Percentage of employees who report they get distracted while working at their personal workspace, according to a survey by Poly: 99

Percentage who say that distractions make it tough to listen or be heard on calls: 51

Percentage who say it has an impact on their ability to focus: 48

Source: Poly.

Percentage of barbecue hosts who get nervous and panic about how to feed vegan guests, according to research by Sabra: 47

Percentage of vegans and barbecue guests with dietary restrictions who admit to sneaking their own food into barbecues to avoid having nothing to eat: 52

Source: Sabra Dipping Co.

Percentage of Americans surveyed who have a "work family" and, as a result, feel happier, according to research by Choice Hotels International Inc.: 90

Percentage who keep in touch with former colleagues: 86

Percentage of those surveyed who agree that they spend either the same amount or more time with their work colleagues as they do with their families at home: 59

Percentage of respondents who said they consider work relationships as important as their relationships at home: 65

Source: Choice Hotels International Inc.

Percentage of U.S. travelers who will travel as a couple this summer, according to a survey by TripAdvisor: 48

Percentage of vacationers who will be families: 37

Average length of trip: 1 week

Source: TripAdvisor.

Percentage of team sports athletes who say they use their strengths every day at work, compared to 63% of employees who didn't play team sports who say the same, according to research from Eagle Hill Consulting: 83

Percentage who say they trust their teammates, as compared to 55% of employees who didn't play team sports: 76

Percentage who said their work team is committed to success, as compared to 49% of employees who didn't play team sports: 73

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Percentage of vacationers who are either currently planning or becoming more interested in taking a vacation to spend time with family or friends, according to an Ipsos survey: 84

Ranks of "natural environments and their wildlife," "national parks" and "architectural or historic sites" on the list of the kinds of vacation experiences Americans are interested in: 1 (tie), 3

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of American adults who say they would support a nationwide mandate requiring solar panels to be installed on all newly built homes, according to a survey conducted by CITE Research on behalf of Vivint Solar: 70

If all new single-family homes built took advantage of solar energy, number of barrels of oil that would be saved annually: 12 million

Number fewer miles driven a year it would equate to: 12 billion

Source: Vivint Solar.

Percentage of urban shoppers who purchase groceries online for delivery, compared to 24% of suburban shoppers and 12% of rural shoppers, according to Acosta's The Urban Grocery Shopper: 57

Percentage of urban shoppers who buy groceries that are shipped (suburban 29%; rural 20%): 58

Percentage of urban shoppers who reported ordering groceries online at least once a week: 25

Source: Acosta.

Percentage of employees who are planning to leave their jobs in the next 12 months, according to a study commissioned by Spherion: 29

Percentage of millennials who report they are planning to leave their current jobs in the next 12 months: 38

Source: Spherion.

Percentage of U.S. adults aged 18 and over who are within three paychecks of needing to either borrow money or skip paying one or more bills, according to findings from a study by Northwestern Mutual: 30

Percentage who have less than $5,000 saved for retirement (down from 31% in 2018): 22

Percentage who have no retirement savings at all (down from 21% in 2018): 15

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Idle Thought

"Bran thought about it. 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?' 'That is the only time a man can be brave,' his father told him." -- George R.R. Martin, "A Game of Thrones"

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

Percentage of inbound tourist travel to the United States that is represented by travelers from Canada, Mexico, Japan, China and the United Kingdom, according to a study by PAGE Destinations: 65

Ranks of shopping, theme parks, historic landmarks, museums and sightseeing tours on the list of the top five drivers for international visitors to America: 1, 2, 3, 4 (tie)

Of 54 attractions, ranks of Disney World, Disneyland and the Statue of Liberty on the list of American icons that at least two-thirds of foreign travelers are familiar with: 1, 2 (tie)

Source: PAGE Destinations.

Percentage of Americans who say they use a public restroom one to five times a week, according to the annual hand-washing survey conducted by Bradley Corp.: 60

Ranks of check their appearance, blow their nose or cough, "get away," use their cellphone and change clothes on the list of things Americans do in a public restroom besides using the toilet and washing their hands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage who go for respite -- a mental health break, to avoid someone, hide and even cry: 33

Source: Bradley Corp.

Percentage of airline travelers who said they've helped someone lift their luggage into the overhead compartment, according to a survey by Expedia: 48

Percentage who believe you should almost always step in to help another passenger struggling with a heavy bag: 41

Percentage of Americans who have helped entertain other travelers' children: 21

Percentage who are willing to change their seats so members of another party can sit together: 42

Source: Expedia.

Percentage of Americans who have tried to get in shape before reaching their vacation destination, according to a study commissioned by Planet Fitness: 66

Percentage who say they would not have gone on the vacation had they not exercised prior: 28

Ranks of feeling judged, and anxious or nervous when around others on the list of sentiments experienced when spending time at the beach: 1, 2

Source: Planet Fitness Inc.

