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Nearly one in four American workers with employer-sponsored health insurance say they are stuck in jobs they want to leave because they fear losing coverage.
About 24% of U.S. workers with job-based insurance – roughly 23 million adults – are experiencing “job lock,” up sharply from 16% in 2021, according to a report from the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America.
The survey defines job lock as remaining in a job despite wanting to leave due to concerns about losing health insurance.
“Job lock is on the rise in America,” the report noted. “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.”
The surge comes as soaring healthcare costs squeeze household budgets.
About half of Americans said they struggle to consistently pay for needed medical care or prescriptions, while 51% are worried about affording healthcare over the next year — the highest level in five years, as noted in the report.
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Workers under greater financial strain were far more likely to report feeling trapped.
Among those with medical debt, 44% reported job lock, more than double the 21% rate among those without medical debt.
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Nearly half of respondents who cited healthcare costs as a “major financial burden” reported job lock. The rate rose to 53% among those experiencing “a lot of stress” over medical expenses, the report noted.
Chronic health problems also made workers more likely to stay at their jobs.
About 29% of those with at least one chronic condition reported job lock, compared with 17% of those without one.
That rate grew to 41% among people with three or more diagnoses.
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Women were also more likely than men to remain in unwanted jobs for health benefits, at 30% compared with 20%, according to the report.
The findings were based on a national survey of 5,660 adults conducted from Oct. 27 to Dec. 22, 2025. The analysis focused on 2,322 employed adults with employer-sponsored insurance.
“The effects extend beyond morale – reducing labor market efficiency, upward mobility and quality of life,” as noted in the report. “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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