Access to paid military leave in 2018

Many civilian workers also serve in the military through the National Guard or Reserves. These workers sometimes need to take time off from their civilian jobs for military training or because they have been called to active duty. Some employers provide these workers with paid leave while they are in military service. In March 2018, 28 percent of private industry workers and 70 percent of state and local government workers had access to employer-provided paid military leave.

In private industry, access to paid military leave varied by establishment size. Sixteen percent of workers in establishments with fewer than 50 workers had access to paid military leave. That compares with 51 percent of workers in establishments with 500 or more workers.

In state and local governments, differences between small and large establishments in access to paid military leave were smaller than for private industry workers.

These data are from the National Compensation Survey – Benefits program. For more information, see “Employee Benefits in the United States – March 2018” and our glossary of terms on employee benefits.