Millennials are the most vacation-deprived age group in the United States according to Expedia’s 2017 Vacation Deprivation report. The annual report analyzes the travel habits of 30,000 people in 30 different countries.
The U.S. is typically behind on vacation days in comparison to other countries. Americans often find it difficult to squeeze a vacation into their schedules despite the fact many believe vacations are important for well-being and up to42% feel more romantic after getting away.
However, this year Expedia found millennials are more likely to be deprived of vacations than any other age group. According to Lonely Planet, this may be due to the fact that millennials receive the lowest number of vacation days and are more likely to cut vacations short to go back to work.
By the end of 2017, American workers are expected to have wasted up to 462 million vacation days. That’s more than four times the number of people who did gardening as a recreational activity throughout the whole year of 2014 (113.5 million).
According to the report, up to 43% of Americans say they can’t vacation due to a restricted budget. Another 30% say they’re saving their vacation days for a longer vacation. And finally, 22% report they’re unable to leave their workplace.
These high percentages may prove to be a growing problem among the satisfaction and health of the American workforce. As high as 96% of Americans report feeling happier after a vacation. What’s more is 94% report being less stressed and 93% say they feel better-rested.
This means, with limited vacations, millennials are more stressed and less rested. Increased stress can lead to health problems as well as problems in the workplace itself. Up to 46% of workers report feeling more productive after a vacation and 60% say they have a better attitude toward their job.
Fortunately, the American workers’ perspective on vacations has been improving in recent years. Compared to the 14% of workers who felt guilty taking time off in 2016, only 8% of workers felt guilty in 2017.
However, there’s still a struggle among younger workers that needs to be nipped in the bud. The number of Americans who check their work email while on vacation has increased by 4%, which has been proven to only increase stress even during vacation days.