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Output and earnings weak in Britain
BELLEVUE, Wash., June 11 (UPI) -- The two-week vacation is becoming a memory as U.S. employees spread their vacation days for long weekends or short breaks from the office, research showed.
The travel shift is attributable in part to rising gasoline prices and pressures for employees to be available for clients 24/7, USA Today reported Monday. Another reason for the change is the difficulty for dual-income couples to coordinate two vacation and work schedules.
Only 14 percent of Americans plan to take a two-week vacation in 2007, down from 16 percent in 2006, reported a study by Harris Interactive for Expedia.com, an online travel site based in Bellevue, Wash. One-third of workers do not always use all their available vacation days, the survey said.
The cost of travel was the No. 1 reason behind the shift, a survey by WNBC/Marist College reported. Nearly 55 percent of respondents said they planned to take shorter weekend getaways instead of one long vacation.
Work demands also take a toll on summer vacations, especially for entrepreneurs. Research indicates 23 percent of small-business owners haven't planned a vacation lasting longer than a week in more than four years.
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