Report: Americans take fewest vacation days in the world

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

SUMMER IS OFFICIALLY HERE AND MANY AMERICANS ARE GEARING UP FOR VACATION – RIGHT? 

MAYBE NOT. 

EXPEDIA JUST RELEASED ITS ANNUAL ‘VACATION DEPRIVATION REPORT’ – A LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME OFF. 

AFTER SURVEYING MORE THAN 11-THOUSAND PEOPLE FROM 11 COUNTRIES – IT FOUND TWO OUT OF THREE AMERICANS SAY THEY DON’T TAKE ENOUGH TIME OFF. 

WHAT’S WORSE? 

AMERICANS ALREADY TAKE THE FEWEST VACATION DAYS EVERY YEAR – AVERAGING OUT AT JUST 11 DAYS… WITH AN AVERAGE ALLOTMENT OF 12. 

BUT STILL ONLY A LITTLE MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE SURVEYED PLAN TO USE ALL THEIR TIME OFF. 

AND WHEN COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD – AMERICANS ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO GO A YEAR OR MORE WITHOUT TAKING A VACATION. 

THE TOP REASON 53 PERCENT OF AMERICANS DIDN’T USE ALL THEIR VACATION TIME LAST YEAR… IS BECAUSE THEY SAY “LIFE IS TOO BUSY TO PLAN OR GO ON VACATION”. 

BUT HERE’S SOMETHING INTERESTING – WHILE AMERICANS ARE FEELING MORE VACATION DEPRIVED THAN EVER… JAPAN TOOK THE TOP SPOT AS THE LEAST VACATION DEPRIVED ACCORDING TO THIS YEAR’S REPORT. 

THAT’S DESPITE ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF THOSE SURVEYED ONLY USING 12 OF THEIR 19 DAYS OFF ON AVERAGE. 

 SO WHILE JAPAN TOPS THE LIST FOR PEOPLE FEELING LIKE THEY HAVE ENOUGH TIME OFF… IT’S *LAST* WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE ACTUALLY TAKING ALL THEIR DAYS OFF. 

EXPEDIA SAYS THAT’S BECAUSE THEY MAXIMIZE ON FEDERAL HOLIDAYS AND SCHOOL OR OFFICE CLOSURES TO SCHEDULE MORE FREQUENT, SHORT GETAWAYS. 

THAT’S A TACTIC OF THE FRENCH TOO – WITH FRANCE ALSO TAKING THE TOP SPOT FOR MOST VACATION DAYS. 

BUT DESPITE HAVING A MONTH OFF ANNUALLY… 69 PERCENT OF THE FRENCH SURVEYED SAID THEY DON’T FEEL LIKE THEY GET ENOUGH TIME OFF – THAT’S COMPARED TO 65 PERCENT OF AMERICANS WHO SAID THAT ABOUT OUR 11-DAY AVERAGE. 

EXPEDIA SAYS THAT’S BECAUSE MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF FRENCH WORKERS BELIEVE VACATION TIME IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT AND CRITICAL TO OVERALL HEALTH – PHILOSOPHIES EXPEDIA SAYS AMERICANS COULD BENEFIT FROM TAKING ON. 

MEANWHILE – HONG KONG WAS THE ONLY ONE TO REPORT USING *MORE* VACATION DAYS THAN RESPONDENTS WERE ALLOCATED AND NOT LEAVING VACATION DAYS UNUSED. 

BUT HEY – IT COULD BE WORSE… GERMANY SAT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST – WITH MORE THAN 80 PERCENT SAYING THEY DON’T TAKE ENOUGH TIME OFF,  THOUGH THE SURVEY FOUND THEY’RE MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER TO USE ALL THEIR TIME OFF THIS YEAR.