Percentage of baby boomers who said they are doing financial planning and that their goals are set and on track, according to a survey by KeyBank and Zogby International: 51
Percentage who believe they will or could run out of money in their lifetime: 67
Source: Keycorp.
Percentage of Americans who believe U.S. foreign policy is driving dissatisfaction with America abroad, according to a poll by the non-profit organizations World Learning and the Aspen Institute: 75
Percentage of Americans who are very or somewhat worried that the U.S. is losing the trust and friendship of other countries: 73
Percentage who worry that Americans will be less welcome in other parts of the world: 63
Source: World Learning.
Rank of Asia among the regions with the highest salary increases forecast for 2008, according to a survey conducted by ECA International, the world's largest membership organization for international human resources: 1
Ranks of India, Argentina, Indonesia and Russia among the countries in the world with the highest predicted salary increases for 2008: 1, 2, 3, 4
Ranks of Switzerland, Japan, France and Austria, and Germany among the countries in the world with the lowest predicted salary increases for 2008: 1, 2, 3 (tie), 4
Source: ECA International.
Year Robert Royce of Woodstock, Vt., used several hundred feet of rope, the engine out of an old Model T Ford and some ingenuity to make the first ski tow in the U.S. at Gilbert's Hill, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1934
Estimated number of ski resorts across the U.S.: 500
Estimated number of times per year these resorts are visited by winter sports enthusiasts: 57 million
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Average salary for technology professionals in 2007, according to Dice Salary Survey: $74,570
Rank of Silicon Valley as the tech pros' highest paying metro area: 1
Average salary for tech pros in Silicon Valley: $93,876
Ranks of Boston ($83,465), Baltimore/Washington, D.C. ($81,750), Los Angeles ($81,039) and New York ($80,770) on the list of highest paying metro areas: 2, 3, 4, 5
Source: Dice Holdings Inc.
Percentage of workers who say they have either accepted or left a job due to the condition of the building and/or the amenities offered, according to a national survey by Blumberg Capital Partners: 33
Percentage of workers who described their office buildings and office environments as either "bland," "dumpy" or "stodgy": 47
Ranks of covered parking, subsidized cafeteria or restaurant, fitness or workout center, and on-site day care on the list of the most important office building amenities: 1, 2, 3, 4
Source: Blumberg Capital.
Minimum statutory employee notice period in the U.S. and Mexico between resignation and departure (for white-collar employees with one year's service), according to data from Mercer's Global HR Factbook: None
Minimum statutory employee notice period in Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore and the U.K.: 1 week
Minimum statutory employee notice period in Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Russia, Ukraine, Bolivia and Spain: 2 weeks
Minimum statutory employee notice period in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland: 2 months
Source: Mercer.
Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are very or somewhat likely to reduce their overall debt level in 2008, according to an Experian/Gallup poll: 73
Percentage who say they plan to cut back on entertainment outlays: 49
Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are not likely to read a book or take a course on personal finance: 58
Percentage who say they are not likely to reduce the number of credit cards they have: 56
Source: Experian Consumer Direct.
Percentage of companies that have made policy changes to better accommodate working parents, according to a survey of senior executives developed by Office Team: 62
Source: OfficeTeam.
Ranks of the Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Aruba as the top island getaways for U.S. travelers, based on recent traffic for these destinations on tripadvisor.com: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Source: TripAdvisor.
Percentage of Boomers who said they are doing financial planning, and their goals are set and on track, according to a survey by KeyBank and Zogby International: 51�Percentage who believe they will or could run out of money in their lifetime: 67� ��Source: Keycorp-Consumer. Contact Cindy Spitz at 216-689-5640 or email cindy_l_spitz@keybank.com.�•••
Percentage of Americans who believe U.S. foreign policy is driving dissatisfaction with America abroad, according to a poll by the non-profit organizations World Learning and the Aspen Institute: 75�Percentage of Americans who are very or somewhat worried that the US is losing the trust and friendship of other countries: 73�Percentage who worry that Americans will be less welcome in other parts of the world: 63��Source: World Learning. Contact Sir/Madam at (802) 257-7751 or email info@worldlearning.org.�•••
Idle Thought
"I've made an odd discovery. Every time I talk to a savant I feel quite sure that happiness is no longer a possibility. Yet when I talk with my gardener, I'm convinced of the opposite." -- Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)
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