Snapping a decline that began in 2008, employers are more and more offering health insurance to their employers, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).
In 2017, nearly 47 percent of employers offered health insurance, rising from 45.3 percent the year before. In 2008, the percentage before the long decline stood at 56.4.
The increase was fairly consistent among companies of all sizes. Even companies with fewer than 10 employers saw a yearly increase in 2017 from 21.7 to 23.5 percent.
The percentage of employers with between 100-999 employees that offer health coverage jumped from 92.5 to 96.3 percent between 2014 and 2016. Meanwhile, the percentage of employers with more than 1,000 employees offering health coverage fell slightly, to 99.3 from 99.8.
According to the Institute: “The increase in availability of employer-based insurance is likely due to the strong economy and the nation’s low unemployment rate.”