Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping labor markets and work in ways that will profoundly affect women workers, who comprise almost half the workforce yet face distinct vulnerabilities and opportunities with the growth of AI.
State Paid Family and Medical Leave Programs Cover Nearly 50 Million Workers
Thanks to 15 state-level paid leave programs, nearly 50 million private-sector workers nationwide – 34 percent – have or will soon have access to paid time away from their jobs for major health and caregiving needs. This report analysis how many workers are covered by each state program.
State Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Laws
Paid family and medical leave insurance laws have been enacted in fourteen states, including in the District of Columbia.
What’s the Wage Gap in the States?
Overall, women in the United States are paid 75 cents for every dollar paid to men, and that gap is widest for women of color. This persistent, pervasive wage gap is driven in part by gender and racial discrimination, workplace harassment, job segregation and a lack of workplace policies that support family caregiving, which is still most often performed by women.
More than Six Million Black Women Workers Live in States That Block Local Paid Sick Days Progress
Eighteen states fail to guarantee workers paid sick days and also block local governments from setting their own paid leave standards (known as “preemption”). More than 6.1 million Black women – 57% of Black women in the labor force nationwide – live in these 18 preemption states.
America’s Women and the Wage Gap
Every state has a gender wage gap, and it persists regardless of industry and education level and within occupations.
The Wage Gap #IRL (In Real Life) for Women of Color
Women of color are subjected to wide gender wage gaps due to experiencing the double bind of sexism and white supremacy in the United States and how our country systematically devalues women of color and their labor.
EEO-1 Data Collection
Collecting workforce demographic data at the federal level plays an important role in enforcing federal laws prohibiting job discrimination. This explainer provides an overview of the EEO-1 data collection and its uses.
State Paid Leave Programs Cover Nearly One-Third of Workers in the United States
Nearly one-third of all private-sector workers (32 percent) are eligible for paid leave under one of the 14 state programs that have been enacted. 46.2 million workers across the country are eligible for paid leave through their state program.
Paid Leave Means a Stronger Nation
A state-by-state analysis that highlights the significant and growing need for a national paid family and medical leave law that covers workers in all 51 states.
Key Facts: The Family and Medical Leave Act
NPWF research estimates that the FMLA has been used about 566 million times by working people who needed to care for their own health or the health of their families. In 2025 alone, more than 15 million workers were supported by the FMLA.
Do Market Options Provide Time to Care?
As legislators in more states consider options to increase workers’ access to paid family and medical leave, understanding the strengths and limitations of market-based paid leave – and how coverage compares to universal, comprehensive programs – is essential.
The Share of Mothers Who Work Is Shrinking – and Black Mothers Face the Steepest Declines
New analysis from the National Partnership for Women & Families and The 75 Million Project finds that Black mothers of young children are facing the steepest declines in labor force participation in recent years. The declines are particularly dramatic for college-educated Black mothers – and they have been most pronounced in recent months.
Open Letter in Support of the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act From Leading Private-Sector Employers
Business leaders urge the passage of the FAMILY Act to build support for working families, strengthen our businesses, and create a more secure future for everyone.
Strong State Evidence for Paid Leave: A Look at Connecticut, Rhode Island and Washington State
This report dives into previously unpublished claims data from Rhode Island, Washington state and Connecticut to explore paid leave program use through an equity lens.
They’re Coming for Your Overtime Pay
While loudly touting “no tax on overtime,” the Trump administration has begun rulemaking and congressional Republicans have begun the legislative process on policies that would rollback overtime protections for the nearly 98 million workers who are eligible for it.
The Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act
The Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act would address America’s paid family and medical leave crisis and benefit working people, their families, businesses and our nation’s economy.
Nearly 73 Million Workers Live in States That Block Local Communities from Making Progress on Paid Sick Days
Lawmakers in 18 states across the country – the majority of which are in the South – fail to guarantee that workers can earn paid sick days, and at the same time block local governments from setting their own standards for local workers, families and businesses.
Missed Opportunities to Expand Paid Leave and Caregiving Supports Through the Tax Code
Failure to act on paid leave has kept workers – especially women workers – on the workplace sidelines, moving in and out of the workforce to navigate disruptions associated with caregiving needs or responsibilities.
Fathers Need Paid Family and Medical Leave
Men increasingly want to be involved parents and caregivers in their families, yet most men still do not have access to paid family leave that would allow them to take time away from work after the birth or adoption of a child.
