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U.S. leave law and usage provide context for the holiday claim

Reporting and findings

  1. documented

    The separate BLS National Compensation Survey found that 80% of private-industry workers had access to paid vacation in March 2025. That employer-benefit measure is not interchangeable with the time-use survey's self-reported main-job access or weekly use measures.

  2. documented

    The Department of Labor says the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require pay for vacations, sick leave or federal and other holidays. OECD's 2020 policy comparison likewise recorded no permanent federal statutory paid annual leave requirement in the United States, while many OECD members set 20 statutory days. This is a policy comparison, not a ranking of workers or governments.

  3. documented

    BLS reported that 71% of U.S. wage and salary workers had access to paid leave at their main job in 2024–2025. During an average week, 21% took paid or unpaid leave and 8% took leave mainly for vacation; among those who needed leave in an average month but did not take it, 29% cited too much work, 14% feared negative consequences or were denied, and 13% could not afford the income loss.

Summary and current status

The comparison keeps statutory policy, employer benefit access and workers' reported leave use as separate measures.

Latest cited U.S. usage data cover 2024–2025

People and organizations

Figures

  1. Federal statutory minimum paid annual vacation0 days days per year
    Calculation details
    Basis
    Observed
    Population
    U.S. workers under general federal labor law
    Period
    2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31
    Method
    OECD 2020 policy questionnaire cross-checked against the Department of Labor's FLSA guidance.
    Uncertainty
    State rules, contracts, collective bargaining and employer policies may provide paid leave; the measure is the general federal statutory minimum.
  2. Private-industry workers with access to paid vacation80%
    Calculation details
    Basis
    Observed
    Population
    U.S. private-industry workers
    Period
    2025-03-01 to 2025-03-31
    Method
    BLS National Compensation Survey employer-benefit access estimate.
    Uncertainty
    This employer survey uses different definitions and coverage from the American Time Use Survey and should not be combined into a single usage rank.
  3. Workers reporting access to paid leave71%
    Calculation details
    Basis
    Observed
    Population
    U.S. wage and salary workers at their sole or main job
    Period
    2024-01-01 to 2025-12-31
    Method
    BLS American Time Use Survey Leave and Job Flexibilities Module; about 6,600 respondents, excluding self-employed workers.
    Uncertainty
    No interviews were collected October 1–November 12, 2025 during the federal shutdown; 2025 estimates are 11-month averages.
  4. Workers taking leave mainly for vacation in an average week8%
    Calculation details
    Basis
    Observed
    Population
    U.S. wage and salary workers
    Period
    2024-01-01 to 2025-12-31
    Method
    BLS American Time Use Survey Leave and Job Flexibilities Module, table 6.
    Uncertainty
    Average-week use is not an annual number of vacation days and is not directly comparable with statutory entitlements in the OECD questionnaire.