Percentage of Americans who won't go on vacation this summer because they can't afford it, according to a Bankrate.com report: 24

Percentage who won't take a vacation because they have too many family obligations: 12

Percentage who say they are too busy at work: 11

Source: Bankrate.com.

Ranks of physical/health (30 percent), career (23 percent) and relationships (13 percent) on the list of areas where Americans most want to make meaningful change, according to a survey conducted by Brant Menswar and Jim Trick, co-authors of the book, "Rock 'N' Roll With It: Overcoming the Challenge of Change": 1, 2, 3

Percentage who said that the most difficult change happened unexpectedly: 60

Percentage who experienced difficulty when they were intentionally trying to make a change: 39

Source: "Rock 'N' Roll With It: Overcoming the Challenge of Change."

Percentage of parents who agree that their child is more interested in toys that encourage curiosity for a longer period of time than toys that don't encourage discovery or exploration, according to a survey commissioned by Baby Einstein: 90

Percentage who note that nothing makes them feel more confident in their parenting skills than watching their child explore something new: 97

Source: Baby Einstein.

Ranks of greeting cards -- many of them with cash inside -- (43 percent), gift cards (32 percent), apparel (14 percent) and electronics (10 percent) on the list of the most popular gifts for graduates, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: NRF.

Percentage of workers who can't unplug while on vacation and regularly check in, according to research from Accountemps: 56

Average number of workdays employees plan to take off this summer -- down from 10 days last year: 9

Percentage of respondents ages 18 to 34 who plan to maintain contact with work this summer, compared to 39 percent of those ages 55-plus: 70

Source: Accountemps.

When consumers in an Equifax survey were asked to grade themselves on their basic level of financial literacy, percentage who gave themselves a "B": 39

Percentage between the ages of 18 and 29 who gave themselves a "B": 29

When asked the source of their finance and credit knowledge, percentage of respondents who selected their parents: 43

Percentage of respondents who said they would willingly participate in a financial literacy education program if it were free and easily available: 52

Source: Equifax.

Rank of the Bulleit old fashioned on the list of the most popular cocktails in bars today, according to a survey of the world's best bartenders by Diageo: 1

Ranks of Negroni, whiskey sour, margarita and Moscow mule: 2, 3, 4, 5,

Source: Diageo.

Percentage of credit card holders who have carried a balance within the past six months, according to a new CreditCards.com report: 66

Of these, percentage who definitely know the interest rates on all of the cards on which they owe money: 39

Percentage who admit they definitely don't know any of their rates: 32

Source: CreditCards.com.

In an online survey of home cooks, ranks of "large product variety," "low prices" and "convenient location" on the list of the top points cited when asked what influences their preferred grocery shopping location, according to Allrecipes: 1, 2, 3

Percentage who said home grocery delivery was "very important" in determining where they shop: 10

Source: Allrecipes.com.

Ranks of Holland, Michigan; St. George, Utah; Aberdeen, South Dakota; and Wilson, North Carolina, on the 2018 list of the best cities to start a small business, according to research by WalletHub: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: WalletHub.

Idle Thought

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." -- Oscar Wilde

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

Percentage of working hours that CFOs estimate they spend coaching underperforming employees, according to research by Robert Half: 26

Percentage of CFOs who thought making a poor hiring decision negatively affected the morale of their team: 91

Source: Robert Half.

Percentage of Americans who would switch political parties for a tax-free future, according to research by WalletHub: 22

Percentage who would move to a different country: 37

Percentage who would get an "IRS" tattoo: 24

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of people who say traveling to their destination is often as much fun as the actual vacation destination, according to a study by the National Association of Convenience Stores: 69

Ranks of travel by car, air and train on the list of the ways vacationers travel: 1, 2, 3

Source: National Association of Convenience Stores.

Number of legal medical marijuana patients in the United States, according to research by ProCon.org: 2.1 million

Per capita legal medical marijuana patients in Maine (the highest in the U.S.): 38.42 per 1,000

National average: 10.79 per 1,000

Source: ProCon.org.

Percentage of employers who say they plan to hire college graduates this year, according to a CareerBuilder survey: 80

Percentage who plan to offer recent graduates higher pay than last year: 47

Percentage who will be paying a starting salary of $50,000 or more: 33

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of Americans who said the main trigger for impulsive purchases is a fear of missing out (on a deal, to a run on stock, would later forget, etc.), according to a survey by Finder.com: 53

Percentage who said they simply didn't have a reason not to make the purchase: 37

Source: Finder.com.

