Percentage of Americans who describe themselves as either male or female, regardless of age, according to a new Ipsos poll: 99

Percentage of baby boomers who say they are only attracted to the opposite sex: 84

Ranks of Generation Xers (76%), millennials (60%), Gen Zers (52%) on the list of those who say the same: 2, 3, 4

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of female shoppers who are using less cosmetics than before COVID, according to a survey by Acosta: 35 to 40

Source: Acosta.

Percentage of senior managers who say they recruited the wrong candidate for a role, according to a survey by Robert Half: 76

Number of months it takes to correct a hiring mistake: 4

Ranks of wasted time and decreased morale and productivity as the biggest impacts of a bad hire: 1, 2

Source: Robert Half.

Percentage of Americans who say they have permanently changed their spending and shopping habits, according to a new survey commissioned by Slickdeals: 60

Ranks of movies, luxury goods, video games, clothes and entertainment as the things Americans are doing less of: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of groceries, self-care products, bills, takeout and health care on the list of things Americans are spending more on: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Slickdeals.

Ranks of more trees and more cycle lanes on the list of policies that will reduce air pollution, according to research by Global Wellness Institute: 1, 2

Number of miles of bike lanes added in Colombia's capital, Bogota, reducing particulate pollution by up to 80% in these areas: 50

In addition to better walking networks, number of trees planted (with an additional 400,000 trees preserved) in Bogota, helping to substantially reduce air pollution: 800,000

Source: Global Wellness Institute.

Rank of Orlando on the list of the most popular domestic destinations among Americans for spring break, with other Floridian cities filling up the Top 10 chart -- Miami (No. 3), Fort Lauderdale (No. 4), Fort Myers (No. 6) and Tampa (No. 7), according to an Allianz Partners' survey: 1

Percentage of customers who always travel or travel most of the time for spring break who are planning a trip for the 2021 season: 43

Source: Allianz Global Assistance USA.

In 2016, amount the iconic sparkly dress that Marilyn Monroe wore to serenade President John F. Kennedy on his birthday was sold for, according to research by Alex Daniel of BESTLIFE: $4.8 million

Source: BESTLIFE.

While 70% of employers said they discuss substance impairment during employee onboarding, percentage who discuss other forms of impairment, such as fatigue, mental health and stress, according to a National Safety Council survey: 47

In previous research by the NSC, percentage of employers who were negatively impacted by tired, fatigued employees: 90

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of women who say their tax refund is "very important" for their financial well-being, compared to just 35% of men: 51

Percentage of those who had their income impacted by COVID-19 who say their refund is "very important," versus just 30% of those whose income wasn't impacted: 53

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of successful advisers and financial professionals who expect the profitability of their practice to increase in the next 12 months, according to a survey by Nationwide: 57

Percentage who expected the profitability of their practice to increase in 2019: 81

Rank of COVID-19 on the list of concerns for their practice: 1

Source: Nationwide.

Idle Thought

"Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor." -- Cory Doctorow, author and journalist

Percentage of shoppers who have at least one retail membership, according to a survey by Acosta: 77

Percentage who reported having an Amazon Prime membership: 62

Percentage of shoppers who reported joining Walmart Plus since the COVID-19 pandemic began: 42

Source: Acosta.

Number of folds on a chef's toque, said to represent the number of ways to cook an egg, though an investigation by Bon Appetit failed to track down where that saying originated, according to research by Alex Daniel of Best Life: 100

Source: Best Life.

Percentage of all U.S. adults expecting tax refunds who say their refund is important for their overall financial well-being right now, according to a survey by Bankrate: 73

Percentage of those living in lower-income households who say the refund is "very important," up from 42% last year: 61

Ranks of savings, debt payoff and putting most of it toward day-to-day expenses on the list of where most Americans who anticipate getting tax refunds plan to put the bulk of the money: 1, 2, 3

Source: Bankrate.com.

Amount of credit card debt that Americans paid off in 2020 (a major accomplishment, considering that consumers have added an average of $54.2 billion in credit card debt per year over the past 10 years), according to WalletHub's latest Credit Card Debt Study: $82.9 billion

Average household credit card balance at the end of 2020: $8,089

Percentage of people who plan to go on a spending spree when the COVID-19 pandemic is over: 10

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of people who say they got a new pet during the pandemic, according to a survey from Banfield Pet Hospital: 33

Of these, approximate percentage who said they were able to bond more with their pet at this time: 80

Source: Banfield Pet Hospital.

