NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Almost half of U.S. workers would scrap or scale back their summer vacation plans to save money if the economy remains volatile, according to a survey.
Younger workers are more apt to bite the bullet, and men are twice as likely as women to be expected to work on vacation, the poll by jobs website Glassdoor.com showed.
"People are still pretty nervous about personal spending," Glassdoor Chief Executive Robert Hohman said, noting the "stark" numbers of people willing to change vacation plans.
But 65 percent of employees are able to relax completely while on holiday.
"It's reassuring to see the majority of employees feel their employer supports their ability to 'check out' and recharge," he noted. "Employees who feel tethered to their job while away miss the intended vacation benefits, and U.S. companies should try to be more respectful of this time."
About 45 percent of employees and the self-employed would reduce or cancel their summer vacation plans to save money, according to the online survey of 2,203 adults conducted by Harris Interactive.
Thirteen percent of people take vacations knowing they may have to work if necessary. Nearly one in five, 18 percent, said they must be available should an emergency arise.
More men said they are expected to work on vacation than women, the survey showed.
Workers in the U.S. South and West are more likely to call off their summer vacation, as well as work during their time off. About 53 percent of employees in both regions said they would alter their vacation compared with 38 percent in the Midwest and 34 percent in the Northeast.
Of those who were expected to work during vacation, 18 percent are in the South, 17 percent in the West, compared to just 8 percent in the Midwest and 7 percent in the Northeast.
Young adults are most likely to change their vacation plans because they have less of a financial cushion, Hohman said. Their plans also tend to be simpler than for older vacationers who may go away with their children.
More than half of workers aged 18-34 would change their vacation plans, compared to 44 percent of employees aged 35-44, and 42 percent in the 55 and older age bracket.