General FMLA statistics
Statistics comparing FMLA to the leave policies of other countries
Who is qualified to take FMLA leave?
- About 62% of workers qualify to take leave under the FMLA
- 48% women
- 52% men
- 24% earn less than $30,000
- 51% earn between $30,000 and $74,999
- 25% earn $75,000 or more
Who takes FMLA leave?
- Over fifty million people have taken FMLA leave.
- 58% women
- 42% men
- 27% earn less than $30,000
- 51% earn between $30,000 and $74,999
- 22% earn $75,000 or more
Why do people take FMLA leave?
- To care for their own serious illness (52%)
- To care for a seriously ill family member (31%)
- To take care of a new child (26%)
What is the average duration of FMLA leave?
- 50% of workers take leave for ten days or fewer.
- 80% of workers take leave for 40 days or fewer.
How has FMLA impacted employees?
- Over fifty million Americans have taken leave through FMLA.
- Around 78% of people who wanted to take leave under FMLA but did not reported it was because the leave is unpaid and they could not afford to lose the income.
- More than four in five employees who have taken on added responsibilities when a co-worker has taken FMLA leave say that the impact on them was neutral or positive.
- 62% of employees at covered businesses do not know if the FMLA applies to them.
How has FMLA impacted employers?
- 98% of eligible employees return to work for their same employer after returning from FMLA covered leave.
- 89% of covered businesses report that FMLA has a neutral or positive impact on employee morale.
- In 84% of covered businesses, FMLA has had either a neutral or positive effect on employee productivity.
- In 90% of covered businesses, FMLA has had either a neutral or positive effect on business profitability.
- In 90% of covered businesses, FMLA has had either a neutral or positive impact on business growth.
- 89% of covered businesses report either no increase or only a small increase in administrative costs because of FMLA.
- 89% of covered businesses report either no increase or only a small increase in the cost of continuing benefits like employee health plans during employee leave under FMLA.
- 93% of covered businesses report either no increase or a small increase in hiring and training costs due to FMLA.
All above information is taken from the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2000 report Balancing the Needs of Families and Employers: Family and Medical Leave Surveys 2000 Update, Nicole Casta’s “Highlights of the 2000 U.S. Department of Labor Report: Balancing the Needs of Families and Employers: Family and Medical Leave Surveys," and the National Partnership for Women & Families' 2005 report "Facts about the FMLA: What does it do, Who uses it, and How."
How does FMLA compare with the leave policies of other countries?
Paid Leave:
137 of 173 countries mandate paid annual leave and 121 of the countries guarantee workers at least two weeks of paid leave each year. The United States does not require employers to provide any paid annual leave.
Leave for Illness and Family Care:
145 of 173 countries provide paid sick days for short- or long-term illnesses. 136 of the 145 countries offer at least one week of paid time off each year.
81 countries provide sickness benefits for employees up to 26 weeks. The United States does not provide paid time off, and the FMLA only covers approximately 60% of employees.
Leave for Childbirth:
169 out of 173 countries offer paid leave for new mothers, and 98 of those countries offer at least 14 weeks of paid leave. The United States is one of the four countries that does not guarantee any paid time off, along with Liberia, Papua New Guinea, and Swaziland.
66 of the 173 countries ensure that fathers either receive paid paternity leave or have the right to paid paternal leave, and 31 of these countries provide 14 or more weeks of paid time off. The United States was not one of the 66 countries.
This information is taken from the Project on Global Working Families’ 2007 report “Work, Family, and Equity Index.”
Return to the Family and Medical Leave Act Resource Page
