2026 update: this page uses the latest data available: Census Bureau data on fathers whose first child was born in 2014–2022 (published 2025), BLS March 2026 access figures, state programs as of October 2026, and the most recent national leave-length surveys (2012–2016).
About half of first-time U.S. fathers (50.1%) used some form of paid leave after their first child was born in 2014–2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, while 12.6% used unpaid leave and about 35% took no leave at all (the categories overlap, so they don’t add to 100%). Most dads who do take leave take a week or two: in a Pew Research Center survey, fathers who took leave after a birth or adoption took a median of one week off, and 72% took two weeks or less.Updated October 2026: we corrected the cohort figures to match the Census report, removed an unsourced 2026 estimate and unsourced duration and state numbers, and added sourced answers on how long dads take off, who has access to paid leave, which states pay benefits, and how the U.S. compares internationally.
The Census numbers come from the Bureau’s report Parental Leave and Employment Patterns for First-Time Parents in the United States: 2022 (P70-204, April 2025), based on the 2022 Survey of Income and Program Participation. They cover fathers who worked before their first biological child was born. “Paid leave” there means any paid time off around the birth, including paid paternity leave, paid sick days and paid vacation, so it isn’t the same as having a paid paternity leave benefit.
Data breakdown: Paternity leave use over time
First-time fathers have become much more likely to take some leave. Before 1994, 77.0% of first-time fathers took no leave after their first child was born; for fathers whose first child was born in 2014–2022, that fell to about 35%. Over the same span, the share using some form of paid leave rose from about 18% to 50.1%.
| First child born | Used paid leave | Used unpaid leave | Took no leave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1994 | ~18% | 3.3% | 77.0% |
| 1994–2003 | 27.1% | ~6% | 65.1% |
| 2004–2013 | 35.1% | 7.0% | 54.2% |
| 2014–2022 | 50.1% | 12.6% | ~35% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, P70-204 (2025). First-time fathers who worked before the birth. A “~” marks figures the report gives as approximate (“about”). Categories can overlap, and the report also counts fathers who quit or were let go, so rows don’t sum to 100%.
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How long is the average paternity leave in the U.S.?
There is no official U.S. average for how long fathers take off; the Census report above measures whether fathers took leave, not for how long. The best national survey numbers point to about one to two weeks:
- Median: one week. Among fathers who took time off after a birth or adoption in the previous two years, the median leave was one week, and 72% took two weeks or less (Pew Research Center, survey conducted Nov.–Dec. 2016, published 2017). For mothers, the median was 11 weeks.
- 70% took 10 days or less. A 2012 Department of Labor survey found that 70% of men who took leave for parental reasons took 10 days or less, according to the Labor Department’s paternity leave policy brief (2015).
- Two-thirds took less than two weeks. The same DOL brief cites a study of fathers of children born in 2001 (Nepomnyaschy & Waldfogel, 2007) that found 89% took some time off for the birth, and about two-thirds took less than two weeks. That 89% comes from a different, older study than the Census figures above, so don’t compare the two directly.
These are the most recent national duration figures we could verify against a primary source, and they’re old: Pew’s survey is from 2016, the Labor Department survey from 2012, and the two-thirds figure describes fathers of babies born in 2001. Treat “one to two weeks” as the typical range in those surveys, not a current average.
| Measure | Fathers | Mothers | Source (data year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median length of leave, among parents who took leave | 1 week | 11 weeks | Pew Research Center (2016 survey) |
| Took two weeks or less | 72% | — | Pew Research Center (2016 survey) |
| Took 10 days or less | 70% | — | U.S. Dept. of Labor brief (2012 survey) |
What kind of leave do dads use?
Fathers lean on vacation days more than on parental leave. Among first-time parents who took some leave in the 12 weeks after their first child was born, 36.6% of fathers used vacation leave, compared with 6.8% of mothers, and 33.1% of fathers used paid paternity leave, compared with 49.8% of mothers who used paid maternity leave (Census P70-204; all birth cohorts combined).
| Type of leave in the 12 weeks after the first birth | Fathers | Mothers |
|---|---|---|
| Paid paternity or maternity leave | 33.1% | 49.8% |
| Vacation leave | 36.6% | 6.8% |
| Unpaid paternity or maternity leave | ~13% | 29.7% |
| Paid sick leave | 11.2% | 8.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, P70-204 (2025), Figure 3. Parents who worked before their first birth and took some leave in the 12 weeks after it; parents could use more than one type.
For the most recent cohort (first child born 2014–2022), fathers and mothers used paid leave at about the same rate (50.1% vs. 49.1%), but mothers were more than twice as likely to use unpaid leave (27.3% vs. 12.6%), and far fewer mothers took no leave (11.3%).
Who has access to paid leave?
About half of private-sector workers can get paid family leave through their job. In March 2026, 49% of private industry workers had access to employer-provided paid family and medical leave, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released September 2026). That’s a new, broader BLS measure: it also counts paid leave for a worker’s own illness and plans required by state law, and it covers private industry workers only, so it can’t be compared with the older series, in which 27% of civilian workers had employer-provided paid family leave in March 2023, up from 9% in 2008.
Federal law guarantees unpaid leave only. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives most workers at companies with at least 50 employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave, with no wage replacement (BLS; Bipartisan Policy Center).