Percentage of Americans who say that post-COVID-19, they are most looking forward to not having to think about coronavirus or social distancing, according to Ipsos research: 74

Percentage who say they are most looking forward to not wearing a mask in public places: 72

Percentage who say meeting with friends and family outside your household: 62

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Number of Americans who died in motor vehicle crashes in 2020, an 8% increase over 2019 in a year when people drove significantly less frequently because of the pandemic, according to preliminary data from the National Safety Council: 42,060

Estimated percentage spike in the rate of death on the roads last year over the previous 12-month period, despite the number of miles driven having dropped 13%: 24

An estimated number of roadway users who were seriously injured in crashes in 2020, at an estimated cost to society of $474 billion: 4.8 million

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of U.S. workers who want employers to delay reopening until vaccines are widely available to employees, according to Eagle Hill research: 42

Percentage who say employers should offer vaccine incentives: 57

Percentage who say employees should be required to take a COVID-19 test before entering the workplace, while 37% say testing should be encouraged: 26

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Number of U.S. households that have cut the cord on their home's broadband service, according to research by Parks Associates: 12 million

Number of households in the U.S. that have only a mobile broadband service: 15 million

Source: Parks Associates.

As this March marks one year of remote learning for many teachers, parents and students, percentage of teachers who report being passionate or very passionate about teaching now vs. 93% who felt the same pre-pandemic, according to results from Study.com research: 91

Percentage of teachers who reported that confidence in teaching online grew significantly, despite many of them indicating they could have used more training to teach in an online environment: 96

Source: Study.com.

Idle Thought

"Silence will save me from being wrong (and foolish), but it will also deprive me of the possibility of being right." -- Igor Stravinsky, composer (1881-1971)

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

Percentage of people who wouldn't marry someone with bad credit, down from 53% in 2019, according to a survey by WalletHub: 47

Percentage who say irresponsible spending is a bigger turnoff than bad breath: 44

Percentage of women who believe financial infidelity can be worse than cheating: 58

Percentage of men who say the same: 47

Source: WalletHub.

Average cash gift from the Tooth Fairy, according to the annual Original Tooth Fairy Poll, conducted by the Delta Dental Plans Association: $4.70

Number of years the Original Tooth Fairy Poll has typically mirrored the economy's overall direction, tracking with the trends of the S&P 500, over a period of 19 years: 16

Source: Delta Dental of Arkansas.

Salary for college basketball's highest-paid coach, Kentucky's John Calipari (vs. $1.6 million combined for University of Kentucky's president and the state's governor), according to research by Warner Media: $9.3 million

Corporate losses due to unproductive workers during March Madness: $13.3 billion

Amount legally wagered on the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament: $3.9 billion

Amount illegally wagered: $8.5 billion

Source: Warner Media.

Percentage of Americans who say returning to a pre-COVID life is a moderate or large risk, according to the latest Axios Corona Virus Index: 66

Percentage of people who have been vaccinated who still see coronavirus as a high risk: 76

When asked about attending gatherings of family or friends, percentage of all respondents who say they are already doing it: 28

Percentage who will wait for officials to say it's safe: 24

Percentage who will wait for their circle to be vaccinated: 22

Percentage who don't know when they'll attend: 24

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of job seekers who say discovering evidence that a prospective employer would offer poor work-life balance would immediately dissuade them from applying to that company, according to a study published by CareerArc: 53

Ranks of a lower salary, and a company's decreasing profits and lack of stability on the list of top job seeker deal-breakers: 2, 3

Source: CareerArc.

Percentage of U.S. workers who said they would take a lower paid job if it had a healthier working environment than their current job, according to a survey commissioned by Ambius: 60

Percentage who said they already had found a new job with better hygiene practices: 35

Percentage of respondents who said they would be more likely to ask future employers about their health and hygiene policies and implementation before accepting future jobs: 70

Source: Ambius.

Percentage of senior managers surveyed who said their company is taking more time to hire today in hope that better candidates will come along, according to a survey from Robert Half: 33

Percentage of senior managers who are receiving more applications for open roles than they were prior to the pandemic: 72

Source: Robert Half Finance and Accounting.

Percentage of U.S. broadband households that have trialed at least one video service during the COVID-19 crisis, according to research by Parks Associates: 40

Percentage of smart home device owners in the U.S. who have increased usage of these products: 33

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of workers who indicated it is important for employers to celebrate workplace accomplishments, anniversaries and achievements, according to a national survey by Blackhawk Network: 80

Percentage who said they want their employer to express appreciation for their personal contributions: 86

Source: Blackhawk Network.

Percentage of companies that revealed they were new to virtual experiences in 2020, according to a study by AnyRoad: 51

Percentage that said online experiences are here to stay, even after the pandemic subsides: 85

Percentage of marketers who felt that they did not have sufficient measurement tools to show the full impact of their virtual events: 46

Source: AnyRoad.

Idle Thought

"To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter." -- Euripides, Greek playwright

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