Work statistics
Employee Engagement Statistics 2026
This page collects current figures on employee engagement, manager engagement, wellbeing, burnout, quits and recognition, each linked to the organization that published it. Most data come from Gallup's 2026 State of the Global Workplace report and its quarterly US workforce surveys, with quits data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Use the sections to compare global and US trends and to see which workplace factors move with engagement.
By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 2, 2026 · Next review by December 17, 2026
55 of 55 source quotes re-checked against the original pages on November 3, 2026
- Figures
- 55
- Primary sources
- 16
- Official or research
- 4%
- Charts
- 5
Key takeaways
- 20%Just 20% of employees worldwide were engaged at work in 2025, the lowest global level since 2020.Gallup
- 29%US employee engagement fell to 29% in Q3 2026, the lowest level since 2011.Gallup
- $10TGallup estimates that low engagement cost the world economy about $10 trillion in lost productivity in 2025, equal to 9% of global GDP.Gallup
- 22%Global manager engagement fell from 27% in 2024 to 22% in 2025, the largest one-year drop Gallup has recorded for managers.Gallup
- 29%In August 2026, 29% of US employees said they always or very often feel burned out at work.Gallup
- 45%Well-recognized employees were 45% less likely to have left their organization two years later, in Gallup and Workhuman's 2022 to 2024 study.Gallup
Research overview
What the numbers say
Engagement is falling on both the global and US measures. Gallup found 20% of employees worldwide engaged in 2025, down from a 2022 peak of 23%, and the US figure dropped to 29% in the third quarter of 2026, its lowest since 2011. Most of the remaining workforce is not hostile but simply detached: 64% of employees worldwide and 53% in the US fall into the not engaged group. Gallup values the lost output at about $10 trillion, roughly 9% of world GDP, a modeled figure that should be read as an order of magnitude.
Managers explain much of the slide. Global manager engagement fell from 27% to 22% in one year, and in the US 58% of managers are open to leaving. Because Gallup attributes 70% of the variance in team engagement to the manager, a decline at that level spreads quickly. The two US items that fell most in 2026, knowing what is expected and feeling cared about, are both things a direct manager controls day to day.
Stress and burnout remain high even as quitting slows. About half of US employees report a lot of stress on a given day, against 40% globally, and 29% say they feel burned out always or very often. Yet the BLS quits rate was just 1.9% in August 2026 and annual quits fell to 38.0 million in 2025. With 53% of US employees open to leaving, the low quits rate looks more like a stalled job market than a contented workforce, which means turnover could rise when hiring picks up.
Work location and recognition show where employers have room to act. Remote and hybrid employees are more engaged than on-site workers in both the global and US data, but they also report more loneliness and saw the sharpest drop in Q3 2026. Only 27% of US employees were recognized for good work in the past week, even though well-recognized employees were 45% less likely to leave over two years. These are associations from survey data, so they point to likely levers rather than guaranteed results.
01
Global employee engagement
Chart
Employee engagement by world region, 2025
Share of employees engaged at work, Gallup World Poll, State of the Global Workplace 2026 report.
Source Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2026: Global Data
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| United States and Canada | 31% |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 30% |
| Southeast Asia | 25% |
| Post-Soviet Eurasia | 25% |
| Australia and New Zealand | 21% |
| South Asia | 21% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 19% |
| East Asia | 18% |
| Middle East and North Africa | 14% |
| Europe | 12% |
Chart
Global employee engagement, 2009 to 2025
Gallup did not collect global engagement data in 2010, 2011 or 2017.
