oddities

Figuratively Speaking for May 04, 2018

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | May 4th, 2018

Estimated number of moms in the United States, according to research by Happyworker.com: 82.5 million

Average age of new moms: 25

Average age in 1970: 21

Number of children modern moms have, on average: 2

Number in 1950s: 3.5

Number in 1700s: 7 to 10

Percentage of moms with children over 1 year old who work: 72

Percentage in 1976: 39

Source: Happyworker.com.

Percentage increase in the average Wall Street bonus since 2009, according to figures from the New York State Comptroller: 31

Amount of the average Wall Street bonus in 2009: $140,620

Amount of the average Wall Street bonus in 2017: $184,220

Typical "tax reform bonus" received by taxpayers after passage of 2017 tax reform legislation: $1,000

Source: Institute for Policy Studies.

Percentage of the U.S. population who live in multigenerational households, according to Pew Research: 20 Number of Americans this represents: 64 million

Source: Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends.

Percentage of Americans who will celebrate Mother's Day, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics: 86

Total projected spending for this event: $23.1 billion

Average amount spent per person: $180

Source: NRF.

Percentage of Americans who find frequent flyer programs confusing, according to a study by NextAdvisor: 54

Percentage of frequent flyers who have let miles expire: 40

Percentage who don't know how many miles they have: 35

Percentage of Americans who say they are perplexed by credit card rewards plans: 44

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of U.S. consumers who use one to five passwords to access all of their online applications, according to a survey by The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company: 44

Percentage who use 11 to 20 passwords: 11

Percentage who use 21 to 50 passwords: 9

Percentage who use more than 50 passwords: 4

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of U.S. women who prefer a man with facial hair, according to research by ORC International on behalf of Wahl: 58

Percentage who prefer a clean-shaven face: 42

Percentage of women who find facial hair attractive: 65

Percentage who describe men with facial hair as masculine or handsome: 57

Ranks of stubble and a well-groomed beard on the preference list: 1, 2

Source: ORC International.

Percentage of business owners who say Small Business Week does not actually help their business, according to survey by WalletHub: 89

Percentage of small business owners who say now is a good time for businesses to grow: 7

Percentage of small business owners who said access to a talented workforce is the most important factor for small business success: 38

Percentage who cited limited regulation: 25

Percentage who said low taxes: 21

Source: WalletHub.

In the United States, percentage of cannabis consumers who exercise at least once a week, compared to 70 percent of the American general population, according to the results from the third annual Cannabis Culture Poll: 73

Percentage of Americans who consume cannabis: 22

Estimated percentage of Americans who say they support medical legalization: 66

Source: Civilized Worldwide Inc.

Average number of minutes more sleep per school night students in grades seven and eight get when school starts at 8 a.m., rather than 7:20 a.m., according to a study by the Children's National Health System: 17

Number of hours that totals per school year: 51

According to state-level data, percentage of middle school students who skimp on receiving eight hours of sleep each night, even though nine hours of sleep is optimal: 38 to 53

Source: The Children's National Health System.

Idle Thought

"Kindness is always fashionable." -- Amelia Barr, novelist

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

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for April 27, 2018

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | April 27th, 2018

Percentage of major credit card holders who asked for a late fee waiver who were successful the most recent time they requested one, according to a CreditCard.com report: 84

Percentage who were able to get an annual fee lowered or eliminated: 70

Percentage of those who inquired about a higher credit limit who were successful: 85

Percentage who asked for a lower interest rate who got one: 56

Source: CreditCards.com.

Percentage of women who do not think they are making the same pay as men in their organization, though they possess similar experience and qualifications, according to a survey by CareerBuilder: 32

Percentage of men who said the same: 12

Percentage of women who never expect to reach above an entry-level role, compared to 9 percent of men: 25

Percentage of women who don't expect to reach a salary over $50,000 during their career, compared to 17 percent of men: 35

Percentage of men who expect to reach a six-figure salary, compared to 22 percent of women: 47

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of professionals who think changing roles every few years can be beneficial, with the biggest perk being a higher salary, according to research from Robert Half: 64

In a separate survey, percentage of CFOs who say they are unlikely to hire a candidate with a history of job hopping because they want to avoid losing them in the future: 44

When asked the number of role changes in 10 years that constitute a job hopper, number cited by professionals: 5

Number cited by CFOs: 6

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Percentage of people who said their biggest Tax Day fear is making a math mistake on their taxes, according to research by WalletHub: 30

Ranks of "not having enough money," "identity theft" and "getting audited" on the list of biggest fears: 2, 3,4

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of people who say they abandoned filling out at least one online form recently, according to a survey by The Manifest: 80

Percentage who cited security concerns as their reason: 29

Percentage who said they quit because the forms were too long: 27

Percentage who abandon an online form who are unlikely to return to complete it: 67

Source: The Manifest.

Percentage of Americans who believe that homosexual teachers should be allowed to teach in schools, according to a survey by Adam and Eve: 87

Percentage who said they did not think gays and lesbians be allowed to teach: 6

Source: Adam and Eve.

Percentage of global respondents who said they were unsure, but intrigued by the idea of self-driving cars, according to a study by Ipsos, on behalf of Ipsos Global Advisor: 58

Percentage who said they would never use them: 3

Percentage who are excited to use the cars and can't wait to do so: 30

Ranks of "parking," "commuting" and "driving on the highway" on the list of responses when asked which self-driving car features they were likely to use most often: 1, 2, 3

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

When employees were asked what they wish millennial bosses would do more of, percentage who said face-to-face communications, according to a new Korn Ferry survey: 29

Percentage who said millennial bosses could do more to keep their superiors informed: 27

When asked what millennial bosses do best, percentage who said creating flexibility in the workplace: 65

Source: Korn Ferry International.

Percentage of apartment renters who would pay more for a package of their top-three smart home amenities (i.e. security cameras, keyless entry, smart thermostats), according to a survey conducted by Entrata: 75

Percentage of residents who would be willing to increase their monthly rent by $20 to have these amenities: 57

Source: Entrata.

On average, amount that members of a wedding party spend on the wedding, bachelor or bachelorette party, and shower (including gifts, travel, attire and more), according to a Bankrate.com report: $728

Average amount that guests attending weddings for a close friend or family member, but not as part of the wedding party, spend on the wedding and associated pre-parties: $628

Average amount that those attending the wedding, bachelor or bachelorette party, and shower for a more distant friend or family member spend: $372

Source: Bankrate.com.

Idle Thought

"Evidence is the only good reason to believe anything." -- Richard Dawkins, biologist and author

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

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for April 20, 2018

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | April 20th, 2018

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.)

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