Ikea to offer expanded parental leave in stronger job market

NEW YORK (AP) — Ikea's U.S. division is offering longer parental leave to employees who are new parents, following similar overtures from tech companies like Netflix as it strives to keep good workers in an improving job market.

Ikea had previously given women giving birth five days of paid leave in addition to six to eight weeks of paid disability leave.

Lars Petersson, president of Ikea's U.S. division, told The Associated Press the parental leave expansion will give employees a better feeling about the workplace and will mean better service to customers.

[...] these companies don't represent what's happening in the U.S. labor market," said Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute, a nonprofit research group.