For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Thursday, August 29, 2019 USDL-19-1542 

Technical information: (202) 691-6339 • atusinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/tus 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

ACCESS TO AND USE OF LEAVE — 2017-2018

DATA FROM THE AMERICAN TIME USE SURVEY

In 2017-18, 66 percent of wage and salary workers had access to paid leave at their jobs, the U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was an increase from 2011, when 60 percent of 

workers had access to paid leave. 

These findings are from a supplementary set of questions—the 2017-18 Leave and Job 

Flexibilities Module—that was asked as part of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), and 

sponsored by the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. The data on leave were collected 

directly from wage and salary workers, excluding the self-employed. Workers sometimes do not 

know whether they can use leave until they have a need to do so. The measures of leave apply 

only to a person’s sole or main job. For individuals with more than one job, this is the job in 

which they usually work the most hours. For more information about the ATUS Leave and Job 

Flexibilities Module, see the Technical Note.

Comparisons in this news release are on a broad level and do not control for many factors that 

can be important in explaining differences in leave access, including differences in the 

distribution of workers by their full- or part-time work status. 

Access to paid or unpaid leave in 2017-18: 

• On average, 66 percent of wage and salary workers had access to paid leave at their jobs. 

Seventy-eight percent of wage and salary workers had access to unpaid leave, and an 

additional 9 percent were unsure whether they had access to unpaid leave. Ninety-three 

percent of workers had access to either paid or unpaid leave. (See table 2.)

• The percentage of wage and salary workers with access to paid leave increased from 60 

percent in 2011 to 66 percent in 2017-18. The gains in access to paid leave were 

widespread across demographic and other characteristics. (See table 1.)

• The percentage of women with access to paid leave increased from 58 percent in 2011 to 

65 percent in 2017-18. The percentage of men with access to paid leave increased from 

62 percent to 67 percent over the same time period. (See table 1.) 
-2- 

• The wage and salary workers most likely to have access to paid leave were in 

management, business, and financial operations occupations (82 percent); installation, 

maintenance, and repair occupations (79 percent); and professional and related 

occupations (76 percent). Workers least likely to have access to paid leave were in

construction and extraction occupations (36 percent) and service occupations (43 

percent). (See table 2.) 

• Seventy-nine percent of public-sector workers had access to paid leave, compared with 

63 percent of private-sector workers. (See table 2.) 

• Among single jobholders, full-time workers were about three times more likely than parttime workers to have access to paid leave—77 percent, compared with 23 percent. (See 

table 2.) 

• Among full-time wage and salary workers with only one job, higher earners had greater 

access to paid leave. Eighty-six percent of workers in the top 25 percent of earners had 

access to paid leave, compared with 57 percent of workers who were among the lowest 

25 percent of earners. (See table 2.) 

• Vacation (95 percent) and own illness or medical care (94 percent) were the most 

common reasons for which workers could use paid leave. The most common reasons for 

which workers could use unpaid leave were for own illness or medical care (93 percent) 

and illness or medical care of a family member (86 percent). (See table 3.) 

• Wage and salary workers who could work at home as part of their job were more likely to 

have access to paid leave (81 percent) than were workers who could not work at home 

(60 percent). (See table 2.)

Use of paid or unpaid leave in 2017-18: 

• During an average week, 21 percent of wage and salary workers took leave, either paid or 

unpaid, from their job. These workers took an average of 13.7 hours of leave. (See table 

4.) 

• In an average week, 6 percent of wage and salary workers took leave for vacation, 5 

percent took leave because they were ill or needed medical care, and 4 percent took leave 

to run errands or for personal reasons. (See table 6.) 

• Women were more likely than men to take leave from their jobs during an average week 

(23 percent, compared with 19 percent). Of those who took leave during an average 

week, women were more likely than men to take leave because a family member was ill 

or needed medical care (10 percent, compared with 6 percent). (See table 4.) 

• Of those wage and salary workers who took leave from their jobs during an average 

week, about two-thirds used paid leave. (See table 5.) 
-3- 

• Among workers who took leave during an average week, parents living with children 

under age 18 were more likely to take leave because a family member was ill or needed 

medical care than were workers who were not parents living with children (13 percent, 

compared with 5 percent). Those who were not parents were more likely to take leave for 

their own illness or medical care (24 percent) than were workers who were parents of 

household children (18 percent). (See table 4.) 

Non-use of leave in 2017-18: 

• Nine percent of wage and salary workers needed to take leave during an average month, 

but for various reasons did not take leave. About one-third of these workers needed to 

take leave for their own illness or medical care, and about one-third needed to take leave 

for errands or personal reasons. (See table 7.) 

• During an average month, women were more likely than men to experience times when 

they needed to take leave but did not (10 percent, compared with 7 percent). Of those 

women who needed to take leave but did not, the most common reason for needing leave 

was for their own illness or medical care (42 percent). By comparison, men most often 

needed leave for errands or personal reasons (40 percent). (See table 7.) 

• Of those workers who needed to take leave during an average month but did not, 23 

percent did not take leave because they had too much work, 21 percent did not take leave 

because they feared negative employment consequences or because their leave request 

was denied, and 15 percent did not take leave because they could not afford the loss in 

income. (See table 8.) 
Technical Note

The data in this release were collected with a 

supplementary set of questions, the 2017-18 Leave and Job 

Flexibilities Module, asked as part of the American Time 

Use Survey (ATUS) in 2017 and 2018. The ATUS—a 

continuous survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for 

the Bureau of Labor Statistics—focuses on obtaining 

information about how individuals age 15 and over spend 

their time. For more information about the survey, see the 

ATUS User’s Guide at www.bls.gov/tus/atususersguide.pdf. 

The 2017-18 Leave and Job Flexibilities Module was 

sponsored by the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. 

The purpose of this module was to obtain information about 

workers' access to and use of leave, job flexibilities, and 

work schedules. The data in this release pertain to wage and 

salary workers and their main job. The data exclude all selfemployed workers. Respondents to the 2017-18 Leave and 

Job Flexibilities Module answered questions about access to 

paid and unpaid leave, reasons for taking leave, use of leave 

during the past 7 days, times when leave was needed but not 

taken, shift work, advance notice of schedules, workers’ 

control over their schedules, work-at-home arrangements, 

and other related topics. There were about 10,000

respondents to the Leave and Job Flexibilities Module in 

2017-18. 

These data on leave were collected directly from wage 

and salary workers. The data thus represent workers' 

knowledge on these topics. Workers sometimes do not know 

whether they can use leave or adjust their work schedules 

until they have a need to do so. Leave and Job Flexibilities

Module data were collected from January 2017 through 

December 2018. 

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Leave questions and concepts

 The 2017-18 Leave and Job Flexibilities Module was 

introduced with the statement, “The next few questions are 

about paid and unpaid leave from a job.” Following the 

introduction, respondents were asked whether they receive

paid leave at their main job and, if so, the reasons for which 

they can take paid leave. Respondents were then asked about

their ability to take leave without pay and reasons for which 

they can take unpaid leave from their main job.

Respondents with access to paid or unpaid leave were 

asked whether they had taken any leave during the past 7 

days. If they took leave, they were asked about the length and

main reason for taking leave.

In the next set of questions, respondents were asked 

about how much flexibility they have in arranging their work 

schedules. Respondents were asked if they can vary or 

change the times they begin and end work. If able to do so,

respondents were asked how often they can change these 

times, and whether their ability to do so was governed by a 

formal or informal arrangement with their employer. 

Workers unable to vary the times they begin and end work

were asked whether they have input into their work 

schedules. Respondents were then asked how far in advance 

they know their work schedule. 

Next, respondents were asked about the time of day and 

days of the week they usually work. Those working a nondaytime schedule were asked about the shift they usually 

work, and the main reason why they work this shift. 

Respondents were then asked on which days they usually 

work during the week. 

Next, respondents were asked if they can work at home. 

Respondents who indicated they can work at home were 

asked if they ever do work at home, if they are paid for the 

hours they work at home, and the main reason they work at

home. Those who do work at home were asked if there are 

days they work only at home and, if so, how often. 

In the last section, respondents were asked if there were 

times during the past month in which they needed to take off 

from work but did not. If so, respondents were asked their 

reasons for needing to take leave. Respondents with access 

to paid or unpaid leave were asked about their reasons for not 

using leave. 

The Leave and Job Flexibilities Module questionnaire 

is available at www.bls.gov/tus/lvmquestionnaire1718.pdf. 

Definitions

Employment and earnings

• Employed. All persons who:

1) At any time during the 7 days prior to the 

interview did any work at all as paid employees, or 

worked in their own business or profession or on 

their own farm; or 

2) Were not working during the 7 days prior to the 

interview but had jobs or businesses from which 

they were temporarily absent because of illness, bad 

weather, vacation, childcare problems, labormanagement disputes, maternity or paternity leave, 

job training, or other family or personal reasons, 

whether or not they were paid for the time off or 

were seeking other jobs; or

3) Usually worked 15 hours or more as unpaid 

workers in a family-operated enterprise.

