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What Percentage of Jobs Offer Health Insurance? Michigan Guide for 2027
About 7 in 10 private-sector workers have access to health insurance through their job. That number hides huge differences by hours, employer size and pay, and those differences decide whether your job is likely to offer it.
The national numbers
| Group | Access to employer medical benefits |
|---|---|
| All private-industry workers | 72% (BLS, March 2025) |
| Full-time civilian workers | 89% (BLS, March 2026) |
| Part-time workers | 23% (BLS, March 2026) |
| Full-time state and local government workers | Nearly all |
"Access" isn't the same as "covered." In the same BLS survey, about two-thirds of full-time workers with access actually enrolled and fewer than half of part-timers did. The usual reason people pass is cost: KFF's 2026 employer survey put the average worker's share of family coverage at $7,471 a year, and $9,687 at smaller firms.
Who is least likely to get coverage at work
- Small-business employees. Nearly every large employer offers coverage, but only around half of small firms do, and small employers have no legal duty to.
- Lower-wage workers. Access drops sharply in the lowest pay bands.
- Restaurant, hospitality and retail workers, especially part-time.
- 1099 contractors and gig workers, who aren't employees at all. See our freelancer guide.
Why so many jobs still offer it
Employer coverage is tax-free to employees and deductible for employers, a policy that dates back to World War II (we explain the history in why U.S. health insurance is tied to employment). That tax break makes a dollar of benefits worth more than a dollar of wages, so most mid-size and large employers keep offering it.
What this means in Michigan
If you're in one of the groups above, plan on buying coverage yourself at some point. In Michigan, open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs on HealthCare.gov from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Pick a plan by December 15, 2026 if you want coverage to start January 1, 2027; plans picked after that start later.
Michigan expanded Medicaid, so adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level (about $22,025 a year for one person) can generally qualify for the Healthy Michigan Plan (Medicaid).
And if you earn too much for a subsidy (above 400% of the poverty level, or $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four), here's what coverage costs without an employer. Check your options to see both markets side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of jobs offer health insurance?
About 72% of private-industry workers had access to employer medical benefits in BLS's March 2025 survey. For full-time workers it's about 89%; for part-time workers it's about 23% (March 2026).
Are small businesses required to offer health insurance?
No. Only employers with 50 or more full-time-equivalent employees face the ACA employer requirement.
How much do workers pay for employer health insurance?
KFF's 2026 survey found workers pay an average of $7,471 a year toward family coverage and about $1,672 toward single coverage.