Percentage of Americans who say they grill, with 41 percent grilling at least once a week, according to results from a Cargill survey: 72

Ranks of steak, hamburgers, chicken and pork chops/ribs on the list of America's favorite grilling options: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Cargill.

Percentage of Americans who agree that the design of a product's packaging often influences their purchase decisions when selecting which products to buy, according to an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of the Paper and Packaging Board: 72

Percentage of Americans who also agree that paper and cardboard packaging is less wasteful than other packaging and more in line with today's expectations than packaging made from other materials: 84

Source: Ipsos Observer.

Percentage of enterprises that are considered digitally "superior," having fully implemented technologies like automation, artificial intelligence and collaboration tools in the workplace, as well as having invested in strategies for training or "reskilling" workers to be digitally savvy, according to results from Randstad's Workplace 2025 -- The Post-Digital Frontier study: 10

Percentage of companies that are still "developing": 52

Source: Randstad.

Percentage of consumers who have experienced a cyber attack in the previous 12 months, according to a survey by Zogby for The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company: 33

Rank of a computer virus or other type of unwanted software on the list of the most common type of damage: 1

Percentage of victims who reported this type of damage: 81

Source: Zogby International.

Idle Thought

"When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become president. I'm beginning to believe it." -- Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (1857-1938)

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

Percentage of Americans who say their biggest financial regret is not saving enough, according to a Bankrate.com report: 39

Percentage who wish they started saving for retirement earlier: 18

Percentage who regret not saving enough for emergency expenses: 14

Percentage who would have liked to have saved more for their children's education: 7

Source: Bankrate.com.

Since 2013, percentage rise in the proportion of drivers who report talking on a cellphone regularly or fairly often when behind the wheel, according to a survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: 46

Percentage of drivers who report recently talking on a hand-held phone while driving: 49

Percentage who have sent a text or email: 35

Despite their behavior, percentage of drivers who say talking on a cellphone behind the wheel is a very serious threat to their personal safety: 58

Percentage who believe that texting is a significant danger: 78

Estimated number of deaths on U.S. roads in 2016: 37,000

Source: AAA.

When asked in an open-ended question what traits society values most in men, ranks of honesty and morality (33 percent), professional or financial success (23 percent), ambition or leadership (19 percent), strength or toughness (19 percent) and a good work ethic (18 percent) on the list of traits mentioned, according to a Pew research study: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of physical attractiveness (35 percent) and nurturing and empathy (30 percent) on the list of traits mentioned for women: 1, 2

Percentage of people in our society who look up to men who are manly or masculine: 53

Percentage who say society looks up to feminine women: 32

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Out of China's population of 1.4 billion, estimated number more males there are than females -- the equivalent of almost the entire population of California or Poland, according to a piece in The Washington Post: 34 million

Estimated number more males there are than females in India, according to its most recent census: 37 million

Source: The Washington Post.

Projected total spending on cards, gifts and cash for college and high school graduates, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics: $5.2 billion

Average amount spent per person buying graduation gifts: $102.51

Percentage of respondents who will give cash as they seek to help students with the costly transition from high school to college or college to the "real world": 55

Source: NRF.

Percentage of Americans who say they need a vacation more this year than last year, according to a survey by WalletHub: 49

Projected amount the average adult will spend on summer travel this year: $6,237

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of employees who consider the ability to take a lunch break critical when accepting a new job, according to research by Tork, an Essity brand: 90

Once they are on the job, average lunch break for more than half of North American workers: 30 minutes

Percentage of North American bosses who think their employees would say they are encouraged to take a regular lunch break: 88

Percentage of workers who actually feel encouraged to do so: 62

Source: Tork, an Essity brand.

Ranks of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the list of the most liked members of the British royal family overall around the world, according to a global Ipsos survey: 1, 2

In the United States, ranks of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry on the list of favorites: 1, 2

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of homeowners who plan to spend $500 or more on a home improvement project this year, according to a Coinstar survey: 61

Percentage who plan to or will consider cashing in their spare change to pay for all or a portion of their project: 50

Source: Coinstar.

Percentage of female travelers who feel less safe or much less safe about traveling than they did five years ago, according to a survey commissioned by AIG Travel: 45

Percentage of female travelers who are very likely or somewhat likely to travel alone to either a domestic or an international destination in 2018: 66

Percentage of women who think about safety always or frequently while traveling: 63

Source: AIG Travel.

Idle Thought

"Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another." -- Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate

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