The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor is the principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Spotlight on Statistics
Page 1
JANUARY 2020
Workers’ Access To And Use Of Leave From Their Jobs In 2017–
18
Stephanie L. Denton
Balancing work and family needs is a challenge for workers and their employers. Having good data on the availability
and use of leave is essential for understanding that balance. This Spotlight on Statistics examines workers’ access to
and use of leave from their jobs in 2017–18. It looks at the reasons for which workers can take leave, their use of
leave, and the reasons they did not take available leave even when they needed to.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Spotlight on Statistics
Page 2
Change in access to paid leave from 2011 to 2017–18
Sixty-six percent of wage and salary workers age 15 and over were able to take paid leave from their jobs in 2017–18,
up from 60 percent in 2011, which was the last time these data were collected. Those early in their career (between
the ages of 15 to 24) experienced the largest gain in access to paid leave, increasing from 26 percent in 2011 to 35
percent in 2017–18. Workers ages 25 to 54, as well as those age 55 and over, also experienced increases in access to
paid leave over this time period.
The percentage of women with access to paid leave increased from 58 percent in 2011 to 65 percent in 2017–18. The
percentage of men with access to paid leave increased from 62 percent to 67 percent over the same time period.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Spotlight on Statistics
Page 3
Widespread gains in access to paid leave between 2011 and 2017–18
The gains in access to paid leave between 2011 and 2017–18 were widespread. Gains occurred for men and women,
Hispanics and non-Hispanics, workers with higher levels of education, parents with children in their household and
workers who did not have children in their household, and full-time workers. In the chart, the 90-percent confidence
interval—denoted by the light blue bar—represents the symmetric range of values around the estimate. This range
means there