oddities

Figuratively Speaking for April 23, 2021

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | April 23rd, 2021

Percentage of people who say making a math mistake is their biggest Tax Day fear, according to research by WalletHub: 30

Percentage of Americans who would move to a different country for a tax-free future: 38

Percentage who would get an "IRS" tattoo for a tax-free future: 27

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of Americans who are most likely to describe their idea of the "perfect" body as being athletic, according to a survey conducted on behalf of RiverMend Health: 48.5

Percentage who would be willing to give up something they love if it meant they could achieve their perfect body overnight: 75

Percentage who would say goodbye to deep-fried foods: 45

Percentage who would trade in sex: 10

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of Americans who cited "love" as the No. 1 most important reason to get married, according to a Pew Research survey: 88

Ranks of making a lifelong commitment, companionship and having children on their list of reasons: 2, 3, 4

Ranks of shared interests, a satisfying sexual relationship and sharing household chores on the list of factors that lead to a successful marriage: 1, 2, 3

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Percentage of people in daylight saving time-observing states who said time changes in either direction aren't a problem for them, according to a National Sleep Foundation survey: 70

Percentage who would stick with the current system of two clock changes during the calendar year: 25

Percentage who said they preferred year-round daylight saving time: 54

Source: National Sleep Foundation.

Percentage of workers who say it's common for employees to use company time for personal income tax preparation (e.g., printing paperwork, filling out forms, talking to their accountant), according to an Accountemps survey: 43

Percentage who say employees routinely use office resources to complete tax paperwork: 50

Source: Accountemps.

Ranks of Orlando, Maui, Honolulu, Seattle and Anchorage, Alaska, on the list of domestic locations Americans plan to travel to this summer after last summer's vacation plans were largely scuttled due to the pandemic, according to Allianz Partners: 1 ,2 ,3, 4, 5

Ranks of Cancun, Mexico; San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; Aruba; Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on the list of top destinations abroad: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Allianz Global Assistance.

Percentage of employees within U.S. small- and mid-market firms who expect to work from home at least till the end of 2021, according to a survey by Techaisle: 58

Encouraged by the increasing rate of vaccinations and economic recovery, percentage of firms that plan to bring back all employees to the office by early 2022: 67

Overall, percentage of mainstream businesses (1 to 5,000 employees) that feel unprepared for a long-term remote and hybrid work environment: 97

Source: Techaisle.

Percentage of professionals who admitted they would submit an application for a role when they don't match all the qualifications, according to a survey by Robert Half Technology: 78

Percentage of employees who have been offered a job when they didn't match the exact qualifications: 62

Percentage of HR managers who reported their company is open to hiring an employee whose skills can be developed through training: 84

Source: Robert Half Technology.

Projected worldwide IT spending in 2021, an increase of 4% from 2020, according to the latest forecast by Gartner Inc.: $3.8 trillion

Source: Gartner Inc.

Idle Thought

"When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road." -- William Least Heat-Moon, travel writer

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for April 16, 2021

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | April 16th, 2021

Percentage of millennials who ranked teeth as the No. 1 thing they would save or maintain about their body, compared to baby boomers' preference for saving their eyesight, according to a survey conducted by the American Association of Endodontists: 24

Percentage of women who feel strongly that saving their natural teeth helps them feel better about themselves, compared to 51% of men: 61

Source: American Association of Endodontists.

Rank of "online" on the list of places where singles most often meet, according to a survey by Match.com: 1

Percentage of singles who have had a "friend with benefits" relationship: 55

Percentage who have seen such a relationship turn serious: 45

Percentage who build the friendship first, known as hanging out, where they skip the sex and haven't gone out on an official first date: 40

Source: Match.com.

When visiting a friend or relative's house that is very cluttered, percentage of Americans who say they would suffer quietly, according to a survey by OfferUp: 46

Percentage who say they would avoid going back: 28

Source: OfferUp.

Percentage of parents who underestimate the risks of spring sun and tend to forget to apply sunscreen on their children during the first days of spring, according to a study by parent magazine Kinderzeit.org: 96

Percentage who overestimate the length of time their child can spend in the sun safely: 80

Percentage of all children who have already experienced a mild to severe sunburn this spring: 31

Source: Kinderzeit.org.

Estimated number of hours Americans spend doing their taxes each year, according to research by WalletHub: 8 billion

Number of hours the average person spends doing taxes each year: 12

Average amount they spend completing their 1040: $230

Percentage of tax returns that are expected to be filed electronically: 90

Expected average refund in 2021: $3,021

Source: WalletHub.

