Percentage of Americans who say men face a lot of pressure to support their family financially, according to a Pew Research survey: 76

Percentage who say the same of women: 40

Percentage of Americans who say men feel pressured to be successful in their job or career: 68

Percentage who say the same of women: 44

Percentage who say women face a lot of pressure to be an involved parent: 77

Percentage who say the same of men: 49

Percentage of women who feel pressured to be physically attractive: 71

Percentage who say the same of men: 27

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Percentage of people across 28 participating nations who believe their country is on the wrong track -- with Mexico, Brazil, Spain and Italy recording the highest levels of concern, according to a survey by Ipsos: 58

Ranks of financial/political corruption, unemployment, poverty/social inequality, crime and violence, and health care on the list of the top concerns on the world's worry list: 1, 2(tie), 4, 5

Rank of crime and violence among U.S. concerns: 1

Ranks of health care, terrorism, immigration control and corruption on the U.S. list of concerns: 2, 3, 4 (tie)

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of drivers who believe distracted driving is on the rise, topping other risky behaviors, according to a survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: 88

Ranks of aggressive driving, drivers using drugs, and drunk driving on the list of risky behaviors: 2, 3, 4

Source: AAA.

Number of hours Americans spend doing their taxes each year, according to research by WalletHub: 8.1 billion

Number of hours the average person spends completing his or her federal taxes: 15

Amount of money the average person spends completing them: $270

Percentage of taxpayers who get a federal tax refund: 70

Average refund in 2018: $2,925

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of Americans who feel the urge to improve the appearance of their homes when they see their neighbors doing it first, according to a survey by Wakefield research conducted for Home Depot: 50

Percentage of millennials who admitted to feeling this pressure: 70

Percentage of these millennials who responded to it by completing a home improvement project specifically to outshine their neighbor: 50

Source: Home Depot.

Interest rate charged by the average gas-station-branded credit card -- nearly 7 percentage points higher than the national average for all credit cards (though many come with rewards that can't match up to a typical general-purpose credit card), according to a CreditCards.com analysis of 28 widely available gas cards: 23.61

Source: CreditCards.com.

Percentage of Americans who use AM/FM radio each week, more than any other platform, including TV, smartphones and tablets, according to Nielsen's April 2018 Audio Today Report: 93

Each week, number of listeners aged 6 and older who are using radio: 270 million

Ranks of country (13.2 percent share of the national audience) and news/talk (12.3 percent) on the list of the top formats in America last year: 1, 2

Source: Nielsen.

Percentage of U.S. broadband households that switched, downgraded or canceled their pay-TV service in the past 12 months, according to research by Parks Associates: 10

Rank of "service wasn't worth the monthly cost" and "new service costs less than old service" on the list of factors influencing the decision to make a pay-TV change: 1, 2

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of executives who say their executive assistant is important to their success, according to a survey by OfficeTeam: 100

Average number of minutes senior managers said their administrative professional's efforts save them daily: 101

Number of hours this adds up to weekly -- the equivalent of a full work day: 8

Source: OfficeTeam.

Percentage of organizations that have a formal sexual harassment policy in place, according to an XpertHR survey: 92

Percentage that plan to update their policies in 2018: 38

Percentage of companies that currently offer sexual harassment prevention training: 75

Source: XpertHR.

Idle Thought

"The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it." -- Jean Paul Richter, writer

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

Rank of "failing to make eye contact" as the biggest body language mistake job seekers make during an interview, according to a CareerBuilder survey of employers: 1

Rank of "failing to smile": 2

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Ranks of food and groceries, clothing, household items, takeout and shoes on the list of the top impulse purchases, according to a survey conducted for Slickdeals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage of Americans who buy the candy at the checkout register: 25

Percentage who impulsively buy food after passing a nearby restaurant: 32

Percentage of Americans who buy a pair of shoes when they see them in the store: 25

Source: Slickdeals.

Number of Americans who plan to take family vacations this year, according to research from AAA Travel: 88 million

Percentage of millennials who are planning a family getaway, more than members of Generation X (39 percent) or baby boomers (32 percent): 44

Of families who will take a trip this year, percentage who plan to visit an international destination -- a 9 percentage point increase from just two years ago: 35

Ranks of Cancun, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Rome; and Dublin, Ireland, on the list of the most likely international destinations for families: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: AAA.

Percentage of U.S. homeowners who plan a home improvement project to save money, according to a Coinstar survey: 65

Percentage of DIYers who will create a budget and use cash on hand to pay for projects: 70

Percentage who say they've left a project incomplete because they ran out of money: 30

Source: Coinstar.

