
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 …
Intelligent report
Sign in to read teasers, or upgrade to Research Pro to commission a new dossier for this episode. Learn more →
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