Percentage of all full-time workers in the United States who indicate they typically work more than 40 hours per week, according to Gallup's Work and Education Survey: 50

Percentage of workers who say they work at least 50 hours: 39

Average number of hours per week that full-time employees report working (almost a full workday longer than what a standard five-day, 9-to-5 schedule entails): 47

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of college students between the ages of 18 and 23 who do not expect to pay off their student loans before they are 50, according to the results of an annual survey by Vital Source Technologies Inc.: 44

Percentage of students who said a guaranteed full-time job is more important than no student loan debt after graduation: 73

Source: Vital Source Technologies Inc.

Percentage of men who eat healthy five or more days in a week if they are in a relationship, according to a consumer survey conducted by the American Heart Association and sponsored by Match.com: 57

Percentage of single men who eat healthy more than five days during the week: 45

Percentage of men and women in relationships who eat healthy five or more days a week: 55

Source: Match.com.

Percentage of consumers who agree with critics who claim we are in the "second golden age of television," according to the results of a survey by YuMe Inc. along with research firm Instant.ly: 67

Ranks of high-quality TV, variety of TV content and ability to binge-watch on the list of reasons consumers agree we're in a second golden age: 1, 2, 3

Source: United Sample.

Percentage of Americans age 16 and older who said that the closing of their local public library would have an impact on their community, according to findings from American Life Pew Research: 90

Percentage of Americans age 16 and older who agree that the materials and resources available at public libraries play an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed: 95

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Year that William G. Cobb of the General Motors Corp. demonstrated the world's first solar-powered car -- though the vehicle didn't take the world by storm because it was a model just 15 inches long, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1955

Year that the first solar-powered car that could actually be driven was unveiled: 1962

Estimated number of individual solar cells that were placed on the roof to power the vehicle: 11,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of parents who admit to feeling uneasy as a new school year starts -- the stressors varying from the day-to-day logistics of school to spending money to in-school socialization, according to a survey conducted by the National Center for Families Learning: 41.2

Percentage of respondents who admit it's tough transitioning the family from summer back into the school-year routine: 27.4

Source: National Center for Families Learning.

Percentage of Americans who typically pay for purchases under $5 with cash (22 percent use debit cards, and 11 percent use credit cards), according to a CreditCards.com report: 65

Source: Creditcards.com.

Percentage of nurses who think the job outlook for the nursing industry is positive, according to a survey from allnurses.com: 74

Percentage of respondents who would recommend that a person go into the nursing field: 72

Ranks of "ER," "Grey's Anatomy" and "NY Med" on the list of TV shows that nurses said most closely resemble "real life": 1, 2, 3

Source: Allnurses.com.

By 2018, percentage of all businesses that will hire IT security contractors to manage data-security threats, according to a study from Gartner: 50

Since 2013, percentage rise in spending on IT security (to $71.1 billion): 7.9

Source: TechInsurance.

Idle Thought

"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." -- Thomas Pynchon, writer

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

Percentage of Americans who believe it is up to parents to educate future generations about money matters, yet only 47 percent of parents indicate they are confident in their own understanding of the topic: 92

Percentage of respondents who believe assigning chores for allowance is one of the best ways to teach children financial lessons: 68

Percentage who would say the same about enrolling their children in a financial class: 22

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

As of May 2013, percentage of American adults ages 18 and older who do not use the Internet or email, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet Project: 15

Percentage of adults who use the Internet, but not at home: 9

Percentage of non-Internet users who think the Internet is just not relevant to them, saying they are not interested, do not want to use it or have no need for it: 34

Source: PEW Internet and American Life Project.

Ranks of Stacy Keibler, Maria Sharapova and Karina Smirnoff on the list of female celebrities who respondents said had the best beach bodies, according to a Nationwide E-Score Survey: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of Channing Tatum, Chris Hemsworth and Shemar Moore on the list of the hottest male celebrity beach bodies: 1, 2, 3

Source: E-Score.

Percentage of Americans who strongly agree that today's schools should teach students critical thinking skills, according to a Gallup poll: 80

Percentage who say they should be taught how to set meaningful goals: 64

Percentage who say schools should know how to motivate students: 61

Source: Education at Gallup.

Percentage of marketing professionals who work 10 or more hours on an average day, according to the results of a study that looks at a day in the life of a marketer by AtTask: 25

Percentage of respondents who said interruptions were a major distraction to their workdays: 36

Percentage who said they spend three to four hours a day on email: 34

Source: AtTask.

