Article Summary:
Americans are less likely to be taking vacations than they were four decades ago, according to an obscure government time series. The vacation rate has fallen steadily from 3.3% of the workforce in 1980 to 1.7% in the present day. Additional analysis shows that shorter absences, such as taking a day here and there for quick trips or mental health, have risen slightly, but this has not offset the sharp drop in luxurious week-plus vacations. Although the United States is the only advanced economy without guaranteed paid vacation, more than 90% of full-time, private-industry workers have access to paid vacation time, a figure that has remained relatively steady for decades.
Data reveals that schoolteachers are about four times as likely to be on vacation as their full-time peers in other industries. Entertainment and recreation workers, such as restaurants and hotels, come in second. Educators dominate the vacation landscape to such an extent that they skew all the statistics. However, schoolteachers are losing their summer vacations, but this loss drives less than a quarter of the overall vacation loss. Americans vacation less in every month of the year, but summers have seen by far the steepest decline.
According to organizational psychologist Lauren Kuykendall, employees are less likely to use all their vacation days if they do not expect to detach from work and truly relax or if they worry that vacations will set them back financially. Focus groups of hospitality workers produced similar findings. Several respondents said technology had changed the feel of their vacations, making them more likely to check in on things at the office. Many others cited the cost of travel as a significant factor.
Some workers may have plenty of vacation accrued but not feel free to use it, said Amber Clayton of the Society for Human Resource Management. This may be a matter of job security. If they are not present and someone else is doing the work, they may look like they are expendable. Alternatively, they may feel like it is going to be frowned upon by their employer if they take time off. Vacation has declined steadily in good times and bad, so while increasingly precarious work situations may be part of it, something else must be dragging the vacation rate down.
The reasons for the decline in vacations may be many and varied. However, it is clear that if current trends continue, it could have significant long-term effects on American society. Vacations not only provide an opportunity for people to unwind and recharge their batteries, but they also allow them to explore new places and ideas, which can be beneficial for both personal growth and career development. Moreover, vacations promote social interaction and cohesion, which are vital for community wellbeing. Therefore, policymakers, employers, and individuals must take steps to ensure that vacations remain a part of American life.