How Many Working Days and Work Hours Are in 2027?
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Quick Answer
There are 261 weekdays in 2027, which equals 2,088 work hours for a full-time, 8-hour-a-day schedule. After subtracting the 11 federal holidays in 2027, there are 250 working days and 2,000 work hours. If you also observe New Year's Day 2028 on Friday, December 31, 2027, as federal employees will, there are 249 working days and 1,992 hours in calendar 2027. Your actual number depends on which holidays your business observes.
How many working days are in 2027? It's one of the most common questions at the start of a new year, because the answer drives budgets, salary-to-hourly conversions, PTO planning, staffing models and project timelines. The short answer: 261 weekdays and 2,088 work hours before holidays, or 250 working days and 2,000 hours after the 11 federal holidays.
This guide breaks down the working days and work hours in 2027 month by month, explains how holidays change the count, covers part-time and alternative schedules and shows how to use the numbers for planning. Federal holiday dates come from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Working Days and Work Hours in 2027 at a Glance
| Measure | Days | Hours (8 per day) |
|---|---|---|
| Total days in 2027 | 365 | — |
| Weekend days | 104 | — |
| Weekdays (Monday to Friday) | 261 | 2,088 |
| Federal holidays on weekdays in 2027 | 11 | 88 |
| Working days after 11 federal holidays | 250 | 2,000 |
| Also excluding Dec. 31, 2027 (New Year's 2028 observed) | 249 | 1,992 |
2027 starts on a Friday and isn't a leap year, so it has 52 full weeks plus one extra weekday, giving 261 weekdays instead of the usual 260.
2027 Federal Holidays
According to OPM, the 2027 federal holidays, with observed dates when a holiday falls on a weekend, are:
| Holiday | 2027 date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1 | Friday |
| Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | January 18 | Monday |
| Washington's Birthday | February 15 | Monday |
| Memorial Day | May 31 | Monday |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day | June 18 (observed) | Friday |
| Independence Day | July 5 (observed) | Monday |
| Labor Day | September 6 | Monday |
| Columbus Day | October 11 | Monday |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Thursday |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 25 | Thursday |
| Christmas Day | December 24 (observed) | Friday |
New Year's Day 2028 falls on a Saturday, and OPM lists Friday, December 31, 2027 as the observed holiday for federal employees. Private employers don't have to observe federal holidays, so decide which ones your business will observe. See business holidays for 2026, 2027 and 2028.
2027 Working Days by Month
| Month | Weekdays | Federal holidays | Working days | Hours before holidays | Hours after holidays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 2 | 19 | 168 | 152 |
| February | 20 | 1 | 19 | 160 | 152 |
| March | 23 | 0 | 23 | 184 | 184 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 | 176 | 176 |
| May | 21 | 1 | 20 | 168 | 160 |
| June | 22 | 1 | 21 | 176 | 168 |
| July | 22 | 1 | 21 | 176 | 168 |
| August | 22 | 0 | 22 | 176 | 176 |
| September | 22 | 1 | 21 | 176 | 168 |
| October | 21 | 1 | 20 | 168 | 160 |
| November | 22 | 2 | 20 | 176 | 160 |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 | 184 | 168 |
| Total | 261 | 12 | 249 | 2,088 | 1,992 |
The December row counts both Christmas Day observed (December 24) and New Year's Day 2028 observed (December 31). If your business doesn't observe December 31, December has 22 working days and the year has 250.
Work Hours in 2027 for Different Schedules
| Schedule | Hours per week | Annual hours (52.2 weeks) | After 11 federal holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time, 8 hours a day, 5 days | 40 | 2,088 | 2,000 |
| 37.5-hour week (7.5 hours a day) | 37.5 | 1,957.5 | 1,875 |
| 35-hour week (7 hours a day) | 35 | 1,827 | 1,750 |
| Part-time, 30 hours (6 hours a day) | 30 | 1,566 | 1,500 |
| Part-time, 20 hours (4 hours a day) | 20 | 1,044 | 1,000 |
Annual hours here use 261 weekdays. Subtract your own holidays and expected PTO for a realistic count. See how to calculate work hours in a year in Excel.
Free 2027 Work Hours Worksheet
2027 Work Hours Worksheet
Employee or role: __________
| Line | Value |
|---|---|
| Weekdays in 2027 | 261 |
| Minus company holidays observed | − ____ |
| Minus average PTO days | − ____ |
| Minus average sick days | − ____ |
| = Expected working days | ____ |
| × Hours per day | × ____ |
| = Expected working hours | ____ |
How to Use the 2027 Numbers
Converting Salary to Hourly
Example: A $62,640 salary ÷ 2,088 hours = $30.00 an hour based on weekdays in 2027. Many employers use 2,080 hours as a standard year (52 × 40), which gives $30.12. The 2027 calendar has 2,088 weekday hours because of the extra weekday.
