Six state and local governments were recently awarded a combined $1.1 million to study the development and implementation of paid leave programs, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced.
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DOL’s Women’s Bureau awarded the grants for research and analysis on paid leave programs. At the state level, Hawaii, Indiana, Pennsylvania received grants. Three local governments did as well: Denver, Colorado; Franklin County, Ohio; and Madison, Wisconsin.
DOL said the grants are just the latest step in its ongoing paid leave initiative. Only 12% of private-sector workers have access to paid family leave, according to the department. The grants “will help innovative state and local officials design paid-leave policies that work for their citizens,” said Thomas E. Perez, secretary of labor, in a statement.