— Summary —
Employee sentiment and engagement: One in four (24%) workers say they are struggling or burnt out in their current jobs. This sentiment negatively impacts many workplace factors, leading to lower levels of job satisfaction, morale, engagement, and productivity. The good news is that organizations have many solutions for addressing this issue beyond increasing salaries.
Financial health and security: Workers are feeling financially squeezed, citing inflation, layoffs, and concerns about the economy. Workers are also three times more likely to feel threatened by an economic downturn rather than AI or outsourcing.
AI at work: AI is becoming table stakes in the workplace, with one in three workers using AI tools at work at least weekly. Workers also face an uneasy tension; while workers feel more productive using AI, they also face anxiety over potential AI-related job losses. Workplaces are increasingly expecting workers to adopt AI, with three in ten (29%) workers citing AI learning requirements at their workplace.
— Detailed findings —
Employee sentiment and engagement
One in four (24%) workers say they are struggling or burnt out in their current jobs, impacting workplace satisfaction, morale, engage, and productivity
A substantial portion of the American workforce is struggling, with one in four (24%) workers reporting they are either struggling (12%) or burnt out (12%) in their current job. In contrast, three in four (75%) describe themselves as thriving (44%) or coasting (31%). This divide negatively impacts many aspects of the workplace experience, creating a critical gap for workplaces to address. Workers who are struggling or burnt out exhibit significantly lower levels of job satisfaction, morale, engagement, and productivity, and are more likely to consider leaving their job.
| Metric | Employees who are struggling/burnt out | Employees who are thriving/coasting | Difference (significant at 95% CI) |
| Job satisfaction (% very/somewhat satisfied) | 66% | 93% | -27 |
| Seriously considered quitting in past 3 months | 60% | 22% | +38 |
| Workplace morale (% excellent/good) | 49% | 86% | -37 |
| Engagement (% very/somewhat engaged) | 78% | 96% | -18 |
| Career growth opportunities (% excellent/good) | 43% | 79% | -36 |
| Work is very meaningful (% very meaningful) | 55% | 79% | -24 |
| “Just here for the paycheck | 54% | 23% | +31 |
| Actively looking for a job (% full/part time) | 39% | 19% | +20 |
| Workplace is understaffed | 58% | 31% | +27 |
| Use PTO for rest/mental health | 45% | 34% | +11 |
| Use PTO for sick leave | 33% | 27% | +6 |
| Skills are falling behind | 28% | 15% | +13 |
Organizations who aim to support workers who feel burnt out are struggling have multiple avenues beyond increasing salaries. Compared to workers who are thriving or coasting, those who are feeling burnt out or struggling are significantly more likely to suggest the following changes to make their work more engaging:
| What are the top things your workplace can do to make work more engaging for you? | Employees who are struggling/burnt out | Employees who are thriving/coasting | Difference(significant at 95% CI) |
| Improve pay | 62% | 46% | +16 |
| Provide more training/development opportunities | 39% | 34% | +5 |
| Improve benefits | 38% | 30% | +8 |
| Offer a clear path for advancement | 36% | 28% | +8 |
| Improve manager training | 35% | 21% | +14 |
| Increase autonomy and trust | 33% | 19% | +14 |
| Offer more hybrid or remote work options | 19% | 16% | +3 |
Notably, only 6% of struggling/burnt out workers believe there is nothing their workplace can do to improve engagement, compared to 15% of those who are thriving or coasting.
Younger workers are more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs, citing burnout and limited growth opportunities
While workers are overall satisfied with their jobs (86% very/somewhat satisfied), one in five Gen Z (19%) and Millennial (17%) workers are dissatisfied (% very/somewhat dissatisfied) with their current job, compared to 10% of Gen X workers.
- One in three (32%) Gen Z and Millennial workers rate their company’s growth and development opportunities as fair or poor
- 29% of Millennial workers say they are struggling (12%) or burnt out (17%) in their current roles, higher than 24% of workers overall
- Gen Z and Millennial workers are more likely than older workers to work just “for the paycheck” (38% of Gen Z and Millennials combined vs. 26% of Gen X workers), rather than feeling fired up about work.
- More than one in three (37%) workers overall say their company is understaffed (56% adequately staffed, 5% overstaffed)
Despite signs of dissatisfaction and burn out, workers remain committed to their jobs
- Most workers overall (93%) find their work very or somewhat meaningful
- 91% feel very or somewhat engaged at work, and 97% say it is very or somewhat important to do work that is engaging
Workers cite salary, recognition, job security, and meaningful work as their top drivers of happiness at work
- 61% of workers say work-life balance plays a large role in how they feel about their jobs
- 60% of workers cite job security and stability
- 59% cite being paid well at their job
- 57% cite doing work that is meaningful
Gen Z and Millennials are more likely than Gen X to emphasize the role of work-life balance in the workplace (65% vs. 59%) and salary (65% vs. 57%), they also highlight opportunities for advancement (58% vs. 40%) and recognition of their work and impact (48% vs. 41%).
