Stats: One-Third of Americans Haven't Taken a Vacation in Two Years

Over a third (36 percent) of Americans took their last vacation more than two years ago, and over half (51 percent) have not vacationed in more than a year, according to the 11th annual Vacation Confidence Index released by Allianz Global Assistance. Allianz defined a vacation as a leisure trip of at least a week to a destination that is 100 miles or more from home. 

When asked if they were confident they would take a summer vacation this year, only 42 percent responded positively, the lowest confidence rating since 2013, Allianz said. Despite the prevailing thought that work prevents many Americans from using all their vacation time, financial concerns far outweighed professional obligations for those who were not confident, according to the report.

Nearly half (44 percent) said they do not have the money to spend on a vacation, while 19 percent do not want to spend the money on a vacation. This compares to the 14 percent who said they are not confident they will take a summer vacation because they cannot take time off work. Those aged 18 – 34 (25 percent) and men (20 percent) are most likely to say they cannot take the time off work.

Interestingly, 12 percent of Americans not confident they will take a summer vacation report that they do not want to take the time off work. Other reasons include: they are unable or uninterested in taking the time away due to a personal obligation outside of work (20 percent), or they find planning a vacation too stressful and time-consuming (10 percent).

For the first time in the survey’s history, the Vacation Confidence Index also explored the relationship between a boss and employee’s vacation habits. On average, working Americans take less than half (41 percent) of their entitled vacation days, two in ten do not take any, while over one-third take less than a quarter of their allotted time off. A sizable 52 percent of Americans say they take about the same proportion of vacation time as their bosses do, which suggests supervisors may be leading by example. Employees report that their bosses take 51 percent of their entitled vacation time.

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