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Market ObserverJob lock is rising: 24% of insured U.S. workers stay put for health coverage.A West Health-Gallup survey finds about 24% of U.S. workers with employer coverage stayed in a job they wanted to leave in 2025 to keep their insurance, up from 16% in 2021. Here is what the number supports, what it does not, and what you can do about it.MeritLog Team · Aug 18, 2026 · 5 min read
CredentialsWhat counts as a STEM job? The answer doubles depending on who is counting.A BLS analysis puts STEM employment at 10.2 million or 20.7 million in the same month, using the same data. The difference is the definition, and it decides whether nurses, technicians, and economists are counted at all.MeritLog Team · Aug 18, 2026 · 10 min read
Market ObserverThe July 2026 jobs report, read in full: payrolls fell 23,000 and revisions cut 103,000.Payrolls fell by 23,000 in July while unemployment held at 4.1%. Revisions removed another 103,000 jobs from May and June. A section-by-section reading of what the BLS release says, what it does not, and which lines matter most.MeritLog Team · Aug 18, 2026 · 10 min read
Market ObserverJobless claims rose to 209,000. Why that calm number describes a frozen market.Weekly jobless claims rose to 209,000 in August 2026 and stayed historically low, while hiring ran at about 61,000 jobs a month. Low firing and low hiring are different things, and the gap between them explains why a search takes longer than the headline suggests.MeritLog Team · Aug 18, 2026 · 10 min read