• Employed full time. For the purpose of producing 

estimates related to leave, full-time workers are

single jobholders who usually worked 35 or more 

hours per week.

• Employed part time. For the purpose of producing 

estimates related to leave, part-time workers are

single jobholders who usually worked fewer than 

35 hours per week.
• Main job. For persons holding more than one job, 

the questions in the Leave and Job Flexibilities

Module referred to the characteristics of their main 

job—the job in which they usually worked the most 

hours. 

• Wage and salary workers. These are workers who 

receive wages, salaries, commissions, tips, payment 

in kind, or piece rates. The group includes 

employees in both the private and public sectors. 

For the purpose of producing estimates related to 

leave, wage and salary workers do not include any

self-employed workers; this differs from the annual 

ATUS news release, in which workers who are selfemployed and whose businesses are incorporated

are classified as wage and salary workers.

• Usual weekly earnings. Estimates represent the 

earnings of full-time wage and salary workers with 

one job only, before taxes and other deductions. 

• Weekly earnings quartiles. The ranges used for the 

quartilesrepresent approximately 25 percent of fulltime wage and salary workers who held only one 

job. For example, 25 percent of full-time wage and 

salary workers with one job only had weekly 

earnings of $590 or less in 2017 and $630 or less in 

2018. Weekly earnings in the 25th to the 50th

percentile range amounted to $591 to $920 in 2017 

and $631 to $960 in 2018. Weekly earnings in the 

50th to the 75th percentile range were $921 to $1,440 

in 2017 and $961 to $1,530 in 2018. Those earning 

greater than the 75th percentile had earnings of 

$1,441 and higher in 2017 and $1,531 and higher in 

2018. Earnings ranges were estimated using the 

2017 and 2018 ATUS data.

Leave related

• Paid leave. Respondents were asked “Do you 

receive paid leave on your current job?” or, for 

those with multiple jobs, “Do you receive paid 

leave on your main job? By main job, we mean the 

one at which you usually work the most hours.” 

Respondents were identified as having paid leave at 

their main job if they answered “yes” to one of these 

questions.

• Unpaid leave. Respondents were asked “Are you 

allowed to take time off from work without pay?” 

or, for those with multiple jobs, “In your main job, 

are you allowed to take time off from work without 

pay?” Respondents were identified as having 

unpaid leave at their main job if they answered 

“yes” to one of these questions.

• Reasons for taking leave. If respondents answered 

“yes” to having paid or unpaid leave, they were 

asked about specific reasons for which they could 

take paid and unpaid leave. The reasons are: own 

illness or medical care; illness or medical care of 

another family member; childcare, other than for 

illness; eldercare; vacation; errands or personal 

reasons; and birth or adoption of a child. 

• Workers who needed to take leave. Respondents 

were asked if there were times in the previous 

month when they needed to take leave, but did not. 

Those who responded “yes” were asked, “Why did 

you need to take off work?” Those with access to 

paid or unpaid leave were asked, “Why did you 

decide not to take leave?”

Other

• Average week. The average week reflects an 

average across all wage and salary workers in the 

population, for the period of 7 days prior to the 

interview day. Interviews are conducted on nearly 

all days of the year. The sequence of days included 

in the average week differs for respondents whose 

interviews were conducted on different days of the 

week. For example, if the interview was conducted 

on a Friday, the average week refers to the previous 

Friday through Thursday (yesterday). If the 

interview was conducted on a Monday, the average 

week refers to the previous Monday through 

Sunday (yesterday).

• Work schedule flexibility. Respondents were asked 

“Do you have flexible work hours that allow you to 

vary or make changes in the times you begin and 

end work?” Respondents were identified as having 

work schedule flexibility if they answered “yes” to 

this question.

• Workplace flexibility. Respondents were asked “As 

part of your job, can you work at home?” or, for 

those with multiple jobs, “As part of your main job, 

can you work at home?” Respondents were 

identified as having workplace flexibility if they 

answered “yes” to one of these questions. 

Comparability of the estimates

 There are some key differences between the 2017-18

Leave and Job Flexibilities Module and the 2011 Leave 

Module to the ATUS. Some of these differences affect the 

comparability of estimates produced from the two modules.

 Both modules asked wage and salary workers about 

their access to and use of leave; however, wage and salary 

workers were defined differently in the two modules. The 

difference was in how self-employed workers of 

incorporated businesses were classified. This group of selfemployed workers was included in the 2011 Leave Module 

definition of wage and salary workers, but excluded from the 
2017-18 Leave and Job Flexibilities Module definition. All 

estimates shown in this release—for 2011 and 2017-18—

were generated using the narrower 2017-18 definition of 

wage and salary workers. However, because of this change, 

estimates published in the news release “Access to and use 

of leave—2011 data from the American Time Use Survey” 

should not be compared to the results in this news release.

Additionally, this is why 2011 estimates on access to paid 

leave in this news release differ from estimates appearing in 

the original release of 2011 data. 

 The methods used to generate statistical weights for the 

2011 Leave Module and the 2017-18 Leave Module data 

were slightly different. The 2017-18 weighting methodology 

included a modified adjustment for weekday and weekend 

diaries such that the distribution of weighted person-days 

corresponded to the proportion in the calendar for each 

month. This is important for time-use estimates, as people 

spend their weekdays and weekend days differently. BLS

analysis indicates that this change in weighting methodology 

had only a negligible effect on the estimates about access to 

leave shown in table 1. 

 The 2017-18 Leave and Job Flexibilities Module 

questionnaire is a re-designed and improved version of the 

2011 Leave Module questionnaire. Questions were added, 

dropped, and modified, and these changes affected the 

comparability of some results. The 2011 Leave Module 

questionnaire included some questions about types of leave

that were not asked in 2017-18. While this change affected 

the ordering of some questions, any impact on the results is 

thought to be minimal. Additionally, questions about 

respondents’ use of leave were streamlined in 2017-18, so 

that everyone with access to leave was asked whether they 

had taken leave in the prior 7 days. In 2011, information 

collected earlier in the ATUS about labor force participation 

in the previous week was used to determine which questions 

about use of leave respondents were asked in the module. 

Questions about an unmet need for leave were asked in both 

of the modules, but the period referenced by the questions 

differed. In 2011, workers were asked whether, in the past 7 

days, there were situations in which they needed to take off 

from work but did not; in 2017-18, the question instead 

referenced the previous month. 

 The 2017-18 Leave and Job Flexibilities questionnaire 

collected more detail than the 2011 questionnaire about the 

reasons people took leave, and for those who needed to take 

leave but did not use it, it collected additional information 

about the reasons they needed to take leave and the reasons 

why they decided not to take leave. Collecting this additional 

detail about workers’ reasons for using or not using leave

improved the 2017-18 results by reducing the percentage of 

workers appearing in the residual “other” columns in the 

tables of this news release; however, because of these 

changes, the 2017-18 results for these questions are not 

comparable to the 2011 results. 

Reliability of the estimates

Statistics based on the ATUS Leave and Job 

Flexibilities Module are subject to both sampling and 

nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire 

population, is surveyed, estimates differ from the true 

population values they represent. The component of this 

difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is 

known as sampling error, and its variability is measured by 

the standard error of the estimate. 

Sample estimates from a given survey design are 

unbiased when an average of the estimates from all possible 

samples would yield, hypothetically, the true population 

value. In this case, the sample estimate and its standard error 

can be used to construct approximate confidence intervals, 

or ranges of values that include the true population value 

with known probabilities. If the process of selecting a sample 

from the population were repeated many times, an estimate 

made from each sample, and a suitable estimate of its 

standard error calculated for each sample, then 

approximately 90 percent of the intervals from 1.645 

standard errors below the estimate to 1.645 standard errors 

above the estimate would include the true population value. 

BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level 

of confidence. 

 The ATUS Leave and Job Flexibilities Module data 

also are affected by nonsampling error, which is the average 

difference between population and sample values for 

samples generated by a given process. Nonsampling error 

can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample 

a segment of the population, inability to obtain information 

for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness 

of respondents to provide correct information, and errors 

made in the collection or processing of the data. 

Nonsampling error and leave. Data provided in the Leave

and Job Flexibilities Module may be affected by 

nonsampling error for a variety of reasons. Access to paid or 

unpaid leave may be misreported if respondents are unaware 

of their employers’ leave policies. For example, newer 

employees may not yet know whether they can take paid or 

unpaid leave from their jobs, under what circumstances or 

for which reasons they can take leave, or the different types 

of paid leave available to them. Some employers may have 

formal or written leave policies, while others may rely on 

employees’ supervisors to convey and implement leave 

policies. Unless employees have inquired about the specific 

leave arrangements, they may not know if the specific leave 

arrangements are possible. For example, workers with paid 

leave who have never used unpaid leave may not know if 

they can use unpaid leave, or under what circumstances they 

may use unpaid leave. 

