Figuratively Speaking

When asked about their current emotional state, percentage of Americans who feel a sense of gratitude/thankfulness, according to the second wave of a landmark study on gratitude conducted by UC Davis and Gracianna Winery: 87

Percentage who feel happy: 85

Percentage who are optimistic: 75

Source: Gracianna Winery.

Percentage of Americans who plan to cook the same amount or more this holiday season, according to a survey from NCSolutions: 90

Percentage who say they plan to spend the same amount of money or more on their holiday meals: 83

Ranks of turkey, the perennial favorite Thanksgiving staple, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing/dressing, on the list of favorite holiday foods: 1 (tie), 3 (tie)

Source: NCSolutions.

As the second pandemic Thanksgiving approaches, percentage of Americans who expect to celebrate big this year, either by traveling or hosting a big group, according to new data from the Ipsos Coronavirus Consumer Tracker: 49

Percentage who plan to travel by plane to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends or family: 6

Percentage who say they expect all people who attend their celebration to be vaccinated: 54

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of U.S. workers who say the pandemic has triggered a reevaluation of their personal priorities, according to a survey by Eagle Hill Consulting: 51

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Percentage of college students who agree that it is important to love what you do for a living, according to a survey by BestColleges: 86

Percentage who say it is important to love what you are studying: 83

Percentage of undergraduates who say they are currently pursuing their passions: 40

Source: BestColleges.

Percentage of people who are forgoing holiday gifts this year due to COVID, according to a WalletHub survey: 25

Percentage of Americans who still have credit card debt from last holiday season: 18

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage increase in spending on experiences, which includes entertaining at home and socializing away from home, accounting for more than one-third of holiday spending (up to $536 per household), according to a survey by Deloitte: 15

Projected spending on gifts per household, an increase of 3% since 2020, while non-gift purchases will total $426 per household: $501

Source: Deloitte.

Percentage of Americans who don't visit the doctor for yearly checkups, according to a survey by LendingTree: 53

Percentage of Americans who don't get at least seven hours sleep a night: 55

Percentage who don't eat enough vegetables: 66

Percentage who don't get enough physical exercise: 70

Source: LendingTree.

Percentage of Americans with consumer debt who say they expect to pay it off in one to five years, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual: 46

Percentage who expect to pay it off in six to 10 years: 20

Percentage who said 11 to 20 years: 14

Percentage who said the rest of their lives: 9

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Percentage of Gen Z workers who have worked from somewhere other than their home for an extended period, according to a survey from Bankrate: 18

Percentage of millennial workers who have done the same: 14

Source: CreditCards.com.

Idle Thought

"Vocations which we wanted to pursue, but didn't, bleed, like colors, on the whole of our existence." -- Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850)

Percentage of internet economy jobs that were created by small firms and self-employed individuals, compared to 34% of internet economy jobs created by the largest internet companies: 38

Number of full-time equivalent jobs in the online creator economy -- just short of the combined memberships of craft and labor unions Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (160,000), the American Federation of Musicians (80,000), the Writers Guild (24,000) and the Authors Guild (9,000): 200,000

Source: Interactive Advertising Bureau.

Percentage of Americans who say the 1980s produced the best music, followed by the '70s and the '90s, according to an Ipsos poll: 40

Rank of rock, pop and country on the list of the top most-preferred genres to listen to: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of Americans who still use FM radio on a regular basis to listen to music: 55

Percentage who use streaming services such as Spotify or Apple Music: 38

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Ranks of relaxation, pain management, sleep aid, health and wellness, and recreation on the list of reasons Americans give for their consumption of cannabis, according to a survey by Azuka: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

While adult-use cannabis is now legal in over 18 states, percentage of Americans who report they have never consumed cannabis: 50

Percentage who say they would still purchase products at a dispensary even if it was more expensive than the black market: 60

Source: Azuca.

Among U.S. adults, percentage who say they use Facebook several times a day, according to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults: 49

Percentage who say they use Snapchat several times a day: 45

Percentage who say they use Instagram several times a day: 38

Percentage who say they use YouTube several times a day: 36

Percentage who say they use Twitter several times a day: 30

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

Percentage of shoppers who say they have recently eaten carryout, dined at a restaurant and/or eaten prepared foods from the grocery store, according to a survey by Acosta: 75

Percentage of shoppers who say they have recently ordered from a food truck: 28

Percentage who have recently ordered from a pop-up restaurant: 23

Percentage who have recently ordered from a ghost kitchen: 19

Source: Acosta.

