Financial Statistics & Surveys

Here are some random, but relevant statistics that I’ve collected the past week.

8.1% – The official February unemployment rate.
14.5% – The rate of unemployment if part-timers seeking full-time work and people not actively looking for a job are included. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

$46.6 Billion – Estimated sales commissions paid to residential real estate agents and brokers in 2008, down from $58.4 Billion in 2007 (Source: National Association of Realtors)

102% – The typical premium paid by a laid-off worker for COBRA health insurance in relation to the total cost (employee and employer contributions) of the job-based coverage it has replaced (Source: Aetna)

70% The number of consumers who say that deep discounting during a recession leads them to think a brand is “normally overpriced”. (Source: Yankelovich, Inc.)

32% The percentage of car shoppers who have decided to buy a used car instead of a new car, up from 27% in October. (Source: Cars.com)