Average price of a new car or light truck in 2016, according to Kelley Blue Book: $33,865
According to a study by Bankrate.com, of the 50 U.S. cities with the largest populations, number in which a median-income household cannot afford the average-priced new car or light truck: 50
Ranks of San Jose, California; San Francisco; Seattle; Washington, D.C.; and San Diego on the list of cities with the highest amount of money available for a new vehicle among median-income households: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Ranks of Detroit; Rochester, New York; Cleveland; Hartford, Connecticut; and Buffalo, New York, on the list of cities where a median-income household can least afford a new vehicle: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Source: Bankrate.com.
Percentage of senior managers who said it's unprofessional to include emojis or emoticons in work communications, according to research from OfficeTeam: 39
Percentage who gave it the OK hand sign, saying it's fine in certain situations: 40
Percentage who gave it a smiley face, calling it fun: 21
Source: OfficeTeam.
Percentage of millennials who report that they now carry their cellphone in their hand throughout the day, according to YouGov research: 51
Source: YouGov.
Percentage of Americans who make all their purchases with cash, according to a Gallup poll, down from 19 percent five years ago: 10
Percentage who never use cash, up from 10 percent: 12
Source: Gallup Organization.
Percentage of workers who say they would struggle to meet emergency expenses of $400, according to the Federal Reserve Board: 46
Percentage who say they are juggling two or more jobs: 22
Source: Federal Reserve Board.
Amount of money that U.S. consumers spent on candy in the 52 weeks ending April 30, 2016, according to a survey by Nielsen: $21.5 billion
Amount generated in sales during major holidays like Easter and Halloween: $3.5 billion
Source: Nielsen Insights.
Percentage of employers who will raise wages for current employees in the second half of the year, according to CareerBuilder's Midyear Job Forecast: 50
Percentage who will offer higher starting salaries with job offers: 40
Percentage of employers who plan to hire full-time, permanent workers, on par with 49 percent last year: 50
Percentage of employers who plan to hire part-time employees, on par with 28 percent last year: 28
Source: CareerBuilder.com.
Percentage of American automobile drivers who have been on the receiving end of a "rude/hostile hand gesture," according to the Expedia 2016 Road Rage Report: 48
Percentage who have been yelled or cursed at: 35
Percentage who have been accosted by a driver who exited his or her vehicle to do so: 13
Source: Expedia.
Percentage of Americans who say they are likely to use sharing economy services such as AirBnB, HomeAway, Uber or Lyft during their summer vacation this year, according to an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Allianz Global Assistance: 36
Percentage of Americans who say they find sharing economy services such as AirBnB, HomeAway, Uber or Lyft to be trustworthy: 48
Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.
Percentage of CFOs who said they are confident their millennial employees -- workers born between 1978 and 1999 -- possess management potential, according to a Robert Half survey: 85
Percentage of CFOs who said their organizations most often provide onsite training to help train millennial workers for leadership positions: 60
Percentage who said they provide opportunities to attend conferences, seminars and webinars: 57
Source: Robert Half Management Resources.
Idle Thought
"What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?" -- Jean Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)