The average number of seconds separating incidents of cyberattack in the U.S., according to a study by The Conference Board: 39

Percentage of malware attacks on companies that were ransomware -- up from 45% in 2020: 60

Percentage of ransomware attacks on businesses that impacted their ability to operate: 90

Source: The Conference Board.

Percentage of consumers who say they are going to spend the same amount of money this holiday season as last season, but on fewer gifts, according to Debt.com survey: 31

Percentage who said they are willing to spend more, but on quality gifts: 18

Source: Debt.com.

Estimated number of holiday shoppers who will shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year -- up by 8 million over last year and the highest estimate since NRF began tracking this data in 2017, according to an annual survey by the National Retail Federation: 166.3 million

Percentage of holiday shoppers who plan to shop during Thanksgiving weekend this year: 69

Ranks of deals being too good to pass up, because of tradition or because it is something to do on the list of the top reasons consumers shopped during Thanksgiving weekend: 1, 2, 3

Source: NRF.

Percentage of parents of undergraduates who reported their student likely applied to up to 10 schools, with 31% of saying their student applied anywhere from six to 10 schools, according to a College Ave survey of parents of undergraduates conducted by Barnes and Noble College Insights: 90

Percentage who enjoyed helping their child with their college essays: 57

Percentage who found filling out college applications stressful: 31

Source: College Ave Student Loans.

Percentage of American employees who say they fully disconnect from work during vacation, according to a survey by Eagle Hill Consulting: 54

Percentage who say they check work email and messages: 28

Percentage who say they continue to work during vacation: 16

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Percentage of consumers who have changed their shopping habits so they don't have to deal with the return process at all, according to a survey commissioned by Slickdeals: 52

Ranks of phones, clothing and TVs on the list of the top items worth returning: 1 (tie), 3

If they plan on returning an item, percentage of respondents who said they don't put it back in its original packaging: 48

Source: Slickdeals.

Beyond Thanksgiving, percentage of American households that anticipate having 10 or more people at other holiday celebrations (up 9% from 2021): 40

Source: Omaha Steaks.

Percentage of Americans who say the No. 1 reason they have credit card debt is because of covering emergencies and unexpected expenses, according to creditcards.com: 46

Percentage who cite day-to-day expenses like groceries, childcare and utilities: 24

Source: creditcards.com.

Percentage of global C-level business leaders who are increasingly concerned about climate change and see the world at a tipping point to act, according to a survey by Deloitte: 79

Percentage who said their companies have already been negatively impacted by climate change: 97

Source: Deloitte.

Percentage of Americans who say they have not received any workplace training in the last year: 56

Percentage who say it would make them more engaged in their role: 40

Source: Carrus.

Idle Thought

"In the small matters, trust the mind; in the large ones, the heart." -- Sigmund Freud

Percentage of the U.S. population that is foreign born, the highest percentage since 1910, according to U.S. Census Bureau data: 13.7

Percentage of homes in Miami owned by foreign-born residents, the highest proportion of any city in the U.S., according to LendingTree: 26

Source: LendingTree.

Amount of money that U.S. adults age 18 and older anticipate they will need to retire comfortably, a 20% rise since 2021, according to Northwestern Mutual: $1.25 million

Average age to which retirement has increased, up from 62.6 in 2021: 64

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Approximate number of homes that are invaded by rodents each winter, according to a survey conducted for Vault Communications: 21 million

Size of an opening a mouse can squeeze through: equivalent to a dime

Source: Vault Communications.

Percentage of Americans who have been on a traditional diet who say it lasted, according to a survey by Medifast: 28

Percentage who say they're likely to revert to previous eating behaviors after completing or giving up on a diet: 79

Percentage of adults who agree they would be more successful in reaching their health goals if they had more support: 67

Source: Medifast.

Percentage of Americans who report that they generally feel depressed in the winter, according to the American Psychiatric Association: 24

Percentage who say their overall mood declines in the winter: 38

Percentage, however, who say they do look forward to spending time with friends and family during the holidays: 44

Percentage who say enjoying good food improves their mood: 49

Source: American Psychiatric Association.

Amid a recent 14% increase in annual drunk-driving deaths, percentage of American voters who consider drunk driving a serious problem, according to a poll conducted by traffic safety coalition Sober Driving Solutions, in partnership with Change Research: 93

Percentage who support laws requiring drunk drivers to install ignition interlock devices (IIDs): 69

Percentage who responded that they would feel safer if drunk drivers were required to install an IID: 73

Source: Sober Driving Solutions.

