Workspan Daily News Bytes for June 26, 2026

U.S. Healthcare Affordability Hits Five-Year Low

For the first time in five years, fewer than half of Americans can consistently afford healthcare, according to new data released June 18 by research firm Gallup and nonprofit West Health. Just 49% of U.S. adults are now classified as “Cost Secure,” meaning they can afford access to quality care and have been able to pay for visits and prescriptions in recent months.

Using the Healthcare Affordability Index (developed in 2021 by Gallup and West Health), the index categorizes individuals into one of three groups based on their ability to afford and access needed care using the following criteria:

Cost Secure individuals say they have access to quality, affordable care and have recently been able to pay for both needed care and medicine (49% of U.S. adults in 2025).
Cost Insecure individuals say they lack access to quality, affordable care or have recently been unable to pay for either needed care or medicine (41% of U.S. adults in 2025).
Cost Desperate individuals say they lack access to quality, affordable care and have recently been unable to pay for both needed care and medicine (10% of U.S. adults in 2025).

Adults aged 18 to 29 experienced the sharpest decline in healthcare affordability since 2021, with the share classified as Cost Secure falling from 46% to 32%. This group also exhibited one of the largest year-over-year declines between 2024 and 2025, decreasing by 7 percentage points.

People with mental health conditions also are more likely to struggle with healthcare affordability. Just 39% of those with anxiety and 37% of those with depression are Cost Secure, meaning that more than 6 in 10 are struggling to pay for healthcare services and prescriptions.

Healthcare affordability has declined more sharply among women since 2022, with the steepest drop occurring between 2024 and 2025, when the share classified as Cost Secure fell from 48% to 42%.

Concern about affording prescription drugs has risen steadily, climbing from 30% in 2021 to 42% in 2025. Worry about paying for needed healthcare services has followed a similar pattern, rising from 42% to 51% over the same period.

More Workers Are Choosing to Stay Put Instead of Job Hop

The age of job hopping may soon be coming to an end, according to a new survey by career website MyPerfectResume. The report, released June 11, noted 56% of U.S. workers said the financial risk of changing jobs is higher today than it was several years ago. At the same time, more than 1 in 5 workers said they haven’t changed jobs in the past three years, signaling a growing shift toward financial caution and career stability.

Among respondents who changed jobs:

29% said it made no meaningful financial difference.
23% said it left them somewhat better off financially.
12% said it left them significantly better off financially.
9% said it left them somewhat worse off financially.
5% said it left them significantly worse off financially.

Job changers also reported the following:

38% said their compensation change kept pace with the cost of living.
32% said it fell slightly behind rising costs.
17% said it fell significantly behind.
13% said it exceeded the cost of living.

While salary remains the top factor influencing job decisions, workers increasingly appear focused on balancing higher pay with stability and predictability:

Higher salary (48%)
Better benefits (30%)
Work-life balance (30%)
Job stability or security (29%)
Remote or flexible work (16%)
Career growth opportunities (11%)

Meanwhile, nearly half of the respondents are exercising financial caution:

49% said staying in their current job is the safest way to maintain income.
21% said it feels harder to get ahead financially, no matter what they do.
19% said changing jobs is still the best way to increase income.
11% said they’re falling behind regardless of their decisions.

Report Finds Workplace Gaps in AI Support, Training and Guidance

Forty-one percent of U.S. workers say their employer has not provided tools, training or guidance to prepare them to use artificial intelligence (AI) at work. This is according to a new survey released Monday, June 22, by career website Resume Now.

The data showed only a small share of the workers surveyed have received the support they need, with most reporting minimal, poor or no support:

31% said their employer provided minimal support, but not enough to make a real difference.
20% said their employer prepared them very well with the tools and training they need.
8% said their employer made an effort, but it falls significantly short.

Despite growing business interest in incorporating AI into workflows, many workers are struggling to use AI effectively, even when tools are available:

32% said their employer provided no AI training resources at all.
26% said AI is not used or encouraged at their workplace.
23% said their employer provided only limited or introductory-level training.
19% said their employer provided comprehensive training with dedicated time and resources.

Workers also are getting mixed signals on when, where and how to use AI tools appropriately:

26% said their employer provided general guidance, but nothing specific to their role.
21% said their employer provided clear guidelines with specific use cases for their role.
16% said little to no guidance has been provided.
5% said messages about when and how to use AI have been inconsistent or unclear.
4% said AI use is discouraged or restricted.

Cybersecurity, AI, Worker Litigation Driving Increased Exposure

Cybersecurity and AI threats are intensifying corporate litigation exposure across key U.S. industries in 2026, according to a new survey by global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright.

The survey of 135 general counsel and in-house litigation leaders found cybersecurity and data privacy disputes has deepened across the energy, financial institutions, healthcare and technology sectors since the start of the year, with 56% reporting increased risk at the federal level and 53% at the state level. By contrast, in late 2025, just 29% of respondents from those sectors expected to face greater cybersecurity and data privacy exposure in 2026. Respondents also cited increased litigation concern around AI, with 46% reporting more federal dispute exposure and 42% reporting state-level increases.

Employment and labor risk remains a major issue, with 39% of all respondents citing increased federal dispute exposure and 44% reporting more at the state level.

Other key findings included:

47% of respondents consider workforce changes such as layoffs or policy shifts to trigger class-action litigation in 2026.
39% expect employment or workforce decisions involving AI-assisted tools to increase their litigation exposure between now and the end of 2026.
Energy respondents reported the highest share of increased employment and labor dispute exposure across industries at both the federal (57%) and state (51%) levels.

“What stands out is how quickly the litigation environment is evolving, especially around cybersecurity incidents, consumer claims and AI-related disputes,” said Steven Jansma, Norton Rose Fulbright’s U.S. head of litigation and disputes. “We are seeing new approaches and a level of activity that is accelerating across industries. Even where federal enforcement has softened, states are often stepping in and pushing litigation forward.”

Figures and Facts of the Week

96: The percentage of HR leaders who say that, in the next five years, entry-level employees will be responsible for monitoring AI systems, according to new research by information technology consulting and outsourcing company Cognizant.
89: The percentage of global HR leaders who say employee well-being is critical to financial success, according to a new report by corporate wellness platform Wellhub.
87: The percentage of American workers who have cried at work, but it hid it from their colleagues, according to new research from career website resume.io. Generation Z workers were the most overwhelmed, with 61% reporting they have either cried at work or felt close to it in the last six months.
66: The percentage of neurodivergent professionals who have left a job or declined an offer over a poor environment, according to a survey by Mentra, a neurodivergent employment network.
52: The percentage of American workers who say rising living costs are causing them to stay home more often this summer, according to a new report by employment website Monster. The report also found 39% of the surveyed workers are cutting back on vacations or trips, and 23% plan to work more this summer to keep up financially.