Survey: Job Seekers Say A Paycheck Is More Important Than Health Care
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
(NewsUSA) - The recent government shutdown inconvenienced many Americans -- from federal workers, to tourists -- but how did it impact those looking for work? The health care debate was among the main catalysts for the shutdown, with both parties claiming to be the voice of the public, but has the voice of the job seeker been drowned out as a result? A new national poll asked those very questions to find out what was more important to job seekers -- a paycheck or health insurance.
The result? The majority of unemployed Americans (77 percent) would apparently take the job, even if it meant no health insurance. Online career network Beyond.com surveyed over 5,000 job seekers from across the country to find out how the government shutdown and the technical frustrations with the health care rollout impacted their employment search.
The survey comprised a dozen questions to determine if healthcare was really the main concern for those seeking work, and most respondents, it appears, were just interested in a salary to support their family.
* 61 percent of those who participated in the survey said that their top priority when it comes to a job is salary, not health care.
* That's despite approximately 32 percent of respondents saying they currently don't have health insurance, with nearly 50 percent of those people citing they haven't had health insurance for more than a year.
* 89 percent of respondents said they'd do just about anything to find a job, including working long hours and/or weekends.
"With so much speculation about the job market, we decided to go out and ask job seekers exactly what they were thinking," said Joe Weinlick, VP of Marketing at Beyond.com. "A big part of finding a job is confidence, and while health care is certainly an important issue, we've found that those looking for work are more concerned about things like honing interview skills or updating their resume. Health insurance is one of many factors people need to weigh when considering a job offer, but you have to get the job offer first." Survey respondents included job seekers from the Millennial, Gen X and Baby Boomer generations.
Surprisingly, the majority of respondents from each generation reported that they'd consider job offers even if they didn't include health insurance at all -- despite numerous reports citing the increased need for health care across the board, especially with Baby Boomers. What do you think people will be most thankful for -- a paycheck or health care?