COLORADANS LEAD NATION IN EARNING, TAKING VACATION

It’s a survey that would make Hollywood’s most famous vacation taker, Chevy Chase, grin ear to ear: No other state has workers who value their vacation more than those in Colorado.

Coloradans earn more vacation days than any other state: a whopping 27.9 days compared with the national average of 23.2 days. And in the state, 20.3 vacation days are used per year, three days more than the national average of 17.2 days.

The statistics were produced by a new report from Project: Time Off and AAA.

The report’s authors credit Colorado’s robust economy and low unemployment rate as reasons for workers here earning so much time off.

Employers use vacation days as enticements for workers in the competitive labor market.

And the survey showed that Coloradans value paid time off as much as health care — at 33 percent — when it comes to rating benefits. Nationally, health care was the top benefit at 37 percent, with vacation time at 20 percent. Other items of interest: • Coloradans use 57 percent of their vacation time to travel; the national average is 47 percent.

• Cost is the No. 1 barrier to travel for Coloradans, and pets come in at No. 2.

• The other states where workers use a lot of vacation days: Virginia at an average of 18.9 days per year, and Arizona at 18.8 days.