On average, 71 percent of wage and salary workers had access to take paid leave in 2024–25

On average, 71.0 percent of wage and salary workers 15 years and older had access to paid leave at their main jobs in 2024–25, 77.7 percent had access to unpaid leave, and 94.2 percent had access to either paid or unpaid leave. The average percentage of wage and salary workers with access to paid leave increased from 66.0 percent in 2017–18. 

In 2024–25, wage and salary workers in management, business, and financial operations occupations were the most likely to have access to paid leave (89.5 percent). Workers in service occupations (44.9 percent) and construction and extraction occupations (50.0 percent) were the least likely to have access to paid leave. The gains in access to paid leave between 2017–18 and 2024–25 were widespread across occupations including construction and extraction, transportation and material moving, and management, business, and financial operations. Occupations showing decreases were not significantly different from prior years.

These data are from a supplementary set of questions asked as part of the 2024 and 2025 American Time Use Surveys (ATUS) collected directly from wage and salary workers, excluding self-employed. The data thus represent only workers' knowledge on these topics; workers sometimes do not know whether they can use leave until they have a need to do so. To learn more, see “Access to and Use of Leave — 2024–2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey.”