The Century Foundation engages the work/leisure tradeoff:
Between 1970 and 2000, GDP per person rose by 64% in the United States and by 60% in France. In America, this came about because productivity per worker rose by 38% and hours worked per worker rose by 26%. In France, it came about because productivity rose by 83% while hours worked fell by 23%.
I'm actually rather surprised by the paltry vacation time allotted to US workers. Were I a Democratic strategist, I'd make a guarantee of at least two weeks paid and two weeks unpaid vacation time a major policy plank. Given the rate of geographical dispersion, where I, say, live in DC, and my family in Southern California, simply keeping up family ties can easily consume two weeks of vacation a year. On top of that, it would be nice if people got actual, you know, vacations.
As a more general commentary on all this, I think Europe and America both have it half right. Our focus on competition and tolerance of risk are critical to a healthy economy. Their comprehension of the need for security and the importance of leisure are key for a good society. We err in giving competitiveness concerns undue weight, creating situations where, for instance, workers aren't even guaranteed paid time off after childbirth. They err in occasionally seeking security by shackling economic freedom. I'm not sure precisely where the happy medium lies, but it's pretty clearly to our left and their right.
