Introduction
Most employees believe it is important to have paid time off. Nevertheless, most of them do not make use of their usable time off available in a one-year period.
Then, why are workers reluctant to utilize PTO? Are companies encouraging their employees to take the time off?
Answers to these and numerous other questions can be found here:
- What is the average PTO in the USA?
- What is the average number of vacation days taken by American employees?
- How do PTO access and usage in the US compare to other nations?
PTO statistics: The ten most crucial figures
One frequent benefit that helps millions of workers worldwide to feel appreciated and valued is paid time off (PTO), which allows you to utilize time off without losing pay.
Let’s examine the top ten PTO data to determine if the figures accurately represent that:
- Respondents agreed that paid vacation time is essential since sixty-two percent of them highlighted its importance.
- In 2023, paid vacation time was available to eighty-two percent of full-time workers.
- 46% of employees don’t utilize all of their paid time off during the whole year.
- The majority of workers—68%—work while on holiday.
- 52% of American workers stress about their jobs while on vacation.
- For unused paid time off, 23% of US employees do not receive reimbursement.
- Eleven days are typically taken off by civilian & private sector workers after a year of employment.
- In the business, finance, and management sectors, the average PTO in the USA is available to 97% of workers.
- Forty-two percent of workers will not apply for a position without paid leave.
- PTO is offered for a minimum of 20 days in the majority of European nations.
What is the average PTO in the USA?
Federal law does not mandate companies to supply paid time off to their staff members. Because of this, PTO is a contract issue.
However, in addition to the information included in agreements, the average PTO in the USA is determined by a number of factors, the most significant of which are:
- The nature of the service (private sector, local or state government job, or civilian), and
- Years of employment.
Furthermore, employees’ annual vacation time is significantly influenced by the sort of PTO plan they have (combined or independent leave policies).
A single policy encompasses all forms of leave under a consolidated leave plan. However, some firms have distinct leave policies for various leave categories, including:
- Sick leave,
- Vacation leave,
- Personal time off, and
- Family & medical leave.
Based on the kind of service & PTO plan that employees have, this is the average PTO in the USA.
Consolidated leave programs’ average paid time off in the United States
The average PTO in the USA that private and civilian sector workers with integrated leave plans get annually, according to official data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, is:
- 14 days following a year of work,
- Eighteen days following five years of service,
- 20 days following a decade of work, and
- 23 days following a twenty-year service period.
Additionally, for government employees with combined leave plans, the average PTO in the USA is:
- Eighteen days after a year,
- Twenty-one days after five years,
- Twenty-four days after ten years, and
- After twenty years, 27 days
Average paid time off for sickness for individual leave plans in the United States
Numbers from the US Bureau of Labor show that irrespective of years of service, the average regular employee with an independent sick leave plan receives eight paid days of sick leave per year.
All private sector employees, regardless of length of service, are entitled to seven paid sick days annually.
However, the number of paid days off for sickness that government employees typically receive is heavily influenced by their years of service. The average PTO in the USA for government workers is:
- 11 annual sick days following a year of employment, and
- 12 sick days annually following five years of employment.
The average length of vacation for individual leave plans in the United States
Years of work and service category also affect the average amount of vacation days annually (as a distinct leave plan).
According to a US Bureau of Labor Statistics assessment of vacation days in the United States, workers in the private sector normally receive:
- 11 days annually following one year of service,
- 15 days annually following five years of service,
- 18 days annually following eighteen years of work, and
- 20 days annually following twenty years of service.
The number of vacation days you receive as a governmental employee is also determined by your years of service. Employees of the state and local government typically take the following amount of vacation days annually:
- 13 days annually following one year of service,
- 16 days annually following five years,
- 19 days annually following ten years, and
- 22 days annually following twenty years.
To what extent do Americans have paid time off? Access statistics for paid leave
According to the most recent data from the US Bureau of Labor, 79% of workers in private businesses had access to paid time off in 2023. In addition, 77% of civilian employees received paid time off in the same year.
For government employees, the figure is far lower, since only 60% of them have access to paid vacation time.
An important benefit provided by the government is paid sick leave, which was available to 92% of government workers.
In addition, 78% of private sector workers and eighty percent of civilian staff have access to paid sick leave in 2023.
