Millions of U.S. workers stay in jobs to keep health insurance benefits
About 24% of American employees with employer-provided health coverage, roughly 23 million people, remain in positions they wish to leave because of fear of losing insurance.
The West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America released findings showing that roughly 23 million adults with employer-sponsored insurance are experiencing "job lock," meaning they stay in jobs they would rather leave to avoid losing coverage. This proportion has climbed from 16% in 2021 to 24% in the latest survey of 5,660 adults, focusing on 2,322 employed respondents. Workers facing medical debt, high health-care expenses, or chronic conditions are especially prone to remain, with 44% of those in debt reporting job lock versus 21% without debt.
Women are more likely than men to stay for benefits, at 30% compared with 20%. The report warns that this constraint hampers labor mobility, productivity, entrepreneurship and wage growth across the economy.
Why it matters
Job lock limits workers' freedom to change jobs, affecting economic mobility and overall productivity.
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