Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of people who live in either an apartment or a condo building across the U.S. who have concerns about the building structure that they live in and its safety related to deteriorating materials or damage, according to research by Premise: 65

Percentage who have seen damage never get fixed: 47

Percentage who have seen damage fixed poorly: 26

Source: Premise.

Ranks of handing out candy, decorating their home or yard, and dressing in costumes on the list of the top ways people are planning to celebrate Halloween, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of Spider-man, princess, Batman or another one of their other favorite superheroes on the list of top costumes for kids this year: 1, 2, 3 (tie)

Ranks of witch, vampire, ghost, cat and pirate on the list of most popular adult costumes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of pumpkin, hot dog, superhero and cat on the list of the most popular costumes for pets: 1, 2, 3 (tie)

Source: NRF.

Percentage of employed Americans looking for new job opportunities who said it's important for them to have the ability to work from home or remotely in their future role, according to a survey from Bankrate: 37

Percentage of Gen Z workers who say work flexibility (the ability to work remotely and/or flexible working hours) is important to them moving forward -- a higher percentage than those citing higher pay: 62

Source: Bankrate.

Percentage of people who would pay extra to be on a 100%-vaccinated flight or stay at a 100%-vaccinated hotel/resort, according to a WalletHub survey: 40

Percentage of people who won't travel this winter due to fear of COVID-19: 27

Source: WalletHub.

Last Halloween, percentage of parents who said they believed trick-or-treating was a large or moderate risk for their children, according to data from the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index: 49

This year, percentage who believe the same: 31

Percentage of parents who believe there's no risk at all: 23

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of college students who believe their school should be flexible and let individuals choose how they will learn due to COVID-19, according to a new survey from BestColleges.com: 81

Percentage of college students who expect to complete the remainder of the fall quarter/semester on-campus (with 23% reporting they expect to complete it remotely, and 27% in some hybrid of the two): 48

Source: BestColleges.com.

Percentage of employees who favorably view their employers' efforts to improve their overall well-being, according to a survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute: 76

Percentage who are extremely/very satisfied with their benefits package, with 62% stating that they are satisfied with their employment-based retirement savings plan and 63% being satisfied with their current health insurance plan: 51

Percentage of employees who were at least somewhat interested in an emergency savings account that allowed them to save through payroll deduction: 83

Source: EBRI.

Percentage of U.S. residents who think the U.S.-U.K. alliance is more important today than it was five years ago, according to a research by Emerson College: 76

Percentage who identify the U.K. as the most valuable ally and strategic partner of the U.S.: 52

Percentage who cite shared democratic norms and values as having the most significant influence on a strong alliance between the U.S. and the U.K.: 40

Source: Association of Marshall Scholars.

With Halloween around the corner, ranks of "The Exorcist" (1973), "Hereditary" (2018), "The Conjuring" (2013), "The Shining" (1980) and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974) on the list of the scariest movies of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Rotten Tomatoes.

Idle Thought

"Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another." -- Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (1844-1924)

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.)