Key Takeaways
- American workers log an average of 1,796 hours annually—465 more hours than Germans and 389 more than Norwegians.
- The U.S. is the only advanced economy with zero mandated paid vacation—and 23% of American workers get none at all.
- More hours do not necessarily mean more output, as several European nations with significantly more time off outperform the U.S. in productivity per hour worked.
Add it up, and the typical American spends more time working each year than most employees in the developed world. Americans average 8.4 hours of work each weekday, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—about 1,796 hours annually, more than workers in Germany (1,331 hours), Norway (1,407 hours), or the OECD average (1,736 hours).
A major driver of those longer hours is the lack of time off. The U.S. remains the only advanced economy with no federally mandated paid vacation days. It’s a difference that goes deeper than scheduling. In many parts of the world, time off is considered essential to productivity and overall well-being. In the U.S., it’s often seen as optional, even an indulgence to feel guilty about.
Work Hard, Rest Less: America’s PTO Gap
The U.S. stands alone among advanced economies with zero federally mandated days of paid leave. Nearly a quarter of American workers (23%) get no vacation days at all. Worse, even though 10 federal holidays exist on paper, one in five Americans doesn’t get paid for taking them.
Compare that to peer nations: Austria guarantees 38 days off (25 paid leave plus 13 holidays), France gets 36 days, Spain gets 36, and Germany ensures at least 30 days. Even the U.K., known for its work culture, mandates 28 days.
Paid sick leave shows a similar divide. While over 145 countries guarantee it, only South Korea and the U.S., among the 38 OECD nations, don’t. Some states have filled the gap—14 now require paid sick days—but most workers still receive very few days. Those who’ve been on the job 10 years or less get just seven sick days per year on average, according to the BLS.
Compare that to other nations: Canada offers 10 paid sick days plus up to 15 weeks at partial pay, Germany provides six weeks at full pay, and the U.K. covers up to 28 weeks off for an illness. Globally, the takeaway is clear: most developed countries provide paid time off as part of the job, not as a perk.
Fast Fact
Is there a payoff in productivity? It doesn’t seem like it: U.S. productivity sits at $97 per hour, behind Ireland ($151), Norway ($132), and Switzerland ($99), all of which have 29 or more mandated days off for workers.
The Peculiarly American Phenomenon of ‘Vacation Guilt’
The difference isn’t just about paid time off—it’s about a cultural mindset. According to recent surveys, about half of Americans with paid time off don’t use it all, often citing being too busy, too overwhelmed, or too worried about falling behind at work. Then there’s the sentiment common enough for researchers to give it a name: “vacation guilt”—yes, that’s the feeling of regret for taking time off—which surveys suggest affects about one in five American employees.
Americans aren’t just working more—they’re working later into their lives. The average retirement age in the U.S. climbed from 57 in 1991 to about 65 for men and 63 for women, respectively, in 2024. Meanwhile, about two-thirds of non-retirees fear they’ll never be able to retire comfortably.
The Bottom Line
Americans are working harder, longer, and later in life than much of the developed world—yet not necessarily reaping more benefits from it. U.S. workers put in hundreds more hours each year than their European peers, but generate less output per hour than in countries where vacations are routine. With no federally mandated paid leave, for many, rest remains a privilege, not a policy.
