Most companies allow paid time off (PTO) to their employees at an average of 10 days per year in the United States.
However, there are no laws requiring employers to offer any paid time off.
Employees are not required to take time off in America, and more than half of them leave their PTO unused, as you will find out in the following paid time off statistics.
We will also show the difference in how the United States handles PTO and how other countries handle it.
Without further ado, let’s discuss paid time off and how it looks in the United States and beyond.
Post Contents
- 1 Key Statistics
- 2 Basic Paid Time Off Statistics in 2024
- 2.1 1. 10 days is the average number of paid time off days offered annually by U.S. companies.
- 2.2 2. On average, 55% of paid time off is left unused
- 2.3 3. 52% of workers on salary forego PTO.
- 2.4 4. 49% of workers cited getting behind at work as why they take less PTO.
- 2.5 5. 19% of women said they are less comfortable than men about taking PTO.
- 2.6 6. Men take 33% more of their PTO than women.
- 2.7 7. 16% of U.S. workers aren’t offered PTO.
- 2.8 8. Government workers get more PTO than other industry workers.
- 2.9 9. Fear of losing their job for taking PTO is highest among the black working population.
- 2.10 10. In 2021, an average of 9.5 days of PTO were left unused by employees.
- 2.11 11. 89% of employees said having paid time off is very or even extremely important.
- 2.12 12. 84% of workers in a survey said they go to work even when their sick even though they have paid time off.
- 2.13 13. 24% of American employees said that a “staycation” accounted for most of their PTO.
- 3 PTO Statistics Around the Globe
- 3.1 14. In Europe, workers are offered at least 20 paid vacation days.
- 3.2 15. In France, workers are given 30 days of paid vacation annually.
- 3.3 16. Employers in the United Kingdom offer 28 days of PTO for vacations.
- 3.4 17. Austrian businesses give their workers 25 days of paid vacation each year.
- 3.5 18. Portugal employers give workers 22 days of paid vacation per year.
- 3.6 19. South Korea requires employers to give their workers 31 PTO vacation days.
- 3.7 20. Japan has a mandate of 26 days of paid vacation for workers.
- 4 FAQs
- 5 Conclusion
Key Statistics
- 10 days is the average number of paid time off days.
- On average, 55% of paid time off is left unused.
- 52% of workers on salary forego PTO.
- 49% of workers cited getting behind at work as why they take less PTO.
- 19% of women said they are less comfortable than men about taking PTO.
- Men take 33% more of their PTO than women.
- 16% of U.S. workers aren’t offered PTO.
- Government workers get more PTO than private industry workers.
- Fear of losing their job for taking PTO is highest among the black working population.
- In 2021, an average of 9.5 days of PTO were left unused by employees.
Basic Paid Time Off Statistics in 2024
1. 10 days is the average number of paid time off days offered annually by U.S. companies.
The average number of PTO days offered by employers in the United States is about 10 days per year.
This PTO includes vacation days, holidays, personal days, and sick days, respectively.
However, sick days are usually separate for that exclusive cause whether you are the one sick or are the caretaker of a loved one who is ill.
(Forbes)
2. On average, 55% of paid time off is left unused
PTO (paid time off) is offered by companies for a reason.
It’s an invaluable benefit that employees should be taking advantage of when they have it.
In 2019, only 28% of PTO was left unused compared to a 2022 survey that shows that figure is now 55% in unused PTO.
(Forbes², HRDive)
3. 52% of workers on salary forego PTO.
Speaking of leaving PTO unused, 52% of salaried employees are leaving PTO unused.
Another 51% of higher income executives claim to take less time off than is offered.
Only 39% of hourly paid workers leave their PTO unused.
In terms of managers, 54% of those surveyed said they take PTO less than they are given and 42% of non-managers said the same.
(Fast Company)
4. 49% of workers cited getting behind at work as why they take less PTO.
