The number of workers in Ireland who can’t afford a week’s holiday, either domestically or abroad, has increased, according to a new analysis.
The analysis of EU data for the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) found that an estimated 14.8% of Irish workers couldn’t afford a week’s holiday in 2022.
This represents an increase of 3.8% on 2021, when an estimated 11% of workers couldn’t afford a holiday, and is the highest percentage increase observed across the EU.
The research estimated that 39.7 million working people (15%) across Europe could not afford a week’s holiday away from home, either in their own country or abroad, in 2022, which was up from 37.6 million (14%) in 2021.
Italy is recorded as having the highest number of workers who can’t afford a break (6 million) despite a decrease, while the countries with the highest percentages of workers who can’t afford a holiday are Romania (36%), Cyprus (25%) and Greece (25%).
The figures are based on analysis of EU statistics on income and living standards (EU-SILC) microdata by the European Trade Union Institute, the independent research centre of the ETUC.
Researchers estimated the proportion of workers who cannot afford a week’s holiday from the EU-SILC, and expressed this in the number of people affected, rounded to the nearest 1,000.
The 2022 figures are the most recent available data, but the ETUC predicts that 2023 could result in even starker findings, following a record increase in the cost of holidays last summer combined with falling real wages across the EU last year due to inflation.
Commenting on the findings, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said, “After working hard all year, working people should be able to afford a holiday”.
“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,” she said.
“The growth in the number of working class families who could afford a holiday was one of Europe’s great social advances of the 20th century. It improved the health and wellbeing of millions of people and contributed to a feeling of progress and optimism.”