oddities

Figuratively Speaking for February 24, 2017

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | February 24th, 2017

Percentage of millennials aged 25 to 34 who said that $25,000 or more of debt is a relationship deal-breaker, according to a survey by CentSai: 63

Percentage of respondents who said that it would be a deal-breaker if their partner had the same amount of debt as them -- regardless of the amount: 25

Percentage of respondents who said that debt has caused a decrease in sexual attraction between them and their partner: 14

Percentage who said that debt is important or very important when considering someone as a life partner: 65

Source: CentSai.

Rank of Oprah Winfrey as the most trusted, the best role model and the most liked by respondents from among several well-known entrepreneurs, including Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeffrey Bezos and Richard Branson, according to research undertaken by Fit Small Business: 1

Rank of Oprah Winfrey as the most disliked: 1

Source: Fit Small Business.

Rank of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the list of the most followed world leaders on Facebook with 40 million followers on his personal page, according to the 2017 World Leaders on Facebook study by strategic communications and global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller: 1

Rank of U.S. President Donald J. Trump with 20 million followers on his personal page: 2

Ranks of PMO India -- the official page of India's highest office (13 million followers), Queen Rania of Jordan (10 million) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (8 million): 3, 4, 5

Source: Burson-Marsteller.

Percentage of people aged 21 to 65 who say they regret rushing their career choices, with many saying they picked a university course at random because they simply didn't know what they wanted to do and felt pushed to make a decision because they were "running out of time," according to a survey by Career Hunter: 90

Source: Career Hunter.

Percentage of Americans who say the current political climate is a very or somewhat significant source of stress, according to an American Psychological Association report: 57

Percentage of people who reported at least one health symptom because of stress (up from 71 percent in August 2016) over five months: 80

Percentage of Americans who have reported specific symptoms such as headaches, feeling overwhelmed, feeling nervous or anxious, or feeling depressed or sad: 33

Source: American Psychological Association.

Ranks of California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia on the list of states where immigrants have the biggest economic impact, according to research by WalletHub: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage of the workforce in California that is foreign-born: 34.12

Percentage of STEM workers in New Jersey who are foreign born: 41

Percentage of foreign-born adults aged 25 and older in the District of Columbia with a bachelor's degree or higher: 51.5

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of workers who believe having a vacant senior manager role has an adverse impact on the team's efficiency, according to research from Robert Half: 59

Percentage of those in leadership who say the same: 70

Ranks of decreased employee morale or motivation, increased workloads, fear about job security or the relationship with a new boss, and internal competition for the new position on the list of reasons given by employees why a senior manager's departure from the organization impedes their productivity while the role remains open: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Year that Canada became self-governing, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1867

In 2015, estimated value of goods passed one way or the other across the effectively undefended border: $575 billion

Of America's population of around 322 million, number that are foreign-born: 43 million

Estimated number who are from Canada: 806,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of chief procurement officers surveyed in North America who said reducing costs is the top priority, according to findings of the Deloitte Global Chief Procurement Officer Survey 2017: 84

Percentage who say that talent is the single greatest factor in driving procurement performance: 87

Source: Deloitte.

Estimated number of U.S. credit card holders who haven't changed their preferred credit card in at least a decade, according to a CreditCards.com report: 32 million

Number who have never switched: 21 million

Source: Creditcards.com.

Idle Thought

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." -- Edith Wharton, novelist

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

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for February 17, 2017

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | February 17th, 2017

Percentage of divorcees who say that finances played at least "somewhat" of a role in their divorces (20 percent believe it played a "big" role), according to a survey by Experian: 59

Percentage who say their spouse's credit score was a source of stress in the marriage: 36

Source: Experian Marketing Services.

Month that community activist and civil rights icon Rosa Parks was born, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: February 1913

When she was arrested in 1955, number of years, on average, that black children attended school: 7

Now, percentage of African-American adults who have at least a high school diploma: 85

Estimated number who are enrolled in college as graduate or undergraduate students: 3.4 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of Americans who admit they're more likely to wash their hands after seeing a sign that requires employees to wash before returning to work, according to the Healthy Hand Washing Survey conducted by Bradley Corp.: 50

Percentage who say the presence of other people causes them to either make sure they wash their hands or wash longer or more thoroughly: 40

Source: Bradley Corp.

When asked who's responsible for keeping spirits high on the job, percentage of North American workers who said it was their responsibility alone, according to a study from Robert Half and Happiness Works: 25

Percentage who said it was all in their company's hands: 5

Percentage of respondents who cited a combination of the two: 70

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Over the last 12 months ending November 2016, number of miles driven by Americans, according to research by Convergex: 3.215 billion

Number of equivalent round trips to/from the sun this would equal: 17

Source: Convergex.

