Nearly 1 in 4 American Workers Stuck in Jobs Just to Keep Health Insurance
Survey points to rising 'job lock' as a separate warning flags a looming U.S. labor shortage
About 24% of U.S. employees are staying in jobs they don't want simply to hold onto their health insurance, according to a survey released Wednesday and reported by NPR. The share has risen significantly since 2021, a trend researchers describe as a concerning sign for the broader U.S. economy.
The phenomenon, known as "job lock," reflects how employer-tied health coverage can discourage workers from switching jobs, starting businesses or otherwise moving to more productive or better-suited roles — a friction that can weigh on overall economic dynamism.
The finding comes as a separate warning points to deeper strains ahead in the American labor market. A leading population scientist told CBS News the United States is on track to face a severe labor shortage over the next 10 to 15 years, a demographic shift that could compound pressures already building in the workforce.
Taken together, the two reports paint a picture of a labor market squeezed from multiple directions — workers today constrained by fears of losing benefits, and employers tomorrow facing a shrinking pool of available labor. Both trends carry implications for wages, business growth and the broader trajectory of the U.S. economy in the years ahead.
— Compiled from reporting by NPR and CBS News.