# How many American workers get Presidents Day off? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-american-workers-get-presidents-day-off/155704 "2003-02-17T20:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-american-workers-get-presidents-day-off/155704/1 "2003-02-17T20:13:42Z")
It’s Presidents Day! Local buses are running holiday schedules, traffic was really light this morning, and it’s free to park on city streets. My wife has the day off today. I, however, do not. (I post this from work, of course.) So: how many American workers get Presidents Day off? I’m more interested in percentage of the workforce than raw numbers, but any stats would be interesting. A related, expanded questions: On which holidays are the fewest number of Americans working, and which ones really don’t impact the workforce at all? I’d guess Christmas, New Year’s Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving day are all way up there on the list. And that relatively few people get Columbus Day off anymore. Anyone know any detailed info? ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-american-workers-get-presidents-day-off/155704/2 "2003-02-17T21:31:24Z")
Well, for starters, all federal employees get the day off. (And tomorrow, too, but that’s due to snow.) Most state and local governments follow the OPM guidelines, so that’s a sizeable chunk right there. DHS is supposed to employ approx 500K people, and that’s just one (albeit huge) department of the gov’t. I’d venture the majority of school teachers and professors do as well. For the least impactful holidays, it’s probably going to be Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day and the like. Post doesn’t run, feds like me get the day off, and department stores have sales. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-american-workers-get-presidents-day-off/155704/3 "2003-02-17T21:40:51Z")
Not I, said the duck. I’m sitting here at work, posting up a storm… ---
**Author:** ![Beruang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-american-workers-get-presidents-day-off/155704/4 "2003-02-17T22:48:47Z")
The “big six,” which virtually everyone in the US gets off, are: New Year’s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day I read a survey in Chicago a good 10 or 15 years ago that said the next three were Good Friday (half day), employee’s birthday, and Good Friday (full day). President’s Day was on the list, but under 10%. I used that clipping as a book mark for many years; don’t know if I still have it, though. – Beruang ---
**Author:** ![DaveW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DaveW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveW)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-american-workers-get-presidents-day-off/155704/5 "2003-02-17T23:30:41Z")
**Beruang** wrote: > [@](#): > > The “big six,” which virtually everyone in the US gets off, are… Well, the answer to the OP would be in defining “virtually everyone.” Back when I was a regular at the local bar/restaurant, the _only_ time they were ever scheduled to close was for a half-day on Christmas each year. And the new tradition around my house is to go out to IHOP for Christmas breakfast, so we don’t spend time cleaning the kitchen (and IHOP is usually packed). While “virtually everyone” who’s got a job outside the dining industry might have the “big six” off, how many is that compared to the number of waiters, bus people, cooks, hosts, etc. who work those days? Many of those days are also big for public transportation - especially taxis on New Year’s Day. Oh, and my newspaper gets delivered on all of those days, too. ---
**Author:** ![DaveW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DaveW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveW)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-american-workers-get-presidents-day-off/155704/6 "2003-02-17T23:32:22Z")
Whoops. My mistake. A definition of “virtually everyone” wouldn’t answer the OP at all for those six days. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-american-workers-get-presidents-day-off/155704/7 "2003-02-18T00:54:48Z")
From what I’ve seen only government workers, students, and bank employees get Presidents’ Day off. But nonbanking private sector people seem more likely to get the Friday after Thanksgiving off, so it sort of evens out.