We’re the most unequal of all advanced economies – and that inequality has affected everything, including vacation days.

Robert Reich
August 9 at 2:20pm ·

Forget that August vacation. The United States is the only advanced economy that doesn’t guarantee workers any paid vacation or require employers to offer at least some paid holidays. The result: Roughly a quarter of all American workers get no paid vacations or holidays. Less than half of low-paid hourly wage workers get paid vacations. Few Trump supporters get vacation time.

Even the typical American worker, who gets 10 days paid vacation and six paid holidays per year, has far less time off than workers in other advanced countries with about the same productivity and similar wages. France requires employers provide a minimum of 30 paid days off per year. Britain, 28 days. Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, 25 days.

This wasn't always the case. In the 1970s, the typical American worker had far more paid vacation days than now -- on par with workers in other advanced nations. But starting in the 1980s, workers in other nations got more time off while Americans got less. What happened? Blame widening income inequality. Rich Americans got richer – and got more vacation time, while lower-income hourly workers got poorer, and had less vacation time. And almost everyone else feels less economically secure, so they’re less willing to take vacation time. We’re the most unequal of all advanced economies – and that inequality has affected everything, including vacation days.

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