Rank of "office politics" on the list of more than 20 potential areas where executives would most like to see improvement, based on a worldwide survey of senior executives and managers conducted by NFI Research: 1

Percentage of executives in large companies who wish for improvements in office politics: 50

Percentage of executives in small companies who wish for improvement in this area: 20

Source: NFI Research.

Percentage of workers who said "acclimating to a different corporate culture and colleagues" would pose the greatest challenge when re-entering the workforce after an extended absence, according to a survey by OfficeTeam: 32

Percentage of respondents who also cited learning new technologies or protocols: 23

Source: OfficeTeam.

Percentage of Americans who say that the first thing that comes to mind when they think of China is the "loss of U.S. jobs or cheap labor," according to a Zogby Interactive survey: 28

Percentage of respondents whose first impression of China is that of a nation that is a growing threat and rival to the United States: 19

Source: Zogby International.

Average number of hours per day that children 8 to 18 years old spend plugged into an electronic media device, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation: 7

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation.

Ranks of North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, Minnesota and Iowa on the list of states where U.S. adults were most satisfied in 2009 with their own standard of living, according to a Gallup Poll: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of Nevada, Rhode Island, Michigan, Ohio and Georgia on the list of states expressing the least satisfaction: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of teens who are interested in pursuing a STEM career (science, technology, engineering and math education), according to the 2010 Lemelson-MIT Invention Index: 77

Percentage who would be interested in STEM simply by having teachers who enjoy and understand what they are teaching: 55

Source: Lemelson MIT Program.

Percentage of individuals polled in a Mercedes-Benz online community of Generation Y consumers who "strongly agreed" that when making a clothing purchase decision, the item should be "modern with classic design that can be used for years to come," according to a survey by Mercedes Benz: 55

Percentage of respondents who said that if handed a gift of $5,000 that could be used only toward clothing, they would purchase one or two special items that will stand the test of time rather than maximizing the money on quantity: 82

Source: Mercedes-Benz USA.

Percentage of chief executives who move on from the top role and generally remain key players either in their own organization or another, according to a continuing global study of CEO career by management consultants Healthy Companies International: 82

Percentage of respondents who moved on from the head role who were in due course promoted by their organization to a higher position such as chairman or vice chairman: 27

Percentage who went on to the hold the same C-level position with another organization: 7

Source: Healthy Companies International.

Amount of money saved by AAA members in 2009, according to figures based on AAA's Show Your AAA Card and Save Awareness and Usage Study: $2 billion

Average amount saved by members who used the discounts during the year, more than the cost of a basic AAA club membership: $93

Source: AAA.

Percentage of Catholic Millennials (those 18 to 29 years old) who believe in God, according to the results of a Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll: 85

Ranks of "getting married and having a family" and "being spiritual or close to God" on the list of top priorities for Catholic Millennials: 1, 2

Percentage of Catholic Millennials who believe commitment to marriage is undervalued: 82

Source: Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll.

Idle Thought

"Contradiction is not a sign of falsity, nor the lack of contradiction a sign of truth." -- Blaise Pascal

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

Percentage of lowest-income Americans, those aged 49 and younger, women, or those with children under the age of 18 in the household, who say they were not well-rested, according to Gallup-Healthways data from 2008 and 2009: 33

Percentage of retirees who say they feel well-rested: 78

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of employees who admitted to having once entered into a romantic relationship with a co-worker, according to a poll of working Americans commissioned by Workplace Options: 25

Percentage of workers who view public displays of affection in the workplace as unacceptable: 88

Source: Workplace Options.

Percentage of working baby boomers aged 50 to 64 who say they'd rather ease into retirement by working reduced hours or stay on with their current employer past a traditional stop date of age 65, rather than call it quits, according to an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Life's Next Steps: 63

Percentage who say they have to continue working past 65 because they need the money or the benefits: 48

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of elementary school principals who report that there is a strong link between recess and academic achievement, according to a poll of elementary school principals, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Association of Elementary School Principals and Playworks: 80

Percentage of principals who report that students listen better after recess and are more focused in class: 66

Percentage who believe that recess has a positive impact on children's social development and general well-being: 97

Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Rank of confidence in making a woman beautiful, according to the Meredith Corp.'s Gamma Beauty Study: 1

Ranks of a positive outlook on life, an upbeat personality, healthy/shiny hair and a great body: 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Meredith Corp.

