Economy And Financial Concerns
One-third of Europe's workers do not plan to take a holiday this year
Concerns about the economy and personal finances have European workers rethinking holiday plans, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder. Thirty-six percent of employed workers in Europe reported they are not planning to take a holiday in 2009, similar to findings reported by US workers in a separate survey. Of those not planning to take a holiday, 41 percent of European workers said they simply can't afford it, while another 10 percent are worried about taking days away from the office in an economy where so many jobs have been lost.
For European workers who are not going on a formal holiday but are taking days off from work, the most popular way they will be spending their time away from the office is looking for another employer. Twenty-one percent of workers plan to search for a job during their time away from the office. Others plan to visit with family and friends (17 percent), read/write (15 percent), catch up on sleep (11 percent) and do household chores (10 percent). Working another job and volunteering were also included in plans.
Of those workers taking a formal holiday in 2009, 58 percent said they will take a holiday closer to home; 31 percent will stay within their respective countries. Nearly half of workers (48 percent) expect to spend the same amount of money on their holiday as last year; 32 percent will spend less than last year while 20 percent will spend more.
Comments
I would have more interest and confidence in your article about the substantial percentage of European and U.S. workers disinclined to travel this year, if the studies referenced for this data were actually cited.
I expect the authors of such studies would appreciate the attribution as well.
Otherwise, such ambiguity leaves your report with the status of hearsay.
J. Gregory Gerdel
Chief of Research
Vermont Dept. of Tourism and Marketing
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