Norwegian policymakers are sold on the idea that relieving the time and economic pressure on parents yields long-term benefits. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said the long maternity leave, in particular, just makes good economic sense. “It gives Norway a competitive advantage when young families do not have to choose between having a career and having children,” Stoltenberg says. “They can have both. … The benefit of giving parents paid maternity leave for a year is that they don’t leave the workforce for several years.