Differences between employer- and employee-based surveys.

Estimates of access to leave that are derived from responses 

to household (or employee-based) surveys may differ from

estimates produced using establishment (or employer-based) 

surveys. In general, employer-based surveys often provide 

more detailed and accurate data on employer leave policies, 

while household surveys allow researchers to examine 

demographic factors such as sex, age, ethnicity, education, 

and race, and how they relate to leave availability and usage. 
Table 1. Workers with access to paid leave by selected characteristics, averages for the periods 2011 and 2017-2018

Characteristic

Percent of workers with access to paid leave

20111

Yes No Do not

know

2017-181

Yes No Do not

know

Change from 2011 to 2017-18

(percentage points)2

Yes No Do not

know

Age

Total, 15 years and over 60.2 38.4 1.2 66.0 32.9 1.1 5.8 -5.5 -0.1

15 to 24 years 25.9 71.0 3.0 35.4 62.0 2.6 9.4 -9.0 -0.4

25 to 34 years 63.9 35.0 0.9 70.3 29.1 0.6 6.4 -5.9 -0.2

35 to 44 years 67.3 31.5 0.8 71.7 27.4 0.9 4.4 -4.1 0.1

45 to 54 years 71.5 28.1 0.4 74.4 24.4 1.2 2.9 -3.6 0.7

55 to 64 years 66.7 31.7 1.1 74.2 24.9 0.9 7.5 -6.8 -0.2

65 years and over 46.6 51.3 1.8 51.7 48.2 0.1 5.0 -3.1 -1.7

Sex

Men 61.9 36.9 1.0 66.8 32.3 0.9 4.9 -4.6 -0.1

Women 58.3 40.1 1.4 65.0 33.6 1.3 6.8 -6.5 0.0

Race

White 60.2 38.5 1.2 66.3 32.6 1.1 6.1 -5.8 -0.1

Black or African American 60.9 37.9 1.0 62.6 36.3 1.2 1.7 -1.7 0.2

Asian 64.8 34.1 0.2 71.5 27.9 0.6 6.7 -6.2 0.4

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity3

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 43.6 54.5 1.9 49.9 48.4 1.7 6.3 -6.1 -0.2

Non-Hispanic or Latino 62.8 35.9 1.0 69.2 29.8 1.0 6.4 -6.1 -0.1

Educational attainment (25 years and over)

Less than a high school diploma 35.0 63.8 1.2 38.9 57.8 3.3 3.9 -5.9 2.1

High school graduates, no college 62.5 36.9 0.5 64.0 35.2 0.8 1.5 -1.7 0.4

Some college or associate degree 68.0 30.8 0.9 71.8 27.4 0.8 3.9 -3.5 -0.1

Bachelor's degree and higher 74.1 24.6 1.0 79.0 20.4 0.6 4.9 -4.2 -0.4

Parent of a household child

Parent of a household child under 18 years 65.0 34.2 0.7 70.2 28.9 1.0 5.2 -5.3 0.3

Parent of a child 13 to 17 years (none younger) 68.1 31.6 0.3 70.4 29.1 0.5 2.3 -2.5 0.2

Parent of a child under 13 years 64.2 34.8 0.8 70.1 28.8 1.1 5.9 -6.0 0.3

Not a parent of a household child under 18 years 57.7 40.6 1.4 63.9 34.9 1.2 6.1 -5.7 -0.2

Occupation

Management, business, and financial operations 81.5 17.1 0.9 81.5 17.8 0.7 0.0 0.7 -0.2

Professional and related 71.0 27.9 0.8 75.8 23.6 0.5 4.9 -4.2 -0.3

Services 36.0 62.0 2.0 43.2 54.3 2.5 7.2 -7.7 0.5

Sales and related 46.0 50.6 3.3 55.7 41.6 2.7 9.7 -9.0 -0.6

Office and administrative support 66.4 32.7 0.6 71.1 28.3 0.6 4.7 -4.5 0.0

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Workers with access to paid leave by selected characteristics, averages for the periods 2011 and 2017-2018 — Continued

Characteristic

Percent of workers with access to paid leave

20111

Yes No Do not

know

2017-181

Yes No Do not

know

Change from 2011 to 2017-18

(percentage points)2

Yes No Do not

know

Farming, fishing, and forestry s s s s s s s s s

Construction and extraction 37.0 62.6 0.4 35.8 64.0 0.3 -1.3 1.4 -0.1

Installation, maintenance, and repair 71.1 28.7 0.1 79.2 19.6 1.2 8.1 -9.1 1.1

Production 63.6 35.7 0.7 70.2 28.9 0.9 6.5 -6.7 0.2

Transportation and material moving 58.7 40.6 0.5 55.7 43.3 0.9 -3.0 2.8 0.4

Industry

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting s s s 44.9 53.5 1.6 s s s

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction s s s s s s s s s

Construction 41.1 58.2 0.5 43.3 56.2 0.5 2.2 -2.0 -0.1

Manufacturing 73.8 25.3 0.8 79.8 19.7 0.5 6.0 -5.6 -0.3

Wholesale and retail trade 54.4 42.7 2.9 61.3 36.7 2.0 6.9 -6.0 -0.9

Transportation and utilities 73.1 26.4 z 73.2 26.3 0.5 0.1 -0.1 0.5

Information 62.4 36.5 1.1 80.1 19.9 z 17.7 -16.6 -1.1

Financial activities 81.1 18.1 0.2 78.8 20.0 1.1 -2.3 1.9 1.0

Professional and business services 59.1 39.5 1.4 70.0 29.0 1.1 10.9 -10.6 -0.3

Education and health services 65.9 33.2 0.6 69.5 29.6 0.9 3.6 -3.6 0.3

Leisure and hospitality 24.7 71.8 3.2 33.4 64.0 2.6 8.8 -7.9 -0.6

Other services 43.4 56.3 0.2 44.8 54.6 0.7 1.3 -1.8 0.4

Public administration 89.2 10.7 0.2 88.0 11.3 0.6 -1.2 0.7 0.5

Class of worker

Private sector 56.8 41.7 1.3 63.1 35.7 1.2 6.3 -6.0 0.0

Private, for profit 56.2 42.2 1.4 62.6 36.1 1.3 6.4 -6.1 -0.1

Private, not for profit 63.0 36.7 0.3 68.2 31.4 0.4 5.2 -5.2 0.1

Public sector 76.1 23.1 0.7 79.2 20.2 0.6 3.2 -2.9 -0.1

Federal government 86.3 12.0 1.7 91.3 8.7 z 5.0 -3.3 -1.7

State government 75.3 24.2 0.5 74.6 24.5 0.9 -0.6 0.2 0.4

Local government 73.1 26.0 0.6 78.0 21.4 0.6 4.9 -4.6 0.1

Full- and part-time status (single jobholders only)4

Full-time workers 72.7 26.2 0.9 77.0 22.2 0.8 4.3 -4.0 0.0

Part-time workers 22.7 74.4 2.7 23.3 74.1 2.5 0.6 -0.3 -0.1

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Workers with access to paid leave by selected characteristics, averages for the periods 2011 and 2017-2018 — Continued

Characteristic

Percent of workers with access to paid leave

20111

Yes No Do not

know

2017-181

Yes No Do not

know

Change from 2011 to 2017-18

(percentage points)2

Yes No Do not

know

Usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers

(single jobholders only)

Earnings less than or equal to the 25th percentile 50.1 48.2 1.5 56.5 42.1 1.3 6.4 -6.1 -0.2

Earnings from 25th to 50th percentiles 77.1 21.9 0.9 80.0 19.2 0.8 2.9 -2.7 -0.1

Earnings from 50th to 75th percentiles 81.2 17.8 0.7 83.9 15.5 0.6 2.7 -2.3 -0.1

Earnings greater than the 75th percentile 82.8 16.4 0.4 86.0 13.5 0.6 3.1 -3.0 0.2

1

 The subcategories do not sum to 100 percent because a small number of workers did not provide this information.

2

 Changes were calculated using unrounded estimates for 2011 and 2017-18, and thus they sometimes differ from calculations based on the estimates shown in this table.

3

 Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.

4

 Full-time workers usually work 35 hours or more per week. Part-time workers usually work less than 35 hours per week.

s - Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.

z - Estimate is approximately zero.

Note: Data refer to wage and salary workers at their main jobs. All self-employed workers (including workers with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated businesses) are excluded.

