When it comes to paid family leave, the United States is behind the curve. The U.S. is the only industrialized country in the worldwithout a paid parental leave policy for new parents in place at the national level. And according to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 12% of private sector workers had access to paid family leave through their jobs in 2015. Since most parents in America are working parents, these are startling statistics.The number of parents choosing to work outside of the home is increasing. According to theBureau of Labor Statistics, the number of families with at least one working parent rose from 88.7% in 2014 to 89.3% in 2015. In 61.1%of families with married couples, both parents work.Paid parental leave is more necessary than it has ever been. But even in states that rate well for their family leave policies (like California and New York), there's a need for additional legal protections for new and expecting parents.Read the 2016 edition of this annual study.Study specificsSmartAsset wanted to find the best cities for working parents. So we ranked 464 of the largest U.S. cities using nine factors, including the unemployment rate, the average high school graduation rate and the violent crime rate. We also looked at household income, average childcare costs, housing costs and average commute time.Much like we did in the 2016 edition of our study, we considered a rating of the family leave policies in every state.To learn more about how we conducted our analysis, read the data and methodology section below.Key findingsOrem does it again. For thesecond consecutive year, this small town in Utah ranks as the best place for working parents.Childcare costs are rising. Since we published the 2016 edition our study, the cost of childcare for children up to age 4 has risen in almost every state. In places like Colorado, it has risen by more than 15% since 2014.California earns an A for its family leave policies. Seven cities in California rank among the top 25 cities for working parents. In 2015 the GoldenState passed laws that offer paid sick days to many parents who need time off for prenatal and children's doctor's appointments.SEE ALSO:Zillow is launching a new site just for millennials looking for their first homeDON'T MISS:Here's what you'll pay for a babysitter in nine of the most expensive cities in the US10. Wichita Falls, TexasAmericans across the country have long and stressful commutes. And traveling back and forth to work is costly. A recent report from the Citi ThankYou Premier Commuter Index revealed that the average cost of commuting is around $2,600.Fortunately, the average commute inWichita Falls isnt that long. Local residents spend just 14.5 minutes traveling to work. Thats the third-shortest commute in our study.Median annual housing costs in Wichita Falls have risen by 2.84% since we published the 2016 edition of our analysis. But a low cost of living and good schools make the city a great place to raise a family. The average high school graduation rate (96%) is among the highest rates in our study.9. College Station, TexasLiving in College Station, Texas has its perks. Unemployment is relatively low (3.2%) and the average high school graduation rate is high (92%). Plus,the Lone Star State doesnt have a personal income tax. This means that working parents have more room in their budgets for childcare costs. The average annual cost of childcare in Texas is$8,510.8. Oshkosh, WisconsinOshkosh ranks at the eighth-best place in America for working parents, down from seventh place in the 2016 edition of our analysis. The city rates particularly well for its affordability. The average household only spends 21.35% of its income on housing-related expenses.A recent report from the National Partnership for Women & Families gave the state of Wisconsin a C for its family leave policies. Theres still plenty of room for improvement. But the Badger State earned points for giving workers more access to job-protected family leave than federal laws. Theres also flexible paid sick time that parents can use to care for a new child.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Click here to read full news..
