Ranks of "to be helpful, accommodating and polite" and "a tendency to jump in and fix problems, even when they aren't theirs" on the list of the top-five reasons people attribute for their overgrown personal and professional to-do lists, according to a study from researchers at VitalSmarts: 1, 2

Ranks of "ambiguous limits and unclear rules about which tasks to accept or reject," "working with those in authority who make non-negotiable demands" and "inability to say 'no' or renegotiate commitments" on the list: 3, 4, 5

Source: VitalSmarts.

Percentage of employees at the United Nations who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace (approximately 40 percent of women and 20 percent of men reported harassment), according to an online survey conducted by auditing and consulting firm Deloitte: 33

Percentage who claimed they were subjected to sexual stories or offensive jokes: 14

Percentage who say they have been touched in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable: 10

Source: Deloitte.

Percentage of individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 in 27 countries who are part of the gig and sharing economies, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor's 2018/2019 Global Report, sponsored by Babson College, Universidad Del Desarrollo and Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation: 6

Ranks of South Korea (21.5 percent), Israel (12.3 percent), Chile (11.2 percent), Ireland (10.9 percent) and the United States (10.8 percent) on the list of nations with populations most actively involved in gig/sharing economic activities: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.

Percentage of CEOs who feel it is important to lead with gratitude, according to a survey by professional relationship-building management system THNKS: 90

Percentage who believe their employees would give them high marks for doing so: 88

Percentage of the employees who indicated they are satisfied with the level of gratitude expressed in their workplace: 37

Source: Thnks.

Percentage of people who would break up with their significant other if he or she spent money irresponsibly, according to a WalletHub survey: 46

Percentage of people who say irresponsible spending is a bigger turnoff than bad breath: 40

Percentage who would not marry someone with bad credit: 53

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of U.S. farm products that are exported each year, according to America's Diverse Family Farms: 25

Percentage of U.S. farms that market foods locally through direct-to-consumer or intermediate sales: 8

Source: American Farm Bureau Federation.

Percentage of professional investors who said that they expect a recession within the next 24 months, according to a new Boston Consulting Group article based on a survey of portfolio managers and buy- and sell-side analysts: 73

Percentage of investors who said that they are bullish about the market's potential over the next 12 months, down from nearly a half a year ago: 33

Percentage who are calling for companies to focus on long-term value creation: 82

Source: Boston Consulting Group.

Percentage of millennials (ages 18 to 37) who foresee an improved personal financial state in 2019, compared to just 35 percent of those who are older, according to research by Quest Diagnostics: 59

Percentage of those who think their finances will improve this year who believe it will be because they will make more money at work, compared to those who anticipate having less debt (38 percent) or making more money from savings and investments (17 percent): 52

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of millennials who have engaged in "bleisure" (combined business and leisure) travel in the past, according to a survey by National Car Rental: 90

Percentage of millennials who say they've extended business travel into a leisure trip or scheduled a vacation around business travel to save on vacation costs: 49

Across generations, percentage of those who engage in bleisure travel who say they are satisfied with their quality of life, compared to 75 percent of non-bleisure travelers: 93

Source: National Car Rental.

Percentage of small business owners who spend roughly one day a week or more on administrative human resources issues, according to a study conducted by Oasis: 45

Percentage of owners and managers of businesses that have been in operation for 10 or fewer years who spend six to 10 hours a week: 35

When asked what they most disliked about managing people, percentage of respondents who said "employees having personal issues that can conflict with work": 41

Source: Oasis.

Idle Thought

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." -- E. M. Forster, novelist (1879-1970)

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

In 2018, amount that Amazon paid in federal income taxes on profits of over $11 billion, according to the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy: 0

Percentage slash in the federal corporate tax as a result of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (35 percent to 21 percent): 14

Source: ITEP.

Grade level proficiency at which the average American reads, according to the National Adult Literacy Survey: 8

Number of the largest credit card providers that were analyzed in Visible Thread's report: 50

Percentage of the "terms and conditions" of these credit cards that require a college education to be understood: 90

Out of 50 sets of terms, number that is regarded as easier to read than "Moby Dick": 1

Source: VisibleThread.

Percentage of American adults who would rather wait all day at the DMV to renew their license than file their taxes, according to the survey by Toluna on behalf of TaxSlayer: 24

Percentage who would go without caffeine for a month: 24

Percentage of respondents who would take a road trip with their in-laws and no radio: 20

Percentage who would get a root canal instead of filing their taxes: 16

Source: TaxSlayer.

In 2018, national average cost of a wedding, according to findings from The Knot's 2018 Real Weddings study: $33,931.

Average cost of libations per wedding: $2,564

Average catering cost per guest: $70

Average wedding gown cost: $1,631

Average number of guests: 136

Source: The Knot.

Average monetary payout by the tooth fairy per tooth, according to the Original Tooth Fairy Poll sponsored by Delta Dental: $3.70

In homes that the Tooth Fairy visits, percentage of parents who say they give their child at least $5.00 or more: 37

Average payout for a first tooth ($1.26 above the average for subsequent teeth lost): $4.96

Source: Delta Dental.

