Cover art for Planet Money

Vacation and why Americans take so little

Planet Money

Published
May 20, 2026
Duration
25:09
Summary source
description
Last updated
Jun 10, 2026

Discusses Do you work more for more money? Or work less for more time? For some, this is the ultimate economic…

Summary

Do you work more for more money? Or work less for more time? For some, this is the ultimate economic choice. Every single worker in the European Union is guaranteed four weeks of paid vacation. No matter how long they’ve been at a company. No matter how low paying the job is. Vacation is a right. In fact, all but one of the richest countries in the world …

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Show notes

Do you work more for more money? Or work less for more time? For some, this is the ultimate economic choice. Every single worker in the European Union is guaranteed four weeks of paid vacation. No matter how long they’ve been at a company. No matter how low paying the job is. Vacation is a right. In fact, all but one of the richest countries in the world guarantees paid vacation, except: the U.S. According to a 2019 study, people in Japan get 10 paid vacation days and 15 paid holidays; in Austra