During 2016, amount of credit debt racked up by U.S. consumers, pushing outstanding balances to $978.9 billion, according to research by WalletHub, based on Federal Reserve data: $89.2 billion
Amount that the average indebted household now owes: $8,377
Source: WalletHub.
Percentage of workers who feel they do not get enough sleep each night, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder: 26
Percentage of all workers who say that a lack of sleep has negatively impacted their work: 60
Percentage who say thinking about work keeps them up at night: 47
Source: CareerBuilder.com.
Year that the first practical automatic dishwasher was born (designed by Josephine Cochrane, a socialite, out of annoyance at how her domestic staff damaged her china), according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1839
Year that a patent was awarded: 1886
Today, of the nation's nearly 133 million housing units, number that have automatic dishwashers: 87 million
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
When dining with family, percentage of families who say they have a no cellphone policy at the table, according to a survey by Toluna: 50
When dining with friends, percentage who have a no cellphone policy at the table: 39
Percentage of Americans who have blocked family or a friend on social media without their knowledge: 44
Source: Toluna QuickSurveys.
Percentage of women who believe that communication is the most important thing in a relationship, according to a survey commissioned by epi24: 72
Percentage who said having fun together: 11
Percentage who said sexual attraction: 2
Source: epi24.
Percentage of Americans who plan to look for a better-paying job and increase overall savings over the next four years, according to an Experian survey: 43
Percentage who said they will decrease their spending: 39
Source: Experian Consumer Direct.
Percentage of IT executives who understand that the pace of IT change and transformation is increasing, according to the results of a survey by BMC: 86
Percentage of respondents who state that the share of IT budget spent on ongoing management and maintenance is growing: 55
Source: BMC.
Percentage of U.S. employers who are feeling the direct impact of prescription drug misuse in their workplaces, according to a survey by the National Safety Council: 71
Percentage of employers who agree that prescription drug misuse is a disease that requires treatment: 71
Percentage who feel it is a justifiable reason to fire an employee: 65
Source: National Safety Council.
Percentage of Americans who believe the average person should be taking concrete steps to reduce his or her environmental impact, according to a survey conducted by Knoxville-based Shelton Group: 90
Percentage who think that personal energy conservation habits can make a real difference in preventing climate change: 67
Percentage of Americans who correctly identified the No. 1 manmade cause of climate change -- the energy we use in our homes: 6
Source: Shelton Group.
Idle Thought
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." -- Winston Churchill
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)