“Paid Leave Means a Stronger Nation” makes the case for a nationwide paid family and medical leave law to help working families in every state

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 3, 2026 – As the nation marks 33 years of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the law that allows people to take unpaid time off from work for caregiving or their own health, the National Partnership for Women & Families (NWPF) is out with a new report highlighting the need for access to paid leave in 37 states.

To coincide with the anniversary and continue NPWF’s call for lawmakers to come together on a policy that would help working parents and caregivers balance their work and family demands, the organization released its annual “Paid Leave Means a Stronger Nation” report today. This resource has the latest data on the benefits paid leave would have in every state across the country.

“American families are struggling in this economy. One reason is that we lack strong policies that could help workers fulfill the demands of work while also being responsive to the care needs of their families, but there is a solution within our reach,” said Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “Americans need and deserve a nationwide benefit program that would provide paid family and medical leave for working people, helping them take time off to tend to their caregiving responsibilities without fear of losing their paycheck or even their job.”

In further evidence that Americans are in need of guaranteed paid time off, the FMLA has been used by men and women over 500 million times since it was signed into law in 1993. While the law broke new ground and has been extraordinarily successful, over three decades later, it still only offers unpaid leave to working people – excluding many workers who cannot afford to go without wages. NPWF’s research shows that expanding access to paid leave is essential to ensure that all workers can uphold their work and family obligations without sacrificing one for the other.

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Read the state-specific press releases for the following states without paid leave: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawai’i, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

 

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