While the pandemic canceled many vacation plans in 2020, percentage of cooped-up travelers who are planning at least one road trip this year, according to a survey from Erie Insurance: 50

Percentage who say they would like to, but it depends on the status of the pandemic: 30

Ranks of visiting loved ones, beach-bound or seeking outdoor adventure at a national park on the list of most popular places to go: 1, 2, 3

Source: Erie Insurance.

Percentage of Americans who now know someone who has received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index: 92

Percentage of Americans who say they saw friends or family in the last week, the highest number since the pandemic began: 55

Percentage who say they went out to eat in the last week: 45

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of Americans who said "regret" was the leading feeling after an impulsive shopping session, according to a survey by finder.com: 44

Percentage who felt indifference: 32

Percentage who felt as though they didn't have enough funds for something they actually needed (such as rent, school fees, loan repayments): 19

Source: finder.com.

Percentage of parents of undergraduate college students who say that paying for college in a pandemic is more challenging than in previous years, according to College Ave Student Loans: 85

Percentage of parents planning to help their child pay for college who said the pandemic changed how they planned to pay: 45

Percentage of families who found it difficult to find college scholarships: 66

Source: College Ave Student Loans.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, percentage of employees who have worked outside their home state or country, according to the Adapt survey by Topia: 28

Ranks of high pay, flexibility to work remotely, professional development and culture on the list of the most important issues for employees: 1, 2, 3, 4

Percentage of employees who agree that they should be able to work from wherever they want as long as they get their work done: 91

Source: Topia.

Idle Thought

"Trust is the first step to love." -- Premchand, novelist and poet

oddities

Figuratively Speaking for April 09, 2021

Figuratively Speaking by by John MacIntyre
by John MacIntyre
Figuratively Speaking | April 9th, 2021

Percentage of Americans who say they always/sometimes feel as though no one knows them well, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Cigna: 54

Percentage who report sometimes or always feeling alone and/or feeling left out: 47

Percentage who say they lack companionship, that their relationships are not meaningful or that they are isolated from others: 43

Percentage who say they are no longer close to anyone: 39

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Ranks of "the seat kicker/bumper/grabber," "the aromatic passenger," "the inattentive parent," "personal space violators" and "the audio insensitive" on the list of the most irritating flight passengers, according to a survey by Expedia: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Expedia.

Percentage of U.S. consumers who believe personal finance should be a required course to graduate from high school, according to an Equifax survey: 90

Number of states that require high school students to take a course in personal finance, according to a 2018 study conducted by the Council for Economic Education: 17

Source: Equifax.

Percentage of Americans who desire a meaningful change in their lives, according to a survey conducted by Brant Menswar and Jim Trick, co-authors of the new book, "Rock 'N' Roll With It: Overcoming the Challenge of Change": 87

Ranks of discipline, money, fear and time on the list of greatest obstacles stopping people from making a change: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: "Rock 'N' Roll With It: Overcoming the Challenge of Change."

Percentage of employees who say a workplace where people are treated equally -- regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, race or religion -- is important to them, according to a survey by Randstad-USA: 78

Percentage of female workers who believe their employers could do more to promote gender equality and diversity: 56

Percentage of male workers who agree: 52

Source: Randstad-USA.

Estimated number of Americans who are planning a foreign trip this year, according to a report from WalletHub: 72 million

Percentage of credit cards that offer rental car insurance: 96

Percentage that offer travel accident insurance: 86

Percentage that offer a form of luggage insurance: 37

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of audiologists and speech-language pathologists who say the No. 1 barrier to early identification of communication disorders is lack of awareness about the warning signs among parents, according to a poll by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: 46

Percentage who say parents of young children are not aware of the early warning signs of speech/language disorders: 69

Percentage who say that, on average, the symptoms of hearing loss are going undetected in children for 1 year or longer: 32

Source: ASHA.

Percentage of Americans who would spend upward of $20,000 on their kitchen remodel this season, according to a Delta Faucet survey: 25

Ranks of Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Mother's Day on the list of the most kitchen-centric spring or summer holidays: 1, 2, 3

Source: Delta Faucet.

Percentage of homeowners who do not ever plan to move, according to a Bankrate.com report: 62

Percentage who plan on moving in the next half-decade: 21

Percentage who say they are likely to remodel, upgrade or add to their current home during that time: 35

Source: Bankrate.com.

Number of Americans who are affected by nasal allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and reported in a survey by FilterBuy conducted by Radius Global Market Research: 50 million

Percentage of respondents who worry about the air they breathe in their home: 60

Source: FilterBuy.

Idle Thought

"Bad weather always looks worse through a window." -- Tom Lehrer, singer-songwriter and mathematician

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