Percentage of diners who have been annoyed by their dinner companion's phone use in the past, according to survey commissioned by OpenTable: 81

Percentage who say they actually avoid eating with companions who overuse their phones: 20

Percentage of diners who avoid checking their phones at the table by turning it off: 51

Source: OpenTable Inc.

Percentage of Americans who think it's selfish to expect guests to spend their money and vacation days in order to attend celebratory events in far-flung destinations, according to a survey by Allianz Global Assistance: 37.2

Ranks of cost, not knowing the couple well enough to justify the cost and not knowing the couple well enough to justify taking the time off from work on the list of reasons people would not attend a destination wedding: 1, 2, 3

Source: Allianz Global Assistance.

While 72 percent of Americans said they grew up eating at the dining room table, percentage who say they do so today, according to report by oven manufacturer June: 48

Percentage rise in the number of people whose primary eating place is the couch (from 12% to 30%): 18

Percentage rise in the number of people whose primary eating place is the bedroom (6% to 17%): 11

Source: June.

Percentage of workers who say there are at least one or two people on their team who lose track of things or miss deadlines because they fail to capture commitments and ideas, according to a study by VitalSmarts: 94

Percentage who say there are at least one or two people on their team who are often surprised at the last minute by tasks, appointments or deadlines they've forgotten: 91

Source: VitalSmarts.

Percentage of Americans who say their sleep quality is "not very good," according to research by Mattress Firm: 35

Amount the average American would pay every night if it meant having a "perfect night's sleep": $300

Percentage who say that having the TV on is necessary in order to fall asleep: 30

Source: Mattress Firm.

Percentage of global retail chairs, CEOs and senior executives who feel that leadership teams are moving fast enough to keep up with changing consumer behavior, according to a Green Park survey: 36

Percentage who believe their team has the digital expertise necessary for success in the future: 27

Percentage who feel their team has the necessary expertise in data and analytics: 26

Source: Green Park Interim and Executive Ltd.

Percentage of Americans who are taking or planning to take at least one trip between now and September, according to a survey by Expedia: 85

For the 15% of Americans who said they won't be traveling this summer, percentage who claim it's due to budget concerns: 65

Percentage of vacationers who aren't planning to leave the country this summer: 75

Source: Expedia.

Percentage of Americans who have had auto loan debt who say it has taken away some of their peace of mind, according to the results of a Fair consumer survey conducted on their behalf by the Harris Poll: 47

Percentage who would give up social media for life if it meant they never had to make another auto loan payment again: 30

Percentage who would give up coffee in exchange for never having to pay off an auto loan again: 24

Source: Fair.

Percentage of U.S. adults aged 65 years and older with hearing loss who believe hearing loss is an unavoidable part of aging, according to a report released by Cochlear Limited: 77

Percentage of respondents who said it could cause withdrawal and isolation from society: 57

Percentage who said it could affect relationships: 86

Source: Cochlear Limited.

Percentage of workers who said they have backed out of an employment offer after initially saying yes, according to a survey by Robert Half: 28

Of those, percentage who said they backed out because they received a better offer from another company: 44

Percentage who said they had a convincing counteroffer from their current employer: 27

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Idle Thought

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." -- Winston S. Churchill

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

Percentage of working American women who are stressed about their personal finances, compared to only 41% of men, according to a study by Salary Finance: 56

On average, percentage less that women are paid annually than men ($58,027 vs. $79,517): 33

Percentage of women who report having less than $500 in their checking/savings accounts, compared to only 18% of men: 41

Source: Salary Finance.

Percentage of families who said that helping children manage feelings of anxiety is just as important as school work, according to a survey by ClassDojo conducted in the U.S., U.K. and Australia: 64

Percentage of teachers who agreed: 63

Percentage of teachers who say their students have experienced anxiety about school life: 92

Source: ClassDojo.

Ranks of flexible schedules (52%) and early departure on Fridays (27%) on employees' list of the best summer perks their companies could provide to them, according to a survey from the staffing firm Accountemps: 1, 2

Percentage of senior managers who said their company offered flexible schedules: 54

Percentage who reported allowing staff to leave early on Fridays: 32

Source: Accountemps.

Percentage of millennials (ages 23 to 38) who say a lucrative sign-up bonus of $500 in cash or $1,200 in travel credit would be the most attractive credit card feature, compared to 22% of those who are older, according to a CreditCards.com report: 36

Percentage of those ages 39 and older who would prefer zero-percent-interest offers, either on new purchases or via balance transfers, compared to 6% of millennials: 30

Source: CreditCards.com.

