Average Annual Vacation Days, USA v. World

It’s an interesting set of numbers and it says a lot about national values in the US. However, maybe our values need a second look:

The following is an excerpt from the blog of Tim Ferris: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/the-truth/#_usa_world

Average Annual Vacation Days

Is it any wonder that US Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks just about everything but worker satisfaction?

Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers [22].

The Japanese document approximately 10,000 cases per year of “death by overwork,” or karoosh [23]. Considering the above stats, what must the undocumented US numbers be??

The US is the only nation in the industrialized world with no minimum paid-leave laws. European law provides each worker with 4-5 weeks per year of paid-leave.

Nonetheless, Europe has had a higher productivity rate than the U.S. for 14 out of the 19 years between 1981 and 2000 [24]. More just isn’t better.

Thanks Tim! Keep up the good work!