Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of workers who say there are at least one or two people on their team who appear busy, but still fail to get the important jobs done, according to a study by VitalSmarts: 85

Percentage who say at least half of their team does this: 10

Percentage who say their manager does this: 40

Percentage of workers who say they have teammates who spend too much time on the wrong priorities: 91

Source: VitalSmarts.

Percentage of Americans who say the idea of being your own boss excites them most about owning a small business, according to a UPS Store survey: 57

Percentage who believe artificial intelligence, such as autonomous machines and 24/7 automated customer support, will be helpful for small businesses competing in the future: 64

Source: UPS Store.

Percentage of final-year medical residents who said they owe $150,000 or more in student loans, according to a report by Merritt, Hawkins and Associates: 51

Percentage of U.S. medical school graduates who owe $200,000 or more in student loans: 48

Source: Merritt, Hawkins and Associates.

Average amount of cash that an increasingly generous tooth fairy leaves per visit, according to the results from the latest Kids' Allowance Report by Rooster Money: $4.90

Latest average weekly allowance: $8.44

Source: RoosterMoney.

Estimated value of the pet industry, according to a study by Bigeye: $75 billion

Percentage of pet owners who say their pet influenced where they live: 34

Percentage who haven't used cannabidiol products on their pets who would consider trying it: 42

Percentage of owners who consider pets members of their families: 95

Source: Bigeye.

Percentage of employees who report they are not happy with their current salaries, according to a study commissioned by Spherion: 42

Percentage who say flexibility at work and other work-life balance programs and perks have decreased in the last year: 62

Percentage who feel their companies have put in more effort to retain them this year: 19

Percentage of employers who report being more worried this year about the talent shortage, citing finding qualified/skilled workers and turnover/retention as top concerns: 71

Source: Spherion.

Despite safety concerns, percentage of U.S. credit or debit card holders who say they have saved their card number online or in mobile apps, according to a study from Bankrate.com: 64

Percentage of respondents who think saving payment information on a website is somewhat safe (while 31% believe it's not very safe, and 17% think it's not safe at all): 44

Percentage of U.S. adults who signed up for a free trial who were later charged against their will: 59

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of consumers who say they did not receive at least one package they ordered online in the past six months, according to a report from Clutch: 51

Among those who did not receive a package, percentage who say the package was stolen: 16

Source: Clutch.

Percentage of consumers who say they intend to go into physical stores on Black Friday this year, according to a survey by Genesys: 39

Of the 61% of U.S. consumers who do not plan to go into physical stores this year on Black Friday, percentage who say they simply "never" go: 33

Percentage who claim they used to go shopping on Black Friday but have stopped: 28

Source: Genesys.

Percentage of employees with co-workers who report that civility at work provides tangible upsides: 78

Percentage who report better work morale as a result: 40

Percentage who report increased loyalty to their employer: 40

Percentage who report better quality of work: 36

Source: Weber Shandwick.

Today, number of cancer survivors living in the U.S. -- a number that continues to grow -- according to the National Cancer Institute : 16.9 million

Percentage of Americans who believe that one day, a cancer diagnosis would no longer be something to fear, according to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America: 65

Percentage who feel that cancer is becoming a more treatable disease: 70

Source: APCO Worldwide.

Idle Thought

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do." -- Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter

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

Number of Americans who say their finances have reached "horror show" status, including 34% of millennials and 16% of baby boomers, according to a survey by WalletHub: 78 million

Number who are fearful of a recession: 177 million

Percentage who agree that politicians prey on people's financial fears: 90

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of professionals who admitted they go to work sick at least sometimes, according to an Accountemps survey: 90

Of those, percentage who always show up while ill: 33

Percentage of those who report to the office with cold or flu symptoms who said they have too much work to do: 54

Percentage who don't want to use a sick day: 40

Source: Accountemps/Robert Half Management Resources.

Percentage of Americans who say they think about their physical well-being often or very often, compared to 57% who say the same about their mental health, according to a survey from Ipsos Public Affairs: 76

Percentage who believe that mental health is as important as physical health: 88

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Cost of the average out-of-network ATM withdrawal, up 33% over the last decade, according to the latest Bankrate.com study: $4.72

Current average overdraft fee, just shy of the record of $33.38, set in 2017: $33.36

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of time employees spend in inefficient meetings and dealing with email, according to a survey by Double Gemini: 50

Source: Double Gemini.

