Employee healthcare access

In March 2025, 72 percent of private industry workers had access to medical care benefits, but only 45 percent enrolled in medical care benefits, resulting in a 63 percent “take-up” rate, according to recent research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Employee Benefits in the United States: March 2025 report noted that 89 percent of state and local government workers had access to medical benefits and 67 percent enrolled in these benefits, resulting in a 75 percent take-up rate. The incidence of all benefits measured varied by occupational group, work status, industry group, and other demographic characteristics.

For private industry workers participating in medical plans with single coverage, the employer share of premiums was 80 percent, and the employee share was 20 percent. State and local government workers participating in medical plans with single coverage saw 87 percent of premiums covered by employers and 13 percent by employees. For family coverage, employers paid 69 percent of premiums for private industry workers and 72 percent for state and local government workers. Thirty-one percent of premiums were funded by the employee for family coverage among private industry workers. For state and local government workers, employees covered 28 percent of such plans.

Retirement plans. The BLS found that 72 percent of private industry workers had access to retirement plan benefits, and 53 percent enrolled in them, resulting in a 73 percent take-up rate. For state and local government employees, 92 percent had access to retirement plans, and 81 percent enrolled in these benefits, resulting in an 88 percent take-up rate.

Paid leave. Eighty percent of private industry workers and 93 percent of state and local government workers had access to paid sick leave. Eighty-one percent of private industry workers and 68 percent of state and local government workers had access to paid holidays. Paid vacation leave was available to 80 percent of private industry workers and 61 percent of state and local government workers.

SOURCE: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ebs2.pdf

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