Workplace opportunities for increasing worker engagement go beyond increasing pay
While half (49%) of workers say being paid more would help them feel more engaged at work, they also cite a variety of other factors for their workplaces to foster:
- 35% would feel more engaged if their workplace provided more training and development opportunities
- 32% want better benefits
- 30% are driven by a clearer path for career advancement at their company
- 24% cite better manager training
- 22% cite an increase in autonomy and trust
- 20% cite more opportunities to connect with coworkers
- 17% cite more hybrid or remote work arrangement
- Only 13% of workers say there is nothing their workplace can do to make work more engaging
One in four (24%) workers are actively looking for another job, citing increased pay, career growth, and improved work-life balance as top motivators
- 61% want to make more money
- 48% are seeking out career growth and advancement
- 42% want better work-life balance
- 39% want better benefits
- 31% want a career path or industry change
- 27% want more flexibility
- 26% are worried about current job security
- 20% just want to see what’s out there
- Millennials are more likely to cite making more money (69% vs. 61% overall) and remote or hybrid work arrangement (36% vs. 27% of overall) as main reasons for looking for a job
Employer ghosting and low salaries top workers’ job search complaints
More than four in ten (44%) of workers who are actively looking for a job cite employers not responding to their job applications as the most difficult part of the search process.
- 40% cite jobs not meeting salary expectations
- 32% cite high competition for roles
- 29% cite long/complicated application processes
- 24% cite the need to learn new skills
- 18% cite vague job descriptions
Among workers who are not actively looking for a job, most (72%) cite contentment with their current job, followed by 15% who say they are too busy to look for a job.
Financial health and security
Workers are feeling financially squeezed, citing inflation, layoffs, and concerns about the economy
Four in ten (43%) workers say their pay has not kept up with inflation
The rising cost of goods and services (inflation) has exceeded any cost-of-living adjustments or pay increases over the last year; only one in five workers (21%) say their pay increased more than inflation over the past year, while one in three (34%) say their pay stayed on par with cost of living increases.
More than half of workers (55%) have less than three months of living expenses saved up in case of a layoff:
- 32% can last less than 1 month
- 23% can last 1-2 months.
- Only 42% of workers say their current savings can cover 3 months or more of living expenses:
- 16% have 3-5 months worth of living expenses saved up
- 12% have 6-12 months saved up
- 14% have more than 12 months saved up
Workers are 3x more likely to feel threatened by an economic downturn than AI or outsourcing
More than half of workers (57%) cite a struggling economy as the biggest threat to their job, compared to 18% who cite AI or automation or 19% who cite outsourcing. Fear of potential layoffs linger, with 36% expressing concern about them or someone else in their household potentially losing their job in the near future.
- One in four workers (23%) do not think their company is prepared to withstand a recession if one occurred, highlighting concerns about job stability and layoffs.
- Despite concerns about layoffs, most workers (75%) expect to find a job with similar pay within 6 months
- 22% expect to take more than 6 months to find a job with a similar salary level (12% 7-12 months, 10% more than a year)
Fully paid healthcare premiums tops workers’ wishlist of workplace benefits
Half of workers (49%) cite 100% health care premiums paid by their employer as a desired workplace benefit. Other health-related benefits also index high on workers’ wishlists: 26% want a health or wellness stipend, 22% of parents with children under 18 cite paid parental leave, 21% want paid family or caregiver leave, and 10% want fertility or family planning assistance.
Other non-health-related benefits are led by 401(k) match, cited by 32% of workers.
- 28% want unlimited PTO
- 22% want free food on the job
- 18% want a transportation stipend
- 17% want student loan repayment
- 22% of parents (of a child under 18) want free onsite childcare
Workplaces see demand for financial education or planning resources, despite workers’ limited awareness
- Four in ten (39%) of workers say their workplace offers financial education or planning resources
- 35% say their workplaces do not offer any such benefit, while one in four (23%) are not sure
Vacation and travel is the leading use case of worker paid-time-off, with half of workers (51%) cutting back on spending to afford travel
More than half (55%) of workers say they use, or plan to use, their paid time off (PTO) for vacation, ahead of 50% who use it for personal or family matters.
- 37% use it for rest and mental health
- 28% use it for sick leave
- 11% do not receive PTO, and 5% do not plan on using their PTO
- Gen Z and Millennial workers are more likely to blur the line between paid time off and sick leave, with 33% using PTO for sick leave, compared with 27% of Gen X workers.
In the last 12 months, 51% of workers say they have significantly (20%) or somewhat (31%) cut back on other spending to afford travel.
AI at work
One in three workers are using AI tools at work at least weekly, balancing increased productivity with prospects of AI-induced job losses
More than half (55%) of workers use AI in some capacity at work, with 33% using AI tools daily (18%) or weekly (15%). Another 7% use AI on a monthly basis, and 15% less than monthly.
41% of workers overall are very or somewhat concerned about AI causing layoffs or job losses in their industry, with frequent AI users (daily/weekly) expressing greater concern about such layoffs than those who use AI less frequently or never (53% vs. 38% and 36%, respectively).
- More than half (56%) of workers who use AI daily or weekly say the technology has made them more productive at work, compared to 32% who see no difference and 8% who feel less productive when using AI.
Three in ten (29%) workers cite AI tool learning requirements at their workplace, underscoring increasing expectations of AI as table stakes
Nearly half of workers (47%) say AI skills and literacy has a critical (14%) or important (33%) impact on long-term career success; 49% find the technology to be optional (27%) or unnecessary (22%).
- Frequently (daily/weekly) users of AI are even more bullish: 72% say AI is critical or important for long-term success, while only 30% of those who never use AI in their role say the same
