Utilizing data from the Worker Paid Leave Usage Simulation Model (Worker PLUS), we estimate the current need for leave in those states that do not have established paid family and medical leave programs; the extent to which the need for leave goes unmet in these states; and the economic losses that families incur as a result of unpaid or partially paid leaves. This report presents our overall findings in these states; we also provide state-level estimates in the Appendix.

On April 9, 2022, legislators in Maryland overrode Governor Larry Hogan’s veto and enacted the Time to Care Act of 2022, making Maryland the tenth state (plus the District of Columbia) to offer paid family and medical leave to workers.

Black women are staying in the workforce, but their need for paid leave continues to go unmet.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended life for countless families and brought heightened attention to the plight of working parents. Recent IWPR studies find that during the pandemic, young mothers—especially those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged—experienced a sharp decline in employment and prolonged economic hardship for their families.