2011 Access to and Use of Leave — 2012-08-16

In 2011, 90 percent of wage and salary workers had access to paid or unpaid leave at their main jobs, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-one percent of wage and salary workers took paid or unpaid leave during an average week. Workers who took leave during an average week took an average of 15.6 hours of leave. Fifty-six percent of wage and salary workers were able to adjust their work schedules or location instead of taking leave or because they did not have access to leave in 2011. Seven percent of workers made such an adjustment in an average week. These findings are from a supplementary set of questions asked as part of the 2011 American Time Use Survey (ATUS). The ATUS is a continuous household survey that provides estimates on how people spend their time.