Gallup State Of The Global Workplace 2026

Gallup's annual report on the global employee experience draws on data from tens of thousands of workers across all world regions. The 2026 edition focuses on the intersection of employee engagement, wellbeing, and the rise of AI in the workplace. Engagement is declining. Global employee engagement dropped to 20% in 2025 — its lowest level since 2020 and the second consecutive year of decline. No region recorded an increase. Low engagement is estimated to cost the global economy approximately $10 trillion in lost productivity annually. Managers are struggling most. Manager engagement has fallen nine points since 2022, with the sharpest drop occurring between 2024 and 2025. Leaders report higher life satisfaction than individual contributors, but also significantly higher rates of daily stress, anger, sadness, and loneliness. Employee wellbeing showed a slight recovery. After three years of decline, the share of employees described as "thriving" rose one point to 34% in 2025. However, daily negative emotions remain above pre-pandemic levels across all regions. AI adoption is growing but organisational impact is limited. While many employees report personal productivity gains from AI tools, only 12% strongly agree that AI has transformed how work gets done in their organisation. The report identifies manager support as the strongest predictor of meaningful AI adoption — yet fewer than a third of employees say their manager actively champions it. Job market perceptions remain mixed. Global optimism about finding a job improved slightly in 2025, though it remains below its 2019 peak. Concerns about AI-related job losses are rising, with 18% of US employees considering it likely their job will be eliminated within five years due to automation.