See salary vs. hourly.
Budgeting Labor
Use working days by month to budget labor more accurately. March and December 2027 have 23 weekdays, while February has 20, so a fixed monthly labor budget will feel tight in long months and loose in short ones. See how to create a labor budget.
Planning PTO and Holidays
Publish your 2027 holiday schedule early, and plan PTO approvals around busy months. Holidays falling on Mondays and Fridays create long weekends, which tend to bring extra PTO requests around them. See how to handle overlapping PTO requests.
Staffing and FTEs
FTE calculations often use 2,080 hours as a full-time year. For 2027, decide whether you'll use 2,080 or 2,088 and use the same number consistently. See how to calculate FTE.
Project Timelines
Count working days, not calendar days, when you set project deadlines, and remember that late November and December have holidays that shorten available working time. See the critical path method.
Pay Periods in 2027
The number of paychecks in 2027 depends on your pay frequency and first pay date. Weekly payrolls usually have 52 pay dates and sometimes 53, and biweekly payrolls usually have 26 and sometimes 27. Check your exact schedule. See the 2027 payroll calendar.
Working Days for Alternative Schedules
| Schedule | How to count 2027 working days |
|---|---|
| 4/10 (four 10-hour days) | Count scheduled workdays, about 4 per week, and holidays falling on those days |
| 2-2-3 or rotating 12-hour shifts | Count shifts in the rotation; about 182 shifts a year |
| Six-day weeks | Count Monday to Saturday days, minus holidays |
| 24/7 operations | Count shifts, not days; holidays may be worked with holiday pay |
See the 4/10 schedule and the 2-2-3 schedule.
Holidays That Fall on Weekends in 2027
Three 2027 federal holidays fall on weekends and are observed on a weekday for federal employees: Juneteenth (Saturday, June 19, observed Friday, June 18), Independence Day (Sunday, July 4, observed Monday, July 5) and Christmas (Saturday, December 25, observed Friday, December 24). Decide in your holiday policy how your business handles weekend holidays, such as observing them on the nearest weekday or not at all, and tell employees early. See overtime and holiday pay in the same week.
Example: Planning 2027 at a Small Accounting Firm
A 12-person accounting firm used the 2027 numbers to plan the year. They observed 9 of the federal holidays, giving 252 working days. With an average of 15 PTO days per employee, they planned 237 working days, or 1,896 hours per full-time employee, and used it to set billable hour targets. They also noticed March and April have 45 weekdays combined during tax season and approved no PTO those months except for emergencies, while encouraging time off in August and December.
Common Mistakes
- Using 2,080 hours without realizing 2027 has 2,088 weekday hours.
- Assuming every federal holiday is a company holiday.
- Forgetting weekend holidays and observed dates.
- Counting calendar days instead of working days for deadlines.
- Fixed monthly budgets that ignore different working days per month.
- Missing the 53rd or 27th paycheck in budgets.
2027 Working Days by Quarter
| Quarter | Weekdays | Federal holidays | Working days | Hours after holidays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 (Jan–Mar) | 64 | 3 | 61 | 488 |
| Q2 (Apr–Jun) | 65 | 2 | 63 | 504 |
| Q3 (Jul–Sep) | 66 | 2 | 64 | 512 |
| Q4 (Oct–Dec) | 66 | 5 | 61 | 488 |
| Total | 261 | 12 | 249 | 1,992 |
Q4 includes both December 24 (Christmas observed) and December 31 (New Year's Day 2028 observed). Quarterly counts help with quarterly budgets, sales targets and project planning.
Long Weekends in 2027
| Long weekend | Days |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Friday, January 1 to Sunday, January 3 |
| MLK Day | Saturday, January 16 to Monday, January 18 |
| Presidents' Day | Saturday, February 13 to Monday, February 15 |
| Memorial Day | Saturday, May 29 to Monday, May 31 |
| Juneteenth (observed) | Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 20 |
| Independence Day (observed) | Saturday, July 3 to Monday, July 5 |
| Labor Day | Saturday, September 4 to Monday, September 6 |
| Columbus Day | Saturday, October 9 to Monday, October 11 |
| Christmas (observed) | Friday, December 24 to Sunday, December 26 |
| New Year's 2028 (observed) | Friday, December 31 to Sunday, January 2 |
Long weekends bring extra PTO requests for the days around them, especially Thanksgiving week and the stretch between Christmas and New Year's. Plan coverage and approval rules early. See how to schedule employees during the holidays.
