Millennials Struggling to Care for Aging Baby Boomer Parents Call for Better Paid Leave

The United States remains the only highly industrialized country lacking a national policy offering paid family leave, and although some states have started to propose their own policies, 46 states still leave the decision up to employers, reports Time . Only 15 percent of U.S. employees can access paid family leave through their employers, and about 40 percent lack access to job-protected unpaid leave via the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Millennials also are increasingly called upon to serve as caregivers for aging family members, with an AARP report estimating almost a quarter of the 43 million adult U.S. caregivers are between the ages of 18 and 34. Many millennials face massive student loan debt, uncertain job prospects, and lower salaries than previous generations, yet 86 percent of adults 18 to 29 years old consider themselves responsible for aiding aging parents financially, according to the Pew Research Center. Experts say a Republican-supported tax credit for employers offering paid family leave will make little difference, while Democrats back the FAMILY Act, which would use payroll taxes to offer 12 weeks of paid leave to new parents and other caregivers.