Figure A
Most high-wage workers have paid sick days; most low-wage workers do not: Share of private-sector workers with access to paid sick days by top and bottom wage deciles, 2025
| Category | Share of workers who have access to paid sick days |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% | 41% |
| Top 10% | 96% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey 2025.
This chart appears in:
- Paid Sick Leave 2020
- Two-thirds of low-wage workers still lack access to paid sick days during an ongoing pandemic
- Paid Sick Days 2022
- Over 60% of low-wage workers still don’t have access to paid sick days on the job
- New data show that access to paid sick days remains vastly unequal: Amid federal inaction, 61% of low-wage workers are without paid sick days
- Paid sick leave access expands with widespread state action: Low-wage workers without access face economic and health insecurity
- Access to paid sick leave continues to grow but remains highly unequal by geography and wage level
Previous chart: « As union membership declines, income inequality increases: Union membership and share of income going to the top 10%, 1917–present