From Precarity to Protection? The Role of Paid Family Leave in Shaping Mothers’ Employment and Public Assistance Use

Millions of parents face significant income loss when taking time off after childbirth. As of 2023, only 27 percent of civilian workers had access to paid family leave (PFL) through their employers, and among the lowest-wage earners, just six percent had access. Social Welfare scholar David Rothwell and economist Hyein Kang will examine Oregon’s Paid Leave Oregon (PLO), a recently implemented program that is relatively generous in its benefits, offering 12 weeks of paid leave for qualifying events, expanded job protections and eligibility, and 100 percent wage replacement for low-income workers earning up to $43,000 annually. The investigators focus on three research questions. First, who is eligible for PLO and takes the benefit and how does take-up vary across demographics? Second, how does PLO affect mothers’ employment, and how does this vary across demographics? And last, to what extent does PLO affect participation in the public assistance programs Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)?