Source Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2026: Global Data
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 12% |
| 2012 | 13% |
| 2013 | 14% |
| 2014 | 14% |
| 2015 | 15% |
| 2016 | 17% |
| 2018 | 19% |
| 2019 | 22% |
| 2020 | 20% |
| 2021 | 21% |
| 2022 | 23% |
| 2023 | 23% |
| 2024 | 21% |
| 2025 | 20% |
- 120%20%
Just 20% of employees worldwide were engaged at work in 2025, the lowest global level since 2020.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportApr 2026
- 2$10T$10T
Gallup estimates that low engagement cost the world economy about $10 trillion in lost productivity in 2025, equal to 9% of global GDP.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportApr 2026
- 316%16%
In 2025, 16% of employees worldwide were actively disengaged and a further 64% were not engaged.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace 2026: Global DataApr 2026
- 423%23%
Global engagement has fallen three points from its 2022 peak of 23%.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportApr 2026
- 521 million21 million
Each percentage point of global engagement represents about 21 million employees.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportApr 2026
- 612%12%
Europe had the lowest engagement of any world region in 2025 at 12%, against 31% in the US and Canada.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Engagement2026
- 746%46%
Uzbekistan had the highest share of engaged employees in the 2026 report at 46%, while Egypt and Pakistan were lowest at 4%.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Engagement2026
- 870%70%
Gallup's best-practice client organizations average 70% engagement, more than three times the global rate.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Engagement2026
What these figures suggest
Only one in five employees worldwide was engaged at work in 2025, the second annual decline and the lowest share since 2020. Gallup puts the cost of low engagement at about $10 trillion, roughly 9% of world GDP, which is a modeled estimate rather than a measured loss. Regional gaps are wide, from 31% engaged in the US and Canada to 12% in Europe.
02
US employee engagement
Chart
US employees who strongly agree with each Q12 engagement item, August 2026
Each value is a separate statement on Gallup's indicator page; the quote shows one of them.
Source Gallup, Global Indicator: Employee Engagement
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Know what is expected | 46% |
| Someone cares about me | 37% |
| Materials and equipment | 35% |
| Do what I do best | 33% |
| Opportunities to learn and grow | 31% |
| Someone encourages my development | 30% |
| Mission makes job important | 30% |
| Talked about my progress | 29% |
| Coworkers committed to quality | 28% |
| Recognition in last 7 days | 27% |
| Opinions count | 26% |
| Best friend at work | 21% |
- 929%29%
US employee engagement fell to 29% in Q3 2026, the lowest level since 2011.
IndustryGallupU.S. Employee Engagement Below 30% for First Time in 15 YearsOct 2026
- 1018%18%
In Q3 2026, 18% of US employees were actively disengaged and 53% were not engaged.
IndustryGallupU.S. Employee Engagement Below 30% for First Time in 15 YearsOct 2026
- 1136%36%
US engagement peaked at 36% in 2020 after staying between 26% and 30% through 2013.
IndustryGallupU.S. Employee Engagement Below 30% for First Time in 15 YearsOct 2026
- 1211 million11 million
The US has about 11 million fewer engaged workers than in 2020, including 3.2 million fewer in Q3 2026 alone.
IndustryGallupU.S. Employee Engagement Below 30% for First Time in 15 YearsOct 2026
- 1346%46%
Only 46% of US employees strongly agreed they know what is expected of them at work in Q3 2026, down from a high of 61% in 2015.
IndustryGallupU.S. Employee Engagement Below 30% for First Time in 15 YearsOct 2026
- 1437%37%
The share of US employees who strongly agree someone at work cares about them as a person fell to 37% in Q3 2026.
IndustryGallupU.S. Employee Engagement Below 30% for First Time in 15 YearsOct 2026
- 1518%18%
Only 18% of US employees were extremely satisfied with their company as a place to work in August 2026.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Engagement2026
- 1626%26%
Just 26% of US employees strongly agreed that their opinions count at work in August 2026.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Engagement2026
What these figures suggest
US engagement dropped to 29% in the third quarter of 2026, the first reading below 30% since 2011 and well under the 2020 peak of 36%. The decline came mainly from fewer employees knowing what is expected of them and feeling that someone at work cares about them. Gallup's quarterly panel has a margin of error of about one point, so the trend matters more than any single quarter.
