After the COVID-19 pandemic, percentage of employees who would look for another job if they were no longer allowed to work remotely in their current one, according to a survey by Owl Labs: 46

Percentage who would stay, but be less happy: 66

Percentage who would stay, but be less willing to go the extra mile: 54

Out of employees who said they would stay, percentage who would expect a pay increase to make up for the additional costs: 44

Source: Owl Labs.

Percentage of men who strongly believe that being married will make them more of an adult, compared to just 30% of women, according to research by Brides: 44

Percentage of newlyweds who said they've always wanted to get married, with 89% believing that marriage will take their relationship to the next level: 69

Percentage of newlyweds who cited financial security and benefits as a factor in their "I do" decision: 23

Source: Brides.com.

As 2020 drew to a close, percentage of Americans who expected people in their country to become more tolerant of each other, compared to 63% who said it is unlikely to happen in 2021, according to a global Ipsos survey: 26

Percentage who said they would make a new friend in their local area: 47

Percentage of Americans who expect to feel lonely most of the time, in line with expectations for previous years: 26

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of the people who use dating apps who say they have shifted toward more intentional dating since the pandemic, according to a survey by Singles in America: 58

Of those surveyed, percentage who are being more honest with potential partners: 69

Percentage who are spending more time getting to know potential partners: 63

Source: Singles in America.

While flying in a plane, percentage of Americans who worry about technical/mechanical issues with the plane, according to a Reuters poll: 45

Percentage who are worried about bad weather/turbulence and also about contracting the coronavirus: 41

Percentage who say they do not feel worried when they fly: 18

Of nine considerations when buying an airline ticket for personal travel, ranks of ticket price and COVID-19 safety measures on the list of the most important things for passengers: 1, 2

Reuters: Reuters.

Percentage of IT executives who said when it comes to remote work, at least a quarter of their employees will continue to work remotely permanently, according to research from Qualtrics: 65

Percentage of IT leaders who gathered employee feedback to understand needs and requirements when considering new software or services: 76

Percentage of IT leaders who believe this new model is permanent: 65

Source: Qualtrics.

Percentage of teachers who said they have used personal funds on classroom tools due to circumstances influenced by COVID-19, according to a new survey from Study.com: 86

Percentage who have spent between $251 and $500 of their own money on their classroom this year: 32

Percentage who said they most need subscriptions to online learning platforms for their classroom in the spring: 49

Source: Study.com.

Percentage of homeowners with insurance and percentage of people with auto insurance who did not review their policies in 2020, according to a Bankrate.com report: 46 and 36 respectively

Among those with homeowners or auto insurance who did not review their policies this year, percentage who believe they have improved their credit score in 2020, something that could earn a better insurance rate: 19 and 21, respectively

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of today's teens who report they are thinking about their physical and emotional safety and wellness more than they did six months ago, according to research by Zogby: 61

Percentage of teens who believe their school is doing its best to create an atmosphere of physical and emotional safety: 49

Source: Zogby International.

Idle Thought

"A hungry man is not a free man." -- Adlai Stevenson

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

Ranks of generous paid time off, flexible/remote working options and paid family leave on the list of perks workers want from their employers, according to research from Unum: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of companies that plan to expand paid leave benefits next year, according to an Unum survey: 44

Source: Unum.

Ranks of two weeks before Christmas and two weeks after Valentine's Day on the list of the most popular times for couples to break up, according to data analyzed from Facebook posts and statuses by Good Housekeeping: 1 tie

Rank of Christmas Day as the least favorite day for breakups: 1

Source: Good Housekeeping.

Percentage of Americans, representing 35.5 million people, who say they've been victims of package theft in the last 12 months, according to a survey by Finder: 14

Average value of items stolen: $156.82

Total amount that Americans lost in package thefts: $5.4 billion

Source: Finder.com.

Percentage of pharmacists who say they plan to be vaccinated with one of the COVID-19 vaccines, according to a survey conducted by the American Pharmacists Association: 75

Percentage who will be set up and ready to vaccinate patients as soon as the vaccine is available: 60

Source: American Pharmacists Association.

Percentage of American sports fans who are looking to go to a sporting event in the next six months, according to findings by Tappit: 27

In making a decision about whether to attend an event, percentage who claimed sitting too close to other spectators was a factor impacting their decision: 78

Percentage who stated that long lines at concession stands would have an impact on their decision to return: 52

Source: Tappit.

Rank of the desire for a home with a dedicated office on the list of reasons why Americans working from home say they would consider a move, if they were to continue working remotely at least occasionally, according to a Willow survey: 1

As of November, percentage increase in the number of listings that mentioned "home office" or "Zoom room," compared to the same time last year: 49

Source: Zillow.

Percentage of employers that plan to return office-based employees to physical locations in the near term, according to a KPMG survey: 27

Percentage of companies that are letting employees decide when they feel safe and comfortable returning to the office: 82

Percentage mandating that employees return to the office by a certain date: 18

Source: KPMG.

