Posted on: Sunday, February 24, 2008
Is Tuesday your best day? The boss thinks so
Compiled by John MacIntyre
Percentage of executives who said Tuesday is the most productive day of the week for employees, according to an Accountemps survey: 57
Percentage who said Wednesday: 11
Percentage who said Monday: 12
Percentage who said Friday: 3
POPULATION GROWTH
If current trends continue, the projected population of the United States in 2050, according to the Pew Research Center: 438 million
Population in 2005: 296 million
Percentage of the increase that will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their U.S.-born descendants: 82
TOPPING THE CHARTS
Ranks of rap, hip-hop and country music as the bestselling record sale categories, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1, 2, 3
X-RATED RISK
Of dangerous Web sites analyzed (that is, sites that cause major damage to both personal finances and to computers), the percentage that contained adult content, according to Web Of Trust's analysis of 17 million Web sites: 28
Percentage that were sites offering free and/or licensed software downloads over the Internet: 27
Percentage that were entertainment sites (movies, games, music, screen savers, smileys): 16
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Rank of the U.S. among top telecommunications countries, according to a survey by the London Business School measuring telecommunications quality and how it is used by consumers, business and government in 16 countries: 1
Ranks of Sweden and Japan: 2, 3
Rank of the U.S. among 30 countries in percentage of homes that have broadband access, according to a survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: 15
SUPER BOWL VIEWING
Average audience in the U.S. for Super Bowl XLII, according to the Nielson Co.: 97.5 million
Number of people who saw the Victoria's Secret commercial, the most viewed commercial during the Super Bowl: 103.7 million
BID BUSINESS
Gross revenue from goods and services sold at live auctions, according to the annual report compiled by Morpace Inc. for the National Auctioneers Association: $270.7 billion
Amount generated by the real estate auction market, one of the fastest-growing auction sectors in 2007: $58.4 billion
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Percentage of senior executives who rank "improving energy efficiency across global operations" as a major priority addressed primarily or solely through real estate strategies, according to a survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit and co-sponsored by global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle: 33
Percentage who rank it as the leading priority: 19
Percentage who expect minimal benefit to profitability, but believe sustainability practices can reduce costs (particularly energy expenditure), open up new markets and improve their company's reputation: 80
JOB GOALS
Percentage of U.S. workers who now consider work-life balance and flexibility to be the most important factor in considering job offers, according to a Hudson Survey: 29
Percentage who said compensation when asked to name the primary reason they accepted their current positions: 23
IDLE THOUGHT
"Like cars in amusement parks, our direction is often determined through collisions."
—Yahia Lababidi, writer
Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.
