Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of working dads who said they would leave their jobs if their spouse or significant other's income could comfortably support the entire family, down from 37 percent in 2008 and 49 percent in 2005, according to CareerBuilder's "Working Dads 2009" survey: 31

Despite a tough economy, percentage of working dads who said they are willing to take a pay cut to spend more time with their children, down from 37 percent in 2008: 30

Percentage who would consider a cut of 10 percent or more: 40

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Ranks of surgeon, senior corporate executive, physician (general practice), psychiatrist and attorney on the list of the most demanding white-collar jobs -- taking into account stress level, work hours and physical demands -- according to research by CareerCast.com: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of firefighter, police officer, roustabout, sailor and construction foreman on the list of the most demanding blue-collar jobs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: CareerCast.com.

Percentage of executives in America's biggest companies who believe that the reputation of CEOs today is largely negative, according to a survey conducted by leading global public relations firm Weber Shandwick with KRC Research: 66

Despite CEOs' low approval ratings, percentage of executives who report being interested in becoming CEO one day: 49

Percentage of executives who overwhelmingly believe that the road to CEO redemption requires publicly taking responsibility when their firms are in crisis: 90

Source: Weber Shandwick.

Year that the first modern roller coaster opened at Coney Island, N.Y., according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1884

Cost of the ride, built by Lamarcus Thompson and called "the gravity pleasure switchback railway": 5 cents

With a top speed of 6 mph, length of the ride in minutes: 1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Among the roughly 14 percent of Americans who say they or their spouse/significant other has been laid off since December 2007, the percentage who said that getting the ax has been a blessing in disguise, according to a survey by SnagAJob.com: 39

Of those who were let go from their jobs since the start of the recession, percentage who said they have since found a better job: 27

Percentage who said they used the time off to reconnect with family and friends: 49

Source: SnagAJob.com.

Percentage of consumers who said they are more likely to shop with a retailer that gives them the flexibility to interact easily via online, mobile and kiosk self-service channels versus a retailer that does not, according to a survey commissioned by NCR Corp.: 72

Percentage of consumers who believe that it is important that store employees are available to help locate products: 73

Source: NCR Corp.

When New York City nighthawks, or those people partaking in the Big Apple's night life, were asked what effect the weakened economy has had on their night habits, percentage who reported going to less expensive places, according to a survey by Zagat: 38

Percentage who said they'd become more price sensitive: 34

Percentage who reported that they were ordering fewer drinks: 27

Source: Zagat.

Percentage of shoppers who say they will keep buying store-brand products after the recession ends, according to a poll conducted by GfK Custom Research North America for the Private Label Manufacturers Association: 91

Percentage of shoppers who agree that the store-brand products they buy are just as good as or better than national brand products: 90

Source: Private Label Manufacturers Association.

In 2008, estimated number of people insured against travel-related loss, according to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association's "Travel Insurance Market Survey for 2006-2008": 120 million

Percentage of total sales that were accounted for by policies with trip cancellation/interruption: 90

Percentage of travel insurance sales accounted for by travel medical and medical evacuation-only policies: 5.5

Source: Kundell Communications.

After viewing a news clip featuring a story on the popularity of direct selling in a down economy, percentage of respondents who indicated that they would consider direct selling to earn an extra income, according to a study was conducted by HCD Research: 36

Percentage of respondents who reported that they had sold personal items (on Ebay, at flea markets, etc.) to earn extra money: 31

Source: HCD Research Inc.

Idle Thought

"They are happy men whose natures sort with their vocations." -- Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher

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

Even in the midst of the current economic recession, percentage of Americans who still believe that they are a people who dream big about accomplishing big ideas or great things, according to a poll conducted on behalf of Carpenter Co.: 85

On an individual level, percentage of Americans who say that they still have big dreams for themselves, despite the current economic uncertainties: 77

Percentage who do not: 21

Source: Carpenter Co.

Percentage of respondents who indicated that their first among several definitions of success is spending quality time with family, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance: 88

Source: Reunions magazine.

Percentage of parents with children under the age of 18 who do not have any savings set aside for their children, according to a survey conducted for ING Direct: 27

Percentage of parents with children who have reduced the contributions they make to their children's savings: 34

Percentage of parents with savings set aside for their children who have taken money from their children's savings to cover bills or pay off debt: 18

Source: ING Direct's Sharebuilder 401(k).

Percentage of Americans who endorse government action to limit executive pay, according to a Gallup Poll: 59

Source: Gallup.

Number of people born between 1978 and 2000 in the U.S., known as the millennials, generation Y or the trophy generation -- a term itself reflecting a trend in competitive sports where nobody loses but everybody is rewarded with a "thank for your participation" trophy -- according to a study by Sibson Consulting: 76 million

Percentage of millennials who are currently in the workplace, though they are arriving in increasing numbers and with higher expectations than any generation before them: 33

Percentage of employers who said that attainment of sales goals by millennials was just as good or better than by non-millennials: 92

Source: Sibson Consulting.

