Figuratively Speaking

Percentage by which median home-sale price increased year over year for the period ending July 18, 2021, according to Redfin: 20

Median home-sale price, a record high: $364,160

Percentage of homes for sale that had an offer within the first two weeks of being on the market: 52

Percentage of homes that sold above the list price: 55

Source: Redfin.

Percentage of Americans who take something to help them sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation: 63

Percentage who take sleeping pills: 23

Percentage who take over-the-counter sleep aids: 22

Percentage who use marijuana, CBD or alcohol: 10

Source: National Sleep Foundation.

Percentage of employees who say that workload is the top cause for them to consider leaving an employer, according to a survey from Eagle Hill Consulting: 52

Percentage who say it's juggling their personal and professional lives: 44

Percentage who attribute burnout to time pressures: 37

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

As America recovers from the pandemic and prices for goods and services rise at a rapid pace, percentage of Americans who think the cause is supply-chain issues, according to the Ipsos coronavirus consumer tracker: 27

Percentage who think individual businesses are raising prices to make up for losses during the pandemic: 20

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of unemployed job-seekers who are frustrated because they are not finding the right jobs to apply for, according to a survey by Flexjobs.com: 48

Percentage who are willing to take a pay cut in order to secure a job: 85

Source: Flexjobs.com.

Percentage of U.S. consumers with investment accounts who say they avoid investing in at least one company (with tobacco, private prison and oil companies topping the list), according to a survey by LendingTree: 51

Percentage who feel guilty investing in certain stocks but do so anyway: 32

Source: LendingTree.

Percentage of Americans who are taking multiple vacations this summer, favoring shorter trips over the traditional weeklong or more vacation, according to a survey by Allianz Partners: 34

Percentage of Americans who are eager to travel and will take the first opportunity to take a vacation: 44

Average trip length in days: 4

Source: Allianz Global Assistance USA.

Percentage of Americans who say they are in financial recovery mode as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to findings from Northwestern Mutual: 58

Among the 58% of Americans who say they are in financial recovery mode, percentage who are planning month to month (with only 14% actively planning more than five years out): 24

Percentage who say they are in mid-stage recovery -- indicating they have begun making up ground on financial losses, but are not yet back to their pre-pandemic financial level: 47

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Percentage of hiring managers who anticipate adding new, permanent positions in the second half of 2021, according to a survey by Robert Half: 48

Percentage who plan to fill vacated positions or bring back furloughed employees: 48

Among the 28 U.S. cities in the survey, ranks of San Diego, Dallas, Atlanta and Los Angeles as the cities most likely to have employers who expect to staff up: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Robert Half.

Pre-pandemic, percentage of higher-education institutions that made considerable use of online homework or courseware systems, according to the Digital Learning Pulse Survey by Cengage: 22

Today, percentage of faculty who report considerable use of them, with 74% expecting use to "remain the same" or "increase" post-pandemic: 58

Source: Cengage.

Idle Thought

"The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be" -- Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 1954)

Percentage of Americans who had a pension prior to Congress passing the Revenue Act in 1978, which created 401(k) plans, according to the Employee Benefits Research Center: 33

Percentage who have a pension today: less than 2

Source: EBRI.

Percentage of Americans who drink caffeinated beverages from 3 p.m. on, according to the National Sleep Foundation: 42

Percentage who say they don't get any exercise in a given week: 18

Source: National Sleep Foundation.

Percentage of high-income earners who say they feel not at all supported at work when it comes to caregiving duties for family members, according to the Longevity Project: 5

Percentage of those earning less than $50,000 who feel not at all supported: 19

Source: Longevity Project.

Percentage of post-COVID home shoppers who said they would have extended family living with them full time, according to a survey by Realtor.com: 20

Percentage who said their new home would need to accommodate extended family staying with them part time or visiting: 30

Percentage who indicated a short commute time was a priority: 9

Percentage who were looking for smaller square footage: 4

Source: Realtor.com.

Percentage of Americans who agreed that the Summer Olympics in Tokyo should go ahead, even if the COVID-19 pandemic wasn't over yet, according to research by Ipsos: 52

Percentage of people globally who agreed the games should go ahead: 43

Percentage of the people in Japan, the host nation, who said the Olympics should go ahead: 22

Source: Ipsos Global.

