Working Days Calculator
Count business days between two dates. Optionally exclude US federal holidays for an accurate working-day count.
What Are Business Days?
Business days, also called working days or weekdays, refer to the days of the week when most commercial and government operations take place. In the United States and most Western countries, business days run from Monday through Friday, with Saturday and Sunday considered the weekend. Public holidays recognized by the federal government are also excluded from the business-day count, because banks, courts, post offices, and most corporate offices are closed on those dates.
The concept of a business day is central to contracts, legal deadlines, shipping estimates, and financial settlements. When a contract states that a party has "five business days" to respond, that means five weekdays excluding any intervening holidays. Understanding exactly how many business days fall between two dates is essential for compliance, project planning, payroll processing, and supply-chain logistics. A calendar week contains five business days and two weekend days, but months and years vary because holidays shift and some months have more weekdays than others.
In practice, the term "business day" can have slightly different meanings depending on context. Banks define a business day as any day the Federal Reserve is open. Shipping carriers may operate on Saturdays but still quote delivery estimates in business days that exclude weekends. Courts calculate filing deadlines using business days defined by their jurisdiction. Always confirm which holidays and conventions apply when a deadline is stated in business days.
Business Days in Finance and Shipping
Financial markets rely heavily on the business-day concept for trade settlement. When you buy or sell a stock, the transaction does not complete instantly. The settlement cycle determines how many business days after the trade date (T) the actual transfer of shares and cash occurs. In May 2024, the United States moved from T+2 to T+1 settlement for equities. This means that if you purchase shares on a Monday, the trade settles on Tuesday. If you trade on Friday, settlement happens the following Monday because weekends are not business days.
Bond markets, foreign-exchange transactions, and options contracts each have their own settlement conventions, but all are measured in business days. The distinction matters because interest accrues on unsettled trades, and failed settlements incur penalties. When a holiday falls during the settlement window, the settlement date shifts forward by one business day. Traders and back-office systems must maintain accurate holiday calendars for every market in which they operate.
In e-commerce and logistics, "ships in 3-5 business days" is a familiar phrase. Carriers like UPS, FedEx, and USPS calculate transit times in business days, meaning a package shipped on Friday with a two-business-day service will arrive on Tuesday, not Sunday. Some premium services do deliver on Saturdays, but standard business-day estimates exclude weekends. Accurate business-day math is critical for setting customer expectations, managing warehouse operations, and meeting service-level agreements.
US Federal Holidays
The United States recognizes 11 federal holidays each year. On these days, federal government offices are closed, banks do not process transactions, mail is not delivered (with some exceptions), and the stock market is closed. Many private employers also observe these holidays, though they are not legally required to do so. The 11 federal holidays are:
- New Year's Day (January 1) — Celebrates the start of the calendar year. When it falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed; when on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Third Monday in January) — Honors the civil rights leader. A federal holiday since 1986.
- Presidents' Day (Third Monday in February) — Officially "Washington's Birthday," it broadly honors all US presidents.
- Memorial Day (Last Monday in May) — Commemorates members of the armed forces who have died in service. It also marks the unofficial start of summer.
- Juneteenth (June 19) — Commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Became a federal holiday in 2021.
- Independence Day (July 4) — Celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
- Labor Day (First Monday in September) — Honors the labor movement and American workers. Marks the unofficial end of summer.
- Columbus Day (Second Monday in October) — Recognizes the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. Some states observe Indigenous Peoples' Day instead.
- Veterans Day (November 11) — Honors all military veterans who have served in the US armed forces.
- Thanksgiving (Fourth Thursday in November) — A national day of giving thanks, traditionally marked by a family meal.
- Christmas Day (December 25) — Celebrates the Christian holiday, widely observed as a secular and cultural event as well.
When a fixed-date holiday (like July 4 or December 25) falls on a Saturday, the federal government observes it on the preceding Friday. When it falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed. This "observed" rule ensures that federal employees always receive a weekday off for each holiday.
International Business Day Conventions
While the Monday-through-Friday workweek is dominant in the Americas and Europe, not all countries follow the same schedule. In much of the Middle East, the traditional workweek runs from Sunday through Thursday, with Friday and Saturday forming the weekend. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and several other Gulf states adopted this convention, though some (like the UAE) recently shifted to a Monday-through-Friday schedule to align with global markets. Israel observes a Sunday-through-Thursday (or Friday morning) workweek, with Shabbat (Saturday) as the day of rest.
In South Asia, many businesses operate on a five-and-a-half-day week, with Saturday being a half day. Bangladesh observes Friday and Saturday as the weekend. Nepal's official workweek runs from Sunday through Friday, with Saturday as the only day off. These differences mean that a "business day" in Dhaka is not the same as a "business day" in New York, which can complicate international contracts and cross-border financial settlements.
Holiday calendars vary even more dramatically. Japan observes around 16 national holidays per year, including Golden Week (a cluster of four holidays in late April and early May) when many businesses shut down entirely. China celebrates the Lunar New Year with a week-long public holiday that causes widespread disruption to manufacturing and shipping. India recognizes three national holidays but each state declares its own set of regional holidays, leading to substantial variation across the country. When calculating business days for international operations, companies must maintain separate holiday calendars for each jurisdiction.
The international financial system addresses these differences through market-specific settlement calendars. The foreign-exchange market uses a concept called "value dates," which must be business days in both countries involved in the currency pair. A USD/JPY trade, for example, will not settle on a day that is a holiday in either the US or Japan. Organizations like SWIFT and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) publish standardized holiday lists to ensure consistency across global transactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are business days?
Business days are weekdays from Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays. Most banks, courts, government offices, and corporate operations run on business days. When a deadline or delivery estimate is quoted in business days, weekends and holidays do not count toward the total.
How many business days are in a year?
A standard year has 365 days, of which approximately 260 are weekdays (Monday through Friday). After subtracting the 11 US federal holidays, there are roughly 249 business days per year. The exact number varies slightly from year to year depending on which days of the week the holidays fall on.
What does T+1 settlement mean in finance?
T+1 means a securities trade settles one business day after the trade date. "T" stands for the transaction date. If you buy stock on Wednesday, settlement occurs on Thursday. If you buy on Friday, settlement is Monday because weekends are not business days. The US moved from T+2 to T+1 in May 2024.
Do business days include weekends?
No. In the United States and most Western countries, business days are Monday through Friday only. Saturday and Sunday are excluded. Some Middle Eastern countries use a Sunday-through-Thursday workweek, so the definition of a "business day" depends on the country.
What are the 11 US federal holidays?
The 11 US federal holidays are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Federal offices, banks, and the stock market are closed on these days.
How are business days calculated for shipping?
Shipping carriers like UPS, FedEx, and USPS calculate transit times in business days, excluding weekends and major holidays. A "2 business day" shipment sent on Thursday would arrive on Monday, not Saturday. Some premium services deliver on Saturdays, but standard estimates use business days only.