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Paid maternity leave in the U.S. versus other countries

Posted by / May 28, 2012

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The United States is one of only three nations that do not offer any paid maternity leave. That’s 175 countries that offer more benefits to new mothers than the U.S., including Pakistan, which offers 12 weeks paid leave. Fifty countries also provide paid paternity leave.

American women are offered 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, which exempts companies with fewer than 50 paid employees, but in 2011, only 11 percent of private sector workers and 17 percent of public workers reported that they had access to paid maternity leave through their employer. And for first-time mothers, only about half can take paid leave when they give birth.

Full story at Think Progress.

A place for moms.

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