According to a 2022 survey, 49% of employees say the fear of falling behind at work is why they left PTO unused.
Another 52% cited that they just don’t need the time off and 43% said they feel badly about leaving their coworkers to do more work while they are taking their allotted PTO.
(Fast Company)
5. 19% of women said they are less comfortable than men about taking PTO.
In terms of gender differences regarding PTO, 19% of working women surveyed said they feel less comfortable than men about taking PTO.
However, women are 27% more comfortable taking sick days compared to men.
(PRNewswire)
6. Men take 33% more of their PTO than women.
Male workers get 10% for paid time off than women in the workplace.
Men also take 33% more of their PTO compared to women.
Also, 48% of women in a Rew Research survey said they don’t take all their PTO due to concerns about their coworkers having to take on the extra workload.
(Fast Company, PRNewswire)
7. 16% of U.S. workers aren’t offered PTO.
Sadly, 16% of American workers have no access to any kind of PTO at all.
That said, unlimited PTO is on the rise, but it still only accounts for 8% of all PTO policies.
Moreover, 41% of PTO policies are “use it or lose it” paid time off and 37% is “carry over” PTO.
Furthermore, there has been a 20% uptake in “cash out” PTO now at 14% (compared to 2019)
(Sorbet 2022 PTO Report)
8. Government workers get more PTO than other industry workers.
If you’re considering a career change, it might interest you to know that people who work at government agencies receive 18 days of PTO, which is the highest among any industry jobs.
For instance, in the financial realm, an average of 16.3 days of PTO is common.
In contrast, the construction industry offers an average of only 11 PTO days.
(Sorbet 2022 PTO Report)
9. Fear of losing their job for taking PTO is highest among the black working population.
In the Pew Research Center survey, 21% of black workers responded that they fear losing their job for taking PTO compared to 13% of the white workers.
Whether this is happening due to the company culture where they are working or not, this shouldn’t be something to worry about in our opinion, yet it obviously is.
(Pew Research Center)
10. In 2021, an average of 9.5 days of PTO were left unused by employees.
Across all sectors, worker statuses, and jobs, workers had 9.5 days of PTO left in 2021, according to 2022 statistics.
That figure represents the 55% of unused PTO among American workers.
(Fox Business)
11. 89% of employees said having paid time off is very or even extremely important.
More from the Pew Research Center survey revealed that 89% of employees said they believe having paid time off is very or extremely important.
This is surprising based on the figures related to 55% of PTO being unused among workers.
(Axios)
12. 84% of workers in a survey said they go to work even when their sick even though they have paid time off.
If PTO among workers hasn’t stumped you yet, this one might.
In terms of being ill, 84% of workers surveyed said that they will still go in when they are sick though they have PTO.
On a related note, 33% of employees say that their employer creates a company culture of going to work even when you’re sick.
(QuickBooks Time)
13. 24% of American employees said that a “staycation” accounted for most of their PTO.
Therefore, 24% of American workers chose to stay at home instead of taking vacation days away from home for their paid time off.
Moreover, over the past year, 71% of American workers claim to have taken a “staycation”.
This may mostly be due to the high price of going out of town.
(QuickBooks Time)
PTO Statistics Around the Globe
14. In Europe, workers are offered at least 20 paid vacation days.
Here is another example of how different the culture is in Europe when compared to the United States.
European companies are required to offer at least 20 days of paid vacations (EU countries).
In the United States, there is no requirements that force companies to offer paid time off, though many companies do at an average of only 10 days.
(CNBC)
15. In France, workers are given 30 days of paid vacation annually.
If you’ve ever wondered how Europeans are off work for weeks or even months at a time, it’s because of laws that enforce giving them a minimum of 20 days of vacation time.
This doesn’t include public holidays for which they get paid as well.
(CNBC)
16. Employers in the United Kingdom offer 28 days of PTO for vacations.
We want to show you the difference between some places around the world that offer more PTO than in the United States.
