Figuratively Speaking

Rank of financial security on the list of the most important attributes of a positive outlook on life, according to research by Northwestern Mutual: 1

Ranks of anxiety "all the time" or "often," insecurity and fear on the list of emotions caused by a shaky financial situation: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of Americans who said that financial anxiety makes them feel depressed at least monthly: 28

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Percentage of Americans who credit the pandemic with helping them "refocus on what's most important in life," according to Edward R. Jones' and Age Wave's latest study, in partnership with The Harris Poll: 76

Percentage of retirees who say that the pandemic has given them "more appreciation for what makes life meaningful" (vs. only 46% of all other Americans who say the same): 61

Percentage of retirees who say that they now have "greater empathy and compassion for people who are struggling in ways that they are not": 53

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of Americans who admitted they struggle to find time for self-love and self-care, according to research by Mederma: 54

Percentage who are prioritizing the needs of others and neglecting their own mental health: 62

Source: Mederma.

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are willing to accrue debt to "treat themselves," according to a CreditCards.com report: 44

Percentage who say they will spend more money in second half of the year on nonessentials: 66

Source: CreditCards.com.

Number of states (plus D.C.) that chose broccoli as their favorite vegetable, according to a survey by Green Giant: 31

Number that chose carrots: 12

Number that chose corn: 8

Source: Green Giant.

Ranks of mowing the lawn ($8.59), washing the car ($5.73), raking leaves ($4.91) and washing windows ($2.13) on the list of top-earning chores, according to research by RoosterMoney: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ranks of Roblox, Lego, books and magazines, and Fortnite on the list of top items on which to spend chore money: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: RoosterMoney.

Percentage of parents who say the COVID-19 pandemic has made them feel less financially prepared to raise their child, according to a survey from Policygenius: 26

In the past year, percentage of parents who said they or their partner either scaled back or quit their job to help with their child's education or child care: 23

Percentage who said they tapped their emergency, retirement or travel savings to pay for extra expenses during the pandemic: 33

Source: Policygenius.

Ranks of Nevada, Utah, the District of Columbia, Arizona, New York and Massachusetts on the list of states facing billions of dollars in losses this year due to the lack of European tourists, according to WalletHub: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of students who say the pandemic has had a "huge" impact on their academic readiness for next year, according to a GENYOUth survey: 33

And when asked what most concerns them one year into the pandemic, percentage of high school seniors who fear losing academic scholarship opportunities: 25

Percentage who say gaining admission to a good college or vocational school: 21

Source: GENYOUth.

Percentage of people who reported always wearing masks outside the home who tested positive for COVID, compared to the 23% of those who said they never wore masks, according to the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index polling data since March 2020: 11

Percentage of people who wore masks at all times who reported getting tested for COVID, compared to 12% of those who never wore them: 30

Source: Ipsos.

Idle Thought

"The mosque is too far from home, so let's do this / Let's make a weeping child laugh." -- Nida Fazli, poet (1938-2016)

Percentage of parents who say they are not very or not at all likely to get their children a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index data: 45

Percentage who say their child has already been vaccinated: 15

Among children ages 12 to 17 years old (those currently eligible under vaccination guidelines), percentage who have been vaccinated: 30

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of professionals who said they are more burned out on the job today compared to a year ago, up from 34% in a similar 2020 poll, according to research from global staffing firm Robert Half: 44

Percentage of respondents who said they forfeited paid time off in 2020: 25

Percentage who plan to take more than three weeks of vacation time this year: 33

Source: Robert Half.

According to a new report from BestColleges.com, percentage of college graduates who plan to enter the workforce upon completion of their program in 2021 who are optimistic about securing a job within 12 months of graduation: 73

When asked what their immediate plans are after graduation, percentage of this year's graduates who intend to find a new job: 43

Percentage who will continue their education beyond their completed undergraduate degree: 39

Percentage who feel apprehensive about entering the current job market: 52

Source: BestColleges.com.

Percentage of Americans who say COVID-19 changed the way they view credit card rewards, according to WalletHub's report on 2021's Best Credit Card Rewards Programs: 28

Estimated percentage of people who think that credit cards rewards programs are hard to use: 25

Number of times more likely that low-income households are than high-income households to think that credit card rewards are not worth the hassle: 3

Source: WalletHub.

As schools across the country wrap up another unusual school year, percentage of teachers who are open to the idea of hybrid learning with the proper resources, curriculum and support, according to AT&T's 2021 Future of School Report: 94

Percentage of teachers who support virtual days for inclement weather: 71

Percentage of parents who support virtual tutoring or enrichment programs: 84

Source: AT&T Communications.

