Number of workers employed worldwide by Wal-Mart Stores, topping the first published list of the world's 500 largest corporate employers, according to a study by My Global Career: 1.8 million.

Number of workers employed by second-ranked Deutsche Post, of Germany: 502,545.

Number employed by third-ranked Siemens Group, of Germany: 461,000.

Number employed by fourth-ranked McDonald's: 447,000.

PSYCHING OUT EXECS

Percentage of business organizations that either use or are considering adopting the use of psychological assessments for executive selection and development, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity: 75.

Percentage that currently use psychological assessments: 58.3.

Source: Institute for Corporate Productivity

CLUTTER FIXATION

More proof of America's compulsion to collect clutter and organize it:

The estimated value of the garage and storage-shed manufacturing industry in 2006, according to market research firm SBI in a report entitled "Garage and Storage Shed Trends in the U.S.": $1.5 billion.

Estimated value of retail sales of garage storage products — including everything from cabinets and shelves to containers and storage carts: $1 billion.

Estimated value of retail sales of storage sheds: $520 million.

JUDICIOUS RICHES

Amount of money made by TV icon Judge Judy in 2005, according to a survey for National Payroll Week: $25 million.

Amount Sandra Day O'Connor earned as a Supreme Court justice: $200,000.

Amount of money made by actor Will Ferrell annually on "Saturday Night Live" where he portrayed President Bush: $350,000.

Amount of money paid annually to President Bush: $400,000.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Percentage of U.S. adults who agree that Barack Obama's middle name (Hussein) could hurt his chances in the 2008 presidential election, according to a random and representative survey conducted by JWT on behalf of Nielsen Business Media's Adweek: 57.

Percentage who feel that the fact that the freshman U.S. senator's last name rhymes with Osama could hurt his chances: 47.

WHOM DO YOU TRUST?

Percentage of U.S. adults who express a great deal of confidence in leaders of small business, according to a survey by Harris Interactive: 54.

Percentage who have confidence in the military: 46.

Percentage who have confidence in major educational institutions: 37.

Percentage who have confidence in medicine: 37.

THE GLASS CEILING

Percentage of Philippine companies that have women in senior management positions, according to the findings from the Experian/Grant Thornton International Business Report 2007: 97.

Percentage of China companies that have women in senior management positions: 91.

Percentage of U.S. companies that have women in senior management positions: 69.

MIXED FEELINGS

Percentage of U.S. employees who say they are satisfied with the performance of their bosses, according to a study conducted by Robert Half International and http://CareerBuilder.com: 52.

Percentage who say they can trust their bosses: 60.

Percentage who say they can't trust their bosses: 21.

Percentage of U.S. employees who say they feel they could do a better job than their bosses if put in charge: 24.

CHECKS, BALANCES

Number of checks issued by the U.S. Treasury in 2006 that were fraudulently endorsed, according to a survey sponsored by the U.S. Treasury's Financial Management Service on behalf of its "Go Direct" campaign: 57,000.

Percentage of the total Social Security and Supplemental Security Income payments that are accounted for by paper checks: 20.

Percentage of reported payment problems that are attributed to paper checks: 90.

AGE DISCRIMINATION

In 2005, estimated number of age discrimination charges received by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to employment law firm Epstein, Becker, Green, Wickliff & Hall P.C.: 16,500.

Estimated amount of money the EEOC has already collected on age-bias lawsuits: $78 million.

Percentage more likely a younger worker is to be called for an interview than a worker 50 or older, according to a 2005 study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College: 40.

IDLE THOUGHT

"Money is human happiness in the abstract: He, then, who is no longer capable of enjoying human happiness in the concrete devotes his heart entirely to money."

— Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher.