Percentage of workers who were laid off in the last 12 months who said they have changed their appearance to make themselves more attractive to potential employers, according to a survey by CareerBuilder: 28

Percentage who have changed their hair color or hairstyle: 8

Percentage who are dressing to appear younger: 5

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of Americans who owe more on their mortgage than their homes are worth, according to the Bankrate Financial Literacy series on Families and Finance: 25

Percentage of Americans who aren't sure how they'll save enough for retirement: 70

Percentage who fret about their ability to afford college for a family member: 50

Source: Bankrate Inc.

Average tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at the nation's four-year public colleges and universities for an entire academic year (2007-08), according to the U.S. Census Bureau: $14,915

Average tuition, room and board at the nation's four-year private colleges and universities for one academic year (2007-08) -- more than double the 1990 figure: $40,640

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of U.S. workers who are simply happy to have a job, according to survey by SnagAJob.com: 24

Percentage of U.S. workers who are happy because they gain personal satisfaction at work: 41

Source: SnagAJob.com.

When American adults were asked their opinion on what was the best way to improve kindergarten through 12th grade education in the U.S. today, percentage who said quality teachers/better educated/more involvement/caring, according to a Gallup Poll: 17

Percentage who said we should go back to the basic curriculum (reading, writing, arithmetic): 10

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of U.S. adults who have given away more than 10 percent of their belongings because these were no longer needed, according to a Zogby Interactive poll: 22

Percentage who said they purposefully gave things away in the past year because they have too much: 17

Percentage who said they have a normal amount of belongings, and when they become useless, they give those things away: 60

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of respondents who admit to having used a cell phone to text or e-mail while driving in the last 12 months, according to the results of a CarGurus survey of automotive consumers worldwide: 52

Number of states that already have laws barring texting while driving: 14

Source: CarGurus LLC.

Percentage of American workers who are currently unsatisfied with their compensation as a result of pay cuts, lack of bonuses or stagnant salaries, according to the Adecco USA Workplace Insights survey: 66

Percentage of American workers who are not satisfied with their company's overall retention efforts: 87

Source: Adecco.

When asked what thoughts crossed their minds when making decisions to purchase food or household and personal products on their most recent grocery shopping trip, percentage of global consumers who indicated value for the money, according to findings from a study conducted by Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods: 64

Source: Ipsos Marketing, Global Consumer Goods Sector.

Percentage of a senior-level accountant's time that chief financial officers (CFOs) predict will be spent five years from now on issues outside of traditional accounting functions, according to a Robert Half Management Resources survey: 40

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Idle Thought

"No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be." -- Isaac Asimov

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

Of the top 20 financial industry recipients of bailout aid, number that have revealed the details of stock options pocketed in early 2009, according to a report from the Institute for Policy Studies: 10

Based on rising stock prices, combined increase in the estimated value of the stock options enjoyed by the top five executives at each of these banks, according to America's Bailout Barons, the 16th in a series of annual Executive Excess reports: $90 million

Since Jan. 1, 2008, estimated number of employees laid off by the top 20 financial industry recipients of bailout aid: 160,000

Source: Institute for Policy Studies.

Estimated number of times more than the value of the car that its parts can be stripped at a chop shop and sold for on the used car market, according to Hot Wheels 2009, the National Insurance Crime Bureau's companion study to its popular Hot Spots auto theft report: 2

Ranks of the 1994 Honda Accord, 1995 Honda Civic, 1989 Toyota Camry and the 1997 Ford F-150 pickup on the list of the most stolen vehicles in 2008: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Percentage of U.S. adults who said the economy is changing faster than they are able to change their habits, according to a Zogby poll: 44

Percentage who report that their quality of life has declined since the start of the recession: 42

Source: Zogby International. Contact Stephanie DeVries at (315) 624-0200,ext. 273, or e-mail steph@zogby.com.

Percentage of leaders who said they would "jettison a relationship to get something done," even though they understand that good relationships are needed for positive business results, according to a survey by David Peck, president of Leadership Unleashed: 33

Percentage of leaders who think a key part of their job is to motivate their people, though, according to Peck, "Being a cheerleader/employee motivator is not the leader's job." ("They are better off hiring/retaining only self-motivated people, and trying not to de-motivate them."): 82

Source: Leadership Unleashed.

Percentage of U.S. women who believe that wearing makeup gives them an advantage at work and makes them feel more in control, according to the Beauty Barometer survey by L'Oreal: 50

Percentage of women surveyed who believe that wearing makeup makes them feel more self-confident: 82

Percentage who believe it improves their self-image: 86

Source: L'Oreal.