In further detail, let’s examine paid leave accessibility statistics for various worker types.
PTO benefits are greater for workers in larger organizations
PTO benefits are more likely to be available to workers at larger employers, according to data gathered by the BLS’s Employee Benefits Survey (2023).
According to the size of the company they work for, the percentage of employees who have the option of PTO benefits is displayed in this table:
Size of the company |
Vacation leave |
Leave due to illness |
Holiday leave |
1 to 49 workers |
68 percent |
77 percent |
72 percent |
50 to 99 workers |
64 percent |
80 percent |
68 percent |
100 to 499 workers |
77 percent |
87 percent |
80 percent |
500+ workers |
79 percent |
91 percent |
82 percent |
The likelihood of full-time employees having the option of PTO benefits is higher
PTO benefits are more likely to be granted to full-time employees than to part-time employees, according to the same Benefits survey.
The following represents the proportion of employees who have access to sick, vacation, and holiday leave, based on their type of employment (personal leave is not included in the survey):
Type of employment |
Vacation leave |
Leave due to illness |
Holiday leave |
Full-time |
82 percent |
92 percent |
84 percent |
Part-time |
34 percent |
50 percent |
44 percent |
The likelihood of union employees receiving paid time off is higher
The same Worker Benefits survey indicates that PTO benefits are more likely to be granted to unionized staff.
Check out the table that displays the proportion of union & non-union employees who have access to sick, vacation, and holiday leave:
Status of bargaining |
Vacation leave |
Leave due to illness |
Holiday leave |
Union |
75 percent |
92 percent |
81 percent |
Non-union |
72 percent |
81 percent |
74 percent |
Benefits are greater for workers with higher incomes
The disparity between higher and lower-paid employees in the private and civilian sectors was also highlighted by the aforementioned Employee Benefits survey. Benefits like paid vacation, paid holidays, and paid sick leave are more likely to be granted to the highest-paid employees in these industries.
Conversely, government workers, irrespective of their income, are entitled to comparable perks.
The poll separated workers’ pay into four groups according to the average salary for various professions:
- The 25% with the lowest income,
- The second twenty-five percent,
- The third twenty-five percent, and
- 25% with the highest earnings.
PTO is most common among workers in the Western United States
The same study from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics demonstrates regional variations in employees’ availability of paid leave. Examine the following percentages of workers in 2023 who were eligible for paid vacation, paid holidays, and paid sick leave:
- 81% in the Western US,
- 76% in the Northeast,
- 76% in the South, and
- 75% in the Midwestern US.
PTO utilization statistics for employees in the United States
Ever wonder how much workers enjoy getting paid time off? What about the real usage of paid time off in the US?
Find out more about the average amount of paid time off (PTO) used in the US and how stress at work impacts vacation time in the US.
1. 62% of respondents believe that paid time off is crucial.
According to a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, 62% of American workers think paid time off is “very important” for:
- Routine medical visits,
- Vacations, and
- Minor ailments.
Of them, 27% think that paid time off during certain situations is “extremely important.”
2. 46% of employees do not utilize all of their vacation time.
According to the same Pew Research survey, 46% of US workers do not take advantage of all of their vacation time.
48% of individuals, however, make use of every day off that they are able to. The remaining six percent of respondents’ preferences are not mentioned in the poll.
Higher-paid and more educated workers are also likely to take fewer vacation days than provided, according to the survey’s findings.
3. A high workload prevents 43% of employees from using their paid time off.
According to the International Foundation’s 2024 poll, the intense workload is one of the main reasons why workers don’t take advantage of their paid time off.
Other reasons why employees choose not to utilize paid time off include:
Due to inadequate staffing, 23.8% of employees do not use their paid time off (PTO); 13.1% find it hard to take time off because they must coordinate their PTO with other workers; and 6.9% would rather receive cash payment for underutilized PTO.
4. Over 8% of workers say they don’t feel encouraged to utilize time off.
Employees may be deterred from taking their paid vacation time by the actions of their employers. According to the aforementioned International Foundation survey, some employees don’t feel encouraged to take paid time off.
Employees expressed the following concerns about the lack of assistance:
3.8% of respondents say their manager doesn’t encourage them to take paid time off (PTO), 3.1% attribute wasted PTO to corporate culture and stigma, and 1.3% say the company’s leadership opposes PTO use.
