Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of professionals who believe office politics are alive and well in the workforce, according to a survey by Accountemps: 80

Percentage who admit to taking part in office politics: 55

Percentage who said gossip is the most common form of office politics: 46

Percentage who said "politicking" is very necessary for career advancement: 28

Percentage who said gaining favor by flattering the boss is the most common form of office politics: 28

Source: Accountemps.

Percentage of employees surveyed across the nation who believe that safety takes a back seat to productivity at their organizations, according to a survey by the National Safety Council: 33

Percentage of respondents in the construction industry who agreed: 60

Percentage of those working in agriculture, forestry, and fishing and hunting who felt safety was less of a priority than finishing tasks: 52

Ranks of those industries when it comes to the number of occupational deaths each year: 1, 2 (tie)

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of Americans whose summer travel plans have been affected by illness or natural disaster, according to U.S. Travel Insurance Association: 17

Percentage of those impacted who have the necessary insurance, according to a CardHub report: 22

Percentage of credit cards that offer travel accident insurance, providing an average of $352,000 in coverage: 93

Source: CardHub.

Rank of Arlington, Virginia, on the list of the best cities to retire, according to a Bankrate.com report: 1

Ranks of Franklin, Tennesee; Des Moines, Iowa; Sarasota, Florida; and Scottsdale, Arizona, on the list: 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Bankrate Inc.

Percentage of Americans for whom eating dinner at home entails cooking from scratch, according to the results of a Harris Poll: 78

Percentage of Americans who enjoy cooking, with over one-quarter enjoying it a great deal: 57

Of those who enjoy cooking the most, percentage who like to cook from scratch: 86

Ranks of "back pocket" recipes (42 percent), a recipe of their own design (32 percent) or a recipe passed down from a family member (25 percent) on the list of places Americans go when looking to cook something up: 1, 2, 3

Source: The Harris Poll.

In 2015, estimated number of reported injuries among people of all ages that were caused by fireworks, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC): 29,200

Of these, number that required emergency room visits: 10,181

Total value of medical expenses: $166 million plus

Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Year that the Declaration of Independence, a document signed by 56 of America's Founding Fathers, proclaiming independence from English rule, was approved by the Continental Congress, according to U.S. News and DataLine: 1777

Number of people who will venture at least 50 miles from home to celebrate the Fourth, up 0.7 percent from last year, according to AAA: 42 million

Source: U.S. News.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, percentage of farms that are family owned: 97

Number of farmers, ranchers and agricultural managers this represents: 494,879

Median income of these workers: $30,597

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Amount of money Nationwide Insurance members spent on canine medical conditions that are commonly associated with dog park fun last year, according to Nationwide: $10 million

Estimated number of Nationwide-insured dogs that suffered soft tissue injuries or sprains, the most common medical condition on the list: 24,000

Source: Nationwide.

Ranks of family satisfaction, health and nutrition, and sustainability on the list of important factors that Americans consider when deciding what food to buy, according to the Cone Communications Food Issues Trend Tracker: 1, 2, 3

Percentage who consider where a product is produced when making food purchasing decisions: 89

Source: Cone Communications.

Idle Thought

"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars." -- Walt Whitman

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

When asked to name which skills they think recent college graduates lack for the workplace, percentage of employers who cited interpersonal skills, according to a CareerBuilder survey: 52

Percentage who cited problem-solving skills: 48

Ranks of leadership, teamwork, written communication and oral communication on the list of other skills these employers are looking for: 3, 4, 5, 6

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of homeowners who would rather walk around in their underwear than spend money to cool down their homes in the summer, according to the Lennox Home Energy Report Card survey: 26

If homeowners could save $50 each month on their summer electric bill, percentage who would be willing to turn up the temperature on their thermostat 10 degrees or more: 10

Percentage of homeowners who adjust their thermostat while sleeping: 61

Source: Lennox Industries.

Percentage of consumers who mistakenly think their credit scores and reports are public information, according to a survey by WalletHub: 34

Percentage of people who wouldn't date someone with bad credit: 34

Percentage who wouldn't marry someone with such a rating: 49

Percentage who think a great butt is more important than a great credit score: 22

Source: WalletHub.

Across all groups of workers, median age of retirement, regardless of gender or marital status, according to EBRI's recent Retirement Confidence Survey: 65

Percentage of women who say they are very likely to live until age 85: 38

Percentage of men who say the same: 35

Source: EBRI.

