How Much More Will Paid Family Leave Increase Cost WA Workers in 2026?

The controversial WA Paid Family Medical Leave program began taking  money from workers (mandatory) in 2019, and applicants  began to utilize it in 2020. Now, due to threats of insolvency, the rates are rising again.

   Rate to increase in 2026

The WA State Employment Security Department says so far in 2025, 218,000 persons have utilized the program, which pays up to 90 percent of your monthly wages for up to 12 weeks, longer if certain conditions are met.

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Now, Employment Security says the rate taken from businesses and workers is going from .92 percent of their pay, to 1.13 percent beginning January of 2026.  Businesses pay just over 72 percent, workers the other roughly 29.  The tax is taken from gross pay.

For the average workers who makes, for example, $1,000 per week, they will go from paying $9.20 to $11.30 per week.

A number of critics, including GOP legislators, are frustrated with the program because it is mandatory (workers were not given a choice to participate), and it's being utilized not by lower-income or middle-income workers, but those who make at least $61 per hour.

The WA Policy Center on October 14th reported the program is flawed because it's a replacement wage, but not a full wage.  Lower-income  families cannot afford a ten percent reduction so they rarely use it, but like all workers, they are forced to help pay for it.  Based on the number of claims, and those are increasing, the fund is projected to have a deficit of $350 million by 2029.

The state has an estimator tool that you can use to easily figure out how much of YOUR pay is being taken for the program.

The WA Policy Center had this assessment of PFML:

"PFML is a state-mandated benefit for middle- and upper-wage earners. If they truly want a safety net, they would fund it from the general fund and do away with this payroll deduction that benefits workers who can better afford to take time off."