A West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America survey finds about 24% of U.S. workers, roughly 23 million adults, are in “job lock”—staying in unwanted jobs to maintain employer-sponsored health insurance—and the share has risen by about eight percentage points since 2021. The phenomenon is more pronounced among workers with chronic illness, debt, or recent medical money borrowed, highlighting how health-care costs shape career mobility and economic security. Experts warn that widespread job lock dampens productivity and entrepreneurial activity, as people hesitate to leave roles that don’t match their skills or ambitions. The findings come amid rising anxiety over health-care affordability, with half of Americans reporting trouble paying for medical care and more than half worried about affordability over the next year. Critics argue the U.S. system’s dependence on employment-based insurance suppresses wages and bargaining power, creating a structural barrier to labor market dynamism.