The Economics of Paid Family Leave

The 3rd full episode of our Economic Explainer podcast series focuses on the economic benefits of paid family leave.

Too many people in the United States face financial hardship when they drop out of work to care for a young child or sick family member. In fact, we're one of only a handful of countries in the world that doesn’t have paid time off for new parents. That forces people out of the labor market and contributes to the gender pay gap.

In response, Joint Economic Committee Vice Chair Carolyn Maloney introduced a bill called the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, which would provide 12 weeks of paid family leave for federal employees. The legislation, which passed in the House and requires Senate approval, would pave the way for workers throughout the country to win the right to paid family leave.

To shed light on the issue, JEC Democratic staff spoke to renowned economist Eileen Appelbaum (@EileenAppelbaum, from @ceprdc), one of the leading scholars on work-family policies.

Once you’ve listened, read more here:

• Details of the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act
• Dr. Appelbaum's op-ed about the benefits of paid family leave
• JEC fact sheet on the gender pay gap

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