Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Why no paid leave?

Americans are overworked. In terms of average annual hours worked per person, the US currently ranks 12th out of 34 OECD countries – that is, Americans work more per year than workers in 22 other OECD countries.

The average Dutch worker clocks in 405 fewer hours per year than the average American worker! Yet, the Netherlands ranks ninth out of the 34 countries in GDP per capita, 15% above the OECD average and just five places behind the US.

The starkest difference is with Norway. GDP per capita in the US is $52k and its average annual hours worked per worker are 1,787. In Norway, the same stats, respectively, are $66k and 1,421. In other words, Norway makes 30% more GDP per person, and yet its workers average 366 hours per year less per year – nine 40-hour work weeks less – than Americans!

The Center for Economic Policy and Research have recently shown, “The United States is the only advanced economy in the world that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation.” In contrast, workers in European countries enjoy a minimum of 20 paid vacation days per year, with some countries legally requiring up to 30 paid vacation days per year. And some counties even have legally mandated paid holidays on top of their paid vacation days.

Combining legally paid vacation days and paid holidays, Austrians enjoy 38 paid days off from work each year. And lest anyone think their economy has suffered as a result, Austria’s 2012 GDP per capita was fully 19% larger than the OECD average.

The exceptionalism of the US is explained by a comparatively weak (and narrowly focused) union movement and the hegemony of free market ideology. Considering the comparative data on working time and vacation leave, the effects of business unionism – not to mention anti-unionism – and free market ideology for the working class as a whole couldn’t be more obvious.

From here

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