Paid Time Off (PTO) requests and approvals are both declining. That’s the key takeaway from the latest Workforce Insights Report by Bamboo HR, although there are noticeable differences across regions and industries.
According to the study, which includes over 4.9 million employee data points collected between 2018 to 2015, U.S. requests and approvals continued to decrease through February 2025. In the U.S., PTO requests dipped by 18% month-over-month and 6% year-over-year. PTO approvals fell by 9% month-over-month and 7% year-over-year, respectfully. At the time the study was conducted, requests stood at 33%, with approvals at 16%.
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The trend was quite similar across the world. Globally, there was a decrease in PTO requests of 18% month-over-month and 4% year-over-year, and a 10% drop in approvals month-over-month and 8% year-over-year. Global requests were at 38%, and approvals were at 18%.
Although the decline in PTO requests and approvals is global, the report showed significant differences between regions. Europe had the highest percentage of PTO requests (62%) but the lowest approval rate (42%). Asia Pacific saw 35% of employees requesting PTO, with a 50% approval rate. The Middle East/Africa had the second highest approval rate at 57%, despite only 33% of employees requesting PTO. North America had 34% requesting PTO, with a 50% approval rate, while Latin America had the highest PTO approval rate at 62%, but the lowest request rate at 27%.
There are also big differences between industries. The finance and nonprofit sectors had the highest PTO request rates at 49% and 48%, respectively, though their approval rates were lower. The health care industry had the lowest PTO approval rate at 36%. Industries like travel/hospitality and restaurant/food/beverage saw lower PTO request rates. Construction and restaurant/food/beverage had the highest approval rates at 54%, with tech closely following at 50%.
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