Numbers in a news report can mislead you if you read them too fast. A headline may say that the 11 of students who skip breakfast has doubled, but the 12 figure could still be tiny. Always look for the total number of people asked. A survey of thirty 13 tells you far less than one of three thousand. Check the 14 too: was the study done once, or every year for a 15? Only a long series of results can show whether a habit is really changing, or whether one odd year has fooled everyone.
Our annual report on working hours is out again. The 16 employee in this country now spends 42 hours a week at work, two hours fewer than a decade ago. The fall is not shared equally, however. 17 staff, who are paid only for the hours they actually work, saw no change at all, while 18 workers in offices gained the most. The 19 of people over sixty who still hold a job has risen sharply, partly because pensions have not kept 20 with prices. Younger workers, by contrast, say they would take less money for a shorter week.