Health-Related Factors Drive Job Lock and Career Cutbacks, Surveys Show

Nearly one in four American workers feel trapped in jobs they dislike because they need employer-provided health insurance, according to a new survey from the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America. A separate survey published in Brain Sciences finds that nearly one in five adults with tinnitus have cut their working hours or quit their jobs due to the condition. Together, the findings underscore how health-related concerns—from insurance costs to chronic symptoms—are forcing difficult career choices.

The West Health-Gallup survey of 5,660 U.S. adults found that 24% of employees want to quit but stay for health benefits, a rate that has climbed 8 percentage points since 2021. Workers burdened by debt were more than twice as likely to be job-locked: 44% of those with household or personal debt reported staying in an unwanted job for insurance, compared to 21% without debt. People who borrowed money in the past year were also significantly more likely to be job-locked (37% versus 22%).

Chronic health conditions amplify the trap. Nearly 30% of workers with a chronic health problem said they stayed for insurance, compared to 17% of healthier workers. The rate exceeded 40% among those with three or more chronic conditions. Women were more affected than men, with 30% reporting job lock compared to 20% of men, likely driven by higher rates of healthcare-related financial stress, medical debt, and multiple chronic conditions. Income played a role as well: 27% of individuals in households earning $48,000 to $89,999 felt stuck, versus 16% of those earning $180,000 or more.

“Health insurance continues to play an important role in how Americans navigate the labor market,” a global managing partner at Gallup said. A nonprofit health policy center president added that “no one should have to choose between seeking a better opportunity or maintaining access to health insurance.”

Separately, a study of 449 adults with tinnitus, an internal ringing or buzzing affecting about 15% of people, revealed that 7% were forced to leave employment altogether, and another 11% reduced their working hours. Respondents reported challenges such as trouble concentrating, reduced productivity, fatigue, and slower work pace, with 72% saying tinnitus made their working lives more difficult. The research was led by an audiology assistant professor at Anglia Ruskin University.

After a subset of 200 participants completed an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program for tinnitus, significantly fewer said they needed to work reduced hours, and they experienced less distress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The researchers called for workplace adjustments, including flexible work patterns and manager awareness, to help those with tinnitus stay employed. The findings are preliminary and require confirmation with a control group, but offer evidence that timely support can reduce both personal and economic costs.