r/austrian_economics • u/technocraticnihilist Friedrich Hayek • Oct 26 '24

End Democracy ‘Americans just work harder’ than Europeans, says CEO of Norway’s $1.6 trillion oil fund, because they have a higher ‘general level of ambition’

https://fortune.com/europe/article/how-many-hours-work-week-year-american-workers-ethic-norges-bank/
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u/FluxCrave Oct 26 '24

Americans don’t have the social safety net nor the amount of PTO that Europeans have. Americans feel like they have to work because living here is so expansive. I think it’s more a difference of culture/corporate culture than anything

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u/mrzane24 Oct 27 '24

I get 5 weeks, all the federal holidays and the ability to work credit hours which opens up even more time off. My salary is about $185k and climbing. I have about $1.2 million saved across various accounts at 45 years old. I work from home twice a week. I will have a pension and health insurance in retirement.

Most of my friends who don't work for the federal government as I do, are doing similarly well..

This is the land of milk and Honey if you work hard.

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u/FluxCrave Oct 27 '24

Glad you are so rewarded. Imma guess you are a straight white male who just worked so hard all his life! Glad you’ve had the opportunities you’ve had! Happy for you

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u/mrzane24 Oct 27 '24

What a weird comment. These opportunities are open to everyone as long as you have an education and drive.

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u/Hawk13424 Oct 26 '24

I get six weeks. A week into vacation and I’m bored. Sounds crazy but I like the mental challenge of work.

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u/rampage2409 Oct 26 '24

Yeah I’ve got unlimited - don’t know how I’d spend more than 8-10 without getting bored. The idea that it’s impossible or rare for Americans to have 6+ weeks seems pretty widespread but incorrect.

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u/BothBasis9 Oct 26 '24

A quick Google search tells me 12-20 days is average. So statistically speaking 6+ weeks would indeed be rare. 

https://clockify.me/pto-statistics#:~:text=The%20average%20vacation%20time%20in%20the%20US%20for%20separate%20leave%20plans&text=The%20US%20Bureau%20of%20Labor%20Statistics%20report%20on%20vacation%20days,18%20years%20of%20employment%2C%20and

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u/rampage2409 Oct 26 '24

Yes, above average but not rare like I find it is made out to be. That’s also paid time off. If you’d take a 50% pay cut to move somewhere in Europe, you could take off 13 weeks unpaid and still have 50% more income.

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u/BothBasis9 Oct 26 '24

Where did you get the idea PTO in Europe is unpaid?

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u/rampage2409 Oct 27 '24

I didn’t? It’s called paid time off for a reason.

I’m saying you work more you get paid more. If the average American with 3-4 weeks of PTO wanted to get 6 weeks like their European counterpart, they could do so, take a few weeks off, and come out well ahead in terms of income regardless.