Most Americans have never taken paid leave from work
Core finding
Most Americans (55%) say they have never taken paid leave from a job for any of these reasons, according to a March 2026 Verasight survey.
The most commonly cited reason for taking such leave is recovering from a serious health condition of one's own (27%), ahead of caring for a seriously ill family member (14%), physically recovering from childbirth (12%), and bonding with a new child (9%). Smaller shares point to a situation involving domestic or sexual violence (3%) or a military family member's deployment or injury (3%).
Selected responses
Most Americans have never taken paid leave from work.
Have you ever taken paid leave from your job for any of the following reasons?
n = 1,000 · Mar 6–16, 2026 · MoE ±3.5%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Mar 6–16, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | Module 2: Economics, Work, & Policy |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044
Have you ever taken paid leave from your job for any of the following reasons?
Cite this question
Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.