Do Europeans vacation too much, or Americans too little? Some argue that Europeans should take less time off as a way of improving the continent's economy; others note that Americans have better opportunities to shop and consume after work, lowering their need for lengthy vacation time. Some Americans are bitter, contending that Europeans do not want to work at all. Americans on average work hundreds of hours more than their European counterparts.
See "The Workplace: Vacation - Too much, or too little?", Thomas Fuller, International Herald Tribune, August 15, 2005