Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of U.S. adults who currently have unused gift cards, vouchers or store credits, totaling roughly $15 billion in outstanding value, according to a Bankrate.com report: 51

Of those with unused gift cards, vouchers or store credits, the average value per person: $116

Source: Bankrate.com.

Number of nights of less than six hours of sleep it takes to significantly hurt mental and physical well-being, according to research by Global Wellness Institute: 1

Number of consecutive days of sleep loss it takes for the severity of emotional and physical issues (body aches, gastrointestinal issues and respiratory problems) to become severe: 3

Number of days it takes before mental and physical health is significantly deteriorated: 6

Source: Global Wellness Institute.

Despite numerous challenges over the past year, percentage of Americans who are optimistic about the next six to 18 months, according to research commissioned by the Contact Lens Institute: 59

Percentage of all people who said a lack of funds was among the greatest obstacles to pursuing their dreams: 49

Source: Contact Lens Institute.

Percentage of Americans who support the idea of a vaccine passport, with baby boomers being the least likely to support this concept, according to research by UpgradedPoints.com: 82

Percentage who are not in favor of airlines, hotels and travel companies requiring proof of vaccination: 45

Source: UpgradedPoints.com.

In the U.S., ranks of gymnastics, aquatics, track and field, basketball and baseball on the list of Olympic events Americans were most interested in, according to research by Ipsos: 1, 2, 3, 4(tie)

Globally, rank of soccer as the Olympic event with the most interest: 1

Source: Ipsos Global.

Percentage of parents who say that COVID-19 has changed the way they plan to spend money on education, according to a WalletHub survey: 67

Ranks of the job market and debt on the list of parents' concerns for their kids after graduation: 1, 2

Source: WalletHub.

In the first six months of 2021, percentage of people who made a nearly full return to in-person fitness and wellness experiences, according to ClassPass Comeback Report: 90

Percentage of people who say access to equipment is one of the main reasons they are heading back to the gym and studio: 66

Percentage of people who say in-person classes and appointments are better for their mental health than an at-home digital routine: 60

Source: ClassPass.

Percentage increase in telemedicine-as-a-service (typified when services are delivered via a third-party platform, and there is no pre-existing relationship between the patient and health care providers) in February 2020, compared with prior to the pandemic, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute: 87

Number of times higher that telemedicine-as-a-medium visits (exemplified by a patient using videoconferencing or remote monitoring technologies to engage with a doctor with whom the patient has an existing relationship) were in April 2020 than pre-pandemic: 50

Source: EBRI.

Percentage of currently enrolled undergraduates who report an increased awareness of social justice issues over the past year, according to research from BestColleges: 72

Ranks of race, culture, developmental and acquired disabilities, and ethnicity and nationality on the list of social justice movements that are most important to college students: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: BestColleges.

Idle Thought

"When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package." -- John Ruskin, author, art critic and social reformer (1819-1900)

(EDITOS: If you have editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker, chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Percentage of Americans who say the No. 1 reason they have trouble sleeping at night is because of money worries, according to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation: 36

Percentage who said stress about the pandemic: 29

Percentage who said stress about family or relationships: 28

Source: National Sleep Foundation.

Percentage of seniors who plan to work full time past age 70, according to survey by the American Advisors Group: 18

Percentage who plan to work full time for the rest of their lives: 12

Percentage who plan on working part time or taking up a side gig: 46

Source: American Advisors Group.

Of Americans who go to restaurants, percentage who say they always tip the server or waitstaff, according to a survey by Bankrate.com: 75

Percentage who say they never tip: 5

Percentage who always tip their hairstylist/barber: 63

Percentage who say they never tip: 9

Percentage who always tip for food delivery: 59

Percentage who say they never tip: 6

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of Americans in relationships who now feel more committed to their partner as a result of pandemic, according to a survey conducted by Lovehoney, in partnership with the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University: 56

Percentage who now feel more emotional intimacy with their partner and say their partner better understands their sexual needs: 55

Source: Lovehoney.

Percentage of Americans who report that cost is the top consideration for their college choice, according to a new survey from BestColleges.com: 60

Percentage who feel prestige is an important factor: 7

Percentage of respondents who also cite the percentage of graduates employed in their desired field soon after graduation: 43

Source: BestColleges.

