Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of Americans who say that knowing someone's credit score would have an impact on their interest in dating them, according to a study from Bankrate.com: 42

Of those respondents, percentage who say that credit score has a major impact: 13

Percentage who say it would be a minor influence on their decision to date a person: 29

Percentage of women who say credit score would have a major influence on dating a potential partner: 20

Percentage of men who say the same: 7

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of global citizens who say their country does not prioritize the concerns of "people like me," according to Ipsos Global Trends 2017: 71

Percentage of U.S. citizens who say the same: 74

Percentage of global citizens who say they have a high level of trust in business, in general: 42

Percentage of Americans who agree: 46

Source: Ipsos.

Amount that U.S. consumers repaid in credit card debt during the first quarter of 2017, according to WalletHub, basing their conclusions on a Federal Reserve report: $31.5 billion

Percentage improvement in this first-quarter paydown relative to the same quarter last year: 14

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of workers surveyed by OfficeTeam who said they prefer more relaxed dress codes: 56

Percentage who also admitted they're at least sometimes unsure about whether a piece of clothing is office-appropriate: 41

Percentage who would rather wear a uniform to work than think about their outfits: 48

Source: OfficeTeam.

Percentage of Americans in fitness routines who still made health or fitness-related resolutions this year, according to a study conducted by Great Blue Research for Zoom: 56

Percentage who report feeling energized/happy during or after a workout: 91

Percentage who said they feel that way before a workout: 5

Source: Zoom.

Amount of money an average 65-year-old couple today will need to cover out-of-pocket health care expenses in retirement, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute: $265,000

Percentage of men over 65 who will require some form of long-term care, which is not covered by Medicare, according to a study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College: 44

According to the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program, average cost for an assisted living facility per year: $47,064

Approximate cost per year for around-the-clock care in a semiprivate room at a nursing home: $91,615

Source: EBRI.

Percentage of pet parents who say a pet-friendly workplace is important to them, according to a survey from Wellness Natural Pet Food: 41

Percentage of pet parents whose company allows them to bring their pet to work on Wellness' annual Take Your Dog to Work Day: 56

Percentage of pet parents whose office celebrates Take Your Dog to Work Day who said they do not have official "petiquette rules" in place: 53

Source: Well Pet.

Percentage of the college students who have identified a career to pursue who feel prepared for the workforce, according to a McGraw-Hill survey: 33

Percentage who have identified a career, but do not feel prepared for the workforce: 15

Percentage of students who have identified a career to pursue: 76

Percentage who anticipate having a job within one year of graduation: 71

Source: McGraw-Hill Education.

Ranks of accomplished, productive and motivated on the list of ways employees say working in small businesses make them feel, according to Ipsos Global Trends 2017: 1, 2, 3

Although small businesses are fostering happy workplaces, percentage of workers who say that an improvement in their benefits offerings would make them happier: 72

Source: Aflac Inc.

Percentage of working Americans who believe that companies that sponsor volunteer activities offer a better overall working environment than those that do not, according to a survey by Deloitte: 89

Percentage of respondents who say that volunteer activities are more likely to boost employee morale than company-sponsored happy hours: 70

Source: Deloitte.

Idle Thought

"Neither great poverty nor great riches will hear reason." -- Henry Fielding, author

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

In the past 12 months, percentage of Americans who say that someone in their household has decided not to seek medical attention when it was needed due to the cost, according to a study from Bankrate.com: 25

Percentage of Americans who are worried that they might not have affordable health insurance in the future: 56

Ranks of Generation X (64 percent), baby boomers (58 percent), millennials (56 percent) and the silent generation (35 percent) on the list of those most concerned about affordable health care: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of job candidates who display negative body language during interviews, according to an OfficeTeam survey of senior managers: 30

Ranks of eye contact, facial expressions, posture, handshake, fidgeting/habitual movements and hand gestures on the list of the most telling nonverbal cues when meeting with applicants: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Source: OfficeTeam.

Percentage of Americans who are not very confident they would be able to achieve their financial goals if they were to get a divorce, according to a survey by Merrill Edge: 71

Percentage who are saving for that possibility: 5

Percentage who are not very confident they would be able to achieve their financial goals if they have children: 64

Percentage who are saving to have a family: 23

Source: Merrill Lynch.

Percentage of small businesses that have become more dependent on technology in the last three years, according to research by Techaisle: 83

Percentage of small businesses that find technology has become more complex, creating adoption inertia: 72

Percentage of respondents who are ignoring some technologies even though they may be useful: 61

Source: Techaisle.

Last year, average number of hours that Americans spent per month browsing their smartphone (compared to 66 hours in the U.K. and 52 in Spain), according to Deloitte's Global Mobile Consumer Survey: 87

Percentage of consumers who check their phones within five minutes of waking up: 40

Source: Deloitte Public Relations.

