Many US workers start the new year following some time off for the holidays. It’s hard to put an exact number on just how many but consider that the American Automobile Association, or AAA, predicted that more than seven million Americans flew over the holidays and 107 million drove at least 50 miles. And yet, let’s not forget that a significant number of workers — around a quarter — have no access to paid holidays or vacation. Many of them are part-time and in the bottom 25% of earners, toiling in service occupations or working in leisure and hospitality.

Maybe this disparity in who gets paid time off is neither shocking nor upsetting. After all, jobs with lower wages and fewer benefits are often derided as “low skilled,” a catchall phrase to describe work that requires little formal education. It’s another way of saying that although such workers may get little in terms of benefits, it’s all they deserve.

© Bloomberg