Percentage of 13- to 17-year-olds who don't believe everyone is presented with a "level playing field" when it comes to opportunities to achieve financial success, according to a survey conducted for Junior Achievement by the research company ENGINE Insights: 51

Percentage who believe the playing field is level: 32

Ranks of the cost of higher education (53%); a general lack of understanding of how money, investing and the economy work (46%); pay gaps based on gender, ethnicity and other factors (45%); education not being equal for everyone (42%); government not doing enough to help (29%); lack of access to loans for business and housing (21%); and business not doing enough to help (14%) on the list of the biggest challenges to achieving financial success: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Source: Junior Achievement.

Percentage of vaccinated travelers globally who said they had booked a domestic vacation, of whom 80% agreed that COVID-19 vaccines had been a factor in their decision to book, according to travel trends research paper released today by TripAdvisor: 32

Percentage of unvaccinated travelers who had already booked a domestic trip: 19

Among those yet to be vaccinated, percentage of those planning a domestic trip who are waiting to receive at least one dose of the vaccine before booking: 48

Source: TripAdvisor.

Approximate number of Americans who are bitten by a dog each year, according to DogsBite.org, a nonprofit victims group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks, and data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 4.5 million

Number of U.S. dog bite-related fatalities that occurred in 2020: 46

Percentage of these deaths that were attributed to pit bulls: 72

Percentage of the total U.S. dog population that is made up of pit bulls: 6.2

Source: DogsBite.org.

Percentage of people who say that taking a vacation has a positive effect on their mental health, according to a study by Travelzoo: 83

Percentage of respondents who believe that mental well-being is just as important as physical well-being, if not more important: 92

Percentage who agree that taking a vacation or short break helps them to feel less stressed, regain higher productivity at work and reidentify their best selves: 83

Source: Travelzoo.

Percentage of Americans who reported feeling guilty about wasting energy in their homes, according to research by Vivint Solar: 70

Percentage of survey respondents who said that they changed their habits to be more "green" when others were around: 49

Percentage who reported feeling stressed when they saw headlines about climate change: 54

Source: Vivint Solar.

Idle Thought

"An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a very narrow field." -- Niels Bohr, physicist, Nobel laureate (1885-1962)

Number of smokers worldwide in 2019, with tobacco smoking causing 7.7 million deaths -- including 1 in 5 deaths in males worldwide, according to research by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation: 1.1 billion� Percentage of new smokers who become addicted by the age of 25: 89� Approximate percentage of deaths attributable to smoking tobacco that occurred among current smokers: 87� Percentage of global deaths attributable to tobacco use that occurred among individuals who had quit smoking at least 15 years previously: 6

Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Percentage of Americans who believe that exposure to natural daylight is critical to their good health, according to a new survey by BrainLit: 83� Percentage who are unaware that natural daylight can be replicated through indoor lighting systems to improve health and well-being: 39� Percentage who said they spend 10 to 12 hours inside each day: 49

Source: BrainLit.

Percentage of Americans who say men face a lot of pressure to support their family financially, according to a Pew Research survey: 76� Percentage who say the same of women: 40� Percentage who say men feel pressured to be successful in their job or career: 68� Percentage who say the same of women: 44

Source: Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends.

Percentage of homeowners who have at least one regret about buying their current home, according to research by Bankrate.com: 43� Rank of maintenance and other hidden costs being more expensive than expected: 1� Rank of insufficient income, prices are too high and can't afford down payment/closing costs on the list of reasons given by those who don't own their own home: 1, 2, 3� Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of 16- and 17-year-olds who plan to work this summer, according to a survey conducted for Junior Achievement: 68� Rank of retail, restaurants, landscaping/lawn-mowing and other outdoor work and babysitting/childcare on the list of top summer jobs where teens expect to find work: 1 (tie), 3, 4� Source: Junior Achievement.

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� Source: California Walnut Board.

Percentage of Americans between the ages of 18 and 53 who went into debt to pay for their wedding, according to a study by LendingTree: 45� Of those, percentage who say they argued about wedding-related expenses with their partner: 76� Percentage of those who avoided wedding debt who said the same: 20� Source: LendingTree.

Projected amount that U.S. consumers expect to spend on gifts and other items for Father's Day, a record high, according to a National Retail Federation survey: $20.1 billion� Percentage of Americans who plan to celebrate the fathers, husbands and other paternal figures in their life this Father's Day: 75� Average spent on Father's Day items: $174

Source: National Retail Federation.

While many business leaders are drawn to vaccine passports as a solution to bringing their workforces back to the office full time, percentage of U.S. and European companies that will pivot to a hybrid work model post-pandemic, according to research by Forrester: 70� Percentage of U.S. employees who say they hope to work from home more often, even after the pandemic ends: 55� Source: Forrester.

After a year of social distancing, percentage of Americans who state that they are going to travel as much or more than in pre-COVID times, according to a research report from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America: 51� Percentage of those who will vacation this summer who plan to take a full two weeks or more off for travel: 42� Source: Out of Home Advertising Association of America.

Idle Thought� "It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterwards." -- Baltasar Gracian, philosopher and writer (1601-1658)