PostDoc20-02: The Economic Impact of State Paid Family Leave and Medical Acts on Working Families with Old Adults

State Paid Leave Programs (PFL) complement the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) by offering workers time off to take care their newborns or sick family members with supplemental income, and further job protection. This study adds further understanding of how state PFL policies help working families with elder parents improve their long-term earnings, reduce disability and or delay retirement claims; and of whether these policies reduce the use of formal paid caregiving services such as nursing home and in-home care services. The findings have important policy implications for the FMLA and other social welfare programs in suggesting ways to support low-income working families without necessarily increasing the cost of social welfare.