oddities

Figuratively Speaking for July 05, 2019

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | July 5th, 2019

Percentage of Americans who took their last vacation more than two years ago, according to a survey released by Allianz Global Assistance: 36

Percentage who have not vacationed in more than a year: 51

When asked if they were confident they would take a summer vacation this year, percentage who responded positively, the lowest confidence rating since 2013: 42

Of those, percentage who said they do not have the money to spend on a vacation: 44

Source: Allianz Global Assistance.

Percentage of male managers who say they are uncomfortable participating in a common workplace activity with a woman, such as mentoring, working one-on-one and socializing together (a 32% increase from last year), according to research by LeanIn.Org and SurveyMonkey: 60

Number of times more likely today that men are to hesitate having one-on-one meetings with a junior woman: 12

Percentage of men who also say they've avoided mentoring or socializing with a woman because they were nervous about how it would look: 36

Source: LeanIn.Org.

Percentage of Americans who are affected by student loan debt, topping $1.5 trillion, according to a survey by YouGov on behalf of Abbott: 25

Percentage of employed adults with student loans who would consider switching companies to gain a student loan relief employee benefit: 62

Percentage of all adults with student loans who say finding a company that offers a student loan benefit is important: 64

Source: YouGov.

Percentage of people who say that taking a holiday has a positive effect on their mental health, according to a study by Travelzoo: 83

Percentage who are incorporating wellness activities into their travel plans for 2019: 70

Source: Travelzoo.

Percentage of people around the world who think things in their country are on the wrong track -- strongest in South Africa (82%), France (80%) and Great Britain (79%) -- according to research by Ipsos: 58

Percentage of respondents across all countries who rank unemployment first among the world's top worries: 33

Ranks of poverty/social inequality (32%) and financial/political corruption (31%) on the list of the world's top worries: 2, 3

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Approximate number of Americans who are bitten by a dog each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 4.7 million

Number of dog-bite fatalities in 2018: 36

Source: Society for Risk Analysis.

Percentage of employees who prefer to spend some time in an office over being fully remote, according to a Clutch survey: 83

To accommodate workers who prefer private space to get work done quietly and workers who prefer collaboration and interaction with others, percentage of offices that have personal spaces for employees: 74

Percentage that have large meeting rooms: 56

Source: Clutch.

Percentage of the employed Americans who typically eat lunch during work hours who struggle to eat a healthy lunch at work, according to a survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the American Heart Association and Aramark: 56

Percentage who say they're more likely to make healthier decisions at other times of the day if they eat healthy at lunch: 77

Percentage of employees who typically eat lunch during work hours who cite limited availability of healthy foods as having a great deal/quite a bit of impact on eating an unhealthy lunch: 43

Source: American Heart Association.

Percentage of CFOs who reported an increase in inappropriate expense requests (e.g. pogo stick, Super Bowl tickets, an octopus, trip to Italy, plunger) in the last three years, according to a Robert Half Management Resources survey: 56

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Percentage of home sellers who say the process left them in tears, according to a Zillow survey: 36

Percentage who were stressed by uncertainty over the sale price: 70

Percentage who were stressed their home wouldn't sell in their desired time frame: 69

Percentage of respondents who were stressed an offer would fall through: 65

Source: Zillow.

Idle Thought

"It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

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

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for June 28, 2019

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | June 28th, 2019

Percentage of employees who report they get distracted while working at their personal workspace, according to a survey by Poly: 99

Percentage who say that distractions make it tough to listen or be heard on calls: 51

Percentage who say it has an impact on their ability to focus: 48

Source: Poly.

Percentage of barbecue hosts who get nervous and panic about how to feed vegan guests, according to research by Sabra: 47

Percentage of vegans and barbecue guests with dietary restrictions who admit to sneaking their own food into barbecues to avoid having nothing to eat: 52

Source: Sabra Dipping Co.

Percentage of Americans surveyed who have a "work family" and, as a result, feel happier, according to research by Choice Hotels International Inc.: 90

Percentage who keep in touch with former colleagues: 86

Percentage of those surveyed who agree that they spend either the same amount or more time with their work colleagues as they do with their families at home: 59

Percentage of respondents who said they consider work relationships as important as their relationships at home: 65

Source: Choice Hotels International Inc.

Percentage of U.S. travelers who will travel as a couple this summer, according to a survey by TripAdvisor: 48

Percentage of vacationers who will be families: 37

Average length of trip: 1 week

Source: TripAdvisor.

Percentage of team sports athletes who say they use their strengths every day at work, compared to 63% of employees who didn't play team sports who say the same, according to research from Eagle Hill Consulting: 83

Percentage who say they trust their teammates, as compared to 55% of employees who didn't play team sports: 76

Percentage who said their work team is committed to success, as compared to 49% of employees who didn't play team sports: 73

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Percentage of vacationers who are either currently planning or becoming more interested in taking a vacation to spend time with family or friends, according to an Ipsos survey: 84

Ranks of "natural environments and their wildlife," "national parks" and "architectural or historic sites" on the list of the kinds of vacation experiences Americans are interested in: 1 (tie), 3

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of American adults who say they would support a nationwide mandate requiring solar panels to be installed on all newly built homes, according to a survey conducted by CITE Research on behalf of Vivint Solar: 70

If all new single-family homes built took advantage of solar energy, number of barrels of oil that would be saved annually: 12 million

Number fewer miles driven a year it would equate to: 12 billion

Source: Vivint Solar.

