Preferences for Paid Paternity Leave Availability,Lengths of Leave Offerings,and Government Funding of Paternity Leaves in the United States

Abstract

This study analyzes 2012 General Social Survey data (N = 1,089) about preferences for paid paternity leave availability, lengths of leave offerings, and government funding of leaves. It highlights gender and gendered parenting role attitudes as predictors of leave preferences. Descriptive results revealed sizable (i.e., 53 percent) support for leave availability and moderate (i.e., 33 percent) support for some government funding; still, only modest (i.e., five weeks) lengths of leave offerings were desired. Regression results indicated that women were typically more likely than men to support more generous leave offerings. Consistently, dual-earner expectations were positively associated with preferences for more generous leave offerings. Separate spheres attitudes appeared to be meaningful for women’s preferences, but not for men’s preferences. Importantly, the findings from this study suggest that there have been long-standing preferences for more generous and widespread paid paternity leave offerings in the United States—and more public policy action is long overdue.