Connecticut, Rhode Island and Washington State show positive outcomes thanks to intentional implementation of paid family and medical leave benefits for workers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 7, 2025 – A first-of-its-kind analysis conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families (NPWF) found positive trends in three state paid leave programs, showing that over time, access and use of these programs grew as they reached more workers and became more focused on equity and inclusion.

The report, “Strong State Evidence for Paid Leave,” shows that through high-quality implementation and a focus on public awareness, use of paid leave in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Washington State grew – and closed gender gaps in several areas.

NPWF researchers found that paid leave is a benefit that all workers want: their analysis shows it is being used by workers at every wage level. In addition, the analysis provides new perspectives on paid leave use by gender nonbinary workers and by women and men of color, a result of some state programs prioritizing inclusive data collection. The report also shows paid leave is used by lower- and middle-wage workers, as well as those with higher wages – indicating demand for these benefits outside of jobs that traditionally offer it.

Additional findings include:

• Of the three state programs that were the focus of the analysis, Washington State and Connecticut, where workers who take paid leave have wage replacement rates on a sliding scale, have the smallest gender gaps in weekly benefit amounts.
• In Washington State, paid leave is being used across racial and ethnic groups, with gaps in benefit amounts found to be smaller than overall racial wage gaps.
• Men, as well as women, in Washington State and Connecticut utilize family caregiving leave – mirroring trends in national data and polling that shows men want to spend more time engaged in caregiving.
• More new parents are utilizing these programs and in Rhode Island, about seven in 10 eligible new mothers and nearly half of eligible new fathers use the state’s program; in Washington, two-thirds of eligible new mothers and more than half of eligible new fathers do.

“We often talk about the state paid leave programs setting the example for what we want to see in a national, comprehensive paid leave program,” said Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “These programs provide strong evidence about where we need to be headed in the U.S. As a country that still lags behind its international counterparts, it’s beyond time that Congress pass the FAMILY Act and ensure that we have paid family and medical leave that works for everyone – not just a select, privileged few.”

“Women and their families want government to help make their lives a little easier, and increasingly states are delivering by providing paid leave. Our analysis confirms that when states invest in strong programs that center equity and inclusion, workers benefit across the board,” said Jessica Mason, senior policy analyst for economic justice at the National Partnership for Women & Families. “For example, nationally, Black women are especially likely to report not being able to take leave when they need it, but our data shows Black women using Washington’s program on par with other groups. It’s great to see how workers have gotten the support they need and that these policies are actually working for them.”

In addition, the report supports past research showing that when workers are able to take paid leave to manage their health and family needs, the benefits are clear and have a positive impact on the following:

• Maternal, infant and child health
• Families’ food security and income stability
• The labor force attachment of new mothers and family caregivers
• Employee productivity and turnover

The report discusses some areas for growth as paid leave grows. Researchers found that the very lowest-wage workers, particularly men, are less likely to use paid leave and would likely benefit from additional outreach efforts and further research to identify any barriers to program use.

For the analysis, researchers examined trends in use of paid leave for each type of claim – medical, family caregiving and parental – by gender, wage level and (in Washington State) race and ethnicity, as well as intersections of these categories where possible.

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