Denial of adequate medical care to skilled labour

In limited welfare states, such as the USA, private employers provide or subsidize many of the services that other countries offer as welfare state benefits, such as medical care and unemployment salary benefits. Thus benefits are tied to jobs, and not to citizenship. By 1996, it was clear that private employers were enticing highly skilled workers into jobs by offering them more medical benefits than were given to unskilled workers. Traditionally the unions themselves and employers' fear of unionization have protected workers against this sort of discrimination. Now, with rising unemployment, the unions have less clout, and employers are forcing unions to accept cuts in medical benefits for their members.