If You Work in the United States, You Get the Second Least Amount of PTO in the World

We top the list of countries known for terrible work-life balance

Frustrated female worker rubbing her eyes in front of a computer sitting in creative office
If you’re feeling the burnout, you’re not alone.
Getty Images/Maskot

The United States is notorious for overworking its employees, which has become extra apparent thanks to a new report from Resume.io. After analyzing the number of paid leave and paid vacation days in 197 countries, the U.S. made the list for the fewest amount of statutory paid leave days (that number is a whopping zero). Our average paid time off is also the second worst in the world.

On average, the U.S. worker gets 10 paid vacation days a year, which is just one less than the worst country in the world for PTO, Micronesia, where nine days is the norm. As for statutory paid leave, the United States is the only developed country without it. This falls far below the average of 18.2 days of paid leave per year. 

So, where in the world are workers getting the most paid time off? Iran tops the list with 53 paid days overall, followed by San Marino, which is the only European country in the top 10. 

If you’re a U.S. worker who gets more than two weeks of paid time off per year, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. And if you’re currently following a four-day workweek, you really have it made.

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