The United States is known for having too many holidays.

Yet many argue that Americans work too much, but too much does not mean too hard.?

During the ’50s and ’60s, the futurist Herman Kahn believed that pretty soon Americans would take 13 weeks of vacation during the year and that they would work four days a week.?

Kahn’s prophecy failed; not only was he wrong, but the opposite occurred.

Americans today enjoy an average of about four weeks of vacation and work five days a week.?

Western Europe today is closer to satisfying Kahn’s futuristic idea.

The French work 28 percent fewer hours than Americans, while the Germans work 25 percent fewer hours.

But this is why the United States is wealthier than these countries.

There is nothing wrong with working 40 hours a week and having a few weeks of vacation annually.

By being the wealthiest country in the world, there is more money to spend.

The problem is that no one pays attention to their economy and the effects of their leisurely ways of living.

Yes, Western Europe has more leisure time.

However, they have a higher rate of unemployment.

Europeans work less because work is not available.

Europe’s unemployment rate is about 40 percent.?

Also, Americans spend twice as much in restaurants as the French and three times as much as the Germans.

It is not hard work, but it pays the bills and pays for all the commodities most Americans enjoy.

Americans do not work too much; they are just being compared with countries that do not work enough.