Biden Has Taken How Many Vacations?

Americans are missing out on the benefits of taking vacations, with the average citizen only using about 11 days off each year—remarkably fewer than even the famously diligent workers in Japan. According to Expedia’s Annual Vacation Deprivation Report, Americans are provided with an average of 12 paid days off annually, yet they fail to utilize them fully. This puts the U.S. far behind other nations; for instance, Japanese employees manage to take 12 days off each year, a stark contrast to the limited time off enjoyed by many Americans.

The report highlights a troubling trend: Americans are almost twice as likely as the global average to go an entire year or more without taking a single vacation—32% of Americans fall into this category compared to just 18% worldwide. This statistic underscores a significant issue of work-life balance in our country.

Interestingly, this phenomenon seems at odds with the behavior of President Joe Biden, who, like his predecessors, has faced criticism over his frequent vacations. Biden has spent a notable 532 days away from the office in less than four years, primarily at his Delaware beach house or his Wilmington residence, according to RNC Research. To put this into perspective, based on the average amount of time off Americans take, Biden’s total time away equates to over 48 years of vacations—48.3 years, to be precise.

Despite these criticisms, Biden’s team assures that he remains on duty even when he’s away from the White House, often seen handling presidential duties via cellphone or addressing matters from his leisure spot at Rehoboth Beach. This frequent vacationing, contrasted with the broader American trend of underutilizing their own time off, raises questions about how we approach work, leisure, and leadership in our country.