Vacation and why Americans take so little

Planet Money

1 DAYS AGO

Overview Shownote Highlights Transcript Chapters Pins

Shownote

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...

Highlights

This episode explores why the United States is the only wealthy nation that does not guarantee paid vacation for its workers, contrasting American work culture with that of Europe and other countries.

00:00

Europeans enjoy leisure time during work hours.

08:30

The U.S. never fought for vacation as a right.

13:29

Americans work more weeks per year, not more hours per week.

19:45

Unions prioritized bargaining over federal mandates.

Chapters

The U.S. vs. the World: The Only Wealthy Country Without Guaranteed Paid Vacation

00:00

Why Do Americans Feel Guilty About Taking Time Off?

06:27

The 1979 Turning Point: When the U.S. Stopped Cutting Work Hours

09:59

Unions, Business, and Racism: The Historical Roots of America's Vacation Gap

19:45

Transcript

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