5. Employers in 56% of cases cap underutilized time off.
Different strategies were developed by businesses to promote vacation time. Over half (56%) of companies limit the quantity of time off that employees can bank, per WorldatWork 2024 data.
Additionally, 26% of the staff members polled follow the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule. According to this regulation, any unused vacation time is not carried over to the next pay period or year. The accrued PTO instead expires.
Additionally, 5% of companies implemented a minimum amount of annual vacation days for employees.
6. On average, the most contented employees take 15 days of paid time off.
The most contented employees took fifteen days of paid time off in 2023, per a new CalendarLabs survey.
According to this poll, remote workers typically take 14 paid time off (PTO) days a year. However, those who work on-site typically require 15 days off.
7. When a job does not offer paid leave, 42% of job searchers will not apply.
AbsenceSoft examined the benefits of paid leave programs for workers in their 2024 Leave & Workplace Accommodations Outlook report.
According to the report, the absence of paid leave might deter job searchers from even submitting an application. Therefore, providing paid vacation is a wise strategy to draw in top personnel.
8. 51% of businesses modified their paid time off plans to include paid mental wellness days.
Businesses are starting to realize how important it is to include various forms of paid time off in their policies.
Many firms have included paid mental wellness days in their paid time off plans, according to the same AbsenceSoft research from 2024. Other PTO policies were also implemented by organizations:
- 54% of parents now have paid leave for their kids,
- 49% included paid time off for grieving, and
- 37% expanded their PTO policy to include compensated caregiver leave.
Employees are currently 42% more inclined to take their sick days than they were in previous years, according to Gusto. The amount of time off for illness utilized in 2023 is forty-two percent more than in 2019, per their 2023 findings.
Additionally, there was a 15% increase in the number of sick days that employees took. It currently amounts to 15.5 hours annually on average.
9. 20% of supervisors urge employees who are ill to report to work.
A ResumeBuilder poll conducted in 2024 investigated managers’ opinions regarding sick leave.
It revealed a startling number of supervisors discourage employees from taking time off while ill. Additionally, according to twenty-seven percent of them, the practice of reporting unwell to work boosts worker productivity.
Furthermore, according to 24% of supervisors, employees who take sick days misrepresent or exaggerate their ailments. Up to 11% of respondents to the poll even acknowledged “sick mocking” their staff.
10. In order to cope with work-related stress, 77 percent of Americans intend to take a holiday in 2024.
A Radical Storage study from 2024 indicates that more than three-quarters of US workers will take time off in 2024 to deal with work-related stress.
Many of these, regrettably, will not be effective in reducing stress. According to the same poll, 59% of employees report that their duties become more difficult when they take holidays.
11. Fifty-two percent of Americans are concerned about their jobs while on vacation.
American vacations aren’t as fun as they ought to be. According to the same Radical Storage study, most workers are thinking about their jobs when they are on vacation.
This is how frequently workers worry about their jobs while on vacation:
- Always — 15 percent,
- The majority of that time — 37 percent,
- Occasionally— 39 percent, and
- Never— 9 percent.
12. 68% of workers take time off from work.
According to a recent poll by ELVTR, 68% of workers in the US and Canada complete work-related tasks when on vacation.
This is supposedly not a problem for 27% of poll participants because they enjoy their professions and are okay with working when on vacation.
However, 37% of poll respondents believe they must work as they’ve got no one to assign their tasks to.
13. Thirty-five percent of employees believe they must work during their vacation.
According to the same ELVTR survey, 35% of respondents believe they are expected to work while on vacation. Additionally, according to 18% of employees, their supervisor demands that they periodically check their mailboxes during their vacation.
Additionally, a lot of workers get calls and texts about work while on vacation.
Among employees, 28% report getting work-related emails, twenty-five percent report getting text messages, six-percent report getting phone calls, and two-percent report receiving communications on social media about their work.
14. 76 percent of companies permit PTO rollover.
Additionally, the WorldatWork study investigated the fate of unused paid time off.
These are typical methods used by corporations to deal with excess vacation time:
Half of employers permit employees to cash out their unused paid time off (PTO), 33% permit employees to give their unused leave to other employees, and 76% permit PTO to roll through to the following year.
