Ranks of the Dominican Republic, Hawai'i, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Aruba as the top island getaways for U.S. travelers, based on recent traffic for these destinations on www.tripadvisor.com: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

COUNTING UP DOLLARS

Percentage of baby boomers who said they are doing financial planning and that their goals are set and on track, according to a survey by KeyBank and Zogby International: 51

Percentage who believe they will or could run out of money in their lifetime: 67

FEW AMERICAN FRIENDS

Percentage of Americans who believe U.S. foreign policy is driving dissatisfaction with America abroad, according to a poll by the nonprofit World Learning and the Aspen Institute: 75

Percentage of Americans who are very or somewhat worried that the U.S. is losing the trust and friendship of other countries: 73

Percentage who worry that Americans will be less welcome in other parts of the world: 63

BEST-PAID IN ASIA

Rank of Asia among the regions with the highest salary increases forecast for 2008, according to a survey conducted by ECA International, the world's largest membership organization for international human resources: 1

Ranks of India, Argentina, Indonesia and Russia among the countries in the world with the highest predicted salary increases for 2008: 1, 2, 3, 4

WORTH OF TECH PROS

Average salary for technology professionals in 2007, according to Dice Salary Survey: $74,570

Rank of Silicon Valley as the tech pros' highest-paying metro area: 1

Average salary for tech pros in Silicon Valley: $93,876

Ranks of Boston ($83,465), Baltimore/Washington, D.C. ($81,750), Los Angeles ($81,039) and New York ($80,770) on the list of highest-paying metro areas: 2, 3, 4, 5

'DUMPY' WORKPLACE

Percentage of workers who say they have either accepted or left a job due to the condition of the building and/or the amenities offered, according to a national survey by Blumberg Capital Partners: 33

Percentage of workers who described their office buildings and office environments as either "bland," "dumpy" or "stodgy": 47

Ranks of covered parking, subsidized cafeteria or restaurant, fitness or workout center, and on-site daycare on the list of the most important office building amenities: 1, 2, 3, 4

I'M OUTTA HERE

Minimum statutory employee notice period in the U.S. and Mexico between resignation and departure (for white-collar employees with one year's service), according to data from Mercer's Global HR Factbook: None

Minimum statutory employee notice period in Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore and the U.K.: 1 week

Minimum statutory employee notice period in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland: 2 months

FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are very or somewhat likely to reduce their overall debt level in 2008, according to an Experian/Gallup poll: 73

Percentage who say they plan to cut back on entertainment: 49

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are not likely to read a book or take a course on personal finance: 58

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

Percentage of companies that have made policy changes to better accommodate working parents, according to a survey of senior executives developed by Office Team: 62

IDLE THOUGHT

"I've made an odd discovery. Every time I talk to a savant I feel quite sure that happiness is no longer a possibility. Yet when I talk with my gardener, I'm convinced of the opposite."

— Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician

Reach John MacIntyre at john macintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.