BELLEVUE, Wash., April 15 /PRNewswire/ — Expedia.com® today announced the results of its ninth annual Vacation Deprivation® survey, revealing that 49.4MM(1) Americans(2) (approximately 34 percent of employed U.S. adults), citing work-related pressure as a contributing factor, will not use all of their earned vacation days in 2009. Again this year, Americans will give back an average of three vacation days each. Even though a vast majority (89 percent) of employed U.S. adults believes they are entitled to all earned vacation days, the number of workers who will not use all of those earned days increased from 31 percent in 2008 to 34 percent in 2009. Additionally, the 2009 Expedia® Vacation Deprivation survey revealed that Americans continue to receive fewer vacation days than their international counterparts.
“The stress associated with the current economy makes the need for time away from work even more important than ever, and it’s unfortunate that one-third of Americans won’t use all of their vacation days this year,” said Tim MacDonald, general manager of Expedia.com. “What many people may not realize is that their travel dollars buy so much more than they did just a year ago. Even if you can only get away for a few days, there are amazing vacation values and opportunities this year.”
Workplace Pressure Increasing in Current Economy
Although Americans see value in taking vacation time, fewer this year said that they feel better about their job and more productive upon returning from vacation than last year (34 percent in 2009 vs. 39 percent in 2008). Additionally, nearly one-third of Americans (30 percent) admitted they have trouble coping with stress from work during the vacation cycle. As work responsibilities continue to deter workers from taking time off, fewer Americans felt that their employer encourages them to use all earned vacation days (61 percent in 2009 vs. 67 percent in 2008). Workers are also taking fewer extended vacations, with the number of adults who plan to take a two-week vacation declining from 14 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2009. Another potential sign of the times, eight percent of adults included the possibility of missing an important meeting or an important decision at work as a potential reason for not using all vacation days, up from just five percent who cited that reason last year.
Additional Findings Regarding U.S. Vacation Habits
- On average, Americans reported receiving 13 vacation days in 2009, one day less than the previous three years.
- Women are more likely than men to feel guilty about taking time off from work (40 percent of women vs. 29 percent of men).
- Approximately 39 percent of working Americans plan on using the majority of their vacation time in 2009 by taking at least one full week of vacation and spreading out remaining days.
- More than half (58 percent) of Americans plan to travel by car in 2009 while 30 percent plan to travel by plane.
- Although some Americans sacrifice vacation time for work, 87 percent reported that certain activities help them feel as though they are truly away from work. Top activities mentioned include: traveling to another state/country (59 percent); enjoying good food and/or drinks prepared and served by someone else (50 percent); trying new activities and foods (44 percent); and participating in outdoor activities (43 percent).
Vacation Insights From Around the World
In addition to looking at the U.S., the 2009 Expedia Vacation Deprivation survey polled the vacation habits of employed workers in Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Australia, Japan, and for the first time, New Zealand. This year, workers in Canada, France and Australia will receive between one and two more vacation days than in 2008, while all other countries will either receive fewer vacation days or see no change in earned time off. Employed adults in France will receive and take the most vacation days of all countries surveyed, with workers receiving 38 days and leaving only two days unused. Even though working Americans receive the smallest number of vacation days, workers in Japan leave are the least vacation-minded, as 92 percent of workers said they would not use all vacation days and will leave an average of seven days on the table.
