Paid leave—including parental leave for new parents, medical leave to care for one’s own serious illness, and caregiving leave to provide care for loved ones—is a critical element of family economic security. Women’s labor force participation in the United States has played a key role in economic growth, yet it has also left millions of families to navigate the conflict between their care and labor market responsibilities, a problem that will only grow worse as the U.S. population ages. Six states plus Washington, DC have enacted paid leave laws, additional states and localities are considering paid leave legislation, and multiple policy proposals exist at the federal level as well. Equitable Growth is accelerating the growth of the knowledge base that informs policymaking at the local, state, and federal level to ensure that solutions to family caregiving challenges work for families, employers, and the economy as a whole.
Featured work
Paid sick leave means dads can spend more time caring for loved ones and less time worrying about missing work
June 15, 2023
June 15, 2023
What is social infrastructure, and how does it support economic growth in the United States?
January 26, 2023
January 26, 2023
Frequently asked questions about paid sick time for U.S. workers and their families and the broader U.S. economy
November 30, 2022
November 30, 2022
Reduced job turnover in small U.S. firms is an overlooked benefit of paid sick leave
July 5, 2022
July 5, 2022
Factsheet: What does the research say about the economics of paid leave?
April 22, 2021
April 22, 2021
Paid sick time and paid family and medical leave support workers in different ways and are both good for the broader U.S. economy
January 25, 2022
January 25, 2022
Explore Content in Paid Leave169
Recent research shows how paid leave impacts women’s employment and financial security in the United States
December 13, 2024
December 13, 2024
Request for Proposals: Promoting competition and supporting workers in an era of AI innovation
November 20, 2024
November 20, 2024
Request for proposals: Research grants for early career scholars
October 30, 2024
October 30, 2024
A researcher’s guide to identifying policy-relevant research questions for the federal government
May 30, 2024
May 30, 2024
Request for Proposals: How effective was the fiscal response to the COVID-19 recession for workers?
March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024
Request for proposals: Research grants for early career scholars
November 30, 2023
November 30, 2023
Paid sick leave means dads can spend more time caring for loved ones and less time worrying about missing work
June 15, 2023
June 15, 2023
Paid leave and the pandemic: New evidence from Families First and lessons for federal policymakers
March 20, 2023 2:00PM - 3:00PM
Access to paid family leave improves U.S. women’s labor market outcomes following a spouse’s health shock
March 6, 2023
March 6, 2023
The Impact of Paid Family Leave on Families with Health Shocks
March 6, 2023
March 6, 2023
Executive actions to strengthen U.S. income support programs and support research about them
February 22, 2023
February 22, 2023
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