Percentage increase in technology spending for K-12 students for 2021, following a pandemic-fueled push into the digital age, according to the 2021 Deloitte Back-to-School survey: 37

Percentage of households that plan to purchase fewer traditional back-to-school supplies: 44

Source: Deloitte.

Percentage of U.S. consumers who regularly set aside money for savings, according to a Coinstar survey conducted by Atomik Research: 70

Percentage who maintain a budget: 76

Percentage who plan to tighten their belt by actively spending less: 46

Percentage who are optimistic about staying on budget: 78

Source: Coinstar.

Percentage of consumers who say chronic conditions make it difficult to maintain their health, according to research by Acosta: 33

Percentage of consumers who say self-care means focusing on healthy eating: 49

Percentage who say self-care also means getting regular medical checkups: 42

Percentage who say it also means having a regular exercise routine: 40

Percentage who say it means making time for relaxation: 36

Source: Acosta.

Percentage of Americans who say that the U.S. performance in the Olympic Games makes them proud to be an American, according to an Ipsos poll: 56

Percentage who believe that Olympic athletes should be allowed to engage in protests, such as kneeling during the national anthem or wearing clothing with political messages: 32

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of parents who would spend at least $50 to avoid a tantrum or argument with their child, according to a survey from Policygenius: 25

Of those parents, percentage who would spend more than $1,000: 25

Source: Policygenius.

Idle Thought

"The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?" -- Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor and composer (1876-1973)

Percentage of employees currently working at least one day week from home who said they would quit on the spot if they had to go back to the office five days a week, according to a survey by conducted by Stanford, the University of Chicago, and Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico: 6� Percentage who would begin looking for another job: 36

Value (percentage) employees place on working from home in terms of a wage increase: 7

Source: Stanford study

Percentage of gay GenZers (those born between 1998-2010) who are out to their mothers or other female parental figures, according to a study reported by the American Psychological Association: 66� Percentage who were out to their fathers or other male parental figures: 49

Source: American Psychological Association

Percentage of Americans who own at least one pet, with a plurality owning more than one (34%), according to an Ipsos poll: 58� Percentage of pet owners who got their pets prior to the start of the pandemic in March 2020: 80� Percentage of Baby Boomers who are likely to not have any pets at all: 49� Despite the long lengths of time spent at home with pets during quarantine, percentage of pet owners who are not anxious about leaving their pets home alone now that quarantine is lifted: 77

Source: Ipsos

Percentage of companies that were successful during COVID and attributed their success to discussing what needed to be done and taking action, according to VitalSmarts: 46� Percentage who said that remaining agile was paramount: 61� Source: VitalSmarts

Amount families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend on school items this year, according to the National Retail Federation: $848.90� Total back-to-school spending, a record in NRF survey history: $33.9 billion� Source: National Retail Federation

Among consumers who do not plan to buy an electric vehicle, percentage who felt EVs are too expensive, according to research from Parks Associates: 27� Percentage who cited limited number of charging stations available: 24� Source: Parks Associates

Percentage of consumers who say that energy -- not water or time -- is most important to them when it comes to home appliance efficiency, according to a survey by Whirlpool: 84� Percentage of males who are attuned to high-efficiency laundry products: 71� Percentage of females who are attuned: 54� Source: Whirlpool

Percentage of companies adopting or planning to adopt a hybrid model of work now or in the future, according to a survey by FlexJobs: 70� Rank of marketing, accounting and finance, and computer/IT as the career categories that have seen the largest increase in hybrid opportunities: 1, 2, 3� Source: FlexJobs.com

Percentage of teens who feel that they are behind educationally because of the pandemic, with more than a third (37%) of those who feel they are behind permanently, according to a survey conducted for Junior Achievement: 39� In addition to attending school in-person and interacting with other students and teachers, percentage of teens who need "emotional support" from teachers, parents, counselors and other caring adults to help their "mental well-being": 34� Source: Junior Achievement

Rank of Delta Air Lines for best overall experience for flyers, according to a study conducted by The Points Guy and reported by Bankrate.com: 1� Rank of reliability (30%), experience (25%), loyalty (25%) and costs and reach (20%) on the list of the four objective categories to determine the final rankings: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Bankrate.com

Idle Thought

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'" -- John Greenleaf Whittier, poet (1807-1892)