Percentage of businesses that say they're experiencing higher supply costs than they had prior to COVID, according to a survey by Alignable: 80

Percentage that said costs have increased more than 25%: 27

Source: Alignable.

Number of hours Americans spend online annually just looking for deals, according to a survey by Slickdeals: 88

Percentage who do it just for fun: 68

Percentage who tell total strangers how much money they saved when complimented on their outfit that they bought on sale: 69

Source: Slickdeals.

Percentage of U.S. workers who believe that "employee experience" directly impacts their ability to serve customers, according to a survey from Eagle Hill Consulting: 64

Percentage who say that their organization places a great deal of importance on employee experience and satisfaction: 38

Percentage who agree that their feelings about their day-to-day work experience -- negative or positive -- impacts their productivity: 70

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Among the 38% of Americans who worked from home at some point since the pandemic, ranks of fewer opportunities to network and interact with co-workers, lower productivity due to too many distractions, and limited opportunities for promotions and salary increases on the list of the most common negatives, according to a study from Bankrate.com : 1, 2, 3

Percentage of baby boomers who are much more likely to miss networking/interacting with co-workers: 54

Percentage of Gen Zers who say the same: 34

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of Americans not already receiving Social Security benefits who say they know exactly how to optimize their Social Security benefit, according to a poll conducted for the Nationwide Retirement Institute: 54

Percentage who know all the factors that determine the maximum benefit someone can receive: 6

Percentage who don't know the eligible age to receive full benefits: 39

Source: Nationwide.

Idle Thought

"It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire." -- Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist and poet (1850-1894)

Percentage of parents with children under 18 who say they are willing to accrue debt to treat themselves/their families, according to a survey by creditcards.com: 76

Percentage who plan to spend more money in at least one nonessential category in the second half of 2021: 66

Source: Creditcards.com.

Among people who eat at a sit-down restaurant, the average percentage tip amount they add to the bill, according to research by Bankrate.com: 20

Ranks of unfriendly staff, waiting too long and not receiving what they ordered/expected on the list of reasons that 77% of sit-down restaurantgoers will tip less: 1, 2, 3

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of today's shoppers who identify cost as the biggest barrier to healthy eating, according to research by Acosta: 30

Percentage of shoppers who say they are taking a proactive approach to living a healthy lifestyle: 65

Percentage of shoppers say who the cost of health insurance is the biggest barrier to living a healthy lifestyle: 37

Source: Acosta.

Percentage of Americans who are having more sex than before the pandemic, according to a survey conducted by Lovehoney in partnership with the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University: 30

Percentage who report more satisfying sex lives, including 46% of couples: 32

Source: Lovehoney.

With clarity about the upcoming school year and consumer sentiment continuing to rise, projected back-to-school spending for K-12 students, according to the 2021 Deloitte Back-to School survey: $32.5 billion

Approximate amount per student: $612

Projected back-to-college spending: $26.7 billion

Approximate amount per student: $1,459

Source: Deloitte.

Looking back, percentage of parents who say they were not financially prepared to have a child, according to a survey from Policygenius: 45

Percentage of parents who say their biggest financial stressor is saving for retirement: 30

Percentage who say educational expenses put the biggest strain on their budget: 23

Source: Policygenius.

Percentage of U.S. adults who do not have a will, representing nearly 140 million people, according to research by GoodTrust: 67

Ranks of "I haven't gotten around to it" and "I don't have enough assets to leave anyone" on the list of the top excuses people cite for not creating a will: 1, 2

Source: GoodTrust.

Percentage of U.S. broadband households that are unlikely to subscribe to another video service to watch new movies, according to Parks Associates: 44

Percentage of U.S. broadband households that are now comfortable going back to movie theaters, including 50% or more of consumers aged 18 to 34: 41

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of professionals who are uncomfortable sharing workstations, according to a survey by Robert Half: 53

Percentage who want a hybrid work structure, where they can divide time between the office and another location: 49

Source: Robert Half.

Estimated number of students annually whose lives could be changed by a free community college, according to a survey from BestColleges.com, a Red Ventures company: 5.5 million

Percentage of Americans who believe the government should provide two years of tuition for first-time students who attend public community colleges: 69

Percentage of supporters who agree that students should have to qualify under specific requirements: 37

Source: Red Ventures.

Idle Thought

"Patience is also a form of action." -- Auguste Rodin, sculptor