There are 250 business days in 2026 in the United States: the year’s weekdays minus the federal holidays that fall on a weekday. Next year has 249. Most years have 260 or 261 weekdays and about 250 US working days.
Business days, working days and work days mean the same thing here: Monday to Friday, minus public holidays. The tables below give the exact count for every year from 2025 to 2030 for the US, England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada and Australia. To count any custom date range, use the business days calculator.
How many business days in a year
A US year has about 250 business days: between 247 and 250 from 2025 to 2030. 2025 is the low year because federal offices also closed on January 9 (national day of mourning for President Carter) and on December 24 and 26 by executive order. The count changes because holidays move between weekdays and weekends, and because a federal holiday on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before and one on a Sunday on the Monday after (OPM federal holiday rules).
| Year | Weekdays | US federal business days | Banks (Federal Reserve) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 261 | 247 | 250 |
| 2026 | 261 | 250 | 251 |
| 2027 | 261 | 249 | 252 |
| 2028 | 260 | 250 | 251 |
| 2029 | 261 | 250 | 250 |
| 2030 | 261 | 250 | 250 |
The bank column can be higher than the federal one. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, federal offices close on the Friday before, but the Federal Reserve Banks and most banks stay open; a Sunday holiday closes both on the Monday after. In 2027 the Saturday rule applies three times. The Fed also stayed open on the 2025 executive-order closures. See business days in 2027 and business days in 2026 for the full year pages.
How many working days in a year
The number of working days in a year is the same as the number of business days: weekdays minus public holidays. In the UK, Canada and Australia “working days” is the usual term, and the holiday lists differ by country and region.
UK working days per year
| Year | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 253 | 252 | 251 |
| 2026 | 253 | 251 | 251 |
| 2027 | 253 | 252 | 251 |
| 2028 | 252 | 251 | 250 |
| 2029 | 253 | 252 | 251 |
| 2030 | 253 | 252 | 251 |
Bank holiday dates come from gov.uk. When a bank holiday such as Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is given, so the count rarely drops below 250: every UK nation has between 250 and 253 working days a year from 2025 to 2030. Scotland has one extra bank holiday in 2026 (Monday, June 15). The full lists are in how many UK bank holidays; month-by-month counts, working hours and annual leave are in how many working days in a year in the UK.
Canada and Australia working days per year
| Year | Canada (federal statutory) | Ontario | British Columbia | Australia (national) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 251 | 252 | 250 | 253 |
| 2026 | 251 | 253 | 250 | 254 |
| 2027 | 251 | 254 | 251 | 253 |
| 2028 | 250 | 253 | 253 | 252 |
| 2029 | 251 | 252 | 252 | 253 |
| 2030 | 251 | 252 | 250 | 253 |
Canada’s federal column uses the statutory holidays in the Canada Labour Code; provinces set their own lists. The Ontario and British Columbia columns count each statutory holiday on its actual date, so a holiday that falls on a weekend does not lower the count, even where many employers give the next weekday off (see Ontario statutory holidays, B.C. stat holidays, Alberta stat holidays and the Canada-wide list). The Australian column counts only the national public holidays (australia.gov.au). Each state adds its own days, and the King’s Birthday date differs by state, so a state’s working days are lower than this column. To count working days between two Australian dates, use the Australia working days calculator.
How many work days in a year
Work days in a year are the business days your employer is open. For a US full-time employee with federal holidays off, that is 250 in 2026. The days you actually work are fewer, because paid time off comes out of that number.
The formula
- Count the weekdays in the year (260, 261 or, in some leap years, 262).
- Subtract the public holidays that fall on a weekday, using the observed date when a holiday lands on a weekend.
- Subtract your own paid time off, sick days and any extra company holidays.
Example: with 15 days of PTO, a US year with 250 business days leaves 235 days actually worked. With 25 days of annual leave, a UK worker in a year with 253 working days works 228.
Working hours in a year
Payroll usually uses 2,080 hours a year: 52 weeks × 40 hours, with holidays counted as paid hours. Multiply the business days in the table by 8 to get the hours actually scheduled: 250 business days is 2,000 hours, before any PTO. Working hours in a year has the full breakdown, including part-time and UK hours.
How many weekdays in a year
A normal year has 261 weekdays if it starts on a weekday and 260 if it starts on a Saturday or Sunday. A leap year has 260, 261 or 262. Every year from 2025 to 2030 has 261 weekdays except 2028, a leap year that starts on a Saturday and has 260. Weekdays include holidays; business days do not.
Business days per month in 2026
Months have between 18 and 23 business days (19 to 23 in 2026 and 2027). The first table is this year, the second is next year; both count US federal holidays and roll forward on January 1. Averages, quarter totals and daily-rate maths are on working days per month.
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 2 | 20 |
| February | 20 | 1 | 19 |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| June | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| July | 23 | 1 | 22 |
| August | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| October | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| November | 21 | 2 | 19 |
| December | 23 | 1 | 22 |
| Total | 261 | 11 | 250 |
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 2 | 19 |
| February | 20 | 1 | 19 |
| March | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| June | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| July | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| August | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| September | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| October | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| November | 22 | 2 | 20 |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 12 | 249 |
For the United Kingdom by month:
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| February | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 22 | 2 | 20 |
| May | 21 | 2 | 19 |
| June | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| July | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| August | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| September | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| October | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| November | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 8 | 253 |
US federal holidays in 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | ||
| Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | ||
| Monday | Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) | ||
| Monday | Memorial Day | ||
| Friday | Juneteenth National Independence Day | ||
| Friday | Independence Day (observed) | Observed; the holiday falls on Saturday, July 4 | |
| Monday | Labor Day | ||
| Monday | Columbus Day | ||
| Wednesday | Veterans Day | ||
| Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | ||
| Friday | Christmas Day |
The next United States (federal) holiday is Veterans Day on , 18 days from today. All years from 2025 to 2030 are in US federal holidays 2025–2030, and every holiday has its own page in the holidays guide.
Count working days for any dates
For a project, a contract or part of a year, enter a start and end date in the business days calculator. It excludes weekends and the holidays for your country, and lets you add your own days off. To see what is left of this year, go to business days until the end of the year.
Frequently asked questions
How many business days are in a year?
In the US, 250 in 2026 and 249 the next year. From 2025 to 2030 the range is 247 to 250.
How many working days are in a year in the UK?
England and Wales have 253 working days in 2026. Scotland and Northern Ireland have more bank holidays, so fewer working days.
Is it 260 or 261 working days a year?
Both are weekday counts, not working days. A non-leap year has 261 weekdays when it starts on a weekday and 260 when it starts on a weekend. A leap year has 260, 261 or 262 (2028 has 260). Take away public holidays to get working days.
How many work weeks are in a year?
52 weeks plus one day (two in a leap year). Some years, such as 2026, have 53 ISO week numbers. After holidays, a US year is about 50 five-day work weeks.
Are business days and working days the same?
Yes. Both mean Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. “Business days” is more common in the US, “working days” in the UK, Canada and Australia.