Percentage of parents who agree that critical academic skills (e.g., math, reading, writing) are important for their children to learn in the 2022-2023 school year, according to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of EF Educational Tours: 98

Percentage who agree that the career-ready skills that employers seek as critical for success are best acquired through real-life immersion learning opportunities and/or education-based travel: 90

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of young renters who reported they experienced a rent increase in the past year, with an average increase of 30%, according to a survey from Grubb Properties: 51

Of these renters, percentage who said they had the resources to cover the increase without changing their lifestyle: 7

Ranks of cutting back on extra purchases, looking for a new job or side gig, and looking for a new place to rent or live on the list of actions the remaining 93% plan to take or have taken to defray costs: 1, 2, 3

Source: Grubb Properties.

Percentage of 13- to 17-year-olds who have access to a smartphone, according to Pew Research: 95

Percentage increase in daily social media use reported by eighth-graders from 2009-2017: 69.6

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Percentage of U.S. consumers who say they are shopping more often now with their mobile phones than just two years ago, according to a survey by Klarna Bank AB: 68

Percentage of U.S. shoppers who use their mobile devices to research products while shopping in physical stores: 68

Source: Klarna Bank AB.

Idle Thought

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

This giving season, percentage of people responding to a survey by Omaha Steaks who noted that they have enough material possessions: 80

Percentage who would prefer a quality family meal and have time together around the table than receive a gift for the holidays: 77

Source: Omaha Steaks.

Percentage of Americans who didn't take a summer vacation this year (despite 73% having had travel plans), according to a survey by ValuePenguin: 54

Percentage of those earning less than $35,000 annually who just stayed home: 69

Percentage of those making $100,000 who stayed home: 36

Source: ValuePenguin.com.

Percentage of Americans who carry a credit card balance, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute: 33

After the latest Federal Reserve interest rate hike, anticipated additional amount that people with credit card debt will spend on interest this year, according to WalletHub: $5.1 billion

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Ranks of New York City; Seattle; Orlando, Florida; Boston and Atlanta on the list of favored U.S. Thanksgiving travel destinations, according to the Allianz Partners Top 10 Thanksgiving Destination Index: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of Cancun, Mexico; San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; Puerta Vallarta, Mexico; London; and Montego Bay, Jamaica, on the list of favored international Thanksgiving destinations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Allianz Global Assistance USA.

Percentage of Americans over 65 who will need long-term care, while 1 in 5 households already give care, according to the Moneyweave Adademy: 70

Percentage of unpaid caregivers who are female, spending about 50% more time giving care than males: 66

Number of times more likely that women who give care are to end up in poverty: 3

Number of times more likely they are to depend exclusively on Social Security: 5

Source: Moneyweave Academy Inc.

Percentage of U.S. adults who consider their health to be a top priority in life -- the most common response, even ahead of family and career, according to a survey by Medifast: 70

Percentage of Americans who say they find it hard to prioritize their health, citing both a lack of time and positive influences who inspire healthy choices as primary barriers: 50

Source: Medifast.

Percentage of respondents to an AdamEve.com survey who admitted they enjoyed sex in public places: 46

Ranks of parked car, in the woods, in a park and at the beach on the list of top choices among those who indulged in less-discreet lovemaking venues: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Adam and Eve.

Ranks of cyberbullying (73% of parents; 66% of Gen Z (ages 13 to 25)), misinformation (65% of parents; 64% of Gen Z) and phishing/scams (62% of parents; 60% of Gen Z) on the list of the top perceived online threats, according to a 1Password and Malwarebytes report: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of Gen Zers who say they've been hurt from online activity, such as personal account hacks, damaged credit scores or stolen identities: 12

Source: 1Password.

Percentage of Americans who say they're less comfortable making a major purchase like a house or a car today than they were six months ago, according to the Ipsos-Forbes Advisor U.S. Consumer Confidence Tracker: 68

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of educators who use technology who said the use of digital tools and resources helps provide opportunities for students to develop self-directed learning skills, according to a survey by Gradient Learning: 70

Percentage who said digital learning creates interactive and participatory learning experiences: 69

Source: Gradient Learning.

Idle Thought

"Every increased possession loads us with new weariness." -- John Ruskin, author, art critic and social reformer (1819-1900)