The United States is the only country among 41 higher-income nations that does not guarantee any paid leave for new parents or to care for a sick family member.
This issue brief provides background on federal and state paid family leave (PFL) policies, highlights domestic and international research that shows PFL provides a range of benefits, and lays out principles for a universal paid family leave program.
Unpaid leave and employer-provided paid leave are available to some workers but are generally less accessible to workers in low-wage jobs and workers of color. Employer-provided paid family leave is more prevalent among high-paying, professional occupations and within large companies.
Thirty-four percent of U.S. workers in the highest wage brackets have access to paid family leave through their employers, compared to 7 percent of workers in the lowest wage bracket and 6 percent of service workers. This leaves approximately 100 million people, or 80 percent of U.S. workers, without paid time off after birth or adoption. (author introduction)