Figuratively Speaking

The ideal amount of time to spend in-person with your co-workers -- a number that mirrors U.S. trends, according to a global Ipsos poll with the World Economic Forum: 2.5 days

Percentage of American adults who say they would consider looking for another job if their employer expected them to work away from home full time: 30

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of people who say they push themselves harder in a fitness class than they do on their own, according to ClassPass Comeback Report: 81

Percentage who prefer to have an instructor's direction and encouragement when working out: 74

Percentage who say in-studio classes make it easier to work out regularly and keep up a routine: 67

Source: ClassPass.

Ranks of goals related to mental health, nutrition and fitness on the list of areas where U.S. adults currently turn to other people or tools for support in achieving their goals, according to the first survey by Medifast: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of U.S. adults who feel more motivated when connecting with others who have similar health and wellness goals: 65

Source: Medifast.

Percentage of full-time employees who said they have considered leaving a job immediately due to the onboarding experience (e.g. limited transitional training, unorganized first day), according to research by isolved Connect: 51

Percentage of full-time employees who think the onboarding experience should last over four weeks: 52

Percentage who think onboarding should be two months or longer: 23

Source: isolved.

Percentage of homeowners who took on at least one DIY project since the start of the pandemic who say saving money was their top reason for choosing to do a DIY project, according to a new survey by Angi: 62

Percentage who also said they had spare time or were bored: 56

Percentage who said they chose DIY over hiring a pro because they wanted to prove someone wrong about their ability to do it: 24

Source: Angi.

Percentage of recent homebuyers who have rented out their entire newly acquired home while they were away, according to research by Realtor.com: 6

Percentage who have lived in a smaller unit on their property while renting out the main house: 7

Percentage who say they do it for extra income to save: 53

Source: Realtor.com.

Percentage of those with unused gift cards, vouchers or store credits who do not anticipate using all of their unredeemed funds, according to a Bankrate.com report: 49

Percentage of U.S. adults who have lost gift card/voucher/store credit value at some point: 49

Of those with unused gift cards, vouchers or credits, percentage who have been holding on to at least one of these for a year or more: 73

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of people who do not own solar panels who are likely to purchase them if they could reduce their energy costs by 50%, according to research from Parks Associates: 33

Percentage who report they are "very familiar" with electric vehicles, despite a growing number of products now on the market: 26

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of American who said dining out was one of the things they want to do more of as pandemic restrictions lifted, according to research commissioned by the Contact Lens Institute: 52

Percentage who said travel: 45

Percentage who said attending more live entertainment: 34

Source: Contact Lens Institute.

Percentage of Americans who said dip is their appetizer of choice, according to a study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Farm Rich: 70

Percentage of fans who would jump into a pool of their favorite dip for a year's supply of it: 52

Source: Farm Rich.

Idle Thought

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -- Annie Dillard, author (1945- )

Percentage of millennial (ages 25 to 40) mortgage holders who say they would tap home equity to bankroll a vacation, compared with just 4% of Gen X (ages 41 to 56) and 3% of baby boomer mortgage holders (ages 57 to 75), according to Bankrate survey: 14

Percentage of millennials who say they would pull cash from their homes for nonessential purchases, such as electronics or a boat, versus 3% of both Gen Xers and baby boomers with a mortgage: 10

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of consumers who say they go out to eat when they do not feel like cooking, according to a survey by Acosta: 51

Of those eating out, percentage who do so at least twice a month: 60 to 70

Percentage of consumers who say they are looking for restaurants that offer a wide variety of menu items when eating out: 82

Source: Acosta.

Percentage of British consumers who say they will miss gasoline and diesel cars if they are ever fully phased out, according to a survey by YouGov: 45

Percentage of American consumers who say they will miss cars with fossil fuel engines once they're gone: 52

Source: YouGov.

Average percentage of adults across 30 countries, including the United States (82%), who say that their mental and physical health are equally important to them, according to an Ipsos Poll: 79

Ranks of COVID-19 and mental health on the list of health problems Americans view as the biggest ones facing people in their country: 1, 2

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of U.S. adults ages 21 and older who reported drinking patterns that met the survey criteria for "heavy drinking," according to a survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic on behalf of Alkermes Inc.: 17

Percentage who reported that they continued to drink despite it making them feel depressed or anxious or adding to another health problem: 30

Percentage who gave up or cut back on activities that were important or interesting to them, or gave them pleasure, in order to drink: 23

Source: Alkermes Inc.

Percentage of shoppers who expect a seamless, convenient and connected online and offline shopping experience, according to a survey by Klarna Bank: 80

Percentage who say that helpful customer service and knowledgeable sales associates are critical to ensuring a stand-out shopping experience: 72

Source: Klarna Bank.

Percentage of U.S. adults who have applied for a retail-branded credit card who say they have applied impulsively at checkout at least once, according to a new study from CreditCards.com: 68

Percentage who applied for retail cards who always planned their signup in advance: 32

Percentage who said they felt pressured to apply by the store or an employee: 10

Source: CreditCards.com.

Despite a string of controversies and the public's negative sentiments about aspects of social media, percentage of Americans who say they use some kind of social media site -- a share of the population that has remained relatively stable over the past five years -- according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults: 70

Ranks of YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest on the list of the most widely used online platforms among U.S. adults: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Percentage of teens who agree that business innovation will be required to slow or stop global warming and climate change, according to a survey conducted for Junior Achievement: 73

Percentage who agree that businesses act more responsibly toward the environment today than they have in the past: 52

Percentage who say that they are worried about the impact of global warming and climate change on their future quality of life: 65

Source: Junior Achievement.

Ranks of a snack-sized bag of cookies, a snack-sized bag of pretzels, caramel apples and a beef jerky stick on the list of the most popular candy-alternative snacks on Halloween among kids ages 8 to 14, according to research by YouGov: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: YouGov.

Idle Thought

"We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love" -- Madame De Stael, writer (1766-1817)

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)