The United Kingdom is yet another of these regions.
Companies here offer 28 days of PTO for vacations.
(CNBC)
17. Austrian businesses give their workers 25 days of paid vacation each year.
Austria, also part of the European Union (EU) has companies that give workers 25 days of paid vacation annually.
Likewise, the same goes for Finland, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.
(CNBC)
18. Portugal employers give workers 22 days of paid vacation per year.
Portugal is another EU country that provides 22 days of paid vacation to their workers each year.
The contrast between these EU countries and the United States is double the vacation days in most instances.
(CNBC)
19. South Korea requires employers to give their workers 31 PTO vacation days.
Just like in Europe, South Korea in Asia has laws that dictate the requirement of 31 days of paid vacation days.
Remember, this doesn’t include their public holidays which are also paid time off for workers in South Korea.
(Via Work)
20. Japan has a mandate of 26 days of paid vacation for workers.
Once again, another country has made it a requirement for employers to get at least 26 days of paid vacation time.
This time it’s in Japan.
These European and Asian countries are a stark contrast from the United States where there are no requirements for PTO.
(Via Work)
FAQs
Do I have to take PTO?
Paid time off isn’t a mandatory deal in America.
However, their FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) says PTO isn’t something employers are required to provide even though several do so.
It’s completely at each company’s discretion to offer or not offer PTO and at the employee’s discretion whether or not to take it.
How much PTO can I get?
How many days of PTO you can get is solely dependent upon your employer.
You may find that some offer a specific number of days while others base PTO on your tenure with a company.
What are the types of PTO?
Paid time off involves several types, including:
1. Family Leave: This includes maternity and paternity leave to care for a new baby, leave after adopting a child for getting settled and taking care of them, and it is also for those who need to care for a sick, elderly, or otherwise indisposed loved one.
2. Jury Duty: Some companies pay you for the time you spend on a jury.
3. Military Leave: If you’re involved in the military, you can still get paid at your job if you’re called to serve.
4. Personal Days: Some employers offer a set number of personal days that you can take for whatever personal reasons you may have for PTO.
5. Sick Days: These days are specific to if you are sick, your child is sick, or if you are the caretaker of a loved one who is sick.
6. Vacation Days: This is a time for people to enjoy some downtime with their families, alone, or at home. Leisure activities are at the heart of these PTO days.
How do I get PTO?
This requires knowing the process for requesting PTO from your employer.
This information should be easily found in your employee manual, on a poster in the breakroom, or you can ask your supervisor.
It usually involves filling out forms and submitting them in writing. Some employers allow you to ask for it verbally.
What if I don’t use all my PTO?
As we have covered in the statistics, employers either have a “use it or lose it’ policy in place, while some allow a carryover into the next year.
There are other PTO policies, which makes it vital that you know and understand how it works where you work.
What if I need to take unpaid time off?
Again, this depends on your employer.
Some allow you to take unpaid time off as needed, while others don’t.
Remember that taking unpaid time off means that you will not get paid for the days you are not working.
Conclusion
Whether you’re currently working, looking for work, or thinking about changing careers, these statistics are important for you to know.
This data can help you find a company culture with the right paid time off policy that suits you.
Whatever you do, if you have paid time off coming to you, be sure to use it to avoid getting burned out in your job and to engage in some self-care for your mental and physical health.
If you’re an employer or company, you now have some statistics about how PTO impacts employees and what they think about it.
You should be encouraging workers to take their paid time off, so you retain them and avoid worker burnout.
We’ve seen how other countries of the world have mandated employers to give employees paid time off for vacations in addition to their public holidays.
What a dramatic difference between this and what happens in the United States where workers get an average of 10 PTO days compared to other countries that are required to give 20 to over 30 days of paid time off.
Do you think paid time off in the United States should be required?
If so, how many days do you think would be suitable?
We hope you have learned what you need to from these paid time off statistics today.
