Publisher: Supermarket News
Published: August 13, 2026
Source: Read at Supermarket News (https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-labor/grocery-workers-rely-heavily-on-medicaid-snap-report)
Category: Food Access
The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that 13.8 million wage-earning adults were enrolled in Medicaid and 10.6 million lived in households receiving SNAP benefits during 2024. Wholesale and retail trade accounted for 15.5% of wage-earning adult Medicaid enrollees and 16.8% of working adults receiving SNAP, compared with 12.1% of workers outside each group. About two-thirds of wage-earning adult Medicaid enrollees worked at least 35 hours a week, while 71.3% of working adult SNAP recipients did so. Employer data from 11 states, generally reflecting September 2025, showed grocery and convenience retailers accounted for 20% of working adult Medicaid enrollees at larger private-sector employers in Maine and Rhode Island, and 27% of working adult SNAP recipients in Maine.
Why this matters: The findings show that reliance on Medicaid and SNAP spans grocery formats and includes many full-time workers. Independent grocers and food-access groups can use this context when assessing workforce needs and the role of wages and benefits in household food security.
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