Ranks of the food, being social and the game itself on the list of the top reasons people attend a football game party, according to a survey commissioned by Farm Rich: 1, 2, 3

Percentage who noted that they have been so wrapped up in the food and social side of things they have missed a lot of the game: 40

Percentage of respondents who revealed they have called in sick to work the day after the game: 32

Source: Farm Rich.

Percentage of Americans who say Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an essential holiday for remembering the importance of U.S. civil rights, according to a survey by Reputation Leaders: 75

Percentage of U.S. adults nationally who agree that civil rights are as important in 2021 as at any time in the last 30 years: 80

Source: Reputation Leaders Ltd.

Percentage increase in searches for homes in ski towns in the fourth quarter of 2020, with much of the increased demand coming from "snowbirds" -- people who generally migrate to warmer climates in the winter -- as they search for homes with outdoor recreation options closer to home during the pandemic, according to a report from Realtor.com: 36

Ranks of Union Dale, Pennsylvania; Choteau, Montana; and North Creek, New York, on the list of resorts showing the greatest increases in searches: 1, 2, 3

Source: Realtor.com.

Percentage increase in retail sales during 2020's November-December holiday season over the same period in 2019, to $789.4 billion, exceeding the National Retail Federation's holiday forecast, despite the economic challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, according to research by NRF: 8.3

Source: NRF.

Percentage of retirees who reported that their standard of living was the same or higher in retirement than when they were working: according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute's Spending in Retirement Survey: 69

Percentage of respondents who felt their spending level is about the right amount for what they could afford.: 61

Percentage who reported that they had saved more than was needed for retirement, while nearly half (46%) reported having saved less than they needed: 18

Source: EBRI.

Ranks of recruiting and retaining top talent, recession risk, vaccine availability and accelerating digital transformation on the list of issues that will keep business leaders up at night in the new year, according to a survey of C-suite executives from the Conference Board: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ranks of reduced office space, reduced business travel and increases in automation tasks on the list of the most likely long-term impacts of COVID-19 in the United States: 1, 2, 3

Source: The Conference Board.

Number of times more likely that men are than women to get a credit card annual fee waived, according to a WalletHub survey: 2

Percentage of Americans who would rather call their in-laws than their credit card company: 50

Percentage of consumers who agree that calling customer service is worth it: 75

Among credit card users who have called customer service, percentage who have gotten a fee waived: 41

Source: WalletHub.

For those in households that have suffered a setback in income during the pandemic, monthly average for checking account costs, according to a new Bankrate.com report: $11

Monthly average paid by those who say their household income has not been negatively impacted by the pandemic: less than $3

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of Americans who said they are more interested in smart home technology now that they're spending more time at home, according to a survey by realtor.com: 25

Percentage of smart home technology owners who have bought at least one device or feature since the pandemic began: 41

Ranks of smart TVs, smart speakers, smart doorbells and robot vacuums on the list of the most commonly owned products: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Realtor.com.

Percentage of Americans who think income inequality will increase this year, compared to 66% of global respondents, according to Ipsos research: 48

Percentage of Americans who think increased income inequality is unlikely, compared to 24% of their global counterparts: 35

Percentage of Americans who believe a new global pandemic caused by a new virus will confront the world in 2021, compared to 47% of global respondents: 34

Idle Thought

"He who establishes his argument by noise and command, shows that his reason is weak." -- Michel De Montaigne, essayist

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

Percentage of Americans who say they overspent during the holidays, according to WalletHub's Post-Holiday Shopping Survey: 39

Percentage who said the 2020 holiday season was worth going into debt for -- a 46% increase over the prior year: 26

Net projected decrease in credit card debt when the final data for 2020 comes in: $89 billion

Source: WalletHub.

Number of times more likely that today's children are to aspire to be a YouTuber than an astronaut, according to a Harris Poll/LEGO survey conducted in the U.S., U.K. and China: 3

Source: The LEGO Group.

While 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they wish there were more they could do to combat climate change, percentage of U.S. adults who say they don't know where to start, according to a survey conducted on behalf of the American Psychological Association: 51

Among those who have already made behavior changes to reduce their contribution to climate change, percentage who cited not having the resources -- such as time, money or skills -- to make changes as the reason for not having done more: 26

Source: American Psychological Association.

Percentage of professionals who confirmed they find virtual meetings inefficient and exhausting, and prefer to communicate via other channels, like email or phone, according to a survey by Robert Half: 24

Ranks of dealing with technical issues, too many meeting participants and people talking over each other on the list of the most common video call pet peeves: 1, 2, 3

Source: Robert Half Finance and Accounting.

Percentage of Americans who say they are concerned about the spread of false information, according to a recent NPR/Ipsos poll: 83

Percentage who are specifically concerned about the spread of false information about the coronavirus and vaccines: 80

Percentage who are concerned that the information they receive on social media is not accurate: 69

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Value of the global online food delivery market, according to research by Comprar Acciones: $136.43 billion

Projected percentage growth in 2021 (to $151.3 billion): 11

As of October 2020, ranks of Door Dash, Uber Eats and Grubhub on the list of food delivery companies with the highest percentages of market share: 1, 2, 3

Source: Comprar Acciones.

Percentage of Americans who say it is likely life in the United States will get back to normal in 2021 after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, in line with the global average, according to Ipsos research: 41

Percentage who believe most people will wear a mask in public places a year from now: 55

While majorities in India, Saudi Arabia, Peru and Malaysia believe the world will change for the better because of the pandemic, percentage of Americans who are as optimistic: 24

Percentage of those in France who think this will happen -- the lowest among survey participants: 9

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of consumers who say they are ready to fly in autonomous aircraft in their lifetime, according to a global survey commissioned by ANSYS: 70

Of those, percentage who are willing to board a self-flying plane in the next decade: 58

When asked to select their greatest concerns with autonomous flights, percentage of respondents who said they are most concerned with technology failure: 65

Source: ANSYS.

Percentage of online shoppers in 15 countries and regions, including the U.S., Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and India, who report abandoning a cart due to a higher-than-expected delivery cost, according to UPS: 41

Percentage of respondents who said that the returns policy affected whether they would continue shopping with a retailer: 73

Percentage higher that the average transaction value generated by loyalty program members is than those who are not members of the loyalty program: 30

Source: UPS.

Percentage of women (vs. 78% of men) who said their death would have a "substantial" impact on their family's quality of life, according to a report from online life insurance agency Haven Life: 79

Percentage of women surveyed who said they have life insurance, compared to 79% of men: 67

Of those who had an individual life insurance policy, average coverage for women, compared to average coverage of $423,102 for men: $231,42

Source: Haven Life.

Idle Thought

"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles." -- George Jean Nathan, author and editor (1882-1958)

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

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.)