Figuratively Speaking

Estimated number of vacation days that go unused by Americans every year, according to the U.S. Travel Association: 429 million

Percentage of travel agent customers who said they use a travel adviser because it just makes things easier, according to a study commissioned by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA): 72

Percentage of the respondents using a travel agent who expect to use one again: 92

Source: American Society of Travel Agents.

Percentage of Americans who describe themselves as careful drivers, according to a survey by Experian: 97

Percentage who have admitted to speeding: 61

Percentage who say they have followed too closely: 29

Percentage who have yelled a profanity: 26

Source: Experian Automotive.

Percentage of employees who have recently experienced an employer change, such as a leadership turnover, extensive layoffs, merger/acquisition, financial slowdown, etc., according to a survey by Weber Shandwick: 84

Percentage of employees who can describe what their employer does: 42

Percentage who can describe what its goals are: 37

Source: Weber Shandwick.

Nationally, amount cheaper a gallon of gas is today than it was this time last year, according to research by the National Association of Convenience Stores: $1

Estimated amount lower gas prices will save the average American family in fuel costs over 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration: $675

Percentage of Americans who say they are spending this extra money, according to the NACS poll: 44

Source: National Association of Convenience Stores.

Percentage of employees in U.S. organizations who believe that feedback is important to career development, according to a survey conducted by Eagle Hill Consulting: 87

Percentage who indicate that they feel valued when someone takes the time to provide feedback on their work: 85

Percentage of respondents who reported that their work environment supports a culture of feedback: 60

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Percentage of employees who say cellphones/text is the biggest distraction at work, according to a survey by CareerBuilder: 52

Percentage who said the Internet: 42

Percentage who say it compromised the quality of work: 45

Percentage who said it lowered morale because other workers had to pick up the slack: 30

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Rank of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, with a personal fortune totaling nearly $86 billion, on Wealth-X's list of the world's top 25 richest self-made billionaires: 1

Number of spots claimed by Americans on the Wealth-X list: 14

Combined wealth of the 14 Americans on that list -- greater than the GDP of Norway: $14.2 billion

Source: Wealth-X.

Estimated percentage of the U.S. population with a bachelor's degree or higher, in contrast to U.S. politicians, almost all of whom have a bachelor's degree or higher, according to an Ipsos poll: 33

Percentage of the general U.S. population with a bachelor's degree from an Ivy League school vs. 11 percent of U.S. office holders: 1

Source: Ipsos CJ.

Date the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation: July 4, 1776

In July 1776, estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation: 2.5 million

The nation's estimated population on this July Fourth: 318.4 million

Source: Census Bureau.

Percentage of parents who give their kids some say in where they want to go on vacation, according to a survey by HomeAway: 85

Percentage of parents who say spending quality time together is the most important part of vacation: 41

Percentage who said creating lasting memories: 27

Percentage who said exploring new cultures and places: 15

Source: Home Away.

Idle Thought

"The belief in the possibility of a short, decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions." -- Robert Lynd, writer

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

Percentage of people who are visual learners, according to market research firm Lab 42: 65

Amount of visual data the average person takes in per second: 1.25 GB

Average percentage of that data that a person is able to process: .7

Source: Lab 42.

Average percentage of the work around the house that is done by fathers, according to Insure.com: 33

Percentage of fathers with spouses in the workforce who are a regular source of care for their kids (up from 26 percent in 2002): 32

Estimated percentage of dads with kids under the age of 5 who are now the primary caregivers in the family: 20

Percentage of fathers who say they're more involved with their kids than their fathers were: 75

Source: Insure.com.

Number of months that the average vacationer typically saves for before a vacation, according to retailmenot.com: 5

Number of months in advance that they typically book their trips: 3

Percentage of people who are more inclined to travel by car when gas prices are cheaper: 65

Percentage of employed respondents who report getting no paid vacation days in a typical year: 32

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Percentage of employees who say their employers expect them to be available outside regular office hours, according to a Randstad survey: 57

Percentage who say they are expected to be available during holidays: 47

Percentage of workers who say they don't mind handling work matters when on vacation because they like to stay involved: 39

Source: Randstad.

Percentage of new car buyers who financed a car in 2015 who did so with a zero-interest loan, according to Edmunds.com: 9.5

Percentage of new cars and trucks sold so far in 2015 that were leased: 28

Source: Edmunds.com.