State paid family leave programs
In 2026, 12 states plus Washington, D.C., run mandatory paid family leave programs that are paying benefits: California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon, Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota and Maine. Delaware, Minnesota and Maine started paying benefits in 2026. Maryland and Virginia have also passed mandatory programs, but they haven’t started paying benefits yet (Bipartisan Policy Center, updated October 8, 2026). Parental leave in these programs runs 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the state.
Several other states, including Texas, Florida and Tennessee, have voluntary laws that let employers buy paid family leave insurance, so coverage there depends on the employer.
How the U.S. compares with other countries
The United States is the only OECD country with no statutory entitlement to paid leave on a national basis, and it is one of three OECD countries (with Israel and New Zealand) that provide no leave reserved for fathers, according to the OECD Family Database (updated May 2026). By 2025, 35 of the 38 OECD countries offered some paid leave reserved for fathers, and the OECD average reached 13.4 weeks (OECD Family Database, PF2.5).
Why paternity leave matters
Longer leave is linked to more hands-on fathering. In one U.S. study cited by the Department of Labor, fathers who took two weeks or more of leave were much more likely to be involved in their child’s care nine months after birth, including feeding, changing diapers and getting up at night. The DOL brief notes that studies in other countries have found similar links between longer paternity leave and fathers’ engagement. If you’re expecting, our week-by-week pregnancy guide walks through what to expect as an expecting dad, including when to talk through leave and the budget (around week 9).
Most Americans support it. In Pew’s 2016 survey, 69% of Americans said fathers should have paid paternity leave (82% said so for mothers). Those who favor paid leave for both parents said fathers should get a median of 4.3 weeks, compared with 8.6 weeks for mothers (Pew Research Center, 2017).
FAQ: Common questions about paternity leave
What percentage of fathers take paternity leave?
About half of first-time U.S. fathers (50.1%) used some form of paid leave (paid paternity leave, sick days or vacation) after their first child was born in 2014–2022, and 12.6% used unpaid leave, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About 35% took no leave at all. (Some fathers used more than one type of leave, so the shares overlap.)
How long is the average paternity leave in the U.S.?
There’s no official average, but most dads who take leave take one to two weeks. In a 2016 Pew Research Center survey, fathers who took leave after a birth or adoption took a median of one week, and 72% took two weeks or less. A 2012 Department of Labor survey found 70% took 10 days or less.
Do men get paternity leave in the U.S.?
There is no national paid paternity leave in the U.S. The Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. Paid leave depends on your state and employer: 12 states plus D.C. pay family leave benefits in 2026, and 49% of private industry workers had employer-provided paid family and medical leave in March 2026 (BLS).
Has paternity leave use increased over time?
Yes. The share of first-time fathers who took no leave fell from 77.0% for first births before 1994 to about 35% for first births in 2014–2022, and the share using paid leave rose from about 18% to 50.1% (U.S. Census Bureau).
How does paternity leave compare to maternity leave?
For first births in 2014–2022, fathers and mothers used paid leave at similar rates (50.1% vs. 49.1%), but mothers were more likely to use unpaid leave (27.3% vs. 12.6%) and took much longer leaves: a median of 11 weeks for mothers vs. one week for fathers in Pew’s survey.
How does the U.S. compare to other countries on paternity leave?
The U.S. is the only OECD country with no national paid leave entitlement, and one of three (with Israel and New Zealand) with no leave reserved for fathers. Across the OECD, paid father-specific leave averaged 13.4 weeks in 2025.
Which states have paid family leave for dads?
In 2026, mandatory paid family leave programs are paying benefits in California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon, Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine and Washington, D.C. Maryland and Virginia have passed programs that haven’t started paying benefits yet.
Related: How many fathers are stay-at-home dads? · Average age of first-time fathers · Paternal postpartum depression statistics · How much time dads spend with their kids · Working dads statistics · Child care costs by state
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau — Parental Leave and Employment Patterns for First-Time Parents in the United States: 2022 (Report P70-204, April 2025) — Leave use by birth cohort and leave types, 2022 SIPP
- Pew Research Center — Americans Widely Support Paid Family and Medical Leave, but Differ Over Specific Policies (March 2017) — Length of leave for fathers and mothers; public support
- U.S. Department of Labor — Paternity Leave: Why Parental Leave for Fathers Is So Important for Working Families (policy brief, 2015) — 70% took 10 days or less (2012 DOL survey); involvement findings
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2026 (Sept. 25, 2026) and What data does the BLS publish on family leave? — Access to paid family (and medical) leave, National Compensation Survey
- Bipartisan Policy Center — State Paid Family Leave Laws Across the U.S. (updated Oct. 8, 2026) — State programs, benefit start dates and FMLA basics
- OECD Family Database — PF2.1 Parental leave systems and PF2.5 Trends in parental leave policies since 1970 (updated May 2026) — International comparison
- OECD — Paid Leave for Fathers (2025) — Further reading on father-specific leave policy
- Yang, Wallington & Morain — Paid Leave for Fathers: Policy, Practice, and Reform (Milbank Quarterly, 2022) — Further reading on U.S. policy
- California Employment Development Department — Paid Family Leave: Fathers — California’s program information for dads
