86 percent of private industry transportation and warehousing workers had paid sick leave in 2023

In 2017, 74 percent of private transportation and warehousing workers had access to paid sick leave. The percentage of workers with access to paid sick leave has since increased to 86 percent in 2023. Among all private industry workers in 2023, 78 percent of workers had access to paid sick leave.

In 2023, 46 percent of private industry workers in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry (which includes the transportation and warehousing industry) participated in a paid sick leave plan with a carryover provision. Most of these workers had plans that limited the amount of unused sick leave carried over from year to year. Fifty-four percent of workers in trade, transportation, and utilities participated in a paid sick leave plan with no carryover. 

Among all private industry workers, 52 percent participated in a paid sick leave plan with carryover, 41 percent participated in a plan with limited accumulation carryover, and 48 percent had plans with no carryover.

Paid sick leave is paid absence from work if an employee is unable to work because of a non-work-related illness or injury. Many establishments also permit workers to use paid sick leave to care for sick dependents or for doctor appointments. Sick leave is provided on a per year basis and is usually expressed in days.

These data are from the Employee Benefits program. For more information, see “Employee Benefits in the United States — March 2023.” Information on workers in the transportation and warehousing industry are highlighted in the recent Spotlight on Statistics, “Keeping America Moving Characteristics of the Transportation and Warehousing Industry.”