Percentage of partnered millennials and Gen Zers who have been mad at their partner for a financial decision they made, according to a survey by MagnifyMoney by LendingTree: 74
Ranks of their partner making a big purchase without telling them about it and spending a lot of money on something the respondent considers to be frivolous on the list of the top argument drivers: 1, 2
Source: LendingTree.
Time that employees waste completing HR-related tasks each month across large companies in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, according to a survey issued by Topia and conducted by Method Research: 40 million hours
Estimated amount lost in productivity: $8.15 billion
Source: Topia.
Average amount that kids aged 4 to 14 received in allowance in 2020 ($8.75 a week), according to RoosterMoney's Annual Kids' Allowance Report: $455
Percentage that they saved: 45
Source: RoosterMoney.
Period that a strain of influenza known as Spanish flu caused a global pandemic, spreading rapidly and killing indiscriminately, according to Live Science: 1918 to 1920
Estimated number of people worldwide who were infected: 500 million
Estimated number who died: 50 million
From 1981 to present, estimated number of people who have died of AIDS since HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was identified: 35 million
As of Feb. 7, estimated number of people worldwide who had been infected with COVID-19: 106,541,162
Estimated number who had died: 2,324,246
Source: Live Science
Estimated percentage of Americans who said they canceled up to four trips (leisure and business) last year, according to a survey from IHG Hotels and Resorts: 60
Percentage of those travelers who said they have now rebooked canceled trips or plan to rebook them, with family vacations and visiting loved ones topping travel wish lists for 2021: 50
Percentage of respondents who said they plan to make up for the lack of travel in 2020 by going on more trips in 2021: 20
Source: IHG Hotels and Resorts.
Percentage of Americans who do not expect to get back to something like their normal, pre-COVID life for at least six months (around late summer), according to findings from an Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index: 65
Percentage who believe it will not happen until next year: 33
Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.
Projected growth in the global gambling market -- from $465.76 billion in 2020 to $516.03 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8%, according to a Research and Markets report: $50.27 billion
Projected value of the market in 2025 at a CAGR of 7%: $674.7 billion
Percentage of the market accounted for by Asia and the Pacific, the largest region in the global gambling market in 2020: 38
Percentage accounted for by North America, the second largest region: 29
Source: Research and Markets.
When consumers were informed that only the first and last 10 minutes of their most recent flight were likely controlled by a pilot and the rest was autonomous, percentage who said that they would feel much safer in a fully autonomous plane, according to a global survey commissioned by ANSYS: 3
Percentage who said they would definitely or probably be willing to ride in a flying taxi: 63
Source: ANSYS.
Percentage of renters who said they worried their packages would be stolen from their doorstep (41% reported that packages actually had been stolen from their doorsteps multiple times), according to a survey by ButterflyMX and Entrata: 89
Percentage of renters who complain about parking and accessibility issues -- whether it's finding a place to park (74%) or finding someone else has parked in their spot (28%): 53
Source: ButterflyMX.
Percentage of Americans who say the COVID-19 pandemic has caused them to put off general dental checkups, which can lead to serious oral health problems, according to a survey commissioned by the American Association of Endodontists: 50
Percentage who said they were snacking more on sweets: 31
Percentage who didn't schedule or forgot to schedule a dental visit: 28
Source: American Association of Endodontists.
Idle Thought
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." -- Thomas Pynchon, novelist
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)