Percentage of global shoppers who are using smartphones to research products while in a store, according to the 2019 Global Shopping Trends survey: 86

Percentage who browse online before going into a store to make a purchase: 93

Source: iVend Retail.

Amount lost by U.S. non-grocery retailers in revenues due to markdowns in 2018, equivalent to 12 percent of their total sales, according to the results of a U.S. retailer survey by Celect: $300 billion

Percentage of unplanned markdown costs that are caused by inventory misjudgments, including overbuying, buying the wrong type of product or misallocating inventory: 53

Source: Celect.

Percentage of all organic consumers who say they're open to any kind of organic product, according to a survey by Earthbound Farm: 48

Percentage of people with kids at home who are likely to buy organic (vs. 41 percent of respondents without kids): 52

Source: Earthbound Farm.

Ranks of a garage, a master bedroom with a suite and a main-floor bathroom on the list of features homebuyers want most, according to a poll conducted by Zolo Realty: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of respondents who said they preferred a three-bedroom home: 38

Percentage who wanted two bathrooms in the home: 57

Source: Zolo Realty.

Percentage of hiring managers who plan to increase their use of staffing firms over the next five years, according to research from CareerBuilder, Inavero and the American Staffing Association: 54

Ranks of candidates with the right skills, time to hire and budget on the list of the top pain points in the recruitment process as cited by hiring managers: 1, 2, 3

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Idle Thought

"The most part of all princes have more delight in warlike manners and feats of chivalry than in the good feats of peace." -- Sir Thomas More

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

Percentage of Americans who admit to taking more hot showers during the winter months, according to a survey conducted for CeraVe: 50

Percentage who realize that the hot showers they are taking can contribute to itchy skin: 25

Percentage of Americans who say they are likely to see a dermatologist during the winter: 64

Source: CeraVe.

Estimated number of square miles -- 5 times the size of New York City, and more than a million acres -- that was added to the total area owned by America's top 100 landowners in 2018, according to The 2019 Land Report 100 sponsored by LandLeader.com: 2,000

Ranks of cable industry pioneers John Malone (2.2 million acres) and Ted Turner (2 million acres) on the list of the nation's largest landowners: 1, 2

Rank of Jeff Bezos, who uses his 420,000-acre Texas ranch to launch and land rockets: 28

Source: The Land Report.

Percentage of Americans who say they have friendships that last longer than their romantic relationships, according to a survey Fort Mason Games: 62

Percentage of respondents who say they have friends they think will be friends for life: 86

Percentage who say trustworthiness is a top friendship trait: 51

Percentage who say their busy lifestyles are the biggest obstacle to friendship: 35

Source: Fort Mason Games.

Percentage of CFOs who are at least moderately concerned about the risks they might face in the next 12 months, according to insurance company Euler Hermes' "Risky Business" Survey: 75

Percentage who say that they don't feel fully prepared to handle the current risk landscape: 58

Percentage who consider a nonpayment event a threat to their businesses: 70

Source: Euler Hermes Americas.

Percentage of employees who attribute recognition in the workplace to the creation and maintenance of a stronger, more positive and engaged company culture, according to Snappy Gifts national Employee Happiness Survey: 95

Percentage of employees who feel undervalued: 33

Estimated average cost of losing a good hire: $30,000

Source: Snappy.

Percentage of adult respondents who report living with some type of back or neck pain, according to a survey conducted by Brightday: 90

Percentage who think it's "normal" for them to feel that way, even when it's preventing them from doing housework, enjoying/having sex and playing with their kids: 70

Ranks of "working at a desk," "lifting heavy objects" and "my weight" on the list of reasons cited for their back/neck pain: 1, 2, 3

Source: Brightday.

Percentage of people who agreed there should be more laws and/or regulations put in place to protect credit card holders, according to a report from CompareCards: 79

Percentage who said there should be a cap on the interest rates financial institutions can charge on a credit card: 88

Source: CompareCards.

Although digital devices play an ever-increasing role in our everyday lives, percentage of Americans who still hand write every day, according to a survey by Pilot Corporation of America: 80

Percentage of respondents who stated that writing things down helps them better retain information: 90

Source: Pilot Corporation of America.

Percentage of Americans who would consider divorcing their spouse over lying about money, according to a GOBankingRates.com survey: 27

Percentage who said that divorce would not be an option if they found out their partner was carrying a financial secret: 73

Amount of hidden debt women would tolerate before considering divorce: $15,490

Amount men would tolerate: $14,414

Source: GoBankingRates.com.

Percentage of professionals who tried to negotiate a higher salary with their last employment offer, according to a survey by Robert Half: 55

Percentage of male employees who tried to negotiate pay, versus 45 percent of women: 68

Percentage of professionals aged 18 to 34 who asked for higher compensation, compared to those ages 35 to 54 (55 percent) and 55 and older (38 percent): 65

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Idle Thought

"And when all the wars are over, a butterfly will still be beautiful." -- Ruskin Bond, "Scenes from a Writer's Life"

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