QuickStats: Percentage* of Currently Employed Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Had Paid Sick Leave Benefits† at Last Week’s Job or Business, by Region — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019 and 2020§
Weekly / April 29, 2022 / 71(17);611
* With 95% CIs indicated by error bars.
† Based on responses to the question, “Regarding your job or work last week, is paid sick leave available if you need it?”
§ Estimates were based on household interviews of a sample of adults aged ≥18 years who were working last week, were not working last week because they were temporarily absent, or who performed seasonal or contract work. The number of employed adults declined 5.1% from 2019 to 2020, particularly among workers without access to paid sick leave.
The percentage of currently employed adults who had access to paid sick leave increased from 62.1% in 2019 to 66.5% in 2020. During this period, increases were noted among all regions of the country (Northeast: from 65.6% to 69.8%, Midwest: from 60.1% to 64.5%, South: from 59.1% to 63.5%, and West: from 65.8% to 70.3%). In both years, rates were highest in the Northeast and West and lowest in the Midwest and South.
Source: National Health Interview Survey, 2019–2020 data. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm
Reported by: Abay Asfaw, PhD, AAsfaw@cdc.gov, 202-245-0635; Regina Pana-Cryan, PhD; Roger Rosa, PhD.
For more information about this topic, CDC recommends the following link: https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2012/07/30/sick-leave/
Suggested citation for this article: QuickStats: Percentage of Currently Employed Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Had Paid Sick Leave Benefits at Last Week’s Job or Business, by Region — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019 and 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:611. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7117a4.
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