New study shows that 39.7 million workers, 14% of the EU’s population, couldn’t afford to go on holiday for a week in 2022.
In 2022 two million more people in the European Union couldn’t afford to go on vacation, compared to the previous year, according to a new study published today (30 July) by The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
While millions of people are preparing their suitcases to go on holiday in August, others cannot afford a week’s vacation, either in their own country or abroad.
“It’s also unsafe for workers, they need to have time to recuperate,” ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch told Euronews, adding that it is “important for addressing burnout and making sure that you come back to work restored and refreshed.”
In a press release with the results of the study, Lynch added that “a holiday is not a luxury, having time away with family is key for protecting the physical and mental health of workers along with providing valuable experiences for children.”
The situation is not even in all member states. The study shows that the biggest increase in holiday poverty happened in France, where, while still under the EU average, almost five million people couldn’t go on vacation.
The biggest percentage increase was seen in Ireland, with a 4% rise – now standing at 14.8% – between 2021 and 2022 in the number of people among the country’s working population who couldn’t afford holidays.
There are 13 countries where the situation is worse than the bloc’s 14.6% average, with Romania at the tail end at 36%.
According to the European Commission, around half of European workers consider stress to be common in the workplace and one of the most challenging issues in occupational safety and health.
The Communication on Mental Health published by the EU executive stresses the need to work on the right to disconnect as “an integral part of reducing work-related stress and promoting a better work-life balance”.
According to Eurostat, 62% of EU residents made at least one personal touristic trip in 2022 and half of them were short and domestic.
The data also shows that Germans spend the most money on international travel with €85.2bn, followed by France with €39.2bn.
The capacity to afford to pay for a one-week annual holiday away from home is one of the indicators used by the European Union to measure material and social deprivation in the bloc.
This indicator – together with the capacity to face unexpected expenses, access to a car for personal use and the capacity to keep home adequately, among others – provides a measure related to the ability of individuals to access items that are considered by most people to be desirable or even necessary to experience an adequate quality of life.
Lynch added that one of the great social advances of the 20th century was the increase in the number of working-class families who could afford a holiday.
“It improved the health and wellbeing of millions of people and contributed to a feeling of progress and optimism,” she said, and added that the figures of the study “show how social progress is being reversed as a result of increased economic inequality.”
The trade union warns that the figures for 2023 could be worse due to the increase in the cost of holidays and wages not being adjusted to inflation.
