In the United States there are a number of observed holidays where employees receive paid time off.

The labor force in the United States comprises about 62% (as of 2014) of the general population.

[1] In the United States, 97% of the private sector businesses determine what days this sector of the population gets paid time off, according to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management.

There are also numerous holidays on the state and local level that are observed to varying degrees.

Another list from the Society for Human Resource Management shows actual percentages of employers offering paid time off for each holiday.

[3] In 2020, Nike became the first company to mark Juneteenth as a paid holiday.

[4] An academic year typically spans from early fall to early summer, with two or three months of summer vacation marking the end of the year.

K-12 public schools generally observe local, state, and federal holidays, plus additional days off around Thanksgiving, the period from before Christmas until after New Year's Day, a spring break (usually a week in April) and sometimes a winter break (a week in February or March).

Most colleges and universities divide the school year into two semesters.

The spring semester typically starts in the middle or end of January and runs until May.

Major federal, state, and local holidays are often observed, including the day after and usually before Thanksgiving.

Spring break is usually a week in March or early April, and in elementary and secondary school and college party culture traditionally involves a warm-weather trip.

[24] This sector of the population is entitled to paid time off designated as federal holidays by Congress in Title V of the United States Code (5 U.S.C. § 6103).

[27] The New York Stock Exchange also closely follows the federal holidays except for Columbus Day.

[44] [46] Lincoln's Birthday (February 12) was removed from California's education holiday calendar in 2009.

[61] Florida's laws separate the definitions between paid versus legal holidays.

[124] Texas has three types of state holidays: those on which all state offices are closed, and "partial staffing" and "optional" holidays on which offices are open but with reduced staffing.

The following days are full holidays where all state offices are closed: Texas law designates that the state businesses be "partially staffed" on the following holidays.

On these holidays, the state agency is generally required to stay open with minimum staff.

The statutes require the public schools to include instruction relating to the holidays.