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Vacation culture

How much paid vacation you get and whether you actually use it are two different numbers, and countries combine them in opposite ways. US federal law guarantees zero days. France guarantees five weeks but caps any single stretch at 24 working days. Korea and Japan face the opposite problem, workers who will not rest, and both wrote legal machinery to make them.

Work & Money

Paid Vacation Days by Country: Zero by Law in America, Five Weeks in France, and Who Actually Rests

US federal law guarantees zero paid vacation days; France guarantees five weeks but caps a single stretch at 24 working days. Japan requires five days off.

Sep 3, 2026·7 min read·United States, France, Japan, South Korea

Countries covered

CountryArticles
United StatesPaid Vacation Days by Country: Zero by Law in America, Five Weeks in France, and Who Actually Rests
FrancePaid Vacation Days by Country: Zero by Law in America, Five Weeks in France, and Who Actually Rests
JapanPaid Vacation Days by Country: Zero by Law in America, Five Weeks in France, and Who Actually Rests
South KoreaPaid Vacation Days by Country: Zero by Law in America, Five Weeks in France, and Who Actually Rests
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