Which cities' workers take the most (and least) vacation?
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With Labor Day weekend approaching, this might be the last time to squeeze in some vacation time. Now, a new survey reveals which cities actually take the time off from work, and which don't.
According to a study by the private destination club Inspirato, Washington, D.C. leads the nation's 10 largest cities for taking time off, with nearly 75 percent of D.C. residents saying they have spent one night or more away from home at least once every year.
Residents of Chicago are the least likely to take a vacation, with just 55 percent.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Inspirato polled 2,534 residents of America's 10 largest cities that are 18 years old or older who previously had signed up for surveys, and them about their vacation habits dating back to 2008.
"In 2012 alone, residents of Atlanta and Washington, D.C. are significantly more likely to have taken or plan to take a vacation, compared to those in several other cities," the company said in a press release. "Conversely, Chicagoans and Philadelphians are significantly less likely than those in several other cities to be taking a vacation this year."
Overall 64 percent of the 10 cities' residents took a vacation each year--based on a five-year average, from 2008 to 2012. It's no surprise that due to the bad economy, the percentage of those taking vacations this year is down across the board.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The survey also analyzed the number of leisure vacations taken each year, how much vacation time is given by employers and what percentage of that vacation allotment is typically used.
The poll show that in Boston, 37 percent of the workers have any unused vacation time. That is compared to vacation-wary San Francisco, where 69 percent of its workers have unused vacation time. That's second only to Los Angeles workers who let 35 percent of their total vacation time go unused.
A complete ranking of all 10 cities surveyed is below. How does your city rank?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}1. Washington, D.C. – 73%
2. San Francisco – 70%
3. Boston – 68%
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}4. Atlanta – 67%
5. Houston – 66%
6. New York City/Los Angeles – 64% (tie)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}8. Dallas-Fort Worth – 61%
9. Philadelphia – 57%
10. Chicago – 55%