Percentage of Americans who report using their own vehicle to get around daily, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos on transportation habits: 75

Percentage of Americans who own at least one vehicle who say that there is nothing that would make them consider not owning a car/owning fewer cars: 39

Percentage who say they opt to walk every day to get places: 10

Percentage who get around using public transportation: 5

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of obese Americans who say they suffer from foot pain and at times experience multiple foot and ankle conditions, according to a survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association: 81

Percentage of overweight Americans who say they experience foot problems: 74

Of those who experienced foot pain all or most of the time, percentage who said they would walk more if their feet didn't hurt: 79

Percentage who said they would exercise more: 72

Source: American Podiatric Medical Association.

Percentage of U.S. adults who strongly believe their spouse or partner is honest with them about money, according to a report from CreditCards.com: 52

Percentage who wholeheartedly believe they themselves are honest with their significant other when it comes to finances: 61

Percentage of all couples who say they never discuss their combined finance: 11

Source: CreditCards.com.

Ranks of "overall health and well-being" and "weight management" on the list of the top reasons Americans include more plant-based proteins in their diet, according to a Nielsen survey: 1, 2

Percentage of consumers who say that a balanced diet is key to healthy eating: 59

Source: Nielsen Analytics.

Percentage of Americans who are placing a higher priority on beefing up their emergency savings this year, according to a Bankrate.com report: 53

Percentage who are more motivated to pay down debt: 40

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of CFOs who are at least somewhat active on social media, according to a Robert Half Management Resources: 77

Ranks of Facebook and LinkedIn on the list of the most popular social networks for financial executives: 1, 2

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Idle Thought

"Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." -- Plato

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

Percentage of working Americans who are failing to save any of their income, according to a study from Bankrate.com: 20

Percentage who cite expenses as their biggest savings obstacle: 39

Percentage who said their job doesn't pay enough to allow them to save: 16

Percentage who said they "haven't gotten around to it": 16

Percentage who cited debt: 13

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of parents who believe that the more curious children are the more likely they are to be successful as adults, according to a survey for Baby Einstein: 94

Ranks of being creative, learning new things faster and more easily, and thinking critically on the list of the top areas that curious kids excel in over their less curious peers: 1, 2, 3

Source: Baby Einstein.

Percentage of workers who admitted they come in late for work at least once a month -- down from 29 percent last year -- according to a CareerBuilder survey: 25

Percentage who said it was a weekly occurrence: 12

Ranks of traffic, oversleeping, bad weather and too tired to get out of bed on the list of the usual excuses why employees are late to work: 1, 2, 3, 4

Percentage of employers who have fired someone for being late: 43

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

When comparing pay between genders overall in the U.S., percentage more that men are paid than women -- in line with other research on the subject, according to the Korn Ferry Gender Pay Index research: 17.6

When comparing the salaries of men and women at the same job level, percentage difference in pay: 7

When comparing the same level within the same company, percentage difference in pay: 2.6

When comparing same level, same company, same function -- percentage difference in pay: 0.9

Source: Korn/Ferry International.

When asked to pick a late-night celebrity to work on their car, percentage of vehicle owners who selected Jimmy Kimmel, according to a survey by the non-profit Car Care Council: 28

Ranks of Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah on the list of: 2, 3, 4

Source: Car Care Council.

Percentage of workers who have admitted to crying at work, according to a survey from staffing firm Accountemps: 45

Percentage of workers who say crying has no negative effect -- it shows you are human: 31

Percentage who said crying is never acceptable at work -- people will perceive you as weak or immature: 32

Source: Accountemps.

Percentage of Americans who plan to do some spring cleaning, spending an average of four days on the process, according to a poll by Sparefoot: 78

Percentage who will shop for new spring clothing, according to a poll by the International Council of Shopping Centers: 57

Source: Goodwill.

Percentage of Americans who report unplugging from work completely while taking time off, according to the Alamo family vacation survey: 37

Percentage who say they put pressure on themselves to work during family vacations: 59

Percentage who say they do so to avoid coming back to a mountain of work: 57

Source: Alamo Rent A Car.

Percentage of Americans who assert that they definitely need to have a vehicle to get to work, according to findings from an Ipsos poll: 78

Percentage of Americans who agree with the sentiment that their car reflects who they are and that it is a reflection of their personality or self: 81

Percentage who consider themselves as someone who is passionate about cars, trucks, motorcycles or other vehicles: 59

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of millennials who are considering rewarding themselves after completing their tax return, 4 percentage points higher than the general population, according to a survey by eBay: 71

Ranks of new electronics, a new wardrobe and a night out at a restaurant or bar on the list of things Americans plan to reward themselves with: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of Americans who plan to spend their entire refund on a tech purchase: 20

Percentage of millennials who are planning to spend their entire refund on a new car: 37

Source: eBay.

Idle Thought

"It's best to give while your hand is still warm." -- Philip Roth, novelist

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