Take 5: lottery ticket sales, health care coverage, and WalletHub survey

NH Business Review's biweekly snapshot of business and industry statistics

NEW research from Pulsz.com has analyzed which states spend the most and least on the lottery, looking at income from ticket sales, prize payouts and population figures. Data for New Hampshire shows that residents spend $365 per 1,000 people annually on lottery tickets, ranking 16th highest in the nation. The state has an income from ticket sales of $514,585 and offers a prize return rate of 65.95%, which is the 24th highest percentage in the nation, returning $339,366 in prizes from the total ticket sales.

MOST Americans (66%) say the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Of those who say the government should be responsible for health care coverage, 35% favor a single national health insurance system run by the government, and 31% say insurance should continue to be provided through a mix of private companies and government programs.

THE New Year’s Financial Resolutions survey from WalletHub revealed that 60% of people say that 2026 will be better for their wallet than 2025. Thirty-one percent of respondents say they want to save more money this year, but half of Americans say inflation is their biggest financial concern for 2026.

A December 2025 survey conducted by ResumeBuilder.com found that 1 in 10 U.S. seniors ages 65 and older don’t plan to retire until 2030 or later, and 1 in 8 have already returned to work or plan to rejoin the workforce this year. More than half of respondents cited financial concerns as the reason behind their decision to return to work, with 16% saying they never retired.

A recent report from ResumeTemplates.com highlighted key workplace trends for 2026, which showed that 3 in 5 Gen Zers say they plan to pursue blue-collar work in 2026 amid AI-related job concerns. In addition, 3 in 10 companies say they will no longer allow remote work in 2026, and to get hired in 2026, hiring managers say candidates must demonstrate strong communication and professionalism.