According to a new U.S. Census report released on November 10, nationally about half of all working women who had their first child between 2006 and 2008 receive paid maternity leave. Another 42% were eligible for non-paid leave. This is a slight improvement compared to working women who became first-time mothers between 1996 and 2000, when only 42% received paid leave.

ASE’s own data shows that in Michigan about 63% of employers offer Short-term Disability insurance, which is the delivery system of choice for most employers providing a paid maternity benefit. A small number (around 7-8%) of all reporting firms offer a paid maternity benefit in addition to Short-term Disability.

The U.S. Census report, Maternity Leave and Employment Patterns of First-Time Mothers: 1961-2008, analyzed trends in women’s work experience prior to the birth of their first child, the maternity leave arrangements they made before and after the birth of the child, and how quickly these mothers returned to work. 

The report found that since the 1960s, women overall have experienced gains in education and have delayed having their first child. From 1970 to 2007 the average age that a working woman had her first child increased 3.6 years from 21.4 to 25. The average of women aged 35 and older having a child for the first time also increased from 1% to 8% between 1970 and 2006. The percentage of first time mothers with Bachelor’s degrees or higher also increased significantly from 1970 to 2007. Only 9% held college degrees in 1970; 24% held degrees in 2007.

Other significant trends found in the report:

· Two of three (66%) women who had their first child between 2006 and 2008 worked during pregnancy; that figure is up from 44% who bore their first child between 1961 and 1965.

· Four out of five (82%) working women who had their first baby between 2006-2008 worked until one month prior to giving birth.

· Four out of five (80%) first-time mothers who returned to work within 12 months of giving birth returned to their same employer.

· More than two of three (69%) of women who returned to the same employer after giving birth to their first child experienced no changes in pay, skill level or hours.

Overall the report found that women are staying longer at work during their first pregnancy, returning more rapidly after the birth of their first child, and in general choosing to combine work life and childrearing far more than women did in the 1960s.

Source: www.census.gov; ASE’s 2011/2012 Michigan Policies and Benefits Survey