Estimated percentage of the original Pilgrims who survived a very hard year at Plymouth Colony from the fall of 1620 to the fall of 1621, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 50
Number who were saved from starvation by the Wampanoag, who gave them food and taught them farming and food preparation and storage in their new land, as well as ways to survive the bitterly cold winter: 53
Number of Native Americans who celebrated the Pilgrim's first bountiful harvest in the fall of 1621, when they held a day of Thanksgiving: 91
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Percentage of Americans who consider themselves value seekers -- someone very aware of prices, bargains, coupons and specials, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Whole Foods Market: 64
Percentage who consider themselves one-stop shoppers who want all their needs met by one store, from staple pantry items and meats to family-friendly offerings and body care: 41
Source: Whole Foods Market.
Percentage of young adults ages 25 to 34 who are married in 2012, down from 55 percent in 2000, according to a Population Reference Bureau report: 46
Median age at first marriage for men: 28.1
Median age for women: 26.5
Source: PRB.
By 2014, projected percentage employment rate for those over the age of 55 (comprising more than 21 percent of the U.S. work force), according to the Department of Labor, according to a survey from Adecco: 41
Percentage of hiring managers who said the greatest challenge to hiring mature workers is their difficulty in learning/adapting to new technology: 39
Ranks of high salary/compensation demands and overconfidence in their abilities and experience on the list of the biggest interview mistakes made by mature workers: 1, 2
Source: Adecco.
Ranks of holidays, bills and living arrangements on the list of conversations most likely to cause couples tension in the car, according to research from Allianz: 1, 2, 3
Percentage of women who admitted they are likely to discuss the relationships of friends and family in the car: 18
Percentage of women who just enjoy a good gossip in the car: 32
Source: Allianz Life Insurance.
Percentage of Thanksgiving dinners that will feature oven-roasted turkey as the main entree, according to a study by Wayfair.com: 80
Rank of stuffing and mashed potatoes on the list of perennial favorite side dishes: 1 (tie)
Source: Wayfair.com.
Percentage of IT pros who consider the IT department integral to the business, according to InformationWeek Reports Research: 60
Percentage of non-IT respondents who feel the same: 43
Percentage of non-IT respondents who consider their IT department a support or maintenance organization, compared with 39 percent of IT: 54
Source: Information Week.
With the automated sales experience relatively new (especially in stores), percentage of consumers who still prefer the help of knowledgeable sales staff, according to Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange: 70
Source: Ipsos Marketing Open Thinking Exchange.
Percentage of employers who have scheduled both Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22) and the Friday after as paid days off for all or most of the work force this year, according to the Bloomberg BNA survey of year-end holiday practices: 73
Percentage of all employers who have scheduled a paid day off for Thanksgiving Day: 99
Source: Bloomberg.
Percentage of Americans who are expected to travel this Thanksgiving, according to a survey by HomeAway: 26
Percentage who plan to travel over the December holidays: 40
Source: Home Away.
Idle Thought
"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." -- James Baldwin, writer (1924-1987)
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)