Approximate number of Americans who have concealed a bank or credit card account from their live-in spouse, partner or significant other, according to a CreditCards.com survey: 12 million

Percentage of older baby boomers, those ages 63 to 71, who have had a secret account: 11

Percentage of millennials who have had a secret account: 3

Source: Creditcards.com.

Average amount that U.S. consumers spent this Valentine's Day, down from last year's record high $146.84, according to an annual Valentine's Day survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics: $136.57

Amount spent on flowers: $2 billion

Amount spent on an evening out: $3.8 billion

Amount spent on jewelry: $4.3 billion

Source: NRF.

Despite 44 percent of parents reporting improvements in school cafeteria meals within the last five years, percentage of parents who opt to pack a lunch, according to a Nielsen survey: 51

Percentage of consumers who want to set good examples for their families by eating healthier: 41

Regardless of price, percentage of consumers who are willing to pay more if it equals a healthier choice: 55

Source: Nielsen Insights.

Percentage of consumers who report they like to work out with music, according to research commissioned by Jabra: 81

Ranks of pop, rap and dance on the list of favorite genres to exercise by: 1, 2, 3

Source: Jabra.

Percentage of U.S. adults who currently have estate planning documents such as a will or living trust, according to a Caring.com report: 42

Percentage of U.S. adults who have granted someone legal authorization to make decisions on their medical care if they are unable to do so: 53

Ranks of "I just haven't gotten around to it" and "I don't have enough assets to leave to anyone" on the list of reasons given by those who don't have estate documents: 1, 2

Source: Caring.com.

Idle Thought

"If I knew of something that could serve my nation but would ruin another, I would not propose it to my prince, for I am first a man and only then a Frenchman ... because I am necessarily a man, and only accidentally am I French."

-- Montesquieu, philosopher, lawyer and writer (1689-1755)

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

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for February 10, 2017

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | February 10th, 2017

Year the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, authorizing Congress to levy taxes on income, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1903

In 2015, amount paid by individuals in federal income tax: $1.9 trillion

Amount paid in state and local income taxes: $348 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of workers who said they are stressed at work on a day-to-day basis, according to a survey by staffing firm Accountemps: 52

Percentage of CFOs who acknowledged their teams are stressed: 54

Ranks of heavy workloads and looming deadlines (33 percent), attaining work-life balance (22 percent) and unrealistic expectations of managers (22 percent) on the list of the top worries cited by employees: 1, 2 (tie)

Source: Accountemps.

Aside from finding a new job, percentage of workers who said this year's New Year's resolution is to save more of my pay, up from 38 percent last year, according to a new CareerBuilder survey: 49

Percentage who resolve to be less stressed, up from 28 percent last year: 38

Percentage who aim to get a raise or promotion, up from 26 percent last year: 30

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of adults ages 36 to 51 (Generation X) who say that if they could sign a contract today guaranteeing that they live to see their 100th birthday, they would, according to a study conducted by Ipsos on behalf of MDVIP: 60

Percentage of those who say that they would sign regardless of their physical or mental condition: 11

Percentage who say that they would only do so if they were guaranteed to be in good mental/brain health: 31

Percentage who would only sign if they were guaranteed to be in good physical health: 10

Source: MDVIP.

The average cost of a wedding in 2016, an all-time high, according the results of The Knot's 2016 Real Weddings Study of U.S. brides and grooms married that year: $35,329

On average, percentage of the overall wedding budget that is paid for by the bride's parents: 44

Percentage that is paid by the bride and groom: 42

Percentage paid by the groom's parents: 13

Source: The Knot.

Ranks of saving money, eating healthy and wasting less food on the list of the top three reasons for meal planning, according to a national survey by Peapod and ORC: 1, 2, 3

Source: Peapod.

Percentage of U.S. travelers surveyed who cited a trip within the U.S. as their primary vacation destination for 2017, according to The Travelzoo survey: 60

While affordability was an influence on travel plans, percentage who said they would pay more for their vacation if it meant increased security: 72

Percentage of travelers who agreed that the global economy and stronger dollar make travel to Europe and other destinations outside the U.S. more desirable in 2017: 50

Source: Travelzoo.

Percentage of small businesses that do not have a business succession plan in place, according to a Nationwide survey: 60

Percentage of business owners who simply believe it is not necessary: 47

Percentage of business owners who neglect succession planning because they don't want to give up their life's work: 14

Source: Nationwide.

Percentage of Americans who said they would likely let their kids play a dangerous sport like football, according to a survey by Ipsos conducted following the 2017 Super Bowl: 73

Of those who wouldn't let kid play football, percentage who sited the risk of physical injuries: 69

Percentage who cites the risk of brain injuries: 75

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Idle Thought

"Reading is not just an escape. It is access to a better way of life." -- Karin Slaughter, novelist

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

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