Europeans say their choice to take more leisure rather than income is part of a social model that is fairer, healthier and happier than America’s. They think America is the anomaly: the only country in the rich world without statutory paid holidays. Three-quarters of American workers get paid leave of, on average, just 21 days a year including public holidays, compared with anything between 20 and 40 or more days in Europe. But it is harder to defend the notion of enlightened leisure when taxes are being raised, salaries cut and civil servants sacked. Why should vacations be immune from austerity? Workers might rather lose holidays than their income or their jobs.
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