Australian workers are approaching the summer break with a massive holiday stockpile, collectively holding 209 million days of accrued annual leave, according to new data from research company Roy Morgan.

This near-record total is a legacy of the pandemic years, when workers were prevented from travelling overseas and even interstate.

The total leave figure is up 9 million days - a 4.5 per cent rise - compared to two years ago and a substantial 60 million days (39.5 per cent) increase from five years ago.

However, the steady growth in the annual leave stockpile has recently come to a halt, driven by a shift in the nation's employment make-up.

This year saw a fall in full-time employment, which generates the majority of leave entitlements. The reduction has been offset by a rise in part

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