Without Maternity Leave, the U.S. Lags the Whole Entire World

Researchers are in almost uniform agreement that paid parental leave is good for parents, kids, and the economy.

Photographer: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Europe

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I've been covering parental leave — or the lack of it — in the U.S. for a decade. Every story always offers the same, almost boilerplate context: The U.S. is one of a whopping seven countries that doesn’t offer paid time off to new moms.