oddities

Figuratively Speaking for October 20, 2017

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | October 20th, 2017

Percentage of CFOs who said employees should arrive on time so others can rely on them during set hours, according to research from Accountemps: 43

Percentage who said it's OK if they are occasionally late as long as it's not a pattern and people don't perceive them as slacking off: 47

Percentage who said that it doesn't matter as long as they get their work done on time: 10

Percentage of workers who said their productivity has suffered because a colleague arrived late: 43

Source: Accountemps.

Ranks of action/superhero, a "Batman" character, princess, animal and Spider-Man on the list of favored children's costumes this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation: 1, 2 (tie), 4, 5

Ranks of witch, a "Batman" character, animal, pirate and a Marvel superhero on the list of costumes most favored by adults: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: NRF.

Percentage of Americans who make impulsive purchases, either online or in-store, according to a survey by Finder.com: 96

When it comes to online, percentage of Americans who admit to spending impulsively: 87

Estimated annual impulse spending: $17.78 billion

Source: Finder.com

Percentage of women who prefer less home square footage and larger yards, according to a survey done on behalf of Taylor Morrison: 62

Percentage of men who have the same preference: 51

When asked what home shoppers would spend an extra $10,000 to $15,000 on in their new homes, rank of outdoor living items, beating out features such as upgraded cabinets and kitchen islands: 1

Source: Taylor Morrison.

Percentage of employed Americans who would still go to work even if they were feeling ill with flu-like symptoms, according to a survey on behalf of CVS Pharmacy: 65

Percentage of Americans who protect themselves from catching the flu by getting the flu vaccine: 52

Percentage of Americans who regularly use hand sanitizer to stop the spreading of germs: 41

Percentage who also report protecting themselves from the flu by drinking more water: 55

Source: CVS Pharmacy.

When considering which food items to add to the shopping cart, ranks of claims of being made with fruits and vegetables (62 percent), high in fiber (57 percent), natural flavors (55 percent), low sodium (52 percent) and low sugar/sugar-free (51 percent) that are most likely to sway parents to purchase a product, according to a Nielsen survey: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Nielsen Insights.

Value of the global wellness industry, according to research by the Global Wellness Institute: $3.7 trillion

Value of the key sectors of beauty and anti-aging: $999 billion

Value of healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss: $648 billion

Value of wellness tourism: $563 billion

Source: Global Wellness Institute.

In industries dominated by women or older adults, percentage by which the rate of substance abuse is lower, according to analysis from the National Safety Council, NORC at the University of Chicago and Shatterproof: 66

Number of times higher than average that health care costs are for employees who misuse or abuse prescription drugs: 3

Annual cost to taxpayers of addictions, also known as substance use disorders: $440 billion

Source: National Safety Council.

Expected cost to consumers in extra interest charges in 2017 due to the Federal Reserve's flurry of recent rate hikes, according to WalletHub: $6 billion

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of IT professionals who listed cybersecurity a top priority, according to an industry survey conducted at the New York Tech Summit: 49

Percentage of respondents who indicated they spend up to half of their organization's budget on security-related products and services: 26

Source: NY Tech Summit.

Idle Thought

"There is a fountain of youth: It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will have truly defeated age." -- Sophia Loren, actor

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

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for October 13, 2017

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | October 13th, 2017

Percentage of small business owners who say it was a challenge to access funding for their ventures, according to a survey by Reliant Funding: 28

Percentage who said they had been denied a loan from their bank: 30

Percentage of respondents who stated that the biggest challenge facing their small business is finding skilled workers: 35

Source: Reliant Funding.

Projected amount that Americans will spend on costumes, candy and pumpkins for Halloween this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation: $9.1 billion

Estimated number of Americans who plan to partake in Halloween festivities, up from 171 million in 2016: 179 million

Projected amount that the average consumer will spend: $86.13

Source: NRF.

Percentage of workers who say they've seen a colleague leave the restroom without washing his or her hands, according to a survey by Bradley Corp.: 61

Percentage of Americans who ramp up their hand-washing practices during flu season: 70

Source: Bradley Corp.

Percentage of Americans who don't realize credit scores affect cellphone bills, according to a survey by WalletHub: 70

Percentage who say credit reports are easier to understand than cellphone agreements: 76

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of Americans who plan to start holiday shopping before Nov. 1, according to a survey by RetailMeNot Inc.: 45

Percentage of retailers will capitalize on this earlier start by beginning their holiday marketing efforts earlier this year: 80

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Percentage of workers who say they "hate" or "tolerate" their job, according to a CareerBuilder survey: 28

Of those who tolerate or hate their job, ranks of "need to pay the bills," "its proximity to home," "needing the insurance" and "it pays well" on the list of the top reasons for staying in a current position: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Ranks of the fashion, technology, sports and entertainment industries on the list of those industries where Americans believe older customers are not as well served as other customers: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: AARP.

Percentage of American adults who would vacation alone (with 28 percent having already done so, and 19 percent being open to it someday): 47

Percentage of respondents who said they would not leave the U.S. even if all expenses were paid: 7

Source: Cashlorette.com.

