One in Four U.S. Employees Locked in Jobs for Health Insurance

Editor’s Note: This research was conducted in partnership with West Health through the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America, a joint initiative to report the voices and experiences of Americans within the healthcare system.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly one in four U.S. workers (24%), the equivalent of about 23 million adults, report “job lock” — staying in their current job, even though they want to leave, because they are afraid of losing their health insurance — according to a new study from the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America. This marks an eight-percentage-point increase since 2021.

These findings are from a nationally representative study conducted Oct. 27 to Dec. 22, 2025, with 5,660 U.S. adults (aged 18 and older) drawn from the Gallup Panel, with surveys conducted via web and mail. The analysis presented here focuses specifically on a subset of 2,322 respondents who are employed and rely on employer-sponsored health insurance as their primary source of coverage.

Job lock is on the rise amid broader healthcare affordability challenges. About half of Americans report difficulty consistently paying for needed medical care or prescriptions, and 51% say they are worried about their ability to afford healthcare over the next 12 months, the highest level in five years.

Those Experiencing Financial Strain From Healthcare Costs Report Higher Rates of Job Lock

U.S. workers facing financial strain related to healthcare expenses are significantly more likely to report feeling stuck in their jobs to keep health insurance benefits. Among those who report personal or household medical debt, 44% say they are staying in an unwanted job for insurance, more than double the rate of those without medical debt (21%). Those who have borrowed money in the past year to pay for healthcare expenses are also more likely to report staying in unwanted jobs (37% among those who have borrowed vs. 22% among those who have not).

Even more striking, nearly half of those who report healthcare expenses as a “major financial burden” (48%) say they are staying in a job to maintain their health insurance. The same is true for 53% of individuals who experience “a lot of stress” in their daily lives due to the cost of healthcare.

Rates of job lock peak at 27% among those in households earning $48,000 to less than $90,000 a year and tend to be lower among those earning higher incomes.

Individuals With Chronic Conditions More Likely to Stay in Jobs for Health Insurance

U.S. workers who report having been diagnosed with one or more chronic conditions (aside from high blood pressure or high cholesterol) are more likely than those who have not to report job lock (29% vs. 17%, respectively). Those reporting three or more diagnoses are the most likely to stay in jobs for insurance benefits (41%).

The link between chronic disease burden and job lock is especially pronounced among individuals with conditions that often require ongoing or intensive care, including asthma (29%) and immune-compromising conditions (36%). This pattern also extends to mental health conditions, with 35% of individuals with depression and 33% of those with anxiety reporting similar experiences.

Women More Likely to Report Staying in Unwanted Jobs for Health Benefits

Women are more likely than men to report staying in a job they would prefer to leave to maintain health insurance coverage (30% vs. 20%, respectively). Compared with men, women are also more likely to report experiencing financial stress due to healthcare expenses (56% vs. 44%), having medical debt (22% vs. 12%) and having multiple chronic conditions (66% vs. 57%), gaps that may contribute to higher rates of job lock among women.

Implications

Job lock is on the rise in America. Nearly a quarter of U.S. employees report staying in a job they want to leave to keep their health insurance, a powerful constraint on worker mobility, productivity, entrepreneurship and wage growth.^1,2,3 The consequences extend well beyond economics: Job lock has been linked to lower life satisfaction,⁴ poorer overall wellbeing and higher rates of occupational injury.⁵

Job lock is rising alongside healthcare costs. In recent years, insurance premiums, prescription drug prices and out-of-pocket medical expenses have all climbed, increasing the financial risks associated with leaving employer-sponsored coverage even as workers increasingly shoulder more of the financial burden in high-deductible health plans.^6,7,8 At the same time, ongoing uncertainty about the future of the Affordable Care Act⁹ has further complicated views on the affordability of non-employer coverage.

These findings point to a broader challenge for policymakers: When access to affordable healthcare is tied to employment, workers may feel compelled to stay in jobs that no longer meet their personal or professional needs. The effects extend beyond morale — reducing labor market efficiency, upward mobility and quality of life. With coverage tied to employment, a growing share of American workers report making career decisions based on insurance rather than opportunity.

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