Year that the U.S. petroleum industry got its start when Uncle Billy Smith saw a dark film floating on the water of a shaft he was digging near Titusville, Pa., according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1859

Today, number of oil wells in the U.S.: 500,000

Estimated number of barrels of crude oil produced each year in the U.S.: 2 billion

To meet our daily needs, number of barrels of foreign oil imported annually (2 in 3 gallons of crude oil that we use comes from overseas): 4 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of dentists who revealed that patients send and receive text messages on their cell phones while receiving dental care, according to a survey by the Chicago Dental Society: 80

Percentage of dentists who indicated they have a cell phone/mobile device policy posted in a visible location in their office: 32

Source: Chicago Dental Society.

Average amount that parents will spend per child on electronic equipment this year, a leap from the $43.36 average observed in 2005, according to IBISWorld research: $91.69

For each child enrolled in school this year, average cost to the parents for sporting the latest trends in clothes and accessories: $136.60

Source: IBISWorld.

Percentage growth in the number of jobs available to university graduates in the sciences by 2020 as forecast by government leaders, according to Shafeen Charania, author of the blog "synthesis": 80

Source: synthesis.

Percentage of female and male riders who agree that learning to ride a motorcycle changed their lives, according to a survey by Impulse Research Corp. on behalf of Harley-Davidson Motor Co.: 80

Percentage of female riders who said they love seeing the surprised looks on men's faces when they realize she's a woman rider: 50

Percentage of all new motorcycle sales that are accounted for by women: 12

Source: Impulse Research Corp.

Idle Thought

"I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way." -- Edgar Guest, poet

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

Percentage of managers who would be classified as "beach bums," described as the type of manager who sits around wasting their time and others' time, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive: 9

Percentage of managers who would be classified as "scuba divers," managers who can produce solutions but require instruction and assistance to do so: 32

Percentage of managers who would be classified as "free divers," strategic leaders who are able to continuously come up with the big ideas that move the business forward: 30

Source: Harris Interactive.

Percentage of single male online daters who said that they would consider having a "no strings attached baby" and father a child with a gal pal, according to a poll conducted by Date.com: 47

Percentage of single women who have admitted that they have thought a lot about approaching a single guy friend to father their child: 43

Percentage rise in out-of-wedlock births among women ages 30 to 34 since 2002, according to a May 2009 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 34

Source: Date.com.

Percentage of the U.S. public that says cars are a necessity, not a luxury that can be lived without, according to a Pew Social Trends survey: 88

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

Number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the U.S. in October 2007 -- from nursery school to college, comprising 27 percent of the entire population 3 years old and older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 76 million

The projected number of U.S. students to be enrolled in elementary through high school (grades K-12) this fall: 56 million

Projected percentage of elementary through high school students enrolled in private schools this fall: 11

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of executives who believe innovation happens by accident at their company, according to a Deloitte online poll: 31

Percentage of respondents who say their companies encourage innovation as a mandate: 25

Percentage who reported the word innovation is not applicable in their company's structure: 12

Source: Deloitte.

While the recent Cash For Clunkers program did boost new car sales, percentage of the expected decline in used car sales in 2009 that can be attributed to the program, according to industry research firm IBISWorld: 7

Estimated number of new car sales this year (20.5 percent lower than in 2008): 10.5 million

Source: IBISWorld.

In the next 12 months, estimated percentage of employers who plan to hire full-time employees, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Robert Half International and CareerBuilder: 50

Percentage who will hire contract, temporary or project workers: 40

Percentage who will hire part-time employees: 40

Source: Robert Half Finance and Accounting.

Ranks of air conditioning, balcony, deck, patio, porch or yard, on-site swimming pool, in-unit washer and dryer, and Internet access on the list of apartment amenities renters treasure most during this time of year, according to a survey by Apartments.com: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Percentage of survey respondents who said access to desirable apartment amenities impact where they choose to live: 90

Percentage of respondents who said location and neighborhood have the biggest impact on their decision to choose one apartment over another if rent is not an issue: 35

Source: Apartments.com.

Nearly eight years after the 9/11 tragedy, percentage of Americans who say that concern over safety and security will not deter them from traveling overseas, according to results of a survey commissioned by the U.S. Travel Insurance Association: 73

Percentage who say safety and security issues would influence their choice of an international destination: 60

Source: Kundell Communications.

Percentage of Americans who would be outraged, boycott games, sell their season tickets and publicly protest their former favorite team if Michael Vick was signed to their favorite football team, according to ZT Pet News poll: 46

Percentage who said that although they were not a football fan, they think he should be allowed to play professionally again: 31

Source: Zootoo Pet News.

Idle thought

"He who postpones the hour of living is like the rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses." -- Horace, Roman poet

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