California
For California, program name is Paid Family Leave; benefits start date is 2004; total contribution rate is 1.3 percent; employer share is employee-funded only; employee share is 1.3 percent, recorded from its source on 2026-09-02; source re-checked 2026-10-06.
- State
- California verified
- Program name
- Paid Family Leave
- Benefits start date
- 2004 verified
- Total contribution rate
- 1.3 percent verified
- Employer share
- employee-funded only our reading
- Employee share
- 1.3 percent our reading
- Maximum weekly benefit
- $1,765 verified
- Wage replacement formula
- 90 percent of wages for workers earning up to 70 percent of the average quarterly wage; 70 percent for higher earners
- Family leave duration
- 8 weeks verified
- Medical leave duration
- 52 weeks
- Employer size threshold
- 1 employee our reading
- Covered reasons
- bonding, own serious health condition, family caregiving, military exigency our reading
- Program website
- https://edd.ca.gov/en/disability/paid-family-leave/ our reading
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
California’s law was passed in 2002, implemented in 2004, and has been amended multiple times, including in 2022 to greatly increase wage replacement beginning in 2025. The maximum length of family leave increased from six to eight weeks on July 1, 2020. See SB 83 and tax rates and wage bases. On January 1, 2021, individuals became eligible to receive up to six weeks of military exigency leave; see California Employment Development Department. In 2026, payroll tax contributions are 1.3 percent, a slight increase from the 1.2 percent rate charged in 2025.
— newamerica.org, retrieved 2026-09-02
Where each value comes from
These values are stated in different places, and not all on the same page, so each is shown with the passage that states it and the source that passage came from.
Total contribution rate
The SDI withholding rate for 2026 is 1.3 percent.
— from edd.ca.gov, retrieved 2026-09-02
Maximum weekly benefit
How Your Weekly Benefit Amount is Calculated If your highest quarterly earnings are: Annual Income (12 months) | Highest 3-Month (Quarterly) Earnings | Weekly Benefit Amount (approximate) | Up to $1,199.96 | Less than $300 | Not eligible | $1,200 to $2,889.96 | $300 to $722.49 | $50 | $2,890 to $65,119.60 | $722.50 to $16,279.90 | 90% of weekly wages | $65,119.64 to $83,725.20 | $16,279.91 to $20,931.30 | $1,127 | More than $83,725.24 | $20,931.31 or more | 70% of weekly wages up to a $1,765 maximum
— from edd.ca.gov, retrieved 2026-09-02
Family leave duration
If eligible, you may receive benefit payments for up to 8 weeks in a 12-month period.
— from edd.ca.gov, retrieved 2026-09-02
Sources
- newamerica.orghttps://www.newamerica.org/insights/explainer-paid-leave-benefits-and-funding-in-the-united-states/
- edd.ca.govhttps://edd.ca.gov/en/disability/paid-family-leave/
- edd.ca.govhttps://edd.ca.gov/en/payroll_taxes/rates_and_withholding/
- edd.ca.govhttps://edd.ca.gov/en/disability/Calculating_PFL_Benefit_Payment_Amounts/