Working Days for Common Business Holiday Sets
| Holidays observed | Number | 2027 working days | 2027 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| All 11 federal holidays | 11 | 250 | 2,000 |
| 11 federal holidays plus Dec. 31 | 12 | 249 | 1,992 |
| Common private set: New Year's, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas | 6 | 255 | 2,040 |
| Common set plus day after Thanksgiving | 7 | 254 | 2,032 |
| No paid holidays | 0 | 261 | 2,088 |
Most private businesses observe fewer holidays than the federal government. The day after Thanksgiving, November 26, 2027, is a popular addition. Pick your set and publish your 2027 holiday schedule early.
Working Days in 2027 vs. 2026
2026 started on a Thursday and also had 261 weekdays. Year-to-year differences in working days usually come from how weekends and holiday observations fall. Compare monthly working days when you compare monthly results across years, so a month with fewer working days isn't mistaken for a slowdown.
Using Working Days for Daily Sales and Productivity Targets
Example: An annual sales goal of $1,250,000 ÷ 250 working days = $5,000 per working day. In March 2027, with 23 working days, the monthly target is $115,000; in February, with 19 working days after Presidents' Day, it's $95,000.
Setting targets by working day rather than by calendar month makes monthly goals fairer and easier to track. See why tracking KPIs monthly matters.
PTO Accrual Per Pay Period in 2027
If employees accrue PTO each pay period, the number of pay periods in 2027 affects how much they earn per check. A policy of 80 hours per year accrues about 3.08 hours per biweekly pay period with 26 pay dates, or 2.96 hours with 27. Set accrual rates based on your actual 2027 pay calendar. See PTO accrual explained.
Working Days for Part-Time Employees
Part-time employees don't usually work every weekday, so count their scheduled days instead. An employee who works three days a week will work about 156 days in 2027, before holidays that fall on their scheduled days. For PTO, sick leave accrual and benefits eligibility, use actual hours worked from the time clock rather than estimates, since many accrual rules and laws are based on hours worked. See part-time employee hours.
How to Calculate Working Days for Any Year
- Count the weekdays in the year: 260, or 261 if the year has an extra weekday.
- Subtract the holidays your business observes that fall on weekdays.
- For individual planning, subtract expected PTO and sick days.
- Multiply by daily hours for work hours.
Spreadsheet functions like NETWORKDAYS can count working days between dates automatically, given a list of holidays. Keep your company holiday list in one place so every calculation uses the same dates.
Quick Reference: 2027 by the Numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 365 | Days in 2027 (not a leap year) |
| 261 | Weekdays |
| 2,088 | Weekday hours at 8 hours a day |
| 11 | Federal holidays in 2027 |
| 250 | Working days after federal holidays |
| 2,000 | Work hours after federal holidays |
| 23 | Working days in March, the longest month |
| 19 | Working days in January and February |
Save this table with your 2027 planning documents. When you plan budgets, salary conversions, staffing or project deadlines for the year, start from these numbers and then adjust for your own holidays and expected time off.
Plan Ahead for 2028
2028 is a leap year that starts on a Saturday, and New Year's Day 2028 falls on that Saturday, which is why OPM lists Friday, December 31, 2027 as the observed holiday. When you set your 2027 holiday policy, decide now how you'll handle that date so employees know whether the last Friday of 2027 is a workday. Planning across the year boundary avoids last-minute confusion in December.
Add the decision to your 2027 holiday calendar now, along with how weekend holidays are observed, and share it with employees in January. Early notice helps everyone plan travel and time off, and it gives managers a full year to plan coverage around the end-of-year holidays.
Then revisit the numbers each quarter as your actual time off and staffing become clear.
Finally, keep a copy of these 2027 numbers with your company holiday calendar and payroll calendar, so everyone planning budgets, schedules and time off starts from the same working day and hour counts.
Final Thoughts
2027 has 261 weekdays and 2,088 work hours before holidays, 250 working days and 2,000 hours after the 11 federal holidays and 249 days if you also observe New Year's Day 2028 on December 31. Use the month-by-month table for budgets, PTO planning, salary conversions and project timelines, and adjust for the holidays your business actually observes, your employees' schedules and expected time off.
Plan 2027 With Updoot
Updoot's scheduling and PTO calendar show holidays, approved time off and shifts in one place, and the employee time clock and payroll reports track actual hours worked against the year's plan.
See the Updoot pricing page for current plans, and start a free trial to test it with your team.
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