03
Managers and leadership
- 1722%22%
Global manager engagement fell from 27% in 2024 to 22% in 2025, the largest one-year drop Gallup has recorded for managers.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportApr 2026
- 1870%70%
Managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement, according to Gallup.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Leadership & Management2026
- 1958%58%
In August 2026, 58% of US managers were watching for or actively seeking a new job, and only 29% were engaged.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Leadership & Management2026
- 2079%79%
In Gallup's best-practice organizations, 79% of managers were engaged in 2025, nearly four times the global average.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportApr 2026
- 2146%46%
Leaders report the highest engagement of any role but also more daily stress: 46% of leaders felt a lot of stress the previous day.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportApr 2026
- 2219%19%
Only 19% of US employees strongly agree they trust their organization's leadership, and those who do are 3.7 times as likely to be engaged.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Leadership & Management2026
- 2318%18%
Only 18% of US employees said their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work in August 2026.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Leadership & Management2026
What these figures suggest
Managers drive most of the variation in team engagement, and their own engagement is slipping fastest. Global manager engagement fell from 27% to 22% in a single year, and in the US 58% of managers are open to leaving. Trust and direction from senior leaders are also weak, with fewer than one in five US employees trusting their leadership.
04
Wellbeing, stress and burnout
- 2440%40%
In 2025, 40% of employees worldwide experienced stress a lot of the previous day, and 38% felt worry.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Wellbeing2026
- 2550%50%
Half of US employees (50%) experienced a lot of stress the previous day in 2025, against a global average of 40%.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace: United States Country-Level DataApr 2026
- 2629%29%
In August 2026, 29% of US employees said they always or very often feel burned out at work.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Wellbeing2026
- 2720%20%
One in five US employees (20%) felt lonely a lot of the previous day in August 2026, and 48% felt stressed.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Wellbeing2026
- 2834%34%
Global employee thriving rose one point to 34% in 2025, the first improvement in three years.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportApr 2026
- 2949%49%
In August 2026, 49% of US employees were thriving in their overall lives, while 47% were struggling.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Wellbeing2026
- 3069%69%
Engaged employees are 69% less likely to experience burnout than peers who are not engaged.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Engagement2026
- 3180%80%
In Microsoft's 2025 survey, 80% of the global workforce said they lack enough time or energy to do their work.
IndustryMicrosoft2025 Work Trend Index Annual Report: The Year the Frontier Firm Is BornApr 2025
What these figures suggest
Stress at work remains above pre-pandemic levels: 40% of employees worldwide and about half of US employees report a lot of stress on a given day. Nearly three in ten US employees say they feel burned out always or very often. Engagement and a sense that the employer cares are both linked to much lower burnout in Gallup's data, though these are associations rather than proof of cause.
05
Quits, turnover and its cost
Chart
US annual average quits rate, 2021 to 2025
Quits as a percent of employment, annual average, not seasonally adjusted, BLS JOLTS.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover, January 2026 (with 2025 annual estimates)
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 2.7% |
| 2022 | 2.8% |
| 2023 | 2.4% |
| 2024 | 2.1% |
| 2025 | 2% |
- 321.9%1.9%
About 3.1 million US workers quit their jobs in August 2026, a quits rate of 1.9%.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, August 2026Sep 2026
- 3338.0 million38.0 million
US workers quit 38.0 million times in 2025, 1.3 million fewer than in 2024, and quits made up 60.6% of all separations.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover, January 2026 (with 2025 annual estimates)Mar 2026
- 3453%53%
In August 2026, 53% of US employees were open to leaving their organization; globally, 50% were watching for or seeking a new job in 2025.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Retention & Attraction2026
- 3568%68%
Engagement and culture (37%) and wellbeing and work-life balance (31%) together accounted for 68% of US employee exits in 2024.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Retention & Attraction2026
- 3616%16%
Pay and benefits was the most common single reason US employees gave for leaving a job in 2024, yet it was cited only 16% of the time.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Retention & Attraction2026
- 37$1 trillion$1 trillion
Gallup estimates voluntary turnover costs US businesses about $1 trillion every year.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Retention & Attraction2026
- 38200%200%
Gallup estimates replacing a leader or manager costs about 200% of their salary, versus 80% for technical staff and 40% for frontline workers.
IndustryGallupEmployee Retention Depends on Getting Recognition RightSep 2024
- 3951%51%
In Gallup's exit research, 51% of employees who left said no manager or leader had discussed their job satisfaction or future in their last three months.