Unless otherwise specified, data refer to workers 15 years and over.
Table 2. Workers with access to paid or unpaid leave by selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018

Characteristic

Total

workers

(in thousands)

Percent of workers with access to:

Paid leave1

Yes No Do not

know

Unpaid leave1

Yes No Do not

know

Paid or unpaid leave1,2

Yes No Do not

know

Age

Total, 15 years and over 144,295 66.0 32.9 1.1 78.3 13.2 8.5 93.1 4.9 2.0

15 to 24 years 21,296 35.4 62.0 2.6 84.3 10.8 4.9 91.4 5.8 2.8

25 to 34 years 33,682 70.3 29.1 0.6 77.2 13.9 8.9 92.6 5.4 2.1

35 to 44 years 30,159 71.7 27.4 0.9 78.0 12.8 9.1 93.9 4.2 1.9

45 to 54 years 29,484 74.4 24.4 1.2 77.5 12.5 10.1 94.2 3.8 2.0

55 to 64 years 22,514 74.2 24.9 0.9 76.5 14.7 8.8 93.9 5.0 1.1

65 years and over 7,160 51.7 48.2 0.1 76.1 16.3 7.6 89.3 7.8 2.9

Sex

Men 74,830 66.8 32.3 0.9 78.0 14.0 8.0 92.9 5.3 1.7

Women 69,465 65.0 33.6 1.3 78.6 12.3 9.1 93.2 4.5 2.3

Race3

White 115,129 66.3 32.6 1.1 78.6 12.8 8.6 93.5 4.4 2.1

Black or African American 17,924 62.6 36.3 1.2 77.6 14.7 7.8 90.1 7.9 2.0

Asian 7,849 71.5 27.9 0.6 74.7 16.9 8.5 92.0 6.7 1.3

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity4

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 24,375 49.9 48.4 1.7 77.0 15.6 7.4 88.0 8.6 3.4

Non-Hispanic or Latino 119,920 69.2 29.8 1.0 78.6 12.7 8.8 94.1 4.2 1.7

Educational attainment (25 years and over)

Less than a high school diploma 6,743 38.9 57.8 3.3 73.7 19.6 6.7 81.1 13.7 5.3

High school graduates, no college 31,425 64.0 35.2 0.8 80.5 14.1 5.4 91.5 6.4 2.1

Some college or associate degree 29,407 71.8 27.4 0.8 78.6 13.4 8.1 94.9 3.8 1.3

Bachelor's degree and higher 55,424 79.0 20.4 0.6 75.2 12.7 12.1 95.1 3.3 1.6

Parent of a household child

Parent of a household child under 18 years 47,693 70.2 28.9 1.0 77.3 14.1 8.7 93.1 4.9 2.0

Parent of a child 13 to 17 years (none younger) 10,003 70.4 29.1 0.5 75.5 14.2 10.3 93.1 5.8 1.1

Parent of a child under 13 years 37,690 70.1 28.8 1.1 77.7 14.0 8.2 93.1 4.7 2.2

Not a parent of a household child under 18 years 96,602 63.9 34.9 1.2 78.8 12.8 8.5 93.0 4.9 2.0

Occupation

Management, business, and financial operations 22,754 81.5 17.8 0.7 76.8 13.1 10.1 95.9 3.0 1.1

Professional and related 40,284 75.8 23.6 0.5 74.7 13.5 11.8 93.9 4.1 2.1

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Workers with access to paid or unpaid leave by selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018 — Continued

Characteristic

Total

workers

(in thousands)

Percent of workers with access to:

Paid leave1

Yes No Do not

know

Unpaid leave1

Yes No Do not

know

Paid or unpaid leave1,2

Yes No Do not

know

Services 23,548 43.2 54.3 2.5 82.1 13.1 4.8 90.6 6.8 2.6

Sales and related 11,290 55.7 41.6 2.7 80.9 10.1 9.0 92.8 4.5 2.7

Office and administrative support 18,967 71.1 28.3 0.6 78.5 13.0 8.5 94.0 4.1 1.9

Farming, fishing, and forestry s s s s s s s s s s

Construction and extraction 5,853 35.8 64.0 0.3 82.3 13.3 4.4 89.9 8.3 1.8

Installation, maintenance, and repair 4,053 79.2 19.6 1.2 79.8 10.6 9.6 94.1 3.4 2.4

Production 8,560 70.2 28.9 0.9 77.1 18.1 4.7 90.0 8.0 2.0

Transportation and material moving 7,859 55.7 43.3 0.9 81.6 13.8 4.7 92.2 6.5 1.2

Industry

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting 1,634 44.9 53.5 1.6 81.3 10.4 8.3 86.8 8.8 4.4

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction s s s s s s s s s s

Construction 6,860 43.3 56.2 0.5 83.1 12.2 4.7 91.6 7.4 1.0

Manufacturing 16,185 79.8 19.7 0.5 76.7 15.2 8.1 94.8 3.7 1.5

Wholesale and retail trade 18,030 61.3 36.7 2.0 84.9 9.7 5.4 94.2 4.1 1.7

Transportation and utilities 7,357 73.2 26.3 0.5 77.4 16.0 6.7 94.6 4.5 0.9

Information 2,685 80.1 19.9 z 70.8 12.8 16.4 94.8 4.9 0.4

Financial activities 10,370 78.8 20.0 1.1 75.9 12.8 11.3 93.2 4.9 1.9

Professional and business services 16,778 70.0 29.0 1.1 75.8 13.5 10.6 93.7 4.1 2.3

Education and health services 37,294 69.5 29.6 0.9 74.7 14.8 10.5 92.4 5.4 2.2

Leisure and hospitality 13,450 33.4 64.0 2.6 85.0 10.2 4.8 89.1 6.8 4.0

Other services 5,475 44.8 54.6 0.7 84.2 9.4 6.4 91.3 5.7 3.0

Public administration 7,552 88.0 11.3 0.6 75.1 15.6 9.2 96.8 2.5 0.7

Class of worker

Private sector 118,872 63.1 35.7 1.2 79.1 12.8 8.0 92.8 5.2 2.0

Private, for profit 107,072 62.6 36.1 1.3 79.5 12.6 7.9 92.8 5.2 2.0

Private, not for profit 11,800 68.2 31.4 0.4 76.1 14.7 9.2 92.8 5.2 2.0

Public sector 25,423 79.2 20.2 0.6 74.3 14.9 10.8 94.1 3.7 2.2

Federal government 4,595 91.3 8.7 z 81.0 10.8 8.2 98.7 0.4 0.9

State government 8,807 74.6 24.5 0.9 72.4 16.2 11.4 91.8 4.4 3.7

Local government 12,022 78.0 21.4 0.6 73.2 15.6 11.2 94.1 4.4 1.5

Full- and part-time status (single jobholders only)5

Full-time workers 106,369 77.0 22.2 0.8 76.6 13.7 9.7 94.2 4.0 1.8

Part-time workers 25,882 23.3 74.1 2.5 84.3 11.0 4.6 88.4 8.4 3.2

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Workers with access to paid or unpaid leave by selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018 — Continued

Characteristic

Total

workers

(in thousands)

Percent of workers with access to:

Paid leave1

Yes No Do not

know

Unpaid leave1

Yes No Do not

know

Paid or unpaid leave1,2

Yes No Do not

know

Usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary

workers (single jobholders only)

Earnings less than or equal to the 25th percentile 25,200 56.5 42.1 1.3 80.0 13.7 6.3 90.6 6.3 3.0

Earnings from 25th to 50th percentiles 26,521 80.0 19.2 0.8 76.5 14.9 8.5 95.1 3.7 1.2

Earnings from 50th to 75th percentiles 27,193 83.9 15.5 0.6 75.9 12.6 11.5 94.7 3.2 2.0

Earnings greater than the 75th percentile 27,454 86.0 13.5 0.6 74.2 13.6 12.2 96.0 2.9 1.2

Work schedule flexibility6

Had flexible schedule 81,533 65.5 33.4 1.1 80.6 11.2 8.3 94.1 4.1 1.8

Did not have flexible schedule 62,762 66.6 32.3 1.1 75.3 15.8 8.9 91.7 5.9 2.3

Workplace flexibility7

Could work at home 41,571 80.9 18.4 0.7 76.4 11.4 12.2 95.4 2.8 1.7

Could not work at home 102,338 60.0 38.9 1.1 79.2 13.9 6.9 92.2 5.8 2.0

1

 The subcategories do not sum to 100 percent because a small number of workers did not provide this information.

2

 Some workers have access to both paid and unpaid leave.

3

 Estimates for race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to the total because data are not presented for all races.

4

 Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.

5

 Full-time workers usually work 35 hours or more per week. Part-time workers usually work less than 35 hours per week.

6

 Workers with flexible schedules were able to vary or change the times they began and stopped working.

7

 The subcategories do not sum to the total because a small number of workers did not provide this information.

s - Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.

z - Estimate is approximately zero.

