Percentage of western managers (where western is defined as France, the U.K., Germany and U.S., all with equal weights) who are feeling more overworked, more stressed, and less supported than they did just a few years ago, saying their job is tougher than it was, according to a global survey commissioned by Boston Consulting Group: 81
Percentage of western nonmanagers who said they aspire to become a manager, setting the stage for a shortage of supervisors: 10
Source: Boston Consulting Group.
Rank of the "weekend break" -- defined as a quick couple of days in a new city or going to an off-the-grid location -- on a list of the most popular solo trips, according to an Expedia survey: 1
When it comes to future solo trips, percentage of Americans who say their ideal location is in the U.S. (followed by Canada and Europe): 74
Source: Expedia.
Percentage of Americans who believe that extraterrestrial life exists, according to an Ipsos poll: 52
Percentage who say they visit our planet: 29
Among those who are familiar with or have at least heard of Area 51, percentage who believe there are advanced Air Force weapon systems held there: 48
Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.
Percentage of American gym-goers do not wash their gym clothes before wearing them on a repeat visit to the gym, according to a survey by the website Treadmill-Ratings-Reviews.com: 31
Rank of yoga participants on the list of the worst offenders: 1
Rank of cardio participants on the list of the most likely to wash their clothes: 1
Source: Treadmill Ratings Reviews.
Percentage of Americans who say they have some kind of budget, according to a survey by Slickdeals: 74
Of those, percentage who still have trouble keeping themselves within their own parameters, despite their best efforts: 79
Source: Slickdeals.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, amount of credit card debt in the United States: $868 billion
Percentage of U.S. adults who listed mortgages and credit cards (a tie) as their main source of debt, more than double the next two highest sources -- car loans (9%) and personal education loans (8%) -- according to the 2019 Northwestern Mutual Planning & Progress Study: 22
Source: Northwestern Mutual.
In terms of the single most innovative travel development over the past century, percentage of consumers who cited the Wright brothers' first flight, according to a poll by the American International Group Inc.: 79
Ranks of the debut of GPS car navigation systems and the first commercial passenger flight on the list of the most innovative travel developments: 2, 3
Source: AIG Travel
Percentage of working parents who cited a lack of patience as their top guilt-inducing regret, according to survey findings released by Primrose Schools: 31
Percentage who regretted not spending enough quality time with their kids: 26
Percentage who blamed "working too much" as a source of their feelings of guilt: 15
Source: Primrose Schools.
Percentage of all internet spending on TV and movies that is accounted for by subscriptions, up from 50% in 2012, according to research by Parks Associates: 86
Source: Parks Associates.
Speaking out anonymously through the youth engagement tool U-Report, percentage of young people who said social networks -- including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter -- are the most common place for online bullying: 75
Percentage of respondents who believed governments should end cyberbullying: 32
Percentage who put the onus on young people themselves to stop the harassment: 31
Percentage who cited internet companies as bearing the chief responsibility: 29
Source: UN News Centre.
Idle Thought
"This world is divided roughly into three kinds of nations: those that spend lots of money to keep their weight down; those whose people eat to live; and those whose people don't know where their next meal is coming from." -- David S. Landes, professor of economics and history
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)