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Documenting the Need for a National Paid Family and Medical Leave Program: Evidence from the 2012 FMLA Survey

Author

Listed:
  • Helene Jorgensen
  • Eileen Appelbaum

Abstract

The United States is the only high-income country that does not mandate paid family and medical leave. Instead American workers rely on a patchwork of employer-provided benefits, private insurance, state programs, public assistance, and savings to make ends meet during a leave event. About 30 percent of private-sector employees taking unpaid leave incur debt as result of their leave. More than 2.5 million employees cannot afford to take leave to care for self, a family member with a serious health condition, during pregnancy, to bond with a new child, or to care for an injured military service member every year. Our analysis of the Department of Labor’s 2012 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Survey found that 12.6 percent of private-sector employees took family and medical leave in 2012, while 4.5 percent had unmet leave needs. This means that one-in-four employees needing leave had their leave needs unmet in the past 12 months. Not being able to afford unpaid leave (49.4 percent) and the risk of loss of job (18.3 percent) were the two most common reasons given for not taking needed leave. Employees with children living at home and female employees had the greatest need for leave, but also had the highest rates of unmet leave.

Suggested Citation

  • Helene Jorgensen & Eileen Appelbaum, 2014. "Documenting the Need for a National Paid Family and Medical Leave Program: Evidence from the 2012 FMLA Survey," CEPR Reports and Issue Briefs 2014-10, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
    • Handle: RePEc:epo:papers:2014-10
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Helene Jorgensen & Eileen Appelbaum, 2014. "Expanding Federal Family and Medical Leave Coverage: Who Benefits from Changes in Eligibility Requirements?," CEPR Reports and Issue Briefs 2014-02, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
    2. Helene Jorgensen & Eileen Appelbaum, 2014. "Expanding Family and Medical Leave to Small Firms," CEPR Reports and Issue Briefs 2014-06, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
    3. Rebecca Ray & Janet C. Gornick & John Schmitt, 2008. "Parental Leave Policies in 21 Countries: Assessing Generosity and Gender Equality," CEPR Reports and Issue Briefs 2008-23, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
    4. Jody Heymann & Hye Jin Rho & John Schmitt & Alison Earle, 2009. "Contagion Nation: A Comparison of Paid Sick Day Policies in 22 Countries," CEPR Reports and Issue Briefs 2009-19, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    FMLA; family leave; medical leave;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I - Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • H - Public Economics
    • J - Labor and Demographic Economics
    • J8 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards
    • J83 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Workers' Rights
    • J88 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Public Policy
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy

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