Employee engagement in the U.S. has declined to 31 percent, the lowest level since 2014. Only 31 out of 100 workers feel truly engaged, while 69 are disengaged or actively undermining workplaces. Engagement involves a strong emotional and intellectual connection to work that motivates effort beyond basic obligations. Meaningful work, autonomy, flexibility, psychological safety, trust, and hopeful leadership foster higher engagement. Fall provides a natural moment to assess engagement with surveys and to implement targeted strategies. Organizations that measure engagement now and act before 2026 can improve performance, retention, and workplace climate.
Gallup's latest research delivers sobering news about the U.S. workforce: Employee engagement has plummeted to just 31 percent of American workers-the lowest level since 2014 (Gallup, