Thread: Americans too broke to take their fake week vacations

Things are going well. We had the statistic of 7/10 Americans not have $1,000 in the bank, so this also means they're too broke to take their fake 1 or 2 week vacations.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Summer vacation? Lots of Americans say they can't afford it
Forty-three percent of Americans won't be taking a summer vacation with the top reason for skipping a trip being the cost, according to a poll by the Associated Press.
Forty-one percent of Americans said they don't get any paid time-off from their employers to use for vacation.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,022 adults was conducted May 10-14.
Thursday, 15 Jun 2017
The Associated Press

Forget frequent flier miles, last-minute getaways and even road trips. Nearly half of Americans say they won't be taking a vacation this summer, mostly because they can't afford it, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The new AP-NORC survey, conducted in May, said 43 percent of Americans won't be taking a summer vacation. The top reason for skipping a trip was the cost, cited by 49 percent of non-vacationers. Another 11 percent said they can't take the time off from work, while 3 percent said they don't like to be away from work.

About half of Americans living in households making less than $50,000 a year don't plan to take any summer vacation this year, and they're especially likely to cite costs as a reason.

And if your employer gives you paid vacation days, consider yourself lucky: Forty-one percent of those surveyed who work full or part time said they do not get any paid time off from their employers to use for vacation. Younger and lower-income workers are especially likely not to get any paid time off.

Danny Aguilar of Lakewood, Colorado, says the cost is what stops him from planning a vacation. He works in information technology, but because he's self-employed, "the income is very unknown. You don't know what's going to happen. You never really know what's coming. You can't really budget."

Other findings from the poll:

-Most Americans use at least some of their paid time off if they have the option, but many still leave paid vacation days on the table. Fourteen percent of workers who get paid vacation time from their jobs did not use any of the days they had coming to them. Just half of those with paid vacation time used up all or most of the days they were entitled to in the past year.

-Not everybody wants to go away in the summer. Fifteen percent of those who are passing on a summer getaway say it's because they already took a vacation this year or because they'll travel some other time of year.

-Americans seem to value time over luxury when it comes to their vacations. Nearly two-thirds say they'd prefer to take a longer but less luxurious vacation over one that's shorter but more luxurious.

Linda Dube and her sister are among those citing cost as a reason for staying home this summer. The sisters, who are retired, live in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and usually vacation for a few days at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. "We decided this year, instead of doing that, we'd save a little money and take a one-week staycation," she said. They plan a day at a local mall, eating out at a "wonderful little diner in the next town" and perhaps a trip to a nearby art museum. Dube's sister is in a wheelchair, she added, so any destination must accommodate wheelchairs.

David Kisler of Costa Mesa, California, says he can't afford a vacation either. "I'm working three jobs to make ends meet," said Kisler, who lost his job marketing network security in 2009. His wife works, too, but he said they've been dipping into savings to tackle projects around the house.

Kisler and his wife did recently drive to Mission Beach in the San Diego area to spend time with family who'd driven in from Arizona, but three days with relatives in a shared rental house is "not exactly a vacation," he said.

More than 4 in 10 Americans say they don't consider visiting family to be a true vacation, though about three-quarters do consider a long weekend away a vacation.

For Kisler, the weekend in a shared house with family certainly can't compare with the week he and his wife spent a few years ago in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in a hotel near the beach. "That was a real vacation," he lamented.

43% of Americans won't be taking a vacation this summer

Much of the west is like that, thanks to globalisation amplifying the impact of unprecedented mass immigration.

Thank you for the fine article about America, but it's disorientated Me, there's no mention of Trump.

I'll fake this week. Thank you very much.

Up a buck 90. Fireman be proud?

No spek egrish weary well

Sowwy anti, spam I am.

That's a pretty shit deal you Seppos get. 28 paid days holiday in the UK is the norm which normally consists of 4 weeks + the 8 bank holidays. A week being classed as 5 days before some numpty jumps in. And America richest country in the world, seems like treat your employees like shit.

I think it's a knut shot, you feel?

I sympathise with American workers. Their benefits for an advanced western nation seem to be very poor indeed, especially when compared to other advanced western economies in Europe and Australasia. There are probably more Holidays for Thais than some American workers. IMHO A more socialist style democracy as practised in western Europe seems much more preferable than the style of rampant capitalism practised in the U.S of A. It seems to produce a more (if still far from perfect) equitable distribution of wealth. I assume most Americans (at least enough of them) prefer their style of capitalism, otherwise Bernie Sanders would now be President.

Originally Posted by buriramboy

That's a pretty shit deal you Seppos get. 28 paid days holiday in the UK is the norm which normally consists of 4 weeks + the 8 bank holidays. A week being classed as 5 days before some numpty jumps in. And America richest country in the world, seems like treat your employees like shit.

Yep. Two weeks vacation is norm. If one is not "from there" one can negotiation for 3 weeks. But one does get 5 Emergency days for doctor visits etc.

Originally Posted by buriramboy

America richest country in the world, seems like treat your employees like shit.

The oligarchs have been at war with unions and the working class since the 1930's. Their assault has been relentless and is ongoing today one only has to look at this massive tax cut for the rich the republicans are trying to ram through.

Originally Posted by Hugh Cow

I sympathise with American workers. Their benefits for an advanced western nation seem to be very poor indeed

They are the worst of all the industrial nations by far. There are almost no private sector pensions anymore and the ones that are left are going the way of the dodo. Boeing just successfully conned its machinist union to convert future pensions into 401k plans by threatening to move the plant to a right to work state (anti union). If you want a job with a pension you will need to look to get a government job.

America is just a prime example of what happens when you let the most greedy have all the control. Couple that with the fact that most of them do not travel abroad and you can realize that most of them do not realize how bad off they are to literally anyone who lives in Europe or UK, OZ.

^Yep, it's an utter disgrace that the richest country in the world begrudges their citizens ('consumers') a decent quality of life. "The American Dream" indeed.

Third world country innit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ave_by_country

Last time I was in the US, I went to a doctor and had him check some hospital work done here in the PI. He said the work was perfect and he totally agreed with their findings. He then looked at the price and with a slack jaw and greed dribbling down his chubby face asked "Is that in US dollars?" I could see him already planning his relocation. Bursting his bubble I said, "No. Peso. Divide by 50". Dreams of gouging patients shattered, he slunk out.