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The Best & Worst States For Working Parents

CBS Detroit - The website Business.org just released a list of which states are best for working parents. Their methodology was based on which states offer full legal protections for parents in regard to paid family leave and medical leave, gross rent compared to income, job-protected leave, and unemployment rates from September 2019 to 2020 to reflect the pandemic.

The idea behind their ratings is that states who offer more legal protections to parents and income to rent ratios which make housing more affordable, make it so parents can spend more time with their children. Job stability, in terms of unemployment rates, played into that as well. According to Business.org, states with lower income-to-rent ratios scored higher.

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Michigan is ranked 45th on their list. With a 29% Rent as a percentage of household income, a +4.6% 2019-2020 unemployment change, and no paid family, medical, or job-protected leaves beyond federal minimums. The District of Columbia, Washington, New Jersey, Iowa, and New York made the top five. Nevada came in dead-last due to a high cost of living, high unemployment, and no laws for parents and families besides federal FMLA statutes.

The Best & Worst States For Working Parents

Rank
State
Rent as a percentage of household income
2019-2020 unemployment rate change
Paid family leave
Paid medical leave
Job-protected leave
1 District of Columbia 27.1% +3.4%
2 Washington 29% +3.7%
3 New Jersey 29.6% +3.1%
4 Iowa 26.5% +1.9% X X
5 New York 30.1% +5.8%
6 Massachusetts 29.5% +6.8%
7 Rhode Island 29.5% +7%
8 Montana 27.9% +1.8% X X
9 Minnesota 27.6% +2.8% X X
10 Maine 28.1% +3.2% X X
11 California 31.7% +7.1%
12 Wisconsin 26.8% +2.0% X X X
13 New Hampshire 28.9% +3.4% X X
14 North Dakota 24.1% +2.0% X X X
15 South Dakota 25.2% +0.7% X X X
16 Nebraska 26.3% +0.5% X X X
17 Connecticut 29.6% +4.1% X X
18 Oregon 29.4% +4.5% X X
19 Louisiana 31.2% +3.0% X X
20 Kentucky 27% +1.3% X X X
21 Alaska 27.6% +1.0% X X X
22 Kansas 26.4% +2.8% X X X
23 Missouri 27.5 +1.6% X X X
24 Oklahoma 27.2% +2.0% X X X
25 Wyoming 27.3% +2.4% X X X
26 Utah 27.7% +2.5% X X X
27 Maryland 29.9% +3.7% X X
28 Arkansas 27.2% +3.7% X X X
29 Arizona 28.6% +2.1% X X X
30 Mississippi 29.2% +1.5% X X X
31 Indiana 28.1% +3.0% X X X
32 Vermont 32% +1.8% X X
33 Idaho 28% +3.2% X X X
34 Ohio 27.2% +4.3% X X X
35 Tennessee 28.5% +3.0% X X X
36 West Virginia 28.2% +3.6% X X X
37 Virginia 28.3% +3.5% X X X
38 South Carolina 29% +2.7% X X X
39 North Carolina 28.4% +3.6% X X X
40 Pennsylvania 28.6% +3.5% X X X
41 Alabama 28.7% +3.9% X X X
42 Georgia 29.3% +3.2% X X X
43 New Mexico 28.4% +4.6% X X X
44 Hawaii 32% +12.4% X
45 Michigan 29% +4.6% X X X
46 Texas 29.2% +4.8% X X X
47 Colorado 30% +3.8% X X X
48 Delaware 29.7% +4.3% X X X
49 Illinois 28.1% +6.5% X X X
50 Florida 33.1% +4.7% X X X
51 Nevada 30.5% +8.9% X X X

© 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Information from the Business.org contributed to this report.
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