Gallup’s 2025 Global Workplace Report reveals a sobering picture: only 21% of employees are engaged at work — a 2-point drop from last year. Meanwhile, 62% remain not engaged and 17% are actively disengaged, up 2 points. The emotional toll is visible, with 40% of workers reporting daily stress, 21% anger, 23% sadness, and 22% loneliness— all indicators of rising burnout and eroding workplace wellbeing.

Life satisfaction is slipping, too: just 33% describe themselves as thriving, while a majority (58%) are struggling. Even perceptions of the job market have dimmed, with just 51% saying it’s a good time to find a job and half of all employees (50%) looking to leave. These signals point to a global workforce in quiet crisis — disengaged, emotionally drained, and uncertain about the future. For organizations, this is not just an HR issue. It’s a business risk that demands immediate redesign of the manager-employee experience.

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Low engagement is a social issue

The decline in manager engagement. The very people we count on to guide teams through disruption are burning out. And it’s showing up in more than just the workplace — it’s altering how people view their lives overall .

This isn’t just a workplace issue. It’s a societal one. Declining engagement mirrors rising loneliness, stress, and dissatisfaction across many regions — issues that are also being picked up in consumer trends (like the booming wellness economy) and social behavior (e. g. , the surge in quiet quitting, career sabbaticals, and “lazy girl jobs”). Read more

Key Takeaway #1: Global Engagement Is Falling — And Managers Are the Epicenter

Global employee engagement dropped to 21% in 2024. Manager engagement fell more sharply: from 30% to 27%. Young (