Note: Data refer to wage and salary workers at their main jobs. All self-employed workers (including workers with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated businesses) are excluded.

Unless otherwise specified, data refer to workers 15 years and over.
Table 3. Workers with access to paid or unpaid leave and their ability to use leave by reason, averages for the period 2017-2018

Leave types and reasons

Percent of workers with access to leave

Yes, could use leave

Total Men Women

No, could not use leave

Total Men Women

It depends

Total Men Women

Did not know

Total Men Women

Workers with access to paid leave

Ability to use paid leave by reason:

Own illness or medical care 93.7 92.2 95.3 5.5 6.9 3.9 - - - 0.8 0.9 0.7

Illness or medical care of another family member 78.0 75.8 80.3 16.2 18.1 14.0 - - - 5.9 6.1 5.7

Childcare, other than for illness1 64.7 66.5 62.5 31.1 29.9 32.5 - - - 4.2 3.6 5.0

Eldercare2 64.0 63.8 64.2 28.0 29.9 26.3 - - - 8.0 6.3 9.5

Vacation 94.7 96.0 93.2 4.9 3.6 6.3 - - - 0.4 0.4 0.5

Errands or personal reasons 70.4 71.2 69.4 27.6 27.2 28.1 - - - 2.0 1.6 2.6

Birth or adoption of a child 75.8 74.6 77.1 14.9 16.8 12.8 - - - 9.3 8.7 10.1

Workers with access to unpaid leave

Ability to use unpaid leave by reason:

Own illness or medical care 92.8 92.1 93.5 2.9 3.5 2.3 2.1 1.9 2.3 2.3 2.6 1.9

Illness or medical care of another family member 85.9 85.3 86.5 5.7 5.9 5.4 3.3 3.6 3.0 5.1 5.2 5.1

Childcare, other than for illness1 73.8 74.4 73.3 14.8 14.8 14.8 4.5 4.4 4.6 6.8 6.4 7.2

Eldercare2 75.7 79.7 72.7 12.4 10.9 13.6 3.8 2.7 4.7 8.0 6.7 9.1

Vacation 72.5 72.9 72.1 18.8 18.1 19.6 3.5 3.7 3.4 5.1 5.3 4.9

Errands or personal reasons 68.1 71.1 65.0 22.3 20.2 24.6 4.9 5.2 4.6 4.6 3.5 5.8

Birth or adoption of a child 80.3 80.0 80.6 8.6 9.6 7.6 2.2 2.2 2.2 8.9 8.3 9.7

1 Results are for workers who were parents of household children under age 18.

2 Results are for workers who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, provided care to someone age 65 or older with a condition related to aging.

- Data not collected.

Note: Data refer to wage and salary workers, 15 years and over, at their main jobs. All self-employed workers (including workers with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated

businesses) are excluded.
Table 4. Workers who took leave from their jobs during an average week, hours of leave taken, and main reason for taking leave, by selected characteristics, averages for the

period 2017-2018

Characteristic

Total

workers

(in thousands)

Workers who took paid or unpaid leave during an average week for any reason

Total

(in thousands)Percent

Average

hours of

leave

taken

Percent distribution by main reason for taking leave

Total

Own

illness or

medical

care

Illness or

medical

care

of a

family

member

Childcare

or

eldercare

(other

than for

illness)

Vacation

Errands

or

personal

reasons

Birth or

adoption

of a child

Holiday Weather Other

Age

Total, 15 years and over 144,295 29,937 20.7 13.67 100.0 21.9 8.0 3.1 31.0 19.8 1.4 6.9 1.8 6.2

15 to 24 years 21,296 3,476 16.3 11.86 100.0 22.3 11.1 1.9 23.9 21.5 z 5.2 0.6 13.4

25 to 34 years 33,682 7,138 21.2 13.88 100.0 17.9 7.7 2.4 32.6 20.5 4.1 7.2 1.9 5.7

35 to 44 years 30,159 6,731 22.3 12.79 100.0 23.4 11.4 6.6 28.2 14.8 1.4 7.1 2.2 4.9

45 to 54 years 29,484 6,411 21.7 13.10 100.0 24.3 4.0 1.9 30.5 24.4 0.4 6.9 1.6 6.1

55 to 64 years 22,514 4,984 22.1 16.31 100.0 21.1 7.9 2.2 38.0 17.0 z 7.1 2.7 4.0

65 years and over 7,160 1,197 16.7 14.68 100.0 26.4 3.7 1.8 31.0 25.0 0.4 7.0 z 4.7

Sex

Men 74,830 14,337 19.2 13.54 100.0 22.2 5.5 2.6 32.4 21.0 0.3 7.5 1.9 6.5

Women 69,465 15,600 22.5 13.79 100.0 21.6 10.3 3.6 29.6 18.6 2.4 6.3 1.7 5.9

Race1

White 115,129 24,799 21.5 13.41 100.0 21.5 8.1 3.3 30.5 19.9 1.4 7.3 1.8 6.2

Black or African American 17,924 3,087 17.2 15.45 100.0 26.4 6.2 1.3 30.2 23.3 0.5 5.0 2.7 4.3

Asian 7,849 1,230 15.7 14.38 100.0 18.3 3.6 4.8 44.2 14.4 3.6 4.9 1.8 4.6

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity2

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 24,375 3,860 15.8 12.86 100.0 30.1 9.6 3.4 23.1 25.5 0.2 1.4 1.6 5.1

Non-Hispanic or Latino 119,920 26,077 21.7 13.79 100.0 20.7 7.8 3.1 32.1 18.9 1.5 7.7 1.8 6.3

Educational attainment (25 years and over)

Less than a high school diploma 6,743 1,115 16.5 13.40 100.0 40.4 8.6 0.4 22.9 20.7 z 1.2 5.8 z

High school graduates, no college 31,425 6,067 19.3 14.87 100.0 20.2 8.1 1.4 35.5 18.7 1.1 5.3 3.6 6.1

Some college or associate degree 29,407 6,216 21.1 13.97 100.0 29.4 6.3 3.7 24.8 20.9 1.1 8.4 1.9 3.6

Bachelor's degree and higher 55,424 13,063 23.6 13.47 100.0 17.4 7.9 4.2 34.4 19.2 2.1 7.8 0.9 6.1

Parent of a household child

Parent of a household child under 18 years 47,693 10,463 21.9 13.14 100.0 18.1 13.3 6.8 27.2 17.3 3.8 6.1 1.9 5.5

Parent of a child 13 to 17 years (none younger) 10,003 2,215 22.1 11.17 100.0 23.4 9.1 2.6 24.0 19.4 z 9.2 0.4 12.0

Parent of a child under 13 years 37,690 8,248 21.9 13.67 100.0 16.7 14.4 8.0 28.0 16.8 4.8 5.2 2.3 3.8

Not a parent of a household child under 18 years 96,602 19,474 20.2 13.96 100.0 23.9 5.2 1.1 33.0 21.1 0.1 7.3 1.8 6.5

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 4. Workers who took leave from their jobs during an average week, hours of leave taken, and main reason for taking leave, by selected characteristics, averages for the

period 2017-2018 — Continued

Characteristic

Total

workers

(in thousands)

Workers who took paid or unpaid leave during an average week for any reason

Total

(in thousands)Percent

Average

hours of

leave

taken

Percent distribution by main reason for taking leave

Total

Own

illness or

medical

care

Illness or

medical

care

of a

family

member

Childcare

or

eldercare

(other

than for

illness)

Vacation

Errands

or

personal

reasons

Birth or

adoption

of a child

Holiday Weather Other

Occupation

Management, business, and financial operations 22,754 5,404 23.7 12.66 100.0 16.5 7.8 5.3 36.5 19.4 0.8 10.5 0.4 2.7

Professional and related 40,284 8,653 21.5 14.25 100.0 24.6 6.9 2.2 30.7 17.9 2.8 7.1 1.4 6.2

Services 23,548 4,111 17.5 14.62 100.0 25.3 10.1 0.9 30.9 15.4 0.9 4.3 0.6 11.7

Sales and related 11,290 2,149 19.0 15.02 100.0 14.9 5.8 2.1 35.0 28.8 0.2 10.1 1.1 2.0

Office and administrative support 18,967 4,536 23.9 12.32 100.0 18.8 10.5 5.5 29.0 22.2 1.6 4.5 2.6 5.2

Farming, fishing, and forestry s s s s s s s s s s s s s s

Construction and extraction 5,853 1,069 18.3 s s s s s s s s s s s

Installation, maintenance, and repair 4,053 739 18.2 s s s s s s s s s s s

Production 8,560 1,621 18.9 13.04 100.0 24.3 6.5 1.7 25.4 13.7 0.5 8.9 5.6 13.4

Transportation and material moving 7,859 1,519 19.3 15.52 100.0 31.0 9.2 3.0 26.1 23.6 z 1.6 z 5.4

