Although the recent government shutdown was a minor inconvenienced to some Americans, how did it impact those looking for work? The health care debate seemed to be the main catalysts for the shutdown, with both parties claiming to be the voice of the public, but has the voice of the job seeker been drowned out as a result?

A new nation wide poll asked those very questions to find out what was more important to job seekers: a paycheck or health insurance. The result? A majority of the unemployed Americans (77%) would apparently take the job, even if it meant no health insurance.

Online career network Beyond.com surveyed over 5,000 job seekers from across the country to find out how the government shutdown and the technical frustrations with the health care roll-out impacted their employment search. The survey comprised a dozen questions to determine if healthcare was really the main concern for those seeking employment, and most respondents were just interested in a salary to support their family.

• 61% of those who participated in the survey said that their top priority when it comes to a job is salary, not health care.
• That’s despite approximately 32% of respondents saying they currently don’t have health insurance, with nearly 50% of those people citing they haven’t had health insurance for more than a year.
• 89% of respondents said they’d do just about anything to find a job, including working long hours and/or weekends.

Survey respondents included job seekers from the Millennial, Gen X and Baby Boomer generations. Interestingly, a majority of the respondents from each generation reported that they’d consider job offers even if they did not include health insurance at all — despite numerous reports citing the increased need for health care across the board, especially with Baby Boomers.

If our elected leaders will listen, the people are telling you what’s most important. Jobs are a top priority, not healthcare or health insurance.