Percentage of Americans who say they have changed their food consumption patterns because of the economy, according to a survey conducted on behalf of the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council: 66

Percentage of Americans who now pack lunch for themselves or their children: 72

Percentage who feel good when they store and reuse food rather than throwing it away: 94

Source: Plastics Make It Possible.

Percentage of registered nurses who say they will not be working in their current job a year from now, according to the 2010 survey of registered nurses by AMN Healthcare: 29

Percentage who say they plan to alter their career path in the next one to three years in a way that would either take them out of the nursing field entirely or reduce their contribution to direct patient care by working fewer hours or choosing a less demanding role: 40

Source: AMN Healthcare Services Inc.

Percentage of U.S. adults who plan to file 2009 income tax returns, according to a study conducted on behalf of H&R Block: 87

Percentage of them who intend to enlist professional help from a tax preparer: 33

Percentage who plan to do it themselves, either online (13 percent) or using computer software (11 percent): 24

Source: H&R Block.

Over the past decade, average percentage rise in the price per square foot of an apartment in Manhattan (from $522 to $1,073), according to Prudential Douglas Elliman: 105.6

Average sale price of a Manhattan apartment: $1,393,001

Source: Prudential Douglas Elliman.

Percentage of teachers who said students are either somewhat or very financially illiterate after graduating high school, according to a survey for Wi$eMoney, the team-based financial literacy game developed by The Learning Key Inc.: 52

Source: The Learning Key Inc.

Idle Thought

"The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be." -- Louis de Berniere, novelist

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

Percentage of Americans making $90,000 or more per year who say they would expect a neighbor who found a lost wallet or purse containing $200 to return it, according to a Gallup Poll: 82

Percentage of those making less than $24,000 per year who expressed this kind of trust in their neighbors: 50

Source: Gallup.

Number of U.S. homes with at least one TV, according to Nielsen's 2010 Media Industry Fact Sheet: 114.9 Million

Percentage of video content in the U.S. that is watched on traditional television: 99

Number of hours per week the average American watches TV: 31.5

Source: Nielsen Analytics.

Percentage of people who said they would spend more money on a mattress if they thought it would improve their sex life, according to a survey by Sit 'n Sleep: 33

Percentage of respondents who said they were less active if they didn't get enough sleep: 66

Source: Sit 'n Sleep.

Approximate amount of money that shoppers saved by using coupons in 2009, according to the Coupon Industry Facts Report recently released by NCH Marketing Services: $3.5 billion

Number of coupons redeemed by consumers in 2009, a 23 percent increase over the prior year: 3.2 billion

Source: Valassis.

In today's "SHE-conomy," percentage of affluent women who feel a sense of responsibility to pass along lessons learned in the economic downturn, according to results of a survey by Synovate: 50

Percentage of women who have already passed along guidance to others, the primary recipients of this advice being children, spouse/family, friends and colleagues: 52

Source: Women and Co.

Year that the first Social Security check was issued, according to the Census Bureau: 1940

Amount of money on the check that was made out to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vt.: $22.54

Estimated number of Social Security beneficiaries there are today, including retired and disabled workers and surviving spouses, as well as children: 49 million

Average monthly benefit check for a retired worker: $1,044

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of parents who anticipate that their children will attend college who expect them to contribute at least in part to their own college tuition, according to a survey commissioned by Futuretrust: 90

Percentage of these parents who expect them to contribute by applying for scholarships and grants, though both are increasingly endangered financial species: 80

Source: Futuretrust.

Worldwide, the average number of children borne by women with no schooling, according to research by the WorldWatch Institute: 4.5

Average number borne by women with some primary school: 3

Average number borne by those who complete at least one year of secondary school: 1.9

Source: WorldWatch Institute.

Percentage of U.S. adults who have given or plan to give to relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti, according to a Zogby Interactive survey: 64

Percentage of African-Americans who have donated or plan to, including 47 percent who have already done so: 81

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of American men who are affected by hair loss, according to a survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Rogaine: 40

Percentage of Americans who incorrectly cite stress as a leading cause of hair loss: 75

Percentage who think frequently wearing a hat is a cause: 35

Source: Rogaine.

Idle Thought

"Not far from the invention of fire must rank the invention of doubt." -- Thomas Henry Huxley

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