Ranks of number of sexual partners, past sexual experiences and sexual preferences on the list of the most uncomfortable topics for people to talk about with their significant other, according to a OnePoll survey by LELO: 1, 2, 3

When it comes to sharing the number of past sexual partners, percentage who admitted to changing their digits: 32

Percentage who tried to match their number with the one of their significant other: 17

Source: LELO.

Percentage of RV owners who garnered more rental income in 2020 than in 2019, a quarter of whom have cited significantly higher income despite widespread shutdowns and travel restrictions, according to RVshare Owner Report: 75

This summer, percentage of owners who were able to pay for the entire cost of their RV with rental income: 35

Now, percentage of newly surveyed owners who credited rental income with their ability to pay for their RV's financing: 50

Source: RVshare.

Percentage of consumers who purchased food gifts for others in the last 12 months who have done so for the winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa), according to a survey by Packaged Facts: 45

Percentage of those who have purchased food gifts for themselves who have done so during this period: 25

Source: Packaged Facts.

Idle Thought

"There comes a point when a man must refuse to answer to his leader if he is also to answer to his own conscience." -- Hartley Shawcross, prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal

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

With resolution season fast approaching, percentage of Americans who say their New Year's resolutions will be influenced by COVID-19, according to a WalletHub survey: almost 60

Percentage who think New Year's resolutions will be harder to keep in 2021 than 2020: 62

Source: WalletHub.

Year the concept of "New Year's" was first celebrated, according to New Years Facts, History and Stats by Expanded Ramblings: 2000 B.C., in Mesopotamia

Year that Jan. 1was first recognized as the start of the new year: 1522, in Venice

Year that "Auld Lang Syne" was written: 1788

Year that the first New Year's Day college football game was played, featuring Michigan vs. Stanford: 1902

Year that the first ball dropped in Times Square: 1907

Source: Expanded Ramblings.

On a scale of 1 to 10, percentage of Americans who rated their personal 2020 as only a 1 or a 2, according to data from the Ipsos Coronavirus Consumer Tracker: 15

When asked to step back and rate 2020 for the entire nation, the average rating given: 3.4

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

When asked about the perception of those who wear ugly holiday sweaters, percentage who believe that the garment indicates a strong sense of humor, according to a survey by Dating.com: 52

Percentage who say a sense of humor is the most attractive quality in a partner: 70

Percentage of those who typically would not make the first move who claim they would be more willing to initiate conversation if a potential partner was wearing an ugly holiday sweater: 42

Percentage who believe non-participation in an ugly sweater-themed gathering (virtual or in person) reveals close-minded characteristics: 78

Source: Dating.com Group.

Estimated percentage of Americans who had to alter or cancel holiday travel plans due to COVID-19, according to a survey by Hotwire: 80

Percentage who dreaded breaking the news to loved ones and who procrastinated picking up the phone as long as possible: 28

Source: Hotwire.

For New Year's Eve in Times Square 2021, diameter of the New Year's Eve Ball design, a geodesic sphere, according to the Times Square official website: 12 feet

Weight of the ball: 11,875 pounds

Number of Waterford Crystal triangles that cover the ball, varying in size and ranging in length from 4 inches to 5 inches per side: 2,688

Number of Waterford Crystal triangles that will introduce the new Gift of Happiness design represented by a sunburst of bright cuts radiating outward like a beautiful sunny day: 192

Source: Times Square Visitors Center

Percentage of American adults (representing approximately 141 million people) who think that following through on their New Year's resolutions is well within the cards, according to a Finder survey: 55

Percentage of Americans adults who are rolling into 2021 without personal goals on the calendar: 26

Source: Finder.com.

In the midst of a year that includes a global pandemic, percentage of Americans who say that they definitely or probably will give more to nonprofits in 2020 than they did in 2019, according to research by Classy: 39

Percentage who said they had donated or planned to donate to social justice causes in 2020, with a majority of respondents noting that they are giving to these causes for the first time: 42

Source: Classy.

Percentage of Americans who are more concerned about their retirement today compared to a year ago, according to the Nov. 20 SimplyWise Index: 59 

Percentage of Social Security beneficiaries who now worry about outliving their savings in retirement: 43

Percentage of people in their 50s who now plan to work full time in retirement (up from 8% in May): 19

Source: SimplyWise.

Percentage of optimistic Americans -- those who believe the country's overall health situation will improve -- who plan to celebrate the winter holidays this year, according to a survey commissioned by NCSolutions: 94

Percentage of those optimistic Americans who say they plan to spend more this year than they did last year on food and in-home meals/celebrations, compared to 14% of those who feel the situation will stay the same and 17% who feel it will decline: 26

Source: NCSolutions

Idle Thought

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." -- Edith Wharton, novelist

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