Industry

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting 1,634 345 21.1 s s s s s s s s s s s

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction s s s s s s s s s s s s s s

Construction 6,860 1,281 18.7 11.06 100.0 21.9 2.9 1.2 24.6 30.1 z 11.5 7.1 0.7

Manufacturing 16,185 3,560 22.0 13.34 100.0 21.3 3.1 2.0 32.4 20.2 0.5 10.8 3.4 6.4

Wholesale and retail trade 18,030 3,315 18.4 15.64 100.0 22.0 7.0 1.4 33.8 19.9 0.2 11.0 3.0 1.7

Transportation and utilities 7,357 1,693 23.0 16.72 100.0 29.6 7.4 1.4 28.7 20.2 2.1 3.7 0.5 6.4

Information 2,685 822 30.6 s s s s s s s s s s s

Financial activities 10,370 2,397 23.1 14.16 100.0 18.5 2.6 3.9 40.6 24.9 1.8 4.9 z 2.9

Professional and business services 16,778 3,400 20.3 11.96 100.0 23.9 6.8 4.9 30.1 19.1 1.3 8.5 1.5 3.9

Education and health services 37,294 6,999 18.8 14.23 100.0 22.0 11.1 4.9 28.8 15.5 2.8 4.1 1.5 9.3

Leisure and hospitality 13,450 2,316 17.2 12.54 100.0 14.3 18.3 1.0 30.3 20.5 1.3 3.9 z 10.4

Other services 5,475 977 17.8 s s s s s s s s s s s

Public administration 7,552 2,688 35.6 13.70 100.0 23.3 7.3 1.5 28.8 21.8 1.2 6.3 1.5 8.4

Class of worker

Private sector 118,872 23,662 19.9 13.71 100.0 21.1 7.8 3.1 32.1 19.7 1.4 7.2 2.0 5.6

Private, for profit 107,072 21,132 19.7 13.87 100.0 20.5 7.8 2.6 33.0 20.4 1.4 7.4 2.1 4.7

Private, not for profit 11,800 2,530 21.4 12.37 100.0 26.2 8.1 6.7 24.5 13.7 1.9 5.2 0.6 13.2

Public sector 25,423 6,275 24.7 13.52 100.0 24.7 8.7 3.3 26.9 19.9 1.2 5.7 1.3 8.3

Federal government 4,595 1,525 33.2 10.54 100.0 32.9 9.1 5.4 19.5 18.1 0.9 6.2 z 7.8

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 4. Workers who took leave from their jobs during an average week, hours of leave taken, and main reason for taking leave, by selected characteristics, averages for the

period 2017-2018 — Continued

Characteristic

Total

workers

(in thousands)

Workers who took paid or unpaid leave during an average week for any reason

Total

(in thousands)Percent

Average

hours of

leave

taken

Percent distribution by main reason for taking leave

Total

Own

illness or

medical

care

Illness or

medical

care

of a

family

member

Childcare

or

eldercare

(other

than for

illness)

Vacation

Errands

or

personal

reasons

Birth or

adoption

of a child

Holiday Weather Other

State government 8,807 2,225 25.3 13.56 100.0 25.0 7.2 3.1 25.6 25.6 1.2 6.2 1.8 4.2

Local government 12,022 2,524 21.0 15.29 100.0 19.6 9.7 2.2 32.5 16.0 1.3 4.9 1.7 12.1

Full- and part-time status (single

jobholders only)3

Full-time workers 106,369 22,606 21.3 14.02 100.0 21.9 7.2 2.7 33.6 18.3 1.4 7.2 2.1 5.7

Part-time workers 25,882 4,433 17.1 11.38 100.0 23.9 13.6 5.0 22.1 24.4 0.8 3.9 1.1 5.2

Usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and

salary workers (single jobholders only)

Earnings less than or equal to the 25th percentile 25,200 3,860 15.3 14.83 100.0 30.3 9.4 3.7 22.9 17.4 2.2 3.6 5.0 5.4

Earnings from 25th to 50th percentiles 26,521 6,221 23.5 13.21 100.0 23.7 8.4 2.7 29.8 17.9 1.1 6.4 2.3 7.7

Earnings from 50th to 75th percentiles 27,193 6,313 23.2 13.91 100.0 18.5 6.5 2.2 40.3 18.2 0.9 7.2 1.4 4.9

Earnings greater than the 75th percentile 27,454 6,213 22.6 14.45 100.0 18.4 5.3 2.5 37.1 19.4 1.6 10.2 0.7 4.7

Work schedule flexibility4

Had flexible schedule 81,533 17,494 21.5 13.54 100.0 20.3 9.0 3.9 31.7 19.1 1.0 7.6 1.1 6.2

Did not have flexible schedule 62,762 12,443 19.8 13.85 100.0 24.1 6.6 2.0 29.9 20.7 1.9 5.8 2.9 6.1

Workplace flexibility5

Could work at home 41,571 9,540 22.9 12.83 100.0 17.9 8.4 4.1 32.1 22.0 1.1 9.6 0.8 4.1

Could not work at home 102,338 20,309 19.8 14.10 100.0 23.7 7.9 2.7 30.5 18.7 1.5 5.5 2.3 7.2

1

 Estimates for race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to the total because data are not presented for all races.

2

 Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.

3

 Full-time workers usually work 35 hours or more per week. Part-time workers usually work less than 35 hours per week.

4

 Workers with flexible schedules were able to vary or change the times they began and stopped working.

5

 The subcategories do not sum to the totals because a small number of workers did not provide this information.

s - Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.

z - Estimate is approximately zero.

Note: Data refer to wage and salary workers at their main jobs. All self-employed workers (including workers with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated businesses) are excluded. Unless

otherwise specified, data refer to workers 15 years and over.
Table 5. Workers who took leave from their jobs during an average week by type of leave used and selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018

Characteristic Total workers

(in thousands)

Workers who took paid or unpaid leave during an average week for any reason

Total (in

thousands) Percent

Percent distribution by type of leave used

Total Paid leave

only

Unpaid leave

only

Paid and unpaid

leave

Age

Total, 15 years and over 144,295 29,937 20.7 100.0 64.5 33.0 2.4

15 to 24 years 21,296 3,476 16.3 100.0 22.2 75.7 2.0

25 to 34 years 33,682 7,138 21.2 100.0 66.1 30.8 3.1

35 to 44 years 30,159 6,731 22.3 100.0 67.8 28.4 3.8

45 to 54 years 29,484 6,411 21.7 100.0 79.1 19.7 1.2

55 to 64 years 22,514 4,984 22.1 100.0 71.4 26.5 2.1

65 years and over 7,160 1,197 16.7 100.0 51.9 47.7 0.4

Sex

Men 74,830 14,337 19.2 100.0 67.4 30.3 2.3

Women 69,465 15,600 22.5 100.0 61.9 35.6 2.6

Race1

White 115,129 24,799 21.5 100.0 64.1 33.4 2.5

Black or African American 17,924 3,087 17.2 100.0 64.6 32.2 3.3

Asian 7,849 1,230 15.7 100.0 74.7 24.3 1.0

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity2

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 24,375 3,860 15.8 100.0 51.6 47.1 1.3

Non-Hispanic or Latino 119,920 26,077 21.7 100.0 66.4 31.0 2.6

Educational attainment (25 years and over)

Less than a high school diploma 6,743 1,115 16.5 100.0 33.5 65.1 1.4

High school graduates, no college 31,425 6,067 19.3 100.0 60.7 34.8 4.5

Some college or associate degree 29,407 6,216 21.1 100.0 66.9 30.2 2.9

Bachelor's degree and higher 55,424 13,063 23.6 100.0 79.0 19.5 1.5

Parent of a household child

Parent of a household child under 18 years 47,693 10,463 21.9 100.0 67.5 29.2 3.2

Parent of a child 13 to 17 years (none younger) 10,003 2,215 22.1 100.0 70.8 28.9 0.3

Parent of a child under 13 years 37,690 8,248 21.9 100.0 66.7 29.3 4.0

Not a parent of a household child under 18 years 96,602 19,474 20.2 100.0 62.9 35.1 2.0

Occupation

Management, business, and financial operations 22,754 5,404 23.7 100.0 81.1 18.0 0.9

Professional and related 40,284 8,653 21.5 100.0 74.5 22.5 3.0

Services 23,548 4,111 17.5 100.0 36.7 62.0 1.3

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 5. Workers who took leave from their jobs during an average week by type of leave used and selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018 —

Continued

Characteristic Total workers

(in thousands)