IndustryGallupThis Fixable Problem Costs U.S. Businesses $1 TrillionMar 2019
- 4061%61%
Among workers dissatisfied with their sense of belonging, 61% had seriously considered quitting in the past year, compared with 18% of those who were satisfied.
IndustrySHRMSHRM Global Employee Monitor Finds Belonging Is Key to Engagement and RetentionOct 2026
What these figures suggest
Quitting has slowed sharply since the 2022 peak: the US quits rate was 1.9% in August 2026, and annual quits fell to 38.0 million in 2025. Yet more than half of US employees say they are open to leaving, so low quits reflect a weak job market more than satisfied workers. When people do go, Gallup finds engagement, culture and wellbeing explain more exits than pay.
06
Recognition and feedback
- 4127%27%
Only 27% of US employees received recognition or praise for good work in the past seven days, as of August 2026.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Engagement2026
- 4245%45%
Well-recognized employees were 45% less likely to have left their organization two years later, in Gallup and Workhuman's 2022 to 2024 study.
IndustryGallupEmployee Retention Depends on Getting Recognition RightSep 2024
- 4365%65%
Employees receiving high-quality recognition were 65% less likely to be looking for or watching for another job.
IndustryGallupEmployee Retention Depends on Getting Recognition RightSep 2024
- 4422%22%
Only 22% of US employees say they get the right amount of recognition for their work, unchanged since 2022.
IndustryGallupEmployee Retention Depends on Getting Recognition RightSep 2024
- 4555%55%
55% of US employees receive no recognition at all or recognition that meets none of the five pillars of strategic recognition.
IndustryGallupEmployee Retention Depends on Getting Recognition RightSep 2024
- 462.9x2.9x
Employees whose recognition meets even one of Gallup's five quality pillars are 2.9 times as likely to be engaged as those whose recognition meets none.
IndustryGallupEmployee Retention Depends on Getting Recognition RightSep 2024
- 4729%29%
Only 29% of US employees say someone at work talked with them about their progress in the past six months.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Employee Engagement2026
What these figures suggest
Recognition is one of the cheapest levers employers have, and most do not use it well. Only about a quarter of US employees were recognized for good work in the past week, and 55% receive no recognition or recognition that meets none of Gallup's quality criteria. Employees who are well recognized are far less likely to leave.
07
Remote, hybrid and on-site engagement
Chart
Global employee engagement by work location, 2025
Full-time employees only, Gallup World Poll, State of the Global Workplace 2026 report.
Source Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2026: Global Data
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Exclusively remote | 30% |
| Hybrid | 25% |
| On-site, remote-capable | 24% |
| On-site, non-remote-capable | 17% |
- 4830%30%
Worldwide, 30% of exclusively remote employees were engaged in 2025, compared with 17% of on-site workers whose jobs cannot be done remotely.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace 2026: Global DataApr 2026
- 4932%32%
In the US, 32% of exclusively remote and 31% of hybrid employees were engaged in August 2026, versus 27% of on-site workers in jobs that cannot be done remotely.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Hybrid Work2026
- 5054%54%
Among US employees with remote-capable jobs, 54% work hybrid, 25% work exclusively remote and 21% work on-site.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Hybrid Work2026
- 5161%61%
61% of remote-capable US employees prefer a hybrid arrangement, while only 6% prefer working fully on-site.
IndustryGallupGlobal Indicator: Hybrid Work2026
- 5224%24%
24% of exclusively remote employees worldwide felt lonely a lot of the previous day in 2025, compared with 18% of on-site employees in remote-capable jobs.
IndustryGallupState of the Global Workplace 2026: Global DataApr 2026
- 5366%66%
Teams with a formal hybrid collaboration plan are 66% more likely to be engaged and 29% less likely to experience burnout.
IndustryGallupHybrid Work and Productivity: What the Data ShowSep 2026
- 5476%76%
Hybrid employees who set their own schedules entirely are 76% more likely to name burnout or fatigue as their biggest challenge than those with team-set schedules.
IndustryGallupHybrid Work and Productivity: What the Data ShowSep 2026
- 5528%28%
Only 28% of hybrid managers had been trained to lead a hybrid team, and 21% of hybrid workers had been trained to work effectively in one.
