Wellness programs access varies more widely in private industry

In 2017, 39% of all private industry workers had access to wellness programs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. These programs include smoking cessation, exercise or physical fitness, weight control, nutrition education, blood pressure tests, physical exams, stress management, back care and lifestyle assessments.

By compassion, 63% of all state and local government workers had access to wellness programs in 2017.

Among workers in the private industry, 55% of professional workers had access to wellness programs, while 22% of service workers had access to the programs.

Access to wellness programs in state and local government did not range as widely as in the private industry. Among the government workers, 66% of production, transportation and material moving workers had access to wellness programs, while 59% of service workers had access to the programs.

Also, the amount private industry workers were paid determined the level of access to wellness programs. Of the private industry workers who earned the lowest 10% of wages, 15% could have wellness programs. But among private industry workers who earned the highest 10% of wages, 63% could have wellness programs.

Among workers in state and local government, 56% of the workers who earned the lowest 10% of wages had access to wellness programs, while 54% of the workers who earned the highest 10% of wages could get wellness programs.