Global Employee Engagement Falls to Lowest Level Since 2020

U.S. & Canada maintain highest engagement worldwide, but wellbeing hits new low

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2026 /CNW/ -- Global employee engagement declined for the second consecutive year, falling to 20% in 2025 -- its lowest level since 2020, according to Gallup's latest State of the Global Workplace report.

Low engagement continues to carry a significant economic cost. In 2024 alone, disengagement resulted in more than $10 trillion in lost productivity globally, representing 9% of global GDP.

Managers Continue to Drive Declines in Global Engagement

The ongoing decline in engagement is largely driven by falling manager engagement. Since 2022, manager engagement has dropped by nine percentage points, while engagement among individual contributors has remained largely stable.

"This report establishes a global baseline for management effectiveness in the AI era," says Gallup CEO Jon Clifton, "Businesses are investing heavily in AI, but the results are not showing up in the bottom line. Gallup's data points to an answer the corporate world has largely ignored: the manager."

U.S. and Canada Remain Most Engaged Region Globally

At 31%, the U.S. and Canada region continues to report the highest employee engagement in the world. Within the region, U.S. employees (32%) remain much more engaged than Canadian employees (21%).

Job Market Optimism Falls Sharply in U.S. and Canada, Diverging From Global Stability

Globally, perceptions of the job market have remained steady since 2022, with 52% of employees saying it is a "good time" to find a job. Employees who feel they have choice and opportunity in their work are 50% more likely to view the job market positively.

In contrast, workers in the U.S. and Canada express some of the least optimism worldwide. Fewer than half (47%) say it is a good time to find a job -- near a historic low for the region. Since the previous three-year rolling average, optimism has declined sharply in both the U.S. (down 10 points to 46%) and Canada (down 16 points to 51%).

Employee Wellbeing Improves Globally but Declines to New Low in U.S. and Canada

Globally, employee wellbeing improved slightly for the first time in three years, with 34% of employees now classified as thriving. However, reports of daily stress, anger and sadness remain elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Higher-level leaders report higher engagement and wellbeing than other employees, but they are also more likely to experience stress, anger, sadness and loneliness.

In the U.S. and Canada, just over half of employees (51%) are thriving -- a new low for the region. Both countries have experienced some of the steepest declines in wellbeing worldwide since the pandemic, though their employees remain more likely to be thriving than those in most other global regions.

About Gallup
Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.

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