Americans receive two to three weeks of paid vacation per year, while Europeans receive between 5 and 7 weeks. In addition, the U.S. has generally 8 paid holidays per year; the comparable figure for Europe is 12 to 18 days (holidays such as Easter and Christmas, plus national days and even the Queen's Birthday in the Netherlands). As a result, Americans average only 10.2 vacation days per year (Zuckerman). Americans work on average nearly 2,000 hours a year, while Germans work about 1,500 hours. This significant difference in hours worked may help to account for a significant portion of the 43% difference in per capita GDP for the two countries.

Retirement Age and Associated Pension Costs third reason are the retirement ages and associated pension costs. Europeans retire at an earlier age than Americans: generally between 57 and 62, while Americans tend to retire between 62 and 65. This difference...
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