Percentage of Americans who prefer their coffee with add-ins instead of drinking it black, according to a survey from Reddi-wip: 79

Percentage who find making coffee therapeutic: 73

Source: Conagra Brands.

Percentage of singles who have admitted to ghosting someone they were casually dating (the term referring to ending a relationship or potential interest by stopping all communication with the person), according to a survey by Dating.com: 75

Percentage of singles who have reported being a victim of ghosting: 92

Source: Dating.com.

Percentage of Americans who have a favorite room in their home who say it's where they go to unwind and de-stress by themselves, according to a survey from Ally Home: 74

Percentage who say it is where they can put all their favorite things: 35

Source: Ally Financial.

When asked which trade-offs they are willing to make to pay for one season of college football activities/items, percentage of fans who would cut back on eating out once a week, according to a SunTrust survey: 48

Estimated amount the average fan will spend on tickets during the season: $411

Amount spent on parking during the season: $383

Amount spent on hotels during the season: $3,020

Source: SunTrust Banks Inc.

Date that President Gerald R. Ford signed a law that returned the annual observance of Veterans Day, a day to honor all veterans of all wars, to its original date of Nov. 11, beginning in 1978: Sept. 20, 1975

Source: Military.com.

Idle Thought

"Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life." -- Immanuel Kant

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

Percentage of cohabitants who agreed that they themselves are more likely to have a good day when the person with insomnia or sleeping difficulties in the home has a good night's sleep, according to Eisai Inc.'s "How America Sleeps and Wakes" survey: 85

When their partner or relative does not have a good night's sleep, percentage of cohabitants who reported feeling tired or fatigued themselves: 26

Source: Eisai Inc.

Percentage of Americans who are paying interest rates on their credit cards greater than 15%, according to a Northwestern Mutual report: 31

Percentage who say they "always" pay only the minimum required payment, covering just the interest without paying down any principal: 12

Percentage who don't know what their interest rate is: 19

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Percentage of U.S. adults who participate in airline and hotel rewards programs who have let their points or miles expire at some point, according to a Bankrate.com report: 46

Among those who collect credit card rewards, percentage who have allowed those to expire: 29

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of people across 29 countries who believe eating well is more important than being thin, according to a Global Advisor survey by Ipsos: 62

Percentage who believe that most diet plans ultimately fail -- with Canada, Germany, Russia and Australia most skeptical: 61

Percentage of respondents who said they exercise so they don't have to watch what they eat: 45

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Ranks of freshness, caffeine and taste profile on the list of taste preferences prized by coffee lovers, according to a survey by Peets Coffee in collaboration with OnePoll: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Guatemala on the list of coffee-growing regions that topped Americans' list: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage of respondents who self-identified as coffee connoisseurs who spend time researching if the beans they purchase are grown and sourced ethically: 83

Source: Peet's Coffee.

Percentage of workers who participated in team sports at some point in their life who say their work team constantly learns and strives to get better, as compared to 50 percent of employees who didn't play team sports, according to research from Eagle Hill Consulting: 73

Percentage who said their work team enthusiastically responds to change, as compared to 35 percent of employees who didn't play team sports: 56

Percentage who say their work team capitalizes on individual strengths, as compared to 48 percent of employees who didn't play team sports: 69

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Percentage of homebuyers with children who had to postpone their home-buying process because of child-care expenses, according to research from the National Association of Realtors: 26

Percentage who said they compromised on the condition of the home: 31

Percentage who said they compromised on the size of the home: 31

Percentage who reported to have compromised on the price of the home: 24

Source: National Association of Realtors.

Percentage of global enterprises and mid-sized companies that are shifting permanent roles to contingent positions this year to remain agile, according to a report released by Randstad Sourceright: 25

Percentage of working professionals who indicate that they are more open to nontraditional work arrangements than they had been in the past: 55

Percentage of mid-sized companies that said the use of freelance workers and gig workers has at least the same if not more impact on their talent strategies: 79

Source: Randstad.

Percentage of lawyers who said that their hiring decisions are influenced more by job candidates' technical abilities than their soft skills, according to a survey by Robert Half Legal: 62

Percentage of respondents who cited cybersecurity as the top area of technology in which lawyers are expected to be competent: 48

Percentage who cited data analytics: 43

Source: Robert Half Legal.

Idle Thought

"It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

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