Data show that state paid leave programs help to increase labor force participation among women, improve economic stability for families, strengthen businesses and grow state economies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 5, 2024 – New analysis from the National Partnership for Women & Families (NPWF) highlights the positive impacts on families and state economies when workers have access to state-implemented paid family and medical leave programs that provide workers the ability to address their own serious health needs, care for a family member with a major illness, injury or disability, or to welcome a new child. So far, 14 states (including D.C.) have established statewide paid leave laws: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and the District of Columbia. State-level data show that when access to paid leave doesn’t depend on what job you hold, workers, businesses, and local economies benefit from a growing workforce, and more ability for workers’ to support their families and care for them when needed.

The National Partnership’s full analysis provides the most recent numbers on what a national, comprehensive paid leave law would do for working people across the 50 states and the District of Columbia – and shows the consequences for working families without it. NPWF experts found that in many states without paid leave, there are large gaps in labor force participation between men and women – and these gaps amount to millions, and in many cases, billions of dollars in lost wages.

In states with paid leave programs, the analysis found:

• Across state lines, in the majority of households with children, all parents work. Meaningful paid leave programs help parents balance caregiving needs, prevent workers from having to choose between work and their families, and help more women join the labor force.
• Women’s wages are key to their household’s financial stability. Nationally, 79 percent of Black mothers, 49 percent of Latina mothers, 48 percent of white mothers and 43 percent of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) mothers are key family breadwinners. When women are forced to take unpaid leave, families’ economic stability suffers.
• The need for caregivers is growing – fast. State paid leave programs mean workers can afford to spend time caring for themselves and their families, making our workforce more resilient.

“In states where workers have access to paid family and medical leave, we see that women have better wages, companies experience higher staff retention rates, and people are better able to support themselves and their families,” said Jocelyn C. Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “Paid family and medical leave is a cornerstone in a society where everyone is able to reach their full potential, where nobody has to experience discrimination in the workplace, and where every family has access to real economic security. Precisely because of these benefits, we now have 14 states, including D.C., that have enacted their own paid leave laws. It’s time for Congress to catch up and pass a national program.”

The National Partnership has long advocated for a comprehensive national paid leave program that meets the needs of all workers, especially women. Lack of paid leave programs and other supportive family policies, and consequently limited labor force participation for women, costs the U.S. economy more than $775 billion each year. NPWF continues to push for a national paid leave program that includes all workers, no matter the industry; replaces enough income that workers at any income level can afford to use it; makes it easy for businesses to implement and covers the range of care needs workers face.

A full list of policy recommendations and an interactive map with fact sheets for paid leave in each can be found here.

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