US Workers Are Taking the Most Vacation Days in 7 Years
Workers in the US are using the most vacation days since 2010, new research from Project: Time Off shows.
The average worker in America took 17.2 days of vacation in 2017, 0.4 days more that those used the previous year. Of the days used in 2017, Americans used a paltry eight days for trips away from home. And the increased 2017 numbers still pale in comparison to the average of 20.3 vacation days Americans used to take annually from 1978 to 2000.
The US labor force has no mandate on vacation days, unlike many other countries around the world. Workers in France and Denmark, for example, legally get 36 days of paid vacation per year. Similarly, employees in Sweden get 34 government-sanctioned paid days off, and those in the UK get 28.
Although vacation day usage is slightly up by US standards, the bulk of American employees are still not using up all of their allotted paid time off. The survey showed that some workers felt vacations would make them appear less dedicated, while others thought their workloads were too heavy to leave behind or that no one could fill in for them if they went away for some R&R.
In fact, 24% of workers said they hadn't taken any vacation days at all last year, and 52% said they left some days go unused.
But, Americans are missing out on more than just a chance to recharge their batteries when they forgo their vacation days. According to Project: Time Off's calculations, American's expired vacation days added up to $255 billion in missed economic opportunity and could have created $1.9 million jobs.
The survey was conducted by GfK online between January 4-23, 2018, and 4,349 Americans who were 18+ participated. Participants must have worked more than 35 hours per week and receive paid time off from their employer to count. The data was weighted and scaled. Additional economy analysis was provided by Oxford Economics.
H/T: CNBC
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.