FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING by John MacIntyre

Percentage more that single women between the ages of 22 and 30 earn than men in that age range in most U.S. cities, according to Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve, calling this revolution the "She-Change": 8

Percentage of all undergraduate degrees that are going to women: 66

Percentage of master's degrees that are earned by women: 60

Source: Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve.

Percentage of employed millennials (age 18-29) who see a workplace romance as having positive effects, such as improved performance and morale, according to a poll released by Workplace Options: 71

Percentage of millennials who say they would engage in romance with a co-worker -- compared to 36 percent of Generation X workers (age 30-45), and only 29 percent of baby boomers (age 46-65): 84

Source: Workplace Options.

Number of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (both surgical and minimally invasive) that were performed in the United States in 2011, up 5.5 percent since 2010, according to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons: 13.8 million

Ranks of breast augmentation, nose reshaping, liposuction, eyelid surgery and facelift on the list of the top surgical procedures performed in 2011: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgery.

Ranks of Jon Bon Jovi, R&B sensation Usher, Country superstar Blake Shelton and Justin Timberlake on the list of the sexiest men in music as chosen by women, according to TouchTunes Interactive Networks' survey results: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ranks of "the ending of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's six-year marriage," followed by "Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries' decision to end their 72-day union" on the list of the 2011 celebrity breakups that most shocked America: 1, 2

Source: TouchTunes Interactive Networks.

In the United States, percentage of new marriages that were between spouses of a different race or ethnicity in 2010, according to a Pew Research Center report: 15.1

In 1980, percentage of all marriages that were across racial or ethnic lines: 3

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Percentage of hiring managers and human resource managers who are concerned top workers will leave their organizations in 2012, according to a CareerBuilder survey: 43

Percentage of human resource managers who saw an increase in voluntary turnover (workers leaving organizations for other opportunities) in 2011: 34

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of American young adults ages 18-29 who view China as either an economic or military threat, according to a poll by Generation Opportunity: 76

Ranks of the national debt, energy dependency, indebtedness to foreign powers and the threat of terrorism on this group's list of the greatest threats to American national security: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Generation Opportunity.

Of small-business owners who aren't hiring, percentage who are most likely to say the reasons they are not doing so include not needing additional employees and worries about weak business conditions, including revenues, cash flow, and the overall U.S. economy, according to a survey by Gallup: 85

Percentage of small-business owners who point to potential health care costs as a deterrent: 48

Percentage who worry they may not be in business in 12 months: 24

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of parents around the world who agree that kids today grow up much more quickly than previous generations, according to a report released by Oreo: 84

Percentage of parents who say they would trade part of their salary for more time with their children each day: 49

Percentage of parents in Mexico, Peru and India, respectively, who say they would trade part of their salary in exchange for more time with their kids: 54, 58, 77

Source: Weber Shandwick.

Year the first photograph of a U.S. president was taken when James K. Polk, America's 11th president, posed for a picture taken by Matthew Brady, whose extensive coverage of the Civil War would later make him famous, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1849

Today, estimated number of Americans who make their living as photographers: 161,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Contact Robert Bernstein at 301-763-3011 or email pio.broadcast.services@census.gov.

Idle Thought

"Life is simple, it's just not easy." -- Unknown

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)