15. For unused vacation time, 23.5% of employees do not receive compensation.
According to the WorldatWork survey we previously discussed, 23.5% of employees receive payment for unclaimed paid time off when they are fired.
On the plus side, 76.5% of employees receive payment for PTO that they did not use. The percentages for voluntary dismissal (82%) are greater than those for involuntary removal (71%).
83% of fired workers receive compensation for wasted vacation time in employers that offer distinct vacation days.
In contrast, only 6% of employees receive reimbursement for sick days that they did not utilize.
What kind of PTO policy do workers want?
A 2024 International Foundation survey found that most businesses (54.2%) provide distinct sick, personal, and vacation leave.
PTO bank, or combined leave plans, is the second most popular option (38.2%), followed by unlimited PTO (7.6%).
However, what sort of policies do workers desire?
Employees were asked what their preferred PTO policy was in a recent Joblist study. Let’s examine the responses from the participants.
1. Employee preference for PTO rollover is 29.4%.
The possibility of transferring unused paid time off to utilize it the following year is the top desire of employees, according to the aforementioned Joblist survey.
2. Of employees, 26.8% want limitless paid time off.
With 26.8 percent of Joblist survey participants selecting unlimited paid time off, this is the second favorite option among employees.
Employees are able to take as many days off as they require thanks to unlimited PTO. So long as the absence doesn’t impair their work performance or that of their coworkers, they are entitled to an unlimited amount of paid time off.
3. 26.5% of workers desire more than two weeks of vacation time per year.
Of those who responded to the Joblist study, over a third (26.5%) would prefer to have a predetermined amount of days per year that they can utilize.
They would, however, prefer more vacation days than the typical two weeks of paid time off that many employers provide.
4. 17.3% of workers would rather have exactly two weeks of paid time off.
According to the Joblist study, having just two weeks of paid time off is the least preferred option.
Knowing our PTO statistics, which indicate that most employees take less than two weeks off on a typical basis, this is an intriguing result.
What is the global average for paid time off? Global PTO data
These nations give their workers the most number of paid leave days (which includes paid holidays) annually, per a paid leave study by Resume.io:
53 days for Iran, 46 days for San Marino, 45 days for Yemen, 44 days for Andorra, 44 days for Bhutan, 44 days for Bahrain, 43 days for Togo, 43 days for Niger, 43 days for Madagascar, and 42 days for Monaco.
1. The majority of nations in Europe provide twenty days of paid vacation.
European nations have mandated that employees have access to a minimum of twenty paid days of vacation annually.
However, not all nations have the same amount of paid vacation days. The following European nations offer the greatest number of vacation days:
30 days in France and Andorra, 28 days in the UK & Moldova, 26 days in San Marino & Luxemburg, and 25 days in Denmark, Sweden, & Austria.
2. Typically, Canadian employees receive two weeks of paid vacation time.
Each Canadian province has a different amount of paid days available.
In most circumstances, however, after one year of employment, Canadian workers are entitled to at least two weeks of paid vacation. Usually, employees are eligible for an additional week of compensated vacation after five years.
Employees in the province of Saskatchewan are entitled to three weeks of leave following their first year of work.
3. Australians get four weeks off every year.
In Australia, full-time as well as part-time workers are eligible for yearly leave, generally known as holiday pay.
For each year they are employed, Australian employees are entitled to four weeks of paid time off.
4. Some Asian nations have as few as five days of minimum leave.
According to Linklaters’ Handbook to Employment Law, Chinese workers are entitled to five to fifteen days off, contingent on their length of employment and length of time working in the nation.
Ten days of paid vacation are also available to Japanese workers who have worked for at least six months and 80% of the working days in a year.
Furthermore, workers in India are entitled to 15–21 days of leave annually.
Establish PTO guidelines and monitor staff vacation time
According to PTO data, many Americans consider paid time off (PTO) to be one of the most important advantages of their jobs.
Employee satisfaction and a healthy work-life balance depend on taking paid time off. Therefore, it’s critical to develop PTO regulations that motivate employees to use time off.
However, many businesses find it difficult to collect and report PTO program data.
Fortunately, using a PTO and Vacation Tracker apps may greatly streamline this procedure. Employers can quickly establish a time-off policy for their business, and they can decide if it applies to all workers or just certain departments.