Percentage of Americans who say their desire to travel impacts their willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (including 26% who say it has a major impact on their inclination to be vaccinated), according to a study from the Points Guy at Bankrate.com: 49

Percentage of U.S. adults who already have at least one trip planned for 2021: 33

Percentage of Americans who have not taken any trips since the COVID-19 outbreak: 55

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of retirees who reported that they planned to spend down all or a significant portion of their assets in retirement -- the rest reported wanting to spend down a small portion of assets, spend none at all or to grow their assets, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute: 43

Percentage who agreed that saving as much as they can makes them feel happy and fulfilled: 64

Percentage of retirees who said that maintaining health and wellness in retirement was by far the most important goal at the time people retired: 81

Source: EBRI.

Percentage of Americans who said a high-tech home theater would make a home more desirable, according to a realtor.com survey: 26

Percentage who would want TVs that pop up out of dressers or drop down from the ceiling: 18

Percentage who selected a high-tech massage chair: 15

Percentage who were interested in an automatic cocktail maker: 6

Source: realtor.com.

Percentage of Americans at the end of 2020 who believed the nation is "great," down from 51% in 2017, according to an Ipsos poll: 37

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of people who believe two workers with the same job title should have the same level of responsibility, according to a survey report by Clutch: 66

Percentage of employees who say that their job title accurately reflects their work and responsibility: 23

Percentage of people who work at companies that have employees with one to five different job titles, while one-quarter work at companies with more than 20 job titles: 31

Source: Clutch.

Percentage of employers who are concerned about mental health and chronic stress impacting fitness for duty (in addition to persistent concerns around legal and illicit substance misuse), according to a National Safety Council survey: 90

In the 12-month period ending in May 2020, number of fatal drug overdoses in the U.S., the highest number ever recorded: 81,000

Percentage of employers surveyed by NSC that said they know impairment is decreasing the safety of their workforce: 52

Source: National Safety Council.

Ranks of the Kia Soul, the Toyota Corolla Hatchback and the Mazda 3 on the list of the 10 Coolest Cars Under $20,000 for 2021, according to the Kelley Blue Book: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of the Ford Bronco Sport, Mazda MX-5 Miata and Jeep Wrangler on the list of the 10 Coolest Cars Under $30,000 for 2021: 1, 2, 3

Source: Kelley Blue Book.

Percentage of pet owners who are paying closer attention to their pets' health and wellness because of COVID-19, according to market research firm Packaged Facts: 41

Estimated percentage rise in pet supplement sales in 2020 -- reaching nearly $800 million and quadrupling the rate of growth seen in 2019: 21

Source: Packaged Facts.

Forecast percentage jump in the revenue of the global IoT (Internet of Things) market, according to data presented by BuyShares.co.nz: 53

Estimated revenue of the global IoT by 2025: $677 billion

By 2030, projected value of the unified market: $1 trillion plus

Source: BuyShares.co.nz.

Percentage of CFOs who collaborate with their company's CIO more now than three years ago, according to a survey by Robert Half: 82

Ranks of technology investments, business systems changes, staff technology training and cybersecurity on the list of the top collaboration areas for CFOs and CIOs: 1, 2, 3 (tie)

Percentage of finance and tech leaders who are also partnering on digital transformation efforts for their company: 39

Source: Robert Half Technology.

Idle Thought

"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." -- Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer

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

Percentage of partnered millennials and Gen Zers who have been mad at their partner for a financial decision they made, according to a survey by MagnifyMoney by LendingTree: 74

Ranks of their partner making a big purchase without telling them about it and spending a lot of money on something the respondent considers to be frivolous on the list of the top argument drivers: 1, 2

Source: LendingTree.

Time that employees waste completing HR-related tasks each month across large companies in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, according to a survey issued by Topia and conducted by Method Research: 40 million hours

Estimated amount lost in productivity: $8.15 billion

Source: Topia.

Average amount that kids aged 4 to 14 received in allowance in 2020 ($8.75 a week), according to RoosterMoney's Annual Kids' Allowance Report: $455

Percentage that they saved: 45

Source: RoosterMoney.

Period that a strain of influenza known as Spanish flu caused a global pandemic, spreading rapidly and killing indiscriminately, according to Live Science: 1918 to 1920

Estimated number of people worldwide who were infected: 500 million

Estimated number who died: 50 million

From 1981 to present, estimated number of people who have died of AIDS since HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was identified: 35 million

As of Feb. 7, estimated number of people worldwide who had been infected with COVID-19: 106,541,162

Estimated number who had died: 2,324,246

Source: Live Science

Estimated percentage of Americans who said they canceled up to four trips (leisure and business) last year, according to a survey from IHG Hotels and Resorts: 60

Percentage of those travelers who said they have now rebooked canceled trips or plan to rebook them, with family vacations and visiting loved ones topping travel wish lists for 2021: 50

Percentage of respondents who said they plan to make up for the lack of travel in 2020 by going on more trips in 2021: 20

Source: IHG Hotels and Resorts.