Number of Americans who enjoy hiking each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 31 million

Amount spent on walking shoes annually: $4.5 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

When asked to choose one area in which companies should concentrate most when developing new food products, percentage of North American consumers who cited "providing fresh ingredients," according to a study conducted by Ipsos Marketing for the Consumer Goods Sector: 26

Percentage who said companies should look at "providing additional benefits": 24

Percentage who said that packaging should be made more environmentally friendly: 21

Source: Ipsos Marketing for the Consumer Goods Sector.

Percentage of Americans who agreed that "we should make every effort to improve the position of blacks and minorities, even if it means giving them preferential treatment," according to a Pew Research Center values survey: 31

Percentage of African-Americans who favor preferential treatment to improve the position of blacks and other minorities: 58

Percentage of Hispanics who say the same: 53

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

When asked whether America should "stick with more traditional jobs in manufacturing and other long-standing industries" or "focus on high-tech and jobs in the service industry," percentage of respondents who opted for manufacturing and traditional industries, according to a Zogby poll: 28

Percentage who said they should focus on high-tech and service jobs: 50

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of new car shoppers who said they thought gas prices would go much higher, according to a survey by Kelley Blue Book: 87

Percentage of those who saw gas prices increasing who also said they plan to change their spending habits if gas prices were to go much higher: 73

Source: Kelly Blue Book.

Idle Thought

"Men have slow reflexes. In general it takes several generations later for them to understand." -- Stanislaw J. Lec, poet (1909-1966)

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

Projected total consumer spending for Father's Day, according to industry research firm IBISWorld: $9 billion

Projected percentage rise in the sale of pampering services and products this Father's Day -- indicating many dads are going from handyman to dandy man: 35.7

Source: IBISWorld.

Percentage of workers who said a flexible schedule is the summer benefit they would most like to have, according to a survey by OfficeTeam: 38

Percentage who said they'd like to leave early on Fridays: 32

Percentage who look forward to summer activities such as a company picnic, pot luck, etc.: 6

Source: OfficeTeam.

Rank of the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI on the list of best cars for a cross-country road trip, according to the Kelley Blue Book: 1

Rank of the Porsche Cayman S on the list of best cars for a solo flight: 1

Rank of the Ford F-150 on the list of best vehicles for a towing trip: 1

Source: Kelley Blue Book.

Year that one of America's all-time favorite celebrities, Donald Duck, stepped into the entertainment world -- short, both in stature and temper, wears a sailor hat, has a tendency to fly into a squawking rage whenever things don't go just right, and whose long-term living arrangements with his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, was unusual for the day, according to page 306 of "Chase's Calendar of Events 2009": 1934

Percentage of single parents today who are men, compared with 10 percent in 1970, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 16

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Amid concerns about the economy, estimated percentage of students who are looking at entering a different profession than they were before the economic collapse, according to a survey released by Higher One: 20

Percentage who are considering attending graduate school as a result of the economy: 20

Source: Higher One.

Percentage of leisure travelers who now use the Internet to plan some aspect of their travel (compared to 35 percent in 2000), according to the National Travel Monitorism: 66

Percentage who now report making reservations online: 56

Ranks of online travel agencies such as Expedia and Travelocity (42 percent), Web sites of specific airlines (41 percent), and meta search engines that compare fares (13 percent) on the list of sites that travelers visit first when selecting an airline: 1, 2, 3

Source: Ypartnership Public Relations.

Estimated number of types of food crops there once were, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization: 10,000

Today, number of plant species that feed most of the world's population: 150

Number of crops that provide 80 percent of the dietary energy derived from plants: 12

Percentage of this dietary energy that is provided by rice, wheat, maize and potato alone: 60

Source: FAO.

With the employment market feeling the effects of a global recession, percentage of executives who have updated their profile on a public networking site in the last three months, according to recent research from ExecuNet: 71

Percentage who have updated their resume: 60

Source: ExecuNet.

Percentage of Americans who are getting 30 minutes of exercise five or more days per week, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index: 27

Percentage who report exercising for at least 30 minutes on three or four of the last seven days: 24

Percentage who report exercising for at least 30 minutes less than three days per week: 49

Source: Gallup.

Number of devastating natural disasters, those designated as Category 5 based on their financial and human impact, that occurred in 2008 -- the highest number on record, according to Worldwatch Institute and based on Munich Re's systematic recording of natural perils that began in 1974: 40

Percentage increase in the annual average number of hydrological disaster events occurring since the 1980s: 300

Source: WorldWatch Institute.

Idle Thought

"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. -- Oscar Wilde, writer

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