Average number of resumes that advertising and marketing executives say they receive from professionals in the creative field for an open position, according to research by The Creative Group: 32

Average number of candidates they interview before filling a role: 7

Average number of weeks it takes to fill an open staff-level position: 5

Source: The Creative Group.

Percentage of companies that have a college internship program, according to a survey by Korn Ferry: 63

Percentage of these organizations who say the program helps identify the best students to hire upon graduation: 88

Source: Korn/Ferry International.

Idle Thought

"Read. Read anything. Read the things they say are good for you, and the things they claim are junk. You'll find what you need to find. Just read." -- Neil Gaiman, author

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

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for October 06, 2017

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | October 6th, 2017

Percentage of parents with only boys who have money saved for their kids' college, compared to 39 percent of parents with only girls who have money saved, according to T. Rowe Price survey of parents of children of one gender: 50

Percentage of parents of all boys who say they will be able to cover the entire cost of college, compared with only 8 percent of parents of all girls: 17

Percentage of parents of all boys who say that saving for their kids' education is a greater priority than saving for retirement, compared to 50 percent of parents of all girls who said that college savings is a greater priority: 68

Source: T. Rowe Price.

Percentage of Americans who admit to carrying a balance on their credit card from month to month, according to a study by CreditCards.com: 28

Of those who carry credit card debt, percentage who have been carrying a balance for at least two years (29 million people), including 15 million who have been in credit card debt for at least five years: 43

Ranks of "just keeping up with day-to-day expenses," retail purchases, paying medical bills, home repairs, vacation expenses and car repairs on the list of reasons for credit card debt: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Source: CreditCards.com.

Percentage of professionals who said they would be comfortable reporting to a manager who's younger than they are, according to a survey by OfficeTeam: 82

Percentage who said they wouldn't mind supervising employees older than themselves: 91

Rank of "dissimilar work ethics or values" and "leadership or learning styles" on the list of the biggest challenges with having a younger boss: 1, 2

Rank of "using technology in different ways" on the list of the top struggles when managing someone who's older: 1

Source: OfficeTeam.

Number of tailgating parties per season that the typical tailgater attends or hosts, according to research by FieldAgent: 6 to 10

Number of hours before kickoff the party begins: 3 to 4

Source: Field Agent.

Percentage of males who said they lost their virginity before the age of 13, according to a survey by Adam & Eve: 5

Percentage of females who said the same: 2

Percentage of females (49 percent of the males) who admitted they first had sex between ages 13 and 18: 52

Percentage of females (34 percent of the males) who said they first had intercourse between ages 18 and 23: 38

Percentage of women (12 percent of the men) who were over age 23: 8

Source: Adam & Eve.

When it comes to milestones associated with becoming a financially mature adult, percentage of millennials (defined as being ages 22 to 37) who are most likely to rate "having a steady job/income" as the most significant, according to a study conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Amino and Earnest: 54

Ranks of buying a home, moving out of your parents' home, buying or leasing your own car, and being able to afford having a child on the list of the most significant milestones associated with being a financially mature adult: 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs

Percentage of Americans who believe that having trees in their community makes them happier, according to a 2017 survey conducted by Wakefield Research: 94

Percentage of people who believe having trees in their community inspires them to be active outdoors: 60

Percentage who say that trees in their communities help them relieve stress: 46

Source: Arbor Day Foundation.

Percentage of big-city dwellers (and 80 percent of baby boomers) who want to live in their existing big city when they are 80-plus years old, according to the results of a survey commissioned by Welltower: 70

Rank of access to high-quality health care on the list of factors when considering where they want to live at 80-plus, though most believe big cities need more options for senior care: 1

Source: Welltower Inc.

Percentage of parents who feel they know more about celebrity gossip, daily news stories, and what their Facebook friends are up to than they know about their child's day at school, according to findings from ClassDojo: 48

Percentage of parents who fear they're missing out on the key moments in their child's school day: 58

Percentage of parents who find it nearly impossible to maintain strong relationships with everyone involved in their child's education: 53

Source: Wyzant.

Percentage of people who snack while in bed, according to a survey by Punchbowl: 50

Percentage who say they've eaten a snack to prevent themselves from having a meltdown in public: 25

Percentage who snack while walking the aisles of the grocery store: 27

Source: Punchbowl.

Idle Thought

"The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there." -- Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher

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

Next up: More trusted advice from...

  • A Reminder To Be Aware of Financial Stumbling Blocks
  • Two Views on Whether the Stock Market Has Hit Bottom
  • Inflation Points to Bigger Social Security Checks and 401(K) Contributions
  • Safest Bet: Toss All Food from Open Freezer
  • Can We Take Sleep Aids Every Night?
  • Do Your Research and Avoid Lead, BPA in Canned Goods
  • Last Word in Astrology for August 18, 2022
  • Last Word in Astrology for August 17, 2022
  • Last Word in Astrology for August 16, 2022
UExpressLifeParentingHomePetsHealthAstrologyOdditiesA-Z
AboutContactSubmissionsTerms of ServicePrivacy Policy
©2022 Andrews McMeel Universal