The Landscape of Parental Leave-Taking in the United States

Abstract

This paper leverages new data linkages to provide the most detailed account to date of the length and timing of parental leave in the United States. Most mothers remain employed throughout pregnancy and their child’s first year of life, but the average maternity leave lasts only 7.2 weeks. Fathers take less than 1 week on average. Despite a steady increase in benefits, average leave duration has declined in recent decades. Our results highlight uneven access and incomplete take-up of parental leave benefits and suggest a modest rise in leave would lead to economically meaningful improvements in maternal health.