"Even If They Want to Quit, 23 Million U.S. Workers Are Trapped by 'This'"

23 Million U.S. Workers Face "Job Lock"
A Major Obstacle to Changing Jobs, Starting Businesses,
and Wage Growth

Approximately 23 million American workers are unable to leave jobs they want to quit due to fear of losing their health insurance benefits.

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On August 15 (local time), Fox Business reported, citing a study by West Health and the Gallup Center for Health and Wellbeing, that about 24% (23 million people) of U.S. workers with employer-based health insurance are experiencing what is known as "job lock." This figure is a significant increase from 16% in 2021. "Job lock" refers to a situation in which employees are forced to stay at their current workplace because they are worried about losing health insurance, even if they want to switch jobs.

The report pointed out, "In the United States, the number of workers unable to change jobs due to health insurance concerns is growing," and added, "One in four employees is staying in a job they do not want to keep their insurance benefit, which is hindering labor market mobility and productivity, as well as entrepreneurship and wage growth."

Rising medical costs are the primary factor behind this phenomenon. About half of the respondents said it is difficult to pay for essential medical treatments or prescription drugs on time. The percentage of those who said they are worried about medical expenses over the next year was 51%, the highest level in the past five years.

Workers experiencing economic hardship or those with health problems were more likely to be prevented from changing jobs because of health insurance. Among employees with medical debt, 44% were affected by job lock, more than double the rate of those without debt (21%).

Approximately 29% of workers with chronic illnesses said they could not change jobs because of health insurance, and this figure rose to 41% for those with three or more medical conditions. By gender, the rate was higher for women (30%) than for men (20%).

The survey was conducted among 5,660 U.S. adults from October 27 to December 22 last year. Of these, the responses of 2,322 workers who receive employer-provided health insurance were analyzed separately.

The researchers said, "Linking health insurance coverage to employment is fundamentally undermining labor market efficiency and quality of life, not just worker morale," and added, "Many American workers are choosing to prioritize retaining health insurance over their career paths or personal development."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.