Percentage of Americans who are planning their next vacation, according to U.S. News and World Report: 54

Percentage of respondents who are not planning on paying for their upcoming trip with a credit card: 45

Percentage who do not have a travel credit card: 61

Percentage who would not open a credit card to help pay for a vacation: 70

Source: U.S. News and World Report.

Percentage of older adults who plan to age in their own home, according to research from Home Instead Inc.: 94

Percentage who believe they will stay healthier longer at home: 53

Percentage who would be heartbroken if they could no longer live at home: 54

Source: Home Instead Senior Care.

Percentage of mothers with a tattoo who would choose to remove a bad tattoo over purchasing a similarly priced piece of jewelry, according to results of a survey by Invisible Ink Tattoo Removers: 51

Percentage who have regrets about their tattoos: 21

Percentage who have felt the need to cover or hide them: 2

Source: Invisible Ink Tattoo Removers.

Percentage of consumers who said small businesses provide better customer service than larger businesses, according to the 2019 Cox Business Consumer Pulse on Small Businesses: 53

Percentage of respondents who said they would spend more money at a small business that supported a positive social or environmental cause: 70

Source: Cox Communications.

When people from around the country were asked which parent taught you the most about money and personal finance, the percentage of Americans who selected "mother," according to research by the Population Reference Bureau and funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: 28

Percentage who selected "father": 24

Percentage who answered neither: 48

Source: National Financial Educators Council.

Idle Thought

"Angry people are not always wise." -- Jane Austen, "Pride and Prejudice"

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

Number of U.S. adults who won't be taking a summer vacation this year because they simply can't afford one, according to a Bankrate.com report: 39 million

Of those, percentage who say paying down debt is the biggest factor standing between them and being able to afford to take a trip: 22

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of job seekers who have received two or more offers simultaneously when applying for jobs, according to a survey by Robert Half Finance and Accounting: 59

Percentage of professionals who reported making their decision in two or fewer days: 58

Ranks of salary, benefits, advancement potential, commute, and position's responsibilities or challenges on the list of the top five reasons job seekers accepted one offer over another: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Robert Half Finance and Accounting.

Percentage of people who don't realize that credit card companies can charge foreign fees while you're traveling abroad, according to a WalletHub survey: 40

Percentage who don't understand that foreign fees can apply while you're dealing with overseas merchants from the U.S.: 80

Percentage of people who consider foreign fees to be unfair: 81

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of women who prefer to get to the airport at least two hours in advance of departure time for a domestic flight -- compared to 39% of men -- according to a survey conducted by the GO Group LLC: 47

Percentage of men who found 90 minutes to be the ideal time to arrive before departure, with 42% of women agreeing: 47

For international travel, the "ideal" amount of time to arrive prior to departure, as selected by 50% of men and 52% of women: 2 hours

Source: The GO Group LLC.

While 84 percent of blue-collar workers say they can make ends meet, percentage of all workers who say it is difficult to make ends meet, according to a study conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by Express Employment Professionals: 48

Percentage of workers who say they are worried about saving enough for their retirement: 73

Percentage who agree that it's "more likely that Martians will land on Earth than I'll collect Social Security": 53

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of American travelers who book their vacation based on its "insta-worthiness" (destinations beautiful enough to post on Instagram), ranking third behind Spanish (55%) and Italian (58%) travelers among those who do so, according to a survey by eDreams: 52

By contrast, percentage of British holidaymakers who care about their chosen destination's social media impact: 14

Source: eDreams.

Percentage of Americans who said they prefer soft taco shells, according to a survey by Ortega: 53

Percentage of Americans (roughly 6.5 million) who have never eaten a taco before: 2

Source: Ortega.

Percentage of sports fans who said they buy food and beverages while at sporting events but have had it with long concession wait times and are willing to pay for more modern conveniences and experiences, according to a global study from Oracle Food and Beverage: 94

Average spend per game: $42

Percentage who said they would spend even more if they didn't have to wait in lines: 58

Source: Oracle.

Percentage of people who agree that CEOs should take the lead on global societal and systemic change, rather than waiting for government to impose it, according to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer: 76

Percentage trust in government: 47

Percentage trust in business: 56

Percentage trust in "my employer": 75

Source: Edelman.

Percentage of IT decision-makers who believe that they are not extremely well prepared to react to a serious data breach, according to 1E research commissioned in partnership with Vanson Bourne: 77

Percentage who have experienced a serious security breach in the last two years -- with 31% percent experiencing more than one: 60

Source: 1E.

Idle Thought

"It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them." -- Cesare Beccaria, philosopher and politician

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