Percentage of urban shoppers who purchase groceries online for delivery, compared to 24% of suburban shoppers and 12% of rural shoppers, according to Acosta's The Urban Grocery Shopper: 57

Percentage of urban shoppers who buy groceries that are shipped (suburban 29%; rural 20%): 58

Percentage of urban shoppers who reported ordering groceries online at least once a week: 25

Source: Acosta.

Percentage of employees who are planning to leave their jobs in the next 12 months, according to a study commissioned by Spherion: 29

Percentage of millennials who report they are planning to leave their current jobs in the next 12 months: 38

Source: Spherion.

Percentage of U.S. adults aged 18 and over who are within three paychecks of needing to either borrow money or skip paying one or more bills, according to findings from a study by Northwestern Mutual: 30

Percentage who have less than $5,000 saved for retirement (down from 31% in 2018): 22

Percentage who have no retirement savings at all (down from 21% in 2018): 15

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Idle Thought

"Bran thought about it. 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?' 'That is the only time a man can be brave,' his father told him." -- George R.R. Martin, "A Game of Thrones"

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

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for June 21, 2019

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | June 21st, 2019

Percentage of inbound tourist travel to the United States that is represented by travelers from Canada, Mexico, Japan, China and the United Kingdom, according to a study by PAGE Destinations: 65

Ranks of shopping, theme parks, historic landmarks, museums and sightseeing tours on the list of the top five drivers for international visitors to America: 1, 2, 3, 4 (tie)

Of 54 attractions, ranks of Disney World, Disneyland and the Statue of Liberty on the list of American icons that at least two-thirds of foreign travelers are familiar with: 1, 2 (tie)

Source: PAGE Destinations.

Percentage of Americans who say they use a public restroom one to five times a week, according to the annual hand-washing survey conducted by Bradley Corp.: 60

Ranks of check their appearance, blow their nose or cough, "get away," use their cellphone and change clothes on the list of things Americans do in a public restroom besides using the toilet and washing their hands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage who go for respite -- a mental health break, to avoid someone, hide and even cry: 33

Source: Bradley Corp.

Percentage of airline travelers who said they've helped someone lift their luggage into the overhead compartment, according to a survey by Expedia: 48

Percentage who believe you should almost always step in to help another passenger struggling with a heavy bag: 41

Percentage of Americans who have helped entertain other travelers' children: 21

Percentage who are willing to change their seats so members of another party can sit together: 42

Source: Expedia.

Percentage of Americans who have tried to get in shape before reaching their vacation destination, according to a study commissioned by Planet Fitness: 66

Percentage who say they would not have gone on the vacation had they not exercised prior: 28

Ranks of feeling judged, and anxious or nervous when around others on the list of sentiments experienced when spending time at the beach: 1, 2

Source: Planet Fitness Inc.

Percentage of nonprofit employees who are both satisfied in their current roles at their organizations and aligned with leadership in their vision for the future, according to research by Classy: 84

Percentage of American workers who report that they were satisfied with their jobs, according to The Conference Board's latest annual survey, conducted in 2018: 51

Source: Classy/The Conference Board.

Number of states (plus Washington, D.C.) that chose broccoli as their favorite vegetable, according to a survey by Green Giant: 38

Rank of cauliflower in Montana: 1

Rank of the potato in Arkansas -- compared to five states that chose it in 2018: 1

Source: Green Giant.

Percentage of Americans who incorrectly think their homes are safe havens, when, in fact, 75% of preventable incidents -- commonly known as "accidents" -- happen at home, according to a National Safety Council survey: 77

Percentage of people who have been directly impacted by preventable deaths: 40

Percentage of respondents who believe that the U.S. can eliminate most or all "accidental" deaths: 49

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of workers who are concerned that artificial intelligence and automation will have a negative impact on their job, according to a Robert Half report: 12

Percentage who believe new technologies will have a positive effect: 39

Percentage of managers who think it will be challenging to get their staff up to speed on new technologies: 82

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Ranks of clothes, money and food on the list of the primary ways that the public has donated to help others in the past year, according to a 2019 survey conducted on behalf of the Red Cross: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of people in the U.S. who give blood: 3

Percentage of the public who has never considered that blood may not be available when a loved one needs it: 33

Just last month, number of units of type O blood the Red Cross had available for every 100,000 people, though more than twice that is needed every day: 6

Source: American Red Cross.

Percentage of Americans who are concerned about a criminal attack causing physical harm at large-scale events, according to the 2019 Unisys Security Index: 83

Percentage who say they have canceled plans or considered canceling plans to attend large-scale public events due to concerns about physical attacks and the safety of their personal data: 22

Source: Unisys.

"It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half of the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen." -- Herodotus, The Histories

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

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