Workers who took paid or unpaid leave during an average week for any reason

Total (in

thousands) Percent

Percent distribution by type of leave used

Total Paid leave

only

Unpaid leave

only

Paid and unpaid

leave

Sales and related 11,290 2,149 19.0 100.0 50.2 48.7 1.2

Office and administrative support 18,967 4,536 23.9 100.0 67.3 29.1 3.6

Farming, fishing, and forestry s s s s s s s

Construction and extraction 5,853 1,069 18.3 s s s s

Installation, maintenance, and repair 4,053 739 18.2 s s s s

Production 8,560 1,621 18.9 100.0 70.2 24.0 5.8

Transportation and material moving 7,859 1,519 19.3 100.0 45.0 49.6 5.5

Industry

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting 1,634 345 21.1 s s s s

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction s s s s s s s

Construction 6,860 1,281 18.7 100.0 40.9 57.2 1.9

Manufacturing 16,185 3,560 22.0 100.0 72.5 23.5 4.0

Wholesale and retail trade 18,030 3,315 18.4 100.0 57.0 40.8 2.2

Transportation and utilities 7,357 1,693 23.0 100.0 63.8 33.0 3.3

Information 2,685 822 30.6 s s s s

Financial activities 10,370 2,397 23.1 100.0 83.7 14.5 1.9

Professional and business services 16,778 3,400 20.3 100.0 58.4 38.6 2.9

Education and health services 37,294 6,999 18.8 100.0 73.2 23.8 3.0

Leisure and hospitality 13,450 2,316 17.2 100.0 16.5 80.4 3.1

Other services 5,475 977 17.8 s s s s

Public administration 7,552 2,688 35.6 100.0 90.9 9.1 z

Class of worker

Private sector 118,872 23,662 19.9 100.0 59.2 38.1 2.7

Private, for profit 107,072 21,132 19.7 100.0 57.6 39.7 2.7

Private, not for profit 11,800 2,530 21.4 100.0 72.6 24.4 2.9

Public sector 25,423 6,275 24.7 100.0 84.5 14.2 1.4

Federal government 4,595 1,525 33.2 100.0 84.2 14.1 1.6

State government 8,807 2,225 25.3 100.0 88.7 10.7 0.7

Local government 12,022 2,524 21.0 100.0 80.9 17.3 1.8

Full- and part-time status (single jobholders only)3

Full-time workers 106,369 22,606 21.3 100.0 75.0 22.3 2.8

Part-time workers 25,882 4,433 17.1 100.0 17.3 81.8 0.9

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 5. Workers who took leave from their jobs during an average week by type of leave used and selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018 —

Continued

Characteristic Total workers

(in thousands)

Workers who took paid or unpaid leave during an average week for any reason

Total (in

thousands) Percent

Percent distribution by type of leave used

Total Paid leave

only

Unpaid leave

only

Paid and unpaid

leave

Usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary

workers (single jobholders only)

Earnings less than or equal to the 25th percentile 25,200 3,860 15.3 100.0 42.4 55.1 2.5

Earnings from 25th to 50th percentiles 26,521 6,221 23.5 100.0 78.1 19.2 2.7

Earnings from 50th to 75th percentiles 27,193 6,313 23.2 100.0 80.4 15.7 3.9

Earnings greater than the 75th percentile 27,454 6,213 22.6 100.0 86.5 11.6 1.9

Work schedule flexibility4

Had flexible schedule 81,533 17,494 21.5 100.0 65.2 33.2 1.6

Did not have flexible schedule 62,762 12,443 19.8 100.0 63.5 32.8 3.7

Workplace flexibility5

Could work at home 41,571 9,540 22.9 100.0 79.6 18.5 1.9

Could not work at home 102,338 20,309 19.8 100.0 57.4 39.9 2.7

1

 Estimates for race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to the totals because data are not presented for all races.

2

 Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.

3

 Full-time workers usually work 35 hours or more per week. Part-time workers usually work less than 35 hours per week.

4

 Workers with flexible schedules were able to vary or change the times they began and stopped working.

5

 The subcategories do not sum to the totals because a small number of workers did not provide this information.

s - Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.

z - Estimate is approximately zero.

Note: Data refer to wage and salary workers at their main jobs. All self-employed workers (including workers with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated businesses) are excluded.

Unless otherwise specified, data refer to workers 15 years and over.
Table 6. Workers who took leave from their jobs during an average week, hours of leave taken, and type of leave used, by main reason for taking leave, averages for

the period 2017-2018

Main reason for taking leave

Workers who took paid or unpaid leave during an average week

Total (in

thousands) Percent Average hoursof leave taken

Percent distribution by type of leave used

Total Paid leave

only

Unpaid

leave only

Paid and

unpaid leave

Total 29,937 20.7 13.67 100.0 64.5 33.0 2.4

Own illness or medical care 6,553 4.5 11.59 100.0 60.5 37.1 2.4

Illness or medical care of another family member 2,397 1.7 10.31 100.0 52.0 41.9 6.1

Childcare or eldercare (other than for illness) 937 0.6 9.38 100.0 56.3 40.3 3.4

Vacation 9,274 6.4 19.06 100.0 76.0 22.2 1.8

Errands or personal reasons 5,917 4.1 9.50 100.0 60.2 37.5 2.2

Birth or adoption of a child 411 0.3 s s s s s

Holiday 2,054 1.4 10.67 100.0 71.3 27.2 1.4

Weather 545 0.4 s s s s s

Other 1,850 1.3 12.61 100.0 57.4 40.6 2.0

s - Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.

Note: Data refer to wage and salary workers, 15 years and over, at their main jobs. All self-employed workers (including workers with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated

businesses) are excluded.
Table 7. Workers who needed to take leave from their jobs but did not take it: reasons for needing to take leave by selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018

Characteristic

Total

workers (in

thousands)

Workers who needed to take leave during an average month but did not

Total (in

thousands)Percent

Percent distribution by reasons for needing to take leave1

Own illness or

medical care

Illness or

medical care

of a family

member

Childcare or

eldercare

(other than

for illness)

Vacation

Errands or

personal

reasons

Other

Age

Total, 15 years and over 144,295 12,485 8.7 35.8 17.4 9.5 3.7 31.8 3.7

15 to 24 years 21,296 2,164 10.2 s s s s s s

25 to 34 years 33,682 2,768 8.2 36.1 19.7 9.0 1.5 32.8 2.4

35 to 44 years 30,159 3,022 10.0 34.0 21.2 16.0 6.7 21.3 2.6

45 to 54 years 29,484 2,507 8.5 39.7 15.3 10.4 2.4 34.0 2.5

55 to 64 years 22,514 1,682 7.5 38.0 17.1 6.7 0.5 36.5 1.1

65 years and over 7,160 342 4.8 s s s s s s

Sex

Men 74,830 5,304 7.1 28.0 14.1 8.6 3.3 40.1 7.1

Women 69,465 7,181 10.3 41.6 19.8 10.1 4.0 25.7 1.2

Race2

White 115,129 8,954 7.8 35.0 18.5 10.2 3.4 29.9 4.3

Black or African American 17,924 2,549 14.2 36.4 18.5 7.3 5.1 34.7 1.9

Asian 7,849 419 5.3 s s s s s s

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity3

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 24,375 2,038 8.4 37.7 19.2 11.6 1.9 30.1 0.3

Non-Hispanic or Latino 119,920 10,447 8.7 35.4 17.1 9.0 4.1 32.2 4.4

Educational attainment (25 years and over)

Less than a high school diploma 6,743 706 10.5 s s s s s s

High school graduates, no college 31,425 2,831 9.0 38.1 22.5 8.3 1.7 26.8 3.5

Some college or associate degree 29,407 2,635 9.0 35.2 19.0 13.1 4.4 28.2 1.2

Bachelor's degree and higher 55,424 4,149 7.5 33.3 16.4 12.7 4.2 34.6 2.3

Parent of a household child

Parent of a household child under 18 years 47,693 5,112 10.7 31.3 23.8 17.3 3.1 25.3 2.6

Parent of a child 13 to 17 years (none younger) 10,003 866 8.7 32.8 18.9 10.7 6.5 25.7 5.4

Parent of a child under 13 years 37,690 4,247 11.3 31.0 24.8 18.7 2.4 25.2 2.0

Not a parent of a household child under 18 years 96,602 7,373 7.6 38.9 13.0 4.0 4.1 36.3 4.4

Class of worker

Private sector 118,872 10,251 8.6 35.1 16.8 9.5 4.2 31.9 4.4

Private, for profit 107,072 9,046 8.4 35.3 17.6 10.5 4.2 29.3 4.9

Private, not for profit 11,800 1,205 10.2 s s s s s s

Public sector 25,423 2,234 8.8 39.0 20.3 9.4 1.4 31.2 0.5

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 7. Workers who needed to take leave from their jobs but did not take it: reasons for needing to take leave by selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018

— Continued

Characteristic

Total

workers (in

thousands)

Workers who needed to take leave during an average month but did not

Total (in

thousands)Percent

Percent distribution by reasons for needing to take leave1

Own illness or

medical care

Illness or

medical care

of a family

member

Childcare or

eldercare

(other than

for illness)