Number of years that Butterball has staffed its Turkey Talk-Line with experts to answer all turkey-related questions throughout the holidays, according to research by Genesys: 37

Source: Genesys.

Ranks of flexibility, the ability to work remotely, better compensation and better management on the list of reasons job-changers were attracted to their new position, according to a survey by Limeade: 1, 2, 3, 4

Percentage of job changers who received a 10 to 19% salary increase: 29

Percentage who took a pay cut for their new position: 13

Source: Limeade.

Percentage of shoppers who anticipate making the bulk of their purchases on Black Friday this year, according to a survey by Klarna Bank: 49

Percentage of shoppers who say they'll make the majority of their Black Friday purchases online, compared to 23% who will shop mostly in-store: 56

Source: Klarna Bank.

Percentage of commercial time that is already sold and many advertisers are now moving forward to produce this year's crop of Super Bowl ads, according to research by the Marketing Arm: 90

Percentage of people who watch the big game for the commercials: 43

Percentage of women who are more likely to watch it for the ads: 60

Source: The Marketing Arm.

Of social media users who were asked to assess their critical-thinking skills, percentage who reported their critical-thinking skills had improved since high school: 50

When asked about their support for teaching critical thinking in schools, percentage who noted the importance of teaching critical-thinking skills and thought critical-thinking courses should be required at the K-12 level: 95

Source: REBOOT.

Idle Thought

"A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points." -- Alan Kay, computer scientist (1940- )

Percentage of social media users who said they wouldn't give up their accounts for less than $10,000, according to a survey of social media users by the Reboot Foundation: 70

Percentage who said they would choose to keep their social media accounts over their cars, TVs and even their pets: 40

Source: Reboot Foundation.

Amount that traditional cable TV "cord-cutters" are spending per month on average for their online pay-TV or standalone subscription-based services -- roughly $30 less than they were paying for traditional pay-TV service, according to research by Parks Associates: $85

Percentage of cord-cutters who subscribe to four or more OTT services -- "over-the-top" media accessed directly by consumers through the internet: 47

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of Americans 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 want to avoid shipping delays: 45

Percentage who want to avoid last-minute stress: 39

Source: Klarna Bank.

Percentage of consumers who report that as a result of the coronavirus they are buying food and beverage products to protect their immune systems more, according to a Packaged Facts' survey: 40

Percentage sales growth of packaged foods and beverages with claims for gut health or immunity from 2019 to 2020: 50

Source: Packaged Facts.

Number of times faster the internet economy has grown than the total U.S. economy during the past four years, according to a study commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau: 7

Percentage of the U.S. gross domestic product that is now accounted for by the internet economy: 12

Source: Interactive Advertising Bureau.

Percentage of companies that are hiring contract workers to support seasonal and year-end initiatives, according to a Robert Half report: 74

Percentage of employers that are willing to look outside their city to find skilled job candidates, given talent shortages: 78

Percentage of employers that are leveraging outside agencies to help recruit contract workers: 44

Source: Robert Half.

Percentage of pet owners who bring their fur babies on vacation with them, according to a survey by Embrace Pet Insurance: 60

Percentage of pet parents who take their pups hiking: 30

Of the 60% of pet owners who take their pets on vacation, percentage who will stay in an RV or camper, with an additional 6% who will sleep in a tent: 12

Source: Embrace Pet Insurance.

Percentage of first-generation homeowners who say the importance of homeownership has increased over the past year, according to Bank of America survey of U.S. adults who currently own a home or plan to in the future: 69

Percentage who say the importance of building equity has increased: 61

Percentage who also have a newfound appreciation for the safety and security that homeownership provides: 73

Source: Bank of America.

Percentage of Americans who think states where cannabis is legal should require licensed cannabis producers to use secure labels that can't be counterfeited on cannabis products to ensure potency and consumer safety, according to a study commissioned by SICPA North America and conducted by The Harris Poll: 83

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, percentage of the U.S. population, representing 48 million people, who consumed cannabis at least once in 2019: 18

Percentage who voiced their support for a program that would make it easier to detect legal vs. illegal cannabis products: 80

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of retail executives who are worried about receiving their holiday orders in time, according to a holiday retail survey by Deloitte: 60

Percentage of consumers who are concerned about "stockouts," or out-of-stock inventory for a desired item: 75

Percentage who consumers who are worried about inflation and expect higher prices this season: 68

Source: Deloitte.

Idle Thought

"It is not titles that make men illustrious, but men who make titles illustrious." -- Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher (1469-1527)