ETUC Data Reveals 1.5m Greeks and Millions of Europeans Face ‘Holiday Poverty’

An analysis of EU data for the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has found that the number of workers unable to afford a week’s holiday has increased by more than two million.

According to the data, an estimated 39.7 million working people, representing 15 percent of the EU’s total workforce, could not afford a week’s holiday away from home, either in their own country or abroad, in 2022. This is an increase from 37.6 million workers, or 14 percent, in 2021.

The ETUC’s data shows the share of people aged 18 to 64 who are employed and not able to afford a week’s holiday.

Greece 3rd in EU with over 1.5 million workers unable to take a vacation in 2022

Greece is among the countries where the number of workers unable to afford a week’s holiday has increased, reaching 1,569,924 in 2022, which equals 24.8 percent of the country’s working population. This number reflects a 2.14 percent increase compared to 2021, when 22.6 percent of Greek workers, or 1,456,116 people, reported being financially unable to take even a week’s vacation.

It is worth noting that Greece’s 24.8 percent of workers unable to take a vacation in 2022 is significantly higher than the EU average of 15 percent and is the third-highest among the top ten EU countries where this issue is most prevalent.

France: Largest increase in holiday poverty

France experienced the largest increase in holiday poverty, with nearly a million more workers unable to afford a vacation. The most significant percentage point changes were observed in Ireland (+3.8 percent) and France (+2.5 percent).

Despite a decrease, Italy still has the highest number of workers who can’t afford a break, with 6,074,387 people affected. The countries with the highest share of workers unable to afford a holiday are Romania (36 percent), Cyprus (25 percent), and Greece (25 percent).

Among the top ten countries with the highest percentages of workers unable to take a vacation are Hungary (24.3 percent) and Bulgaria (23 percent).

It is noteworthy that even in countries with a high per capita Gross National Product, such as Ireland, 14.8 percent of the workforce reported in 2022 that they could not afford a vacation.

Ten countries with the highest percentage point change in the number of workers who can’t afford a holiday. Source: Analysis of EU statistics on income and living standards microdata by the European Trade Union Institute, the independent research centre of the ETUC. Estimated as the proportion of workers who cannot afford a week’s holiday from the EU-SILC, and expressed in the number of people affected, rounded to the nearest 1000.

Figures for 2023

According to ETUC analysts, the figures for 2023 “could be even worse” due to a record increase in holiday costs last summer combined with falling real wages across the EU last year, driven by profit-driven inflation.

However, there is a possibility that Romania’s situation may have improved, as the government has subsequently implemented a 23 percent increase in the minimum wage and strengthened workers’ bargaining power for better wages.

ETUC: Need for collective bargaining to address holiday poverty

According to the ETUC, the findings highlight the critical role of collective bargaining in improving workers’ conditions, providing up to two extra weeks of holiday annually. Since 2000, austerity measures have led to a loss of these benefits for at least three million workers, with the most significant impacts in high-holiday-poverty countries.

Recent data show some improvement in collective bargaining coverage, but progress remains limited. The EU’s Minimum Wage Directive requires member states to ensure that at least 80 percent of workers benefit from collective agreements. However, a Eurofound report notes that only a few countries have made concrete advancements.

The ETUC urges member states to meet the November 15 deadline for implementing the directive into national law.

“We urgently need to raise the levels of workers covered by collective bargaining agreements,” ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said.

“It is the best way of ensuring a working people receive a fair share of the wealth they create and can enjoy something as basic a week’s holiday rather than just struggling to survive,” she added.