New report shows states lead the way to greater access to paid family and medical leave.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 3, 2026 – A new report from the National Partnership for Women & Families reveals that one in three private-sector workers in the U.S. now has access to paid family and medical leave through a state program.
The report credits states for the rising number of people with access to the benefit. As of today, 14 states, including D.C., have enacted paid leave laws, which means workers in those states can get paid time off for caregiving needs, including their own serious illness or to care for a family member. Overall, the findings show that 93 percent of workers in these states are eligible to take paid leave when they have a qualifying health or caregiving need.
Virginia could soon pass its own law before the end of the state’s legislative session this month. According to the report, if Virginia and five other states with the most momentum behind their campaigns all passed paid leave programs, 44 percent of workers nationwide would have access to paid family and medical leave.
“Being able to take time off to provide care – whether for a new child, a loved one or oneself – is not simply a workplace benefit – it is a basic necessity that everyone will need at some point, and everyone should have access to paid leave without unjust barriers,” said Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “To see a growing portion of the workforce with more access to paid leave means that fewer workers will have to worry about choosing between their responsibilities at work or at home, marking a major milestone that is long overdue. Yet we still have much work to do to make sure that every worker in the United States can take paid family and medical leave when they need it.”
“States have shifted the paradigm now that more than 46 million workers across the U.S. are covered by paid family and medical leave programs, pointing the way forward for the rest of the country. Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and Latino workers are especially benefitting because they are more likely to live in states with paid leave programs,” said Jessica Mason, senior policy analyst at the National Partnership for Women & Families. “However, the job isn’t done yet, and the lack of progress on paid leave in the 37 other states has disproportionately left out certain groups of workers who are more likely to live in states without paid leave programs, including American Indian/Alaska Native workers and Black workers.”
For decades, the National Partnership has advocated for a strong paid family and medical leave program that is comprehensive, covering family needs such as maternity or paternity leave – as well as medical needs like appointments for serious conditions or treatments. As the U.S remains last among its peers on this issue, NPWF and its partners continue to push for a comprehensive, national paid leave law covering all states – and all workers and their families.
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