(MarketWatch) The U.S. has a unique tradition when it comes to celebrating holidays: It doesn't.
"The United States is the only advanced economy that does not guarantee its workers any paid vacation time and is one of only a few rich countries that does not require employers to offer at least some paid holidays," concludes a new report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a Washington think-tank.
The study, which reviewed labor laws in 21 countries (including 16 European nations, along with Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand), found that roughly a quarter of U.S. workers receive no paid vacation or holiday time. That is by design -- under U.S. law, employers aren't required to provide any paid holidays. Overall, 77 percent of employers in the U.S. offer paid vacations and holidays.