Percentage of parents who believe that busy schedules are a key barrier to active play, according to a survey commissioned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group: 70

Percentage of tweens who said they wished they had more time to be active and play sports: 50

Percentage of kids who consider gaming to be a part of playtime: 81

Source: Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

Ranks of "Wonder Woman," "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" on the list of the most anticipated 2017 summer blockbusters, according to a survey by Fandango: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of "Wonder Woman" fans who are excited to see a standalone female superhero movie: 92

Percentage of respondents who watched the "Wonder Woman" TV show when they were kids: 73

Source: Fandango.

Percentage of Americans whose travel plans are interrupted by illness and natural disasters alone, according to WalletHub's 2017 Travel Insurance Report: 16.6

Percentage of those impacted who have the necessary insurance: 22

Percentage of credit cards that provide travel accident insurance, with almost 38 percent offering more than $300,00 in coverage: 93

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of pet parents who say a pet-friendly workplace is important to them, according to a survey from Wellness Natural Pet Food: 41

Percentage of millennials who said that pet-friendly offices are important, compared with Generation X (31 percent) and baby boomers (33 percent): 52

Percentage of pet parents whose company allows them to bring their pet to work on Wellness' annual Take Your Dog to Work Day: 56

Source: Well Pet.

Percentage of U.S. car owners who perform an activity that requires a mobile or internet connection while driving, according to Parks Associates research: 92

In response to this consumer demand for in-car connectivity, estimated amount that U.S. automakers will spend for in-vehicle software in 2017: $10.8 billion

By 2022, projected amount they will spend: $16 billion

Source: Parks Associates.

Idle Thought

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." -- Albert Einstein

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

Percentage of U.S. adults who have financial regrets, according to a Bankrate.com report: 73

Ranks of "not saving for retirement early enough," "not saving enough for emergency expenses" and "taking on too much credit card debt" on the list of regrets: 1, 2, 3

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of global citizens who believe the primary role of women in society is to be good mothers and wives, according to an Ipsos Global Trends survey of 22 nations: 37

Percentage who disagree: 58

Number of countries that have a majority who agree -- Indonesia (76 percent), Russia (69 percent) and India (64 percent): 3

Percentage of Americans who agree: 41

Ranks of Sweden (78 percent) and Spain (77 percent) on the list of countries with the highest levels of disagreement: 1, 2

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of Americans who say they clean out their car only once a season -- usually to clear out stuff like ice scrapers after the winter, or beach chairs and sand at the end of summer, according to Cumberland Farms survey: 34

Percentage who clean out their car only for other people, such as when they're going on a road trip with family or friends: 27

Source: Cumberland Farms.

Of employees who receive vacation/paid time off, percentage who report taking at least some time off in the last 12 months, up from 85 percent in 2014, according to a survey from Glassdoor: 91

Over the same time period, percentage who reported taking 100 percent of their eligible time off: 23

Percentage of employees who reported taking 25 percent or less of their eligible time: 23

Source: Glassdoor.com.

In a search for the geekiest bespectacled TV character of all time, percentage of respondents who voted Steve Urkel of "Family Matters" as the ultimate geek, according to research by GlassesUSA.com: 30

Ranks of "The Office's" Dwight Schrute and "The Big Bang Theory's" Amy Farrah Fowler on the list of the geekiest characters: 2, 3

Source: GlassesUSA.com.

Average amount Father's Day shoppers are expected to spend for the holiday, up from last year's $125.92, according to National Retail Federation's annual survey conducted by Prosper Insight & Analysis: $134.75

With 77 percent of consumers surveyed celebrating, projected total spending: $15.5 billion

Percentage of dads who would love to receive a "gift of experience" for Father's Day: 27

Percentage of shoppers who plan to grant that wish with gifts like tickets to a concert or a sporting event: 25

Source: NRF.

Percentage of the 2,000 full-time and part-time employees in the 14 industries surveyed by the National Safety Council who feel their employers prioritize productivity over safety: 36

Percentage of employees who feel management ignores a person's safety performance when determining promotions: 32

Percentage who say everyone is involved in solving job safety issues: 6

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of millennials (ages 18-34) who are looking to save a set amount of money or income necessary to enjoy their desired lifestyle, according to a survey by Merrill Edge: 63

Percentage of Gen Xers and baby boomers who are saving so they can leave the workforce: 55

Source: Merrill Corp.

Percentage of couples who say some of their guests hooked up during or after their wedding, according the results of The Knot's Real Weddings Study of U.S. brides and grooms: 19

Percentage of couples who reported that guests who met at their wedding are now in a committed relationship: 4

Percentage of brides who admit they got drunk at their wedding: 15

Percentage who say their groom got drunk as well: 18

Source: The Knot.

Year that the first criminal case in the United States resulted in conviction based predominantly on fingerprint evidence, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1911.

Year that the first-known criminal case in the world (in India) was solved by fingerprint matching, though the unique pattern of each person's fingerprints had been known since ancient China: 1898

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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.)