FIGURE 1

Most Parents Took Less than 6 Weeks of Leave, and the Gender Gap Is Stark

Percent of parents by weeks taken off from work after the birth of their youngest child

Based on responses from 2,984 parents who were employed and returned to work when their youngest child was born. Parents were asked to share how much time they took off, irrespective of whether it was paid or unpaid leave. Originally published in the New Practice Lab's 2026 National Parent Survey.
Source: Survey of 5,472 U.S. parents of children ages 0–5, with an oversample of parents in households below 200% federal poverty level; conducted by NORC for New America’s New Practice Lab, January 16–February 2, 2026.Download image