Over a third of biotech and pharma workers stay in their jobs for health insurance, poll shows

A recent BioSpace LinkedIn poll and a joint study by West Health and Gallup found that a significant share of biotech and pharma employees remain in their current roles primarily to keep health insurance coverage.

The study reported that 24% of U.S. workers overall stay in jobs they want to leave because of insurance concerns, up from 16% in 2021. In the biopharma sector, 39% of respondents said they would prefer to leave but stay for the same reason.

Gallup highlighted that about half of Americans struggle to afford medical care or prescriptions, and 51% worry about covering healthcare costs in the next year, the highest level in five years.

Recruiters note that the lack of alternative positions makes health benefits a decisive factor for many biopharma professionals considering a job change.