Nearly one in four workers with employer-sponsored health insurance say they remain in jobs they want to leave because they fear losing coverage.
The share reporting this “job lock” has increased eight percentage points since 2021, Gallup found.
Women, workers with chronic conditions, and people struggling with medical bills are significantly more likely to feel trapped.
Hate your job but can’t quit because you need health insurance? Welcome to the club.
Gallup’s new study on healthcare in America found the need for health benefits is preventing millions of Americans from changing jobs, even when they would prefer to work somewhere else.
The survey found that 24% of workers who depend on employer-sponsored health insurance are staying in jobs they want to leave because they are afraid of losing coverage. Gallup estimates that represents about 23 million American adults.
The percentage has risen sharply since 2021, when 16% of workers reported experiencing what researchers call “job lock.”
The findings suggest that rising healthcare costs are affecting not only household budgets but also career decisions. Workers may hesitate to pursue better pay, start a business, or accept a position that lacks comparable health benefits.
“Job lock is on the rise in America,” Gallup said in its analysis. “With coverage tied to employment, a growing share of American workers report making career decisions based on insurance rather than opportunity.”
Medical bills increase the pressure
Workers already struggling with healthcare expenses were much more likely to feel trapped.
Among respondents with personal or household medical debt, 44% said they were remaining in an unwanted job to preserve their health coverage. That compares with 21% of workers without medical debt.
The rate reached 48% among people who described healthcare expenses as a major financial burden. It climbed to 53% among workers who said healthcare costs caused them a lot of daily stress.
Income also played a role. Job lock was most common among workers in households earning from $48,000 to just under $90,000 a year, with 27% saying health insurance kept them from leaving.
Chronic conditions make changing jobs riskier
Workers who need ongoing medical care may face especially high stakes when considering a job change. Losing an employer plan could mean changing doctors, paying more for prescriptions, or facing a gap in coverage.
Gallup found that 29% of workers diagnosed with at least one chronic condition reported job lock, compared with 17% of those without a chronic condition. The survey excluded high blood pressure and high cholesterol from that comparison.
Among workers reporting three or more diagnoses, 41% said they were staying in an unwanted job for the insurance.
The rate was also high among people with immune-compromising conditions, at 36%, depression, at 35%, and anxiety, at 33%.
Women report higher rates of job lock
Women were more likely than men to say health coverage kept them in jobs they wanted to leave — 30% compared with 20%.
Gallup said women were also more likely to report medical debt, multiple chronic conditions and financial stress caused by healthcare expenses. Those differences may help explain the gender gap.
Gallup warned that the consequences may extend beyond job dissatisfaction. When workers cannot freely change jobs, the result can be reduced wage growth, less entrepreneurship, and lower productivity, along with poorer personal well-being.