Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of consumer debt (other than mortgage) accounted for by credit cards, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual: 19

Percentage accounted for by car loans: 8

Percentage accounted for by education loans: 7

Percentage that are home-equity loans and lines of credit: 4

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Percentage of decision-making moms who consider Halloween a season, with nearly half agreeing it begins Oct. 1, according to a survey by Party City: 80

Number of times moms say their child will wear their Halloween costume: 2 to 5

Source: Party City.

While record numbers of U.S. workers express discontent in their jobs and careers, leading to what is now called "The Great Resignation," percentage of tradespeople who are satisfied in their choice of work, according to a survey by Angi: 83

Despite high job satisfaction, high pay and high levels of entrepreneurship, percentage of tradespeople who say they face a worsening labor shortage: 77

Percentage of skilled-trades employers that have struggled to hire skilled workers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a steady increase in demand for home services as homeowners take on more projects: 68

Source: Angi.

Percentage of part-time and full-time employees who want to share feedback to improve the workplace, according to research by Explorance: 53

Percentage who say they're eager to take company surveys: 78

Percentage who say company surveys are a preferred method for sharing feedback: 38

Percentage of employees (along with 40% of executives) who don't believe their feedback leads to meaningful change: 45

Source: Explorance.

Percentage of consumers who cite a desire to take advantage of holiday sales as the main reason for getting a head start on their gift purchasing this year, according to a survey by Klarna: 72

Percentage who are also starting earlier to ensure product availability, while others want to avoid shipping delays (45%) and last-minute stress (39%): 50

Source: Klarna Bank AB.

Percentage of U.S. adults who carry credit card debt from month to month, according to a new Bankrate.com report: 54

Percentage of this group who have been in credit card debt for at least a year, including 32% for at least two years and 14% for at least five years: 50

Percentage of U.S. adults with credit card debt who expect to be free from it within a year: 30

Percentage who think they will be free from credit card debt within five years: 60

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of cannabis users who said they would consume cannabis with a grandparent, according to a survey by Azuca: 60

Of those who consume cannabis, percentage who reach for edibles, such as gummies or baked goods, over smoking and vaping: 52

Percentage who say that they have increased their consumption of edibles during the pandemic: 53

Source: Azuca.

Percentage of people who admit they never thought about how products were delivered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study by Oracle: 45

Today, percentage who consider the supply chain when making a purchase: 91

Percentage of people who have been negatively impacted by supply-chain issues over the past year: 87

Ranks of being unable to purchase certain items due to shortages (60%), forced to cancel orders due to delays (51%) and even rationing essential items out of fear of running out (40%) on the list of issues that worry people: 1, 2, 3

Source: Oracle.

Percentage of employees who left their jobs without another job lined up, with these employees also 1.7 times more likely to cite burnout as their reason for resigning, according to a survey by Limeade: 28

Ranks of burnout, organizational changes at the company, as well as lack of flexibility, instances of discrimination and contributions/ideas not being valued on the list of top reasons for employee departure: 1, 2, 3 (3-way tie)

Source: Limeade.

In 2016, percentage of all private-sector employers that offered health benefits, according to research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute: 45.3

By 2020, percentage of all private-sector employers offering health benefits: 51.1

In 2020, percentage of workers employed by private-sector employers who were eligible for health benefits, up from 75.4% in 2014: 80.5

Source: EBRI.

Idle Thought

"Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence." -- Thomas Szasz, author and professor of psychiatry (1920-2012)

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

Percentage of Americans who plan to spend more on their cellphone this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a WalletHub survey: 24

Percentage of people who plan on getting the new iPhone this year: 33

Percentage who say that their phone is their most important belonging during the pandemic: 40

Percentage who think that the new iPhone is worth going into debt for: 20

Percentage of people who think that not having the new iPhone is a sign someone is struggling financially: 15

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of Americans without health care, according to a survey by LendingTree: 13

Percentage of those who are Gen Z: 19

Percentage who are Gen X: 15

Percentage who are the silent generation: 9

Source: LendingTree.

Of the 79% of Americans who experienced higher prices in 2021 and took action, percentage who cut back on some purchases to afford others, according to a Bankrate.com report: 47

Percentage who delayed/avoided certain purchases altogether: 45

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of Americans who would end a date early or break up with someone with a food habit they found annoying, according to the study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Farm Rich: 60

On a first date, percentage of men who are likely to break up with someone or end a date early because of annoying food habits: 42

Percentage of women who are likely to do the same: 25

Percentage of respondents who identified talking with your mouth full as the most inexcusable food sin: 68

Source: Farm Rich.

Percentage of recent homebuyers who would rent out part of their home if it had a separate entrance, kitchen and bathroom, according to research by realtor.com: 69

Percentage of consumers who have already rented out a room, space or outdoor feature of their property, most commonly taking on a long-term roommate (10%) or renting a room on a short-term basis, such as on Airbnb (8%): 32

Source: realtor.com.

Percentage of employees (non-managers) who think their managers prefer on-site employees over remote workers, according to ADP Research Institute: 57

Percentage of managers themselves who report they actually do prefer on-site employees: 59

Source: ADP.

