
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—
CooperVision has announced that Debbie Olive has been appointed chief commercial officer, in which she will oversee the company’s worldwide commercial functions, driving strategy and growth initiatives across the product portfolio.
By Staff
Thursday, September 19, 2024 12:39 PM
Silhouette Group is set to enter the retail sector with the global debut of its first monobrand store, House of Silhouette, in November. “Spread over two floors, it will offer customers the chance to experience Austrian-made excellence firsthand and explore, under one roof, the collections from the group’s three eyewear brands: Silhouette, evil eye and neubau eyewear,” explained the family-run company.
By Staff
Thursday, September 19, 2024 11:39 AM
Global manufacturers are increasingly adopting digital resources or product digital threads to stay ahead of the competition. A
new report from Tech-Clarity, an independent research firm, titled Integrating Data and Processes Across the Product Digital Thread gathered and analyzed responses from 138 global companies that manufacture products or provide engineering services.
The survey reveals that manufacturers are using digitally-based systems for product design and production. The shift, according to experts, comes from further emphasis on better data integration for programs run internally and across supply chains.
According to the survey, 49 percent of respondents believe the digital thread is important or critical to their company’s success and profitability.
More businesses are reporting that they are achieving their digital thread goals to improve product information and decisions. The result is established traceability early in the front end of innovation through development, manufacturing, service and field operation.
Nearly 70 percent of respondents said digital thread goals help improve product quality, while 55 percent said it assists with better decision-making.
"The current challenge is that most manufacturers don't have fully integrated ERP, PLM, or supply chain systems, let alone integration across these and other domains that carry crucial product information," said Jim Brown, founder and president of Tech-Clarity, which published the report.
By Staff
Thursday, September 19, 2024 12:24 AM
CHICAGO—Eye health and safety nonprofit
Prevent Blindness has named Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, as the 2025 Prevent Blindness Person of Vision Award recipient. Dr. Purcell is the president and CEO of the
New England College of Optometry (NECO). The Prevent Blindness Person of Vision Award recognizes an individual whose inspired outlook champions healthy vision and its importance for a healthy life. Prevent Blindness said that Dr. Purcell was chosen by a volunteer committee as the recipient of the 2025 Person of Vision Award. He was selected for his outstanding dedication to vision and eye health, leadership of eyecare professionals and dedication to the vision industry.
By Staff
Thursday, September 19, 2024 12:21 AM
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—To simplify the provider experience and deliver more flexibility and value,
VSP Vision has announced updates coming to its provider programs, including VSP Premier Edge and a new Unity Rewards program.
By Staff
Thursday, September 19, 2024 12:15 AM
NEW YORK and TORONTO—Today,
Marchon Eyewear Inc. and
Canada Goose announced that they have entered an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement. New sun and optical styles designed under this partnership, the first-ever Canada Goose eyewear collection, will roll out globally beginning Spring 2025.
By Staff
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 12:56 PM
A pillar of the Canadian optical industry, Judith Hochstadter, co-founder of Canadian Optical Supply (COS) together with her late husband, Fred, passed away Saturday, September 7, 2024. The COS family, now in its third generation, is proud of the legacy left by Mrs. Hochstadter and will strive to continue the family tradition of premium service and quality in an environment where each employee counts.
By Staff
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 12:02 PM
Summer may be over, but Americans are still making travel plans. According to a new report from the Automobile Association of America (AAA), Americans plan on traveling in record numbers for the fall season.
New
booking data shows that travel rates are up by 1 percent for domestic flights and 3 percent for international flights. The data noted that travelers are still paying the same costs to travel as they did last fall. A domestic roundtrip ticket averages $660, while an international roundtrip is approximately $1,315, according to the report.
AAA vice president of travel Stacey Barber said that the fall is a great time for travelers to check out new destinations. She added that Europe, in particular, is a popular spot due to fewer crowds.
“This time of year is known as shoulder season in travel, which means mild weather, fewer crowds and better prices,” said Barber.
The most popular domestic travel spots this fall are Orlando, Boston and Seattle. Meanwhile, the most popular international destinations are Rome, Paris and London.
Many Americans are choosing to see the world by taking a cruise. Domestic cruise bookings have risen 19 percent compared with last fall, and international cruise bookings are up 6 percent. The average cost to cruise from domestic cities is similar to last fall at $2,355, while the average cost of international cruises is up 1 percent to $3,560.
By Staff
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 9:30 AM
PARIS—
EssilorLuxottica (Reuters: ESLX.PA) announced early this morning that it has entered into a new long-term agreement that extends it partnership with
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), under which the parties will collaborate into the next decade to develop multi-generational smart eyewear products. The two companies have been collaborating since 2019, resulting in two generations of Ray-Ban branded smart glasses that have redefined the potential for consumer wearables. The line of Ray-Ban Meta glasses has garnered widespread adoption in that time, which the company attributes to the balance struck between form and function, combining EssilorLuxottica's industry knowledge and global network of retail and wholesale locations together with Meta’s advancements in technology. According to the company, the glasses are in high demand in the markets in which they’re available, including the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia and many European countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
By Staff
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 12:24 AM
LAUSANNE, Switzerland and AALEN, Germany—
Creal, a display technology startup, has announced a license agreement with
Zeiss, a leading manufacturer of eyeglass lenses and ophthalmic instruments, with the goal to create a digitized vision care platform to improve current vision diagnostic and treatment procedures. By leveraging Creal's light field display technology, Zeiss advised, it plans to bring to market devices that allow for the digital examination of eye conditions as well as virtual simulation of classic ophthalmic lenses, contact lenses, and more.
By Staff
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 12:21 AM
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—
VSP Vision has announced that it has been named to the 2024 Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care List by Great Place To Work and
Fortune magazine. This is the first time VSP Vision has received recognition in the Health Care category, the company stated.