For centuries, rank of the month of June as the most popular choice for weddings, traditionally a time just after May's annual bath, so the happy couple and the guests were about as clean as could be hoped, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1

Each year, estimated number of weddings held across the nation: 2.1 million

Median age at first marriage for women (up five years since 1980): 27.6

Average age for men when they first take their vows: 29.5

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage more shower users than bathers who admitted to taking selfies in the shower more than once a week, according to an American Standard survey: 57

Percentage of respondents who admitted to cleaning the shower naked: 50

Percentage more shower users who say they sing in the shower than bathers: 89

Percentage of survey respondents who bathe who said they've actually participated in a teleconference or work phone call from the tub: 14.3

Source: American Standard.

Percentage of Americans who report feeling financial anxiety today, according to data from Northwestern Mutual: 85

Percentage who say their anxiety has gone up in the last three years: 36

Percentage who say financial anxiety is negatively impacting their happiness: 70

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Percentage of American consumers who noticed that gas prices are higher, a rise of 18 cents over the past month, the fourth consecutive month of price increases, according to a survey by the National Association of Convenience Stores: 69

Price that consumers say gas would have to reach before they would reduce how much they drive: $3.51

Source: National Association of Convenience Stores.

Percentage of Americans who favor legalizing marijuana for medical use, up from 74 percent in 2011, according to a Harris Poll: 81

Percentage of Americans who are supportive of legalizing marijuana for recreational use, up from 42 percent in 2011: 49

When asked about the effects legalizing marijuana might have, percentage of adults who expect tax revenues will increase post legalization: 75

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of American shoppers who have made an apparel purchase in the last six months, according to Nielsen Channel Track: 70

Percentage of these shoppers who made purchases at a physical store: 82

Source: Nielsen Channel Track.

Idle Thought

"Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear." -- Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate

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

Number of copies of adult coloring books that were sold in the United States last year, up from just 1 million in 2014, according to Nielsen BookScan data from the 2015 U.S. Book Industry Year Review: 12 million

Number of coloring book titles that were published last year, compared with 300 the previous year: 2,000

In the past year alone (year ended April 30), amount that Americans spent on colored pencils, a 47 percent spike from the previous year: $128.2 million

Source: Nielsen Media Research.

Percentage of people who said financial security would allow them to relocate or buy a home, according to new data from Northwestern Mutual: 34

Percentage who said financial security would allow them to leave money to loved ones: 32

Percentage of people who said they would stop working if they had financial security: 15

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Percentage of adults who reported never working on vacation, according to research from Alamo Rent A Car: 44

In both the 2015 and 2016 surveys, rank of "spending quality time together" as the most important benefit of traveling as a family: 1

Percentage of adults who said they are likely to go on vacations with extended family, up from 67 percent in 2015: 73

Source: Alamo Rent A Car.

Amount of annual revenue that comes from IRS enforcement activities, according to WalletHub: $50 to $60 billion

Amount that comes from people who "voluntarily pay what they owe": $3.3 trillion

Number of hours it takes Americans to do their taxes each year (16 hours per person): 6.1 billion

Source: WalletHub.

Rank of Mossack Fonseca on the list of the largest global firms providing clandestine offshore financial services, according to an article by Deborah Hardoon, Oxfam's deputy head of research: 4

Estimated amount that tax havens cost poor countries in lost tax revenues each year: $170 billion

Source: Oxfam.

With telecommuting, flexible schedules and an increasingly wired (and wireless) world, percentage of employees who feel their work and personal lives are becoming increasingly blended, according to the 2016 Cone Communications Employee Engagement Study: 64

Percentage who want to work for a company that cares about them as an individual: 93

Percentage of workers who say their job is more fulfilling when they are provided opportunities to make a positive impact at work: 74

Source: Cone Communications.

Year that the first recorded automobile accident involving two vehicles (a bicycle and a car) occurred, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1896

Today, average number of motor vehicle accidents that are reported to police per year: 5.7 million

Estimated number of insurance carriers in the U.S., with annual industry revenues of about $1.7 trillion: 31,000

Source: Census Bureau.

When it comes to makeup/cosmetic use, average number of days per week that women typically wear makeup, including using mascara (5 days), foundation (4.9), concealer (4.8) and eyeliner (4.8), according to a survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Boots Retail USA Inc.: 5

When it comes to satisfaction with current cosmetics, ranks of eyeliner and mascara on the list of items that women are most happy with: 1, 2

Source: Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs.

Percentage of Americans who believe that everyone has control over their weight, according to a survey of 1,000 overweight Americans by Mike Berland: 75

Percentage of respondents who say that all calories are the same: 82

Percentage who say dieting is expensive: 76

Source: Teszler PR Inc.

Percentage of American adults who believe musicians and comedians canceling performances will be effective in deterring the passage of anti-LGBT laws, according to a Harris Poll: 50

Percentage of Americans who are familiar with "bathroom bills" -- laws that require individuals to use the bathroom that corresponds to their sex at birth: 76

Source: The Harris Poll.

Idle Thought

"A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points." -- Alan Kay, computer scientist

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