Other proposals are pending. The one that has kicked up the most dust emanates from the Labor Dept., which oversees state unemployment-insurance programs. Labor officials are considering a regulation that, for the first time, would let states tap jobless funds to pay parents on leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. Legislators and family advocates from about six states have shown interest, says Sally Paxton, a deputy solicitor at the Labor Dept. The states will resolve most details, such as how much employees can collect and for how long, and whether new parents who quit work qualify.
Supporters say it's a creative accommodation for the growing numbers of working mothers.
And a broad-based system for paid leave is a matter of fairness. As one study shows, the main reason eligible employees don't take parental leave is that they can't afford it. Not so fast, business advocates respond. Unemployment insurance is for people who are jobless through no fault of their own and actively seeking work. This idea will seem a lot less brilliant when the miraculous U.S. job-creation machine runs out of gas, they say.