Percentage of Americans who support legislation that would require policemen to wear cameras, according to a survey by YouGov: 72

Percentage of Americans who think that police brutality described as "the use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation," is an issue in the United States: 66

Source: YouGov.

Percentage of Americans who admit to watching or listening to the TV while they are intimate with their partners, according to a survey commissioned by LG Electronics USA: 22

Percentage of respondents who leave their TVs on for their pets when they step out: 26

Source: LG Electronics US, Inc.

Percentage of Americans who feel vulnerable to tax scams, according to a survey released by TaxAudit.com and conducted via Toluna QuickSurveys: 78

Percentage who believe tax scams are a real problem in the U.S.: 88

Source: TaxAudit.com.

Percentage of Americans who either work or spend a significant amount of time outside in warm weather during the summer months, according to a survey commissioned by Mars Chocolate North America: 30

Percentage of those who wish they worked indoors at times: 63

Source: Mars Chocolate North America.

Percentage of teens who believe that their driver's education program completely prepared them to drive, according to a survey commissioned by Michelin North America and the: 49

Percentage of their parents who think the same: 47

Source: Michelin.

Idle Thought

"By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower." -- Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel laureate (1861-1941)

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

Of the nearly 16,570 new stores that opened between 2007 and 2013, percentage that were dollar stores, according to Nielsen Report: 36

Percentage that were convenience stores: 32

Percentage that were drugstores: 21

Source: Nielsen Analytics.

In 1997, percentage of the workforce over age 25 that was accounted for by workers ages 25 to 54, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute: 83.9

In 2012, percentage of the workforce over age 25 that was accounted for by workers ages 25 to 54: 73.8

In 1997, percentage of the workforce accounted for by workers ages 55 to 64: 12

Percentage of the workforce accounted for by workers ages 55 to 64 in 2012: 19.2

Source: EBRI.

After the tears go away, percentage of parents who are just as ready as their kids are to start a new chapter in life once their kids leave the house, according to a RetailMeNot survey: 74

Ranks of traveling, spending time with friends and pampering themselves on the list of changes parents say they will make: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of parents who would turn their kids' bedrooms into something else, like a gym or office, when they leave the house: 13

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Percentage of Americans who agree that relaxation is essential for their overall health and well-being, according to results from a survey by Princess Cruises: 99

On average, number of hours per day Americans spend unwinding: 1

Percentage of respondents who frequently feel guilty about relaxing: 38

Percentage who feel stressed out by the mere thought of trying to relax: 28

Source: Princess Cruises.

Percentage of all American men who look at pornography at least monthly, according to a survey by Proven Men Ministries and conducted by Barna Group: 64

Percentage of men between the ages of 18 and 30 who view pornography at least monthly: 79

Percentage of men of all ages who think they might be addicted to pornography or are unsure if they are addicted: 18

Source: Proven Men Ministries Ltd.

Percentage of students at 37 Laureate network institutions who believe that the university of the future will provide content free online for most courses, according to a survey by Laureate Education Inc., and conducted by Zogby Analytics: 43

Percentage of the respondents who believe that most courses will be offered at all times of the day or night: 52

Source: Laureate Education Inc.

Associated with the return to classrooms by our nation's students and teachers, estimated amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2013, according to the Census Bureau: $2.6 billion

Estimated amount spent at bookstores in August 2013: $1.6 billion

Source: Census Bureau.

Estimated number of jobs that temporary help services have added so far in 2014 -- and more than 200,000 year over year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics: 100,000

Percentage of senior managers who said that when it comes to evaluating someone's work background, a long period of consistent temporary assignments is comparable to full-time employment, according to a survey by OfficeTeam: 51

Source: OfficeTeam.

Percentage of Americans who say they are spending more today than they were a year ago, according to a Gallup poll: 45

Source: Gallup Organization.

Percentage of U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17 who believe that with the legalization of marijuana, teenagers may be more likely to experiment with the drug, according to a study commissioned by Rosecrance and conducted by Wakefield Research: 76

Percentage of teenagers who believe having easier access to marijuana may accelerate teens in trying other drugs: 73

Source: Rosecrance.

Idle Thought

"Action is eloquence." -- William Shakespeare

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

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