Percentage of North Americans who admit to having "reinvented" themselves in an effort to embrace change and look for new opportunities, improvements and differentiation, according to a recent study conducted by Ipsos: 55

Percentage who plan to reinvent themselves in the future: 21

Rank of millennials and females on the list of those who tend to be more open to the idea of reinvention, when compared to older generations and males: 1, 2

Source: Ipsos Marketing Open Thinking Exchange.

Rank of the U.S. in terms of having the highest number of billionaires in the world, according to Wealth-X: 1

Number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals ($30 million to $49 million) living in New York City, the most of any city in the world: 8,655

Source: Wealth-X.

Percentage increase in the population of those age 65 and older in the U.S. by 2050, according to Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends: 100

Percentage of the entire population that will be 65 and older by 2050: 21

Source: Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends.

Number of couples in the U.S. who get married annually, accounting for nearly 6,200 weddings a day, according to Sound Vision magazine: 2.3 million

Source: Sound Vision. Contact public affairs info@soundvision.com.

Among 16 world leaders, percentage of Americans (18 and older) who have a good opinion of Pope Francis, according to the results of a Harris Poll: 73

Percentage who have a good opinion of the Dalai Lama: 62

Ranks of British Prime Minister David Cameron, U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany on the list of world leaders who have won the good opinion of Americans: 3, 4, 5

Source: Harris Interactive.

Idle Thought

"What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof." -- Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist

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

Length of the average loan term in months for new and used vehicles, respectively, reaching all-time highs, according to Experian Automotive: 67 and 62

Percentage of loans accounted for by terms of 73 months to 84 months, again a record: 29.5

Average value of a new vehicle loan: $28,711

Average monthly payment for a new vehicle: $485

Source: Experian Automotive.

Rank of married men or women having an affair as the least morally acceptable behavior among 19 behaviors measured by Gallup: 1

Percentage who say having a child out of wedlock is OK (vs. 45 percent in 2002): 61

Source: Gallup Organization.

Percentage of Americans who say that it is possible for them to save $25 a week more than they are currently saving, according to an Employee Benefit Research Institute survey: 69

If they were to do that, percentage who would have to give up eating out or ordering takeout: 46

Percentage who would have to give up soft drinks or snacks from vending machines: 13

Percentage who say they would have to give up movies, videos, DVDs or streaming service: 12

Source: EBRI.

Amount of money shelled out by parents to repair or replace smartphones, tablets or laptops after their children have broken them, according to a report by Square Trade: $11 billion

Percentage of tech-related accidents that were the result of children accidentally dropping a device: 58

Percentage of kids who tried to blame it on somebody else: 20

Source: SquareTrade.

Percentage of Americans who say they turn off lights, TVs or other appliances when not in use in order to improve energy efficiency at home, down from 82 percent in 2012, according to the results of The Harris Poll: 75

Percentage who are replacing incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs, down from 58 percent in 2012: 50

Percentage who say they use low-watt bulbs where lighting isn't critical: 46

Source: Harris Interactive.

Percentage of adults who say that being in control of who can get information about them is important, according to Pew Research: 93

Percentage who say that controlling what information is collected about them is important: 90

Percentage of Americans who also value having the ability to share confidential matters with another trusted person: 93

Percentage who say they do not wish to be observed without their approval: 88

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Percentage of companies that don't have a preference of promoting within or pursuing outside hires, according to a survey by the American Management Association: 55

Percentage who focus on developing and retaining talent: 34

Percentage who say they have a high turnover and recruit aggressively: 11

Source: American Management Association.

Number of times more likely millennials (versus boomers) are to say that when they go to buy a new home, they want it equipped with smartphone technology, according to a survey by Cartus: 5

Number of times more likely baby boomers are than millennials to say that what they want in a new home is a bedroom on the main floor: 8

Source: Cartus.

Percentage of Americans who say their favorite kind of doughnut is cream filled, according to an Ipsos poll for National Donut Day: 22

Percentage who favor plain glazed: 18

Percentage of respondents who prefer jelly filled: 11

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of people who say they had planned to purchase a gift for Dad this year, compared to the 83 percent who purchased Mother's Day gifts for Mom, according to a recent survey by RetailMeNot: 73

Average amount shoppers spend to buy gifts for Dad: $57

Average amount they spent to buy gifts for Mom: $85

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Idle Thought

"It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds." -- William Ellery Channing, clergyman and writer

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