Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of millennials who have seen social media ruin a family vacation, according to an Alamo Rent a Car survey: 36

Percentage of millennials who feel pressured to post photos on social media to show they're having a good time: 33

Percentage who even confess they grow concerned when their social media followers don't like or comment on their family vacation posts: 26

Source: Alamo Rent A Car.

In a survey of senior managers, number of minutes they spend looking at each resume, according to a survey by Robert Half: 12

Average number of people interviewed per open position: 7

Average time of those meetings: 41 minutes

Source: Robert Half.

Ranks of beaches and mountains, opportunities for sightseeing and relaxation on the list of the types of travel destinations families are choosing, according to research from AAA Travel: 1, 2, 3

Source: AAA.

Annual amount an employer with 1,000 employees can expect to lose each year in missed workdays, lower productivity and increased health care due to employee fatigue, according to a National Safety Council survey: $1 million

Percentage of workplace injuries that can be attributed to fatigue: 13

Percentage who do not believe their employees would feel comfortable telling them if they were too tired to perform their job safely: 61

Percentage of employers who allow a night shift immediately before or after a day shift, increasing the employee's fatigue and risk of being injured: 51

Source: National Safety Council.

On average, age that Americans think is ideal to retire, according to a survey by Bankrate.com: 61

The optimal age to buy a first home: 28

The best age to open a first credit card: 22

The right time to start saving for retirement: 22

The ideal age to buy or lease a first car: 21

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of millennials (ages 18 to 34) who have aimed to deceive their followers by posting social media vacation images that make trips look better than they are, according to a survey by Allianz Global Assistance: 36

Of those who confessed to this social media deception, percentage who do so in an attempt to make others envious: 65

Percentage who also use it as an opportunity to compete with others who do the same: 51

Source: Allianz Global Assistance.

Percentage of Americans who either were apprentices themselves or know someone enrolled in these "earn while learning" programs who say the experiences had a positive effect on that person's career, according to the results of an American Staffing Association survey: 90

Of U.S. adults with an opinion about apprenticeships, percentage who view them favorably: 92

Percentage of Americans who think more people should consider apprenticeships: 84

Source: American Staffing Association.

Percentage of the nation's workforce who believe they are overweight, according to a CareerBuilder survey: 57

Percentage who believe they've gained weight at their present job: 45

Percentage of all workers who said they gained more than 10 pounds at their current job: 26

Percentage who gained more than 20 pounds: 11

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of Americans who believe it is sometimes, often or always acceptable for employers to monitor employees' digital activities to protect against security threats and data breaches, according to a survey conducted for Dtex Systems: 45

Percentage of Americans who agree that employers have the right to monitor employees' digital activities on personal or work-issued devices used to conduct work for security purposes, as long as they are transparent about it and let employees know up front that it is taking place: 64

Source: Dtex Systems.

Idle Thought

"The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere." -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh, writer

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

Percentage of singles who say a great first date choice is a nice restaurant, according to a survey by Match.com: 59

Percentage who believe fast food is OK for that first date: 22

On a great first date, percentage of women who prefer that men insist on paying the bill: 91

Source: Match.com.

Number of Americans who say they have paid for a group bill (with the understanding they would be reimbursed) to earn points, miles or cash-back rewards on their credit cards, according to a study from CreditCards.com: 47 million

Percentage of people who picked up the tab for others who said they were not paid back at least one time: 44

Source: CreditCards.com.

Number of scenic byways in California, the most of any state, according to research by WalletHub: 66

The daily price for camping in Wyoming, the lowest of any state (2.1 times lower than in Connecticut, the state with the highest at $68): $32

Lowest price for a three-star hotel room in Arizona, the lowest of any state (3.4 times lower than in Hawaii, the state with the highest low price at $218): $64

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of professionals who said passion is the No. 1 attribute they look for when hiring an intern, according to a survey by Korn-Ferry: 65

Ranks of an intern's performance (21 percent), school they attended (7 percent), grades (4 percent) and pedigree (3 percent) on the list of attributes they also look for: 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Korn-Ferry International.

When asked to rate several concepts, people and professions on a scale of 1 to 7 (with 1 being worst about America and 7 being the best), rating of nurses as those who represent the best of America, according to an Ipsos survey: 6

Percentage of Americans who feel proud to be Americans: 72

Percentage who feel proud of America right now: 42

Percentage of Americans who feel fatigued watching the news: 70

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Number of people who died of gunshot wounds in 2016 -- nearly a 7 percent increase from 2015, according to the National Safety Council: 38,658

Percentage of these deaths that were accounted for by suicide: 59

Percentage that were homicides: 37

Percentage that were accidental: 1

Source: National Safety Council.