Vacation

Errands or

personal

reasons

Other

Full- and part-time status (single jobholders only)4

Full-time workers 106,369 9,114 8.6 35.0 18.5 9.6 3.3 31.6 3.7

Part-time workers 25,882 2,193 8.5 39.2 12.2 6.7 5.5 38.1 0.1

Usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary

workers (single jobholders only)

Earnings less than or equal to the 25th percentile 25,200 2,791 11.1 43.3 17.4 6.5 3.1 21.1 9.4

Earnings from 25th to 50th percentiles 26,521 2,121 8.0 29.9 26.8 8.7 1.7 34.0 0.3

Earnings from 50th to 75th percentiles 27,193 2,256 8.3 32.1 18.2 9.1 4.2 37.6 1.1

Earnings greater than the 75th percentile 27,454 1,946 7.1 31.7 11.5 15.3 4.5 36.9 2.0

Work schedule flexibility5

Had flexible schedule 81,533 5,682 7.0 36.9 17.2 10.3 3.4 32.8 1.9

Did not have flexible schedule 62,762 6,803 10.8 34.9 17.6 8.7 4.0 31.0 5.2

Workplace flexibility6

Could work at home 41,571 2,863 6.9 32.9 18.1 13.0 5.2 31.4 1.4

Could not work at home 102,338 9,595 9.4 36.7 17.2 8.4 3.3 31.8 4.4

1

 Estimates for reasons may sum to more than 100 percent because some people had multiple reasons for needing to take leave.

2

 Estimates for race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to the totals because data are not presented for all races.

3

 Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.

4

 Full-time workers usually work 35 hours or more per week. Part-time workers usually work less than 35 hours per week.

5

 Workers with flexible schedules were able to vary or change the times they began and stopped working.

6

 The subcategories do not sum to the totals because a small number of workers did not provide this information.

s - Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.

Note: Data refer to wage and salary workers at their main jobs. All self-employed workers (including workers with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated businesses) are excluded. Unless

otherwise specified, data refer to workers 15 years and over.
Table 8. Workers who needed to take leave from their jobs but did not take it: reasons for not taking leave by selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-

2018

Characteristic

Total

workers

(in thousands)

Workers who needed to take leave during an average month but did not

Total

(in thousands)

Percent

Percent distribution by reasons for not taking leave1

Too

much

work

No one

available

to cover

shift

Made

alternate

arrangements

Wanted

to save

leave

Did not

have

enough

leave

Could not

afford loss

in income

Feared

negative

employment

consequence or

leave

denied

Did not

have

access to

paid or

unpaid

leave

Other

Age

Total, 15 years and over 144,295 12,485 8.7 22.9 6.7 6.0 4.8 6.5 15.2 20.7 8.9 9.3

15 to 24 years 21,296 2,164 10.2 s s s s s s s s s

25 to 34 years 33,682 2,768 8.2 23.2 5.9 4.7 4.1 3.8 16.5 24.4 10.3 7.7

35 to 44 years 30,159 3,022 10.0 33.3 7.9 6.5 7.3 8.9 8.6 13.8 6.8 7.8

45 to 54 years 29,484 2,507 8.5 25.3 7.6 7.5 3.0 3.5 15.8 21.1 8.4 9.6

55 to 64 years 22,514 1,682 7.5 19.6 10.1 9.0 1.7 0.3 12.7 27.9 7.0 12.6

65 years and over 7,160 342 4.8 s s s s s s s s s

Sex

Men 74,830 5,304 7.1 23.7 4.4 6.9 4.2 4.4 18.9 20.4 9.3 8.8

Women 69,465 7,181 10.3 22.4 8.3 5.3 5.2 8.0 12.5 20.9 8.5 9.7

Race2

White 115,129 8,954 7.8 22.8 6.4 5.9 4.1 6.8 15.7 23.7 7.0 8.4

Black or African American 17,924 2,549 14.2 20.3 6.4 7.1 7.7 2.1 15.1 12.5 17.1 13.0

Asian 7,849 419 5.3 s s s s s s s s s

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity3

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 24,375 2,038 8.4 12.8 4.5 8.6 5.4 16.5 14.5 27.3 9.2 2.8

Non-Hispanic or Latino 119,920 10,447 8.7 24.9 7.1 5.5 4.6 4.5 15.3 19.4 8.8 10.6

Educational attainment (25 years and over)

Less than a high school diploma 6,743 706 10.5 s s s s s s s s s

High school graduates, no college 31,425 2,831 9.0 19.7 4.7 9.0 7.0 1.7 20.4 19.3 10.2 9.2

Some college or associate degree 29,407 2,635 9.0 20.1 10.9 6.0 2.3 3.3 13.2 29.2 7.0 8.6

Bachelor's degree and higher 55,424 4,149 7.5 34.6 8.4 5.7 4.2 7.8 6.0 16.8 6.9 10.8

Parent of a household child

Parent of a household child under 18 years 47,693 5,112 10.7 25.8 7.4 6.7 7.9 6.9 14.3 14.5 7.8 9.4

Parent of a child 13 to 17 years (none younger) 10,003 866 8.7 37.2 11.2 1.7 2.0 1.8 14.0 17.2 5.3 11.7

Parent of a child under 13 years 37,690 4,247 11.3 23.5 6.6 7.7 9.1 7.9 14.3 13.9 8.4 8.9

Not a parent of a household child under 18 years 96,602 7,373 7.6 20.9 6.1 5.5 2.6 6.2 15.8 25.0 9.6 9.2

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 8. Workers who needed to take leave from their jobs but did not take it: reasons for not taking leave by selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-

2018 — Continued

Characteristic

Total

workers

(in thousands)

Workers who needed to take leave during an average month but did not

Total

(in thousands)

Percent

Percent distribution by reasons for not taking leave1

Too

much

work

No one

available

to cover

shift

Made

alternate

arrangements

Wanted

to save

leave

Did not

have

enough

leave

Could not

afford loss

in income

Feared

negative

employment

consequence or

leave

denied

Did not

have

access to

paid or

unpaid

leave

Other

Class of worker

Private sector 118,872 10,251 8.6 23.2 6.0 5.2 4.3 6.9 16.5 20.0 9.8 9.0

Private, for profit 107,072 9,046 8.4 24.4 5.9 5.5 4.6 5.8 17.3 18.6 10.1 8.8

Private, not for profit 11,800 1,205 10.2 s s s s s s s s s

Public sector 25,423 2,234 8.8 21.7 9.5 9.8 7.0 4.5 9.1 23.9 4.6 10.7

Full- and part-time status (single jobholders only)4

Full-time workers 106,369 9,114 8.6 27.8 7.0 5.8 4.7 7.3 12.7 19.2 8.2 8.3

Part-time workers 25,882 2,193 8.5 6.0 3.5 6.1 5.7 3.1 23.1 29.6 10.0 12.8

Usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary

workers (single jobholders only)

Earnings less than or equal to the 25th percentile 25,200 2,791 11.1 16.5 7.7 5.7 2.3 8.6 25.1 19.9 9.2 6.1

Earnings from 25th to 50th percentiles 26,521 2,121 8.0 18.7 6.9 6.9 7.4 12.4 7.3 25.3 5.2 11.2

Earnings from 50th to 75th percentiles 27,193 2,256 8.3 34.5 9.3 6.9 1.7 5.2 10.5 18.2 7.8 7.1

Earnings greater than the 75th percentile 27,454 1,946 7.1 46.3 3.5 3.6 8.7 2.2 3.4 12.7 10.5 9.5

Work schedule flexibility5

Had flexible schedule 81,533 5,682 7.0 31.9 3.1 6.5 6.7 7.3 12.8 13.1 9.9 9.1

Did not have flexible schedule 62,762 6,803 10.8 15.4 9.7 5.6 3.1 5.8 17.2 27.0 8.0 9.5

Workplace flexibility 6

Could work at home 41,571 2,863 6.9 47.2 3.0 2.8 4.1 4.9 6.6 10.0 8.4 13.5

Could not work at home 102,338 9,595 9.4 15.7 7.7 7.0 5.0 6.9 17.7 23.9 8.9 8.1

1

 Estimates for reasons may sum to more than 100 percent because some people had multiple reasons for not taking leave.

2

 Estimates for race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to the totals because data are not presented for all races.

3

 Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.

4

 Full-time workers usually work 35 hours or more per week. Part-time workers usually work less than 35 hours per week.

5

 Workers with flexible schedules were able to vary or change the times they began and stopped working.

6

 The subcategories do not sum to the totals because a small number of workers did not provide this information.

s - Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.

Note: Data refer to wage and salary workers at their main jobs. All self-employed workers (including workers with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated businesses) are excluded.

Unless otherwise specified, data refer to workers 15 years and over.