Percentage of nonprofit employees who are both satisfied in their current roles at their organizations and aligned with leadership in their vision for the future, according to research by Classy: 84

Percentage of American workers who report that they were satisfied with their jobs, according to The Conference Board's latest annual survey, conducted in 2018: 51

Source: Classy/The Conference Board.

Number of states (plus Washington, D.C.) that chose broccoli as their favorite vegetable, according to a survey by Green Giant: 38

Rank of cauliflower in Montana: 1

Rank of the potato in Arkansas -- compared to five states that chose it in 2018: 1

Source: Green Giant.

Percentage of Americans who incorrectly think their homes are safe havens, when, in fact, 75% of preventable incidents -- commonly known as "accidents" -- happen at home, according to a National Safety Council survey: 77

Percentage of people who have been directly impacted by preventable deaths: 40

Percentage of respondents who believe that the U.S. can eliminate most or all "accidental" deaths: 49

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of workers who are concerned that artificial intelligence and automation will have a negative impact on their job, according to a Robert Half report: 12

Percentage who believe new technologies will have a positive effect: 39

Percentage of managers who think it will be challenging to get their staff up to speed on new technologies: 82

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Ranks of clothes, money and food on the list of the primary ways that the public has donated to help others in the past year, according to a 2019 survey conducted on behalf of the Red Cross: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of people in the U.S. who give blood: 3

Percentage of the public who has never considered that blood may not be available when a loved one needs it: 33

Just last month, number of units of type O blood the Red Cross had available for every 100,000 people, though more than twice that is needed every day: 6

Source: American Red Cross.

Percentage of Americans who are concerned about a criminal attack causing physical harm at large-scale events, according to the 2019 Unisys Security Index: 83

Percentage who say they have canceled plans or considered canceling plans to attend large-scale public events due to concerns about physical attacks and the safety of their personal data: 22

Source: Unisys.

"It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half of the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen." -- Herodotus, The Histories

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

Percentage of Americans who would voluntarily go into debt to pay for their child's college education, with the average person willing to take on $31,000 in debt, according to a survey from Country Financial: 56

Percentage who believe it's important to have a college degree when looking for a job: 75

Percentage who believe a college degree is worth the investment: 65

Source: Country Financial.

Percentage of newly trained physicians who said they received 51 or more job solicitations during their training, while 45 percent received 100 or more: 66

Percentage who said they were contacted too many times by recruiters: 64

Source: Merritt, Hawkins and Associates.

Percentage of people who said that passengers donning extra clothes to avoid fees charged for overweight baggage is not an acceptable practice, according to a survey conducted by The GO Group: 42

Percentage of respondents who admitted to having layered on extra clothes rather than pay: 6

Source: The GO Group.

Percentage of bridesmaids and maids of honor who felt pressured to spend money on bridal party-related expenses, according to a CompareCards survey: 58 and 61, respectively

Percentage who say the financial pressure strained their relationship with the bride: 32 and 42, respectively

Percentage of groomsmen and best men who said the same: 43 and 50, respectively

Source: CompareCards.

Percentage of Americans who did not take a leisure trip longer than four nights in the last year, with millennials leading this "micro-cation" trend, according to the 2019 Vacation Confidence Index released by Allianz Global Assistance: 57

Percentage of Americans who said their longest trip in the last year was three to four nights, while 11 percent took no trips longer than just one to two nights: 18

Percentage of the general population who said they took at least three micro-cations in the last year: 25

Source: Allianz Global Assistance.

Percentage of Americans who don't think about what they're going to eat for lunch until they realize they're hungry, according to a survey by the California Walnut Board and Commission: 53

Of those, percentage who choose to eat foods that give them energy to power through the day: 27

Of those who bring their own lunch, percentage who said they eat fruits and vegetables: 54

Percentage who bring a salad: 50

Source: California Walnut Board.

Percentage of American pet parents who believe that having pets in the workplace would benefit company culture, according to a survey from Wellness Natural Pet Food: 65

Percentage who believe that pets would diffuse a stressful situation in the workplace: 75

Percentage who feel they would get to know their colleagues better if there were pets present: 59

Source: Wellness Natural Pet Food.

Percentage of Americans who say that they would rather open a small business than retire (if money or health were not a factor later in life), according to a UPS Store survey: 54

Percentage of Americans who say they have hoped their child or a child they know would grow up and start their own business: 62

Among survey respondents who are also small business owners, percentage who say the same: 81

Source: UPS Store.

Percentage of consumers who admit blowing their budgets while online shopping in the past six months, according to research from CouponFollow: 42

Percentage who reported they'd gone into debt in the past six months due to online purchases: 29

Source: CouponFollow.

Percentage of people who indicated they will take at least one solo vacation this year, according to a nationwide survey by Princess Cruises: 36

Source: Princess Cruises.

Idle Thought

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." -- Plato

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