Americans Leave Vacation Days on the Table

A lthough American workers dont get nearly as much time off as their European counterparts, many still dont take what little theyre entitled to. A survey by Expedia.com found 31% of U.S. workers dont take all of their allotted vacation and give back an average of three days each yeara total of 421 vacation days valued at some $54 billion.

Expedia says the average American has 12 vacation days a year, compared with French workers, who get an average of 39 days, or Germans, who average 27 days. In contrast to U.S. workers, 56% of Germans surveyed said they plan to take all of the vacation days allotted to them.

Even our neighbors in Canada get an average 20 vacation days annually. While more than half use all of their days, Canadian workers also return an average of three days each year.

What vacation time Americans do get they spend with their families, with 31% traveling with their immediate families and 27% visiting out-of-town relatives.