Average weekly allowance for kids (ages 4 to 11) this summer, according to RoosterMoney, the allowance-tracking app: $8.43

Percentage of their allowance that kids save: 37

Ranks of mowing the lawn ($8.06), washing the car ($5.05), gardening ($2.91), cleaning windows ($2.84) and mopping the floor ($2.17) on the list of the top 10 most lucrative chores (average per chore): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of tablets, Legos, cellphones, Nintendo Switch and Xbox on the list of the things kids save for: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: RoosterMoney.

Percentage of Americans who plan on going on vacation this summer, with a median estimated cost of $1,000, according to a Bankrate.com report: 51

Percentage who think they'll spend in excess of $2,000: 24

Source: Bankrate.com.

Amount that Spyscape, the "edutainment" company focused on the world of secret intelligence, paid for James Bond's storied Aston Martin DB5: $2.6 million

Year the film "GoldenEye" was released, when this car, driven by Pierce Brosnan, was the star of a three-minute-long race in the hills above Monaco: 1995

Source: Skyscape.

Of the estimated 40 to 42 million prostitutes in the world, number that are thought to be men, according to Foundation Scelles, as reported in Le Figaro: 8 to 8.42 million

In a report published by the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, percentage of the 100,000 children trafficked for sex who are boys: 50

Source: ProCon.org.

Idle Thought

"I shall live badly if I do not write, and I shall write badly if I do not live." -- Francoise Sagan, playwright and novelist (1935-2004)

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

Percentage of Americans who prefer to keep to themselves during a flight, according to an Expedia survey: 90

Percentage who would rather sleep than talk to other passengers: 69

Percentage of people who agree it's OK to wake snoring passengers: 54

Source: Expedia.

Ranks of being intelligent and being responsible on the list of traits Americans find favorable, according to an Ipsos survey: 1 (tie)

Ranks of taking care of others, being creative or innovative, being self-reliant, being independent, avoiding debt, and caring for the well-being of future generations on the list: 3 (tie), 5 , 6 (tie), 8

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Ranks of a more positive mood, having more energy, being more motivated and feeling less stressed on the list of the positive effects of taking vacation time, according to results of a survey of working adults conducted by the American Psychological Association: 1, 2, 3 (tie)

Percentage of working adults who reported that they were more productive following time off: 58

Percentage who said their work quality was better: 55

Source: American Psychological Association.

As summer kicks into high gear, percentage of professionals with children who say stress at home may trump stress at work -- that their kids are harder to manage than their employees, according to a Korn Ferry survey: 68

Percentage of professionals with kids at home who say they or their spouse alter their work hours to care for children: 46

Source: Korn/Ferry International.

Ranks of emotional strength, interest in sports, willingness to throw a punch if provoked, ability to join in when other men are talking about women in a sexual way and to have had many sexual partners on the list of pressures men say they face, according to a Pew Research survey: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: PEW Internet and American Life Project.

Ranks of the weather, money, delays, theft and illness on the list of vacation travelers' worries this year, according to a survey by WalletHub: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage of people who think travel is worth getting into debt for: 35

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of Americans who don't know how much money they'll need to save for retirement, according to a study from Bankrate.com: 61

Median amount among respondents who do have an estimate: $650,000

Number of Americans who say they never plan to retire, including 9 percent of both millennials (ages 18 to 37) and baby boomers (ages 54 to 72): 19 million

Source: Bankrate.com.

While nearly seven in 10 Americans (68 percent) said they feel happy about their financial situation at least sometimes, percentage who consistently experience a range of negative emotions such as anxiety: 54

Percentage who feel it all the time: 25

Percentage who feel insecure (25 percent all the time): 52

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

In 2017, number of acres of trees lost in the world's tropical forests, the second worst year in history (behind only 2016): 39 million

Source: Global Forest Watch Report, June 2018.

Percentage of Americans who say they went to vacation bible school growing up, according to a survey by LifeWay Research: 60

Percentage of American parents who say they plan to send kids to VBS this summer -- even if they skip church themselves: 64

Source: LifeWay Research.

Idle Thought

"While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery." -- Groucho Marx

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