Percentage of Americans who do not expect to get back to something like their normal, pre-COVID life for at least six months (around late summer), according to findings from an Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index: 65

Percentage who believe it will not happen until next year: 33

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Projected growth in the global gambling market -- from $465.76 billion in 2020 to $516.03 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8%, according to a Research and Markets report: $50.27 billion

Projected value of the market in 2025 at a CAGR of 7%: $674.7 billion

Percentage of the market accounted for by Asia and the Pacific, the largest region in the global gambling market in 2020: 38

Percentage accounted for by North America, the second largest region: 29

Source: Research and Markets.

When consumers were informed that only the first and last 10 minutes of their most recent flight were likely controlled by a pilot and the rest was autonomous, percentage who said that they would feel much safer in a fully autonomous plane, according to a global survey commissioned by ANSYS: 3

Percentage who said they would definitely or probably be willing to ride in a flying taxi: 63

Source: ANSYS.

Percentage of renters who said they worried their packages would be stolen from their doorstep (41% reported that packages actually had been stolen from their doorsteps multiple times), according to a survey by ButterflyMX and Entrata: 89

Percentage of renters who complain about parking and accessibility issues -- whether it's finding a place to park (74%) or finding someone else has parked in their spot (28%): 53

Source: ButterflyMX.

Percentage of Americans who say the COVID-19 pandemic has caused them to put off general dental checkups, which can lead to serious oral health problems, according to a survey commissioned by the American Association of Endodontists: 50

Percentage who said they were snacking more on sweets: 31

Percentage who didn't schedule or forgot to schedule a dental visit: 28

Source: American Association of Endodontists.

Idle Thought

"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." -- Thomas Pynchon, novelist

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

Number of times that men are more likely than women to think a Valentine's Day gift is worth going into credit card debt, according to a survey by Wallethub: 2

Percentage of people who wouldn't marry someone with bad credit: 47

Percentage who would break up with their significant other if he or she spent irresponsibly: 47

Source: WalletHub.

Unemployment rate in the hotel industry, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association: 18.9

Projected occupancy rate for rooms in 2021: 50

Percentage by which business travel bookings are expected to be down in 2021 vs. 2019: 85

Source: American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Percentage of Americans who say being your own boss is something everyone dreams of, according to a survey conducted by Regina Corso Consulting: 25

Percentage who are making plans to do so: 13

Percentage who have thought about it: 18

Source: Regina Corso Consulting.

Percentage of restaurants and bars that say they couldn't pay all or some of their rent in January 2021, according to a survey by Alignable: 57

Percentage of yoga studios that couldn't pay the rent: 46

Percentage of retailers: 44

Source: Alignable.

Percentage of full-time employees in the U.S. who are seeking new jobs in 2021, according to a study published by CareerArc: 61

Percentage of companies that believe at least 1 in 5 in their workforce is currently looking for a new job at other companies: 39

Source: CareerArc.

With thousands more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine rolling out every day, percentage of Americans who say they'll go to restaurants as much as or more than they did before the pandemic, once coronavirus restrictions are lifted and they again feel safe, according to data from the Ipsos Coronavirus Consumer Tracker: 77

Percentage who say they'll go to shopping centers or malls as much as or more than they did before the pandemic: 72

Percentage of respondents who now say they want the vaccine as soon as it's available, up from 33% a month ago and only 13% in September: 49

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of U.S. adults who plan to celebrate Valentine's Day this year, spending a total of $21.8 billion, according to a survey released by the National Retail Federation: 52

Percentage of the consumers celebrating Valentine's Day this year who feel it is important to do so given the current state of the pandemic: 73

Percentage who plan to gift their loved one with an evening out, the lowest in the survey's history: 24

Percentage who say they will plan a special dinner or celebration in the comfort of their own home: 41

Source: NRF.

Estimated percentage of Americans who did not make a large purchase last year due to COVID-19, according to a survey by WalletHub: 42

Number of Americans who fear maxing out their credit cards on large purchases: 91 million

When defining a "large purchase," percentage of respondents who indicated it is any purchase over $100: 30

Over $250: 28

Over $500: 24

Over $1,000: 18

Source: WalletHub.

Of reporters and editors who now depend on social media sources when researching their stories, percentage who said they turn to blogs for story research, according to a survey conducted by Cision and Don Bates of George Washington University's masters degree program in strategic public relations: 89

Percentage who turn to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn: 65

Percentage who use microblogging services such as Twitter: 52

Percentage who use Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia: 61

Source: Cision.

Amid the pandemic, economic uncertainty and social turmoil, percentage of nonprofit employees who say that their employer cut costs last year, with 49% expecting further cuts in 2021, according to research by Eagle Hill Consulting: 58

Percentage of employees who say that nonprofit leaders have implemented significant changes to their organizations' goals and activities: 54

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Idle Thought

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for." -- Joseph Addison, writer (1672-1719)

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