One in six adult American workers are staying in jobs they don’t really want because they don’t want to lose their health benefits.
A study conducted by non profit health organisation West Health and pollsters Gallup reveals the fear is more acute among black workers and those on lower incomes.
Overall, black workers (21%) were more likely to say they would stay in an unwanted job to keep their health benefits than white workers (14%).
Consequently, black workers are an estimated 50% more likely to be staying in their current job for this reason than white colleagues. Hispanic workers (16%) were not found to be statistically different from either of the two groups.
However, workers in households earning under $48,000 a year are nearly three times more likely to stay in an unwanted job for the health benefits than workers living in households earning $120,000 per year or more at 28% and 10%, respectively.
The online survey was conducted in March 2021, with 3,870 adults living in all 50 US. states and the District of Columbia via the Gallup Panel, a probability-based, non-opt-in panel of around 120,000 adults nationwide.
