Figuratively Speaking

Year that a day was set aside to provide people with the opportunity to give back to their communities when New York City's 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation started Giving Tuesday to create a global day of giving, according to The Harris Poll: 2012

Held the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday -- three years after its creation, percentage of Americans who say they've never heard of it: 87

After hearing about it, percentage of Americans who say this day represents what the holiday season should be about: 75

Source: The Harris Poll.

Of American households in the top 10 percent of family income earners (more than $120,000 per year), ranks of jewelry/watches, travel/vacation, fashion and personal electronics as their top luxury gifts this holiday season, according to a survey by YouGov and Time Inc.: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: YouGov.

Percentage of professionals who say they feel guilty about online shopping during work hours, according to a survey by Robert Half Technology: 30

Percentage who believe their co-workers are not pulling their weight when they shop on company time: 28

Percentage who say they have been caught by the boss while shopping online: 24

Source: Robert Half.

Ranks of Mexico, China and India as the largest sources of immigrants to the United States between 1965 and 2015, according to Pew Hispanic Center: 1, 2, 3

Number of times more immigrants that there were from Mexico than from China and India combined during that period: 2.8

Source: Pew Hispanic Center.

Estimated value of shipments of candles by U.S. manufacturers, many of which are lit during Diwali, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations: $1.68 billion

Number of pieces of mail the U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve -- with the busiest mailing day set for Dec. 16, and Dec. 18 as the busiest delivery day: 15 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

In today's flat organizational structures, average number of extra years that employees spend at each job level than they did in 2010, according to CEB: 3

Percentage of employees who have become dissatisfied with future career opportunities caused by this stalled progression: 70

Source: CEB.

Of Americans who bake cookies, percentage who bake cookies during the holidays, according to a survey commissioned by Fleischmann's Yeast and Karo Syrup brands: 93

Percentage who bake three or more batches: 61

Source: MSL Group.

Percentage of American teens aged 13 to 17 who have ever dated, according to Pew Internet and American Life project: 35

Percentage of teens who have dated who met a romantic partner online: 24

Percentage of teens who started a friendship online: 57

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Percentage of people who say they trust ads on social media, according to a Nielsen Global survey: 46

Percentage of people who say they trust emails that they signed up for: 56

Percentage of people who say they trust branded websites: 70

Percentage who say they trust the opinions of friends and family: 83

Source: Nielsen Media Research.

Percentage of American companies that have hired a veteran in the last year, according to CareerBuilder.com: 47

Percentage of veterans who say they were underemployed or were in a low-paying job: 31

Percentage who were taking advantage of a tuition credit granted under the G.I. Bill: 29

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Idle Thought

"You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips." -- Oliver Goldsmith, writer and physician

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

Holiday sales by U.S. department stores in December 2014, according to the U.S Census Bureau: $24.5 billion

Percentage jump that is from the previous month: 41.2

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of employers who say they've fired someone for holiday shopping online while at work, according to a CareerBuilder survey: 12

Percentage of employers who say they block employee access to some websites from work: 56

Percentage of employees who use their own personal devices to shop online while at work: 42

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of employees who said their favorite work-related holiday celebration is an office party, according to an Office Team study: 52

Percentage who said they'd rather not celebrate the holidays at work: 4

Source: OfficeTeam.

Percentage of shoppers who described their mood as happy after holiday shopping, according to an Ipsos study: 68

Percentage of shoppers who said they were buying something for themselves: 57

Source: Ipsos Data.

When asked what their go-to gift was for someone they didn't know particularly well or someone they hadn't planned to give a gift originally, percentage who said gift cards, according to a survey by Consumer Reports: 29

Percentage who cited wine/other alcohol: 16

Percentage who said chocolate/dessert/candy: 15

Source: Consumer Reports.

Average amount that companies giving gifts plan to spend for employees, up nearly 16 percent from 2014, according to an Advertising Specialty Institute survey: $44

Percentage of all companies giving gifts to employees that say they will spend more than $100 on each employee gift this year: 25

Average amount that companies plan to spend thanking clients: $48

Percentage of all responding companies who report that 100 percent of the gifts they give out this season -- to employees, customers and prospects -- will have the company's logo on them: 46

Source: Advertising Specialty Institute.

Percentage of American workers who don't plan to give gifts to their co-workers, according to a survey by Spherion survey: 56

Percentage who don't plan to give a gift to their boss: 59

Percentage of workers who aren't planning to buy gifts for anyone at work for reasons other than money who say they don't want to because they feel they would have to buy something for everyone, and they consider that to be "too much": 43

Source: Spherion.

Percentage of Americans who have given someone a gift card, according to a Bankrate.com report: 76

Percentage who have received a gift card: 83

Most common value range given (true across all income levels): $25 to $50

Source: Bankrate Inc.

Percentage of Americans who are planning to purchase toys as gifts this holiday season, according to a Harris Poll: 58

Ranks of children's books, arts and crafts supplies, dolls, console video games and board games on the list of planned purchases this year: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: The Harris Poll.

Busiest day for Christmas travel, according to a survey by Orbitz Worldwide: December 23

Average price of airfare in 2015: $493

Source: Orbitz Worldwide.

Idle Thought

"To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature." -- Auguste Rodin, sculptor

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

Percentage of U.S. adults who agree having a fridge full of leftovers is the best thing about hosting Thanksgiving, according to the results of a Harris poll: 79

Ranks of turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce on the list of traditional dishes Americans most look forward to at Thanksgiving: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of Americans planning to travel between Thanksgiving and New Year's in 2015, according to a survey Orbitz Worldwide: 71

Average amount that Americans plan to spend on holiday trips this year: $2,195

Source: Orbitz Worldwide.

Percentage of employees who say they are more productive the week before a holiday, according to a survey by Accountemps and Robert Half International: 32

Percentage who admit their productivity wanes: 22

Source: Robert Half International.

Average number of connected computing and entertainment devices per U.S. broadband households, according to Parks Associates: 7.5

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of all U.S. adults (62 million) who consider themselves gift splurgers, according to a Nielsen survey: 26

Ranks of Miami and Tampa on the list of markets that fall into this generous group: 1, 2

Source: Nielsen Insights.

Percentage of Americans who enjoy a cocktail at least occasionally and who chose wine as their cocktail of choice, according to an Ipsos Omnibus survey: 56

Percentage of respondents who say the taste preference of a drinker is most important when buying wine as a gift: 27

Percentage of Americans who say price is the No. 1 factor when selecting wine in a restaurant: 27

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Year that Edward Brooke became the nation's first African-American to win election to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1966

Since his defeat in a bid for a third term in 1978, number of African-Americans the chamber has seated (one of whom cut his term short to become president): 6

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of Americans who feel pressure to spend more than they can afford during the holidays, according to a survey conducted for SunTrust Banks: 46

Percentage of adults who expect this holiday shopping season to be more financially stressful than last year: 29

Source: SunTrust Banks Inc.

Among those U.S. adults who have been sick during the holiday season, percentage who have gone shopping while ill, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Merck Manuals: 51

Percentage who confessed to going to work or school while sick: 65

Source: Merck Manuals.

Percentage of gift cards that now offer the ability to add a security code, according to a Bankrate.com report: 50

Percentage of cards that have some form of loss and theft protection: 72

Source: Bankrate Inc.

Idle Thought

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony." -- Mahatma Gandhi

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