- Survey finds that 37 percent of unemployed workers would return to work faster if they had access to paid family leave
- 58 percent of those who reduced their hours during the COVID-19 pandemic indicated that they would seek more hours if paid family leave was available
- Nearly four in five respondents said they currently don’t have access to paid family leave
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
Paid family leave would encourage more than one-third of unemployed workers to return to the labor force, according to a recent survey from the Bipartisan Policy Center and Morning Consult.
The poll of 2,200 adults found that 37 percent of unemployed workers, including 45 percent of unemployed caregivers, said they would seek to return to work sooner if they had access to paid family leave. Just 14 percent said this benefit would not make them return to work faster, while 49 percent were uncertain if it would have an effect.
Among those who reduced their working hours during the COVID-19 pandemic, 58 percent said they would increase their hours if paid family leave was available.
- 79 percent of workers said they don’t currently have access to paid family leave, and 60 percent said they don’t have access to paid medical leave
- Child care needs have become more noticeable during the pandemic, with many caregivers leaving the labor force; Democratic lawmakers are looking to address the issue by establishing a national paid family leave program
- The District of Columbia and nine states, including Connecticut, offer or will offer paid family leave
- A payroll deduction in Connecticut is currently in effect to fund the state’s paid family leave program, with benefits available at the start of 2022
