Virtually all the difference between the US on one side and France and Germany on the other are due to the first two factors, each with roughly equal weight. So, lower participation in the labor force explains half of the difference, and longer vacations for those who do work accounts for the other half.
实际上美国和法德两国的差别主要源自前两个因素，这两者几乎同等重要。因此，就业参与程度低解释了其中的一半原因，而实际就业者享受长假则解释了原因的另外一半。这样的解释对亲身经历过8月欧洲倾城出动、4月欧洲和5月法意三周长假，德国城市周五午后2点"堵车高峰"和学校2月寒假期间滑雪圣地拥挤不堪的人们来说，一点也不会感到意外。