Percentage of people who borrowed money from the federal government to pay for school, according to Intelligent.com: 27

Percentage of those borrowers who are still paying those loans: 61

Percentage of Americans who support student loan forgiveness: 49

Percentage who are undecided: 32

Source: Intelligent.com

Projected consumer spending on Halloween-related items in 2021, up from $8.05 billion in 2020 (an all-time high), according to the National Retail Federation's annual survey: $10.14 billion

Estimated percentage of Americans who intend to celebrate Halloween or participate in Halloween activities this year: 65

Percentage of households with children that are likely to celebrate Halloween, compared to 55% of households without children that are likely to celebrate: 82

Source: NRF.

In California, percentage of vehicle sales so far in 2021 that have been for battery electric vehicles, compared with just 2% of all vehicle sales in the U.S., according to Ipsos data: 10

Among new-vehicle owners in the U.S., percentage who expressed interest in battery electric vehicles in 2021, up from 13% in 2018: 36

Rank of range anxiety/charging on the list of issues that concern buyers: 1

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of drivers who said no insurance discount was worth using an app that collected data about their driving behavior and location, according to a survey commissioned by Policygenius: 58

Among the 43% of drivers willing to use this type of app, percentage who said they would only use it if it lowered their rates by more than half: 74

Source: Policygenius.

Idle Thought

"The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play." -- Arnold J. Toynbee, historian (1889-1975)

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

Percentage of Americans who have at least one tattoo, according to an Ipsos poll: 26

Percentage of Americans who are now more likely to have multiple tattoos, rather than just one: 17

Among those who have tattoos, percentage who report being happy with them: 88

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Estimated overall tax rate that S&P 100 companies pay, according to research by WalletHub: 20

Estimated percentage lower this rate is compared to international taxes paid by S&P 100 companies: 44

Percentage lower tax rate paid by the average S&P 100 company than the top 1% of consumers: 44

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of Americans who say their eyesight is important to the pursuit of a promising future, tying with mobility as the highest-ranking health factor, with heart/cardiac health trailing closely, according to research commissioned by the Contact Lens Institute: 89

Source: Contact Lens Institute.

Percentage of U.S. adults who say having support has helped them throughout their health and wellness journeys, according to the first survey by Medifast: 66

In a follow-up survey, percentage of U.S. adults who believe they would be more successful in creating healthy habits if they had support from someone who has been in their shoes: 81

Percentage who said informational support, such as sharing healthy recipes and other resources, was helpful to them: 75

Percentage who cited emotional support, such listening and having empathy: 70

Source: Medifast.

Percentage of pet owners who spend money on their pets for social media posts, such as a special outfit for their dog, according to a survey by LendingTree: 28

Average annual spend for pet owners per year on food, treats, props for social media content and other expenses: $1,163

Average annual spend by Gen Z pet owners, the most among the age groups surveyed: $1,885

Percentage of pet owners who would have to take on debt to cover a $1,000 emergency pet expense: 45

Percentage who are currently in debt for their pets: 8

Source: LendingTree.

Percentage of new moms who report they wake up at least three times each night -- largely to care for their children, according to a poll by Zulily: 59

Percentage of new moms who say that incorporating natural elements into their babies' lives will help them have a more positive relationship with nature as they grow: 60

Percentage who say elements of nature, such as woven or wood accents and earth tones, also make them feel calmer at home: 71

Source: Zulily.

Approximate number of Americans who quit their jobs in April -- the highest monthly number ever recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to new research reported in MIT Sloan Management Review: 4 million

Rank of "feeling respected at work" on the list of what matters most to employees: 1

Ranks of "supportive leaders" and "leaders who live core values" on the list: 2, 3

Source: MIT Sloan Management Review.

In a 2020 study from Swedish researchers, percentage of people with depression and other mental health issues who slept much better through the night when using a weighted blanket (compared with 3.6% of the control group): 42

Percentage less likely that people who nap one to two times a week are to have a heart attack than those who don't, according to a 2019 observational study from University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland, that tracked 3,462 people for eight years: 48

Source: Global Wellness Institute.

Among full-time employees in the U.S. whose positions are performed from an office (home or company) and a desk, percentage who said location flexibility (including remote) is the biggest motivator for accepting a new job offer, according to research by isolved: 58

Percentage who said "interest in the role": 57

Percentage who cited "work-life balance": 52

Source: isolved.

Percentage of employees who have instant access to their pay and benefits information no matter where they are currently working, according to a survey conducted by the American Payroll Association: 88

Source: American Payroll Association.

Percentage of Americans who say the COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest threat to the economy -- at a nearly 2-to-1 margin over the next highest threat -- according to a new survey from Bankrate.com: 39

Percentage who cite the political environment in Washington, D.C., as the next highest threat: 21

Percentage who view their selected economic threat as a risk to their jobs or income source in the next six months: 63

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of small-business owners who are likely to switch computer vendors in the next 12 months, according to a study by Cargo: 20

Percentage who cite needing help updating to newer technology as their top priority: 30

Percentage who do not feel their tech vendors care about their business: 48

Source: Cargo Magazine.

Idle thought

"Simplicity of life, even the barest, is not a misery, but the very foundation of refinement." -- William Morris, designer, poet and novelist (1834-1896)

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