IndustryGallupHybrid Work and Productivity: What the Data ShowSep 2026
What these figures suggest
Remote-capable employees who work fully remote or hybrid tend to be more engaged than on-site staff, both globally and in the US. The gap comes with costs: remote workers report more loneliness, and the Q3 2026 engagement drop was sharpest among remote and hybrid staff. Gallup's data point to team-level structure, such as a shared collaboration plan, as the factor that separates good hybrid outcomes from poor ones.
About these figures
Most figures come from Gallup, which measures engagement with its Q12 survey items: global data come from the Gallup World Poll (2025 fieldwork, published April 2026) and US data from quarterly web surveys of the Gallup Panel. Quits data come from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, and additional figures come from SHRM and Microsoft surveys. Gallup's indicator pages are updated over time, so figures labeled 'as of August 2026' may change. Engagement is a strict measure and is not comparable to satisfaction or 'percent favorable' scores from other vendors, and the turnover cost figures are modeled estimates, so compare trends rather than exact levels across sources.
Every figure was taken from the publisher's own page, together with the sentence it appears in, and that sentence is re-checked against the source before each update. Where a survey covers a specific group, the figure says so. Read the methodology. Spotted a problem? Email editorial@mojolin.com.
Frequently asked questions
+What percentage of employees are engaged at work?
Gallup found 20% of employees worldwide were engaged in 2025, with 64% not engaged and 16% actively disengaged. In the US, engagement was 29% in the third quarter of 2026, the lowest level since 2011.
+How much does low employee engagement cost?
Gallup estimates low engagement cost the world economy about $10 trillion in lost productivity in 2025, or 9% of global GDP. It also estimates voluntary turnover costs US businesses about $1 trillion a year.
+Which region has the highest employee engagement?
The United States and Canada region had the highest engagement in Gallup's 2026 report at 31%, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean at 30%. Europe was lowest at 12%.
+Are remote workers more engaged?
In Gallup's data, yes on average. Globally, 30% of exclusively remote employees were engaged in 2025, versus 17% of on-site workers whose jobs cannot be done remotely. Remote workers also report more daily loneliness, and their engagement fell the most in Q3 2026.
+How many employees are burned out?
As of August 2026, 29% of US employees said they always or very often feel burned out at work. Gallup finds engaged employees are 69% less likely to experience burnout than those who are not engaged.
+Why are fewer people quitting their jobs?
The US quits rate was 1.9% in August 2026, and annual quits fell to 38.0 million in 2025. Many employees still want to leave: 53% of US workers were open to a new job in August 2026, so the low quits rate largely reflects a slow hiring market.
Sources
16 primary sources, by publisher
- 01Industry Gallup. Employee Retention Depends on Getting Recognition Right (Sep 2024)
- 02Industry Gallup. Global Indicator: Employee Engagement (2026)
- 03Industry Gallup. Global Indicator: Employee Retention & Attraction (2026)
- 04Industry Gallup. Global Indicator: Employee Wellbeing (2026)
- 05Industry Gallup. Global Indicator: Hybrid Work (2026)
- 06Industry Gallup. Global Indicator: Leadership & Management (2026)
- 07Industry Gallup. Hybrid Work and Productivity: What the Data Show (Sep 2026)
- 08Industry Gallup. State of the Global Workplace 2026: Global Data (Apr 2026)
- 09Industry Gallup. State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report (Apr 2026)
- 10Industry Gallup. State of the Global Workplace: United States Country-Level Data (Apr 2026)
- 11Industry Gallup. This Fixable Problem Costs U.S. Businesses $1 Trillion (Mar 2019)
- 12Industry Gallup. U.S. Employee Engagement Below 30% for First Time in 15 Years (Oct 2026)
- 13Industry Microsoft. 2025 Work Trend Index Annual Report: The Year the Frontier Firm Is Born (Apr 2025)
- 14Industry SHRM. SHRM Global Employee Monitor Finds Belonging Is Key to Engagement and Retention (Oct 2026)
- 15Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, August 2026 (Sep 2026)
- 16Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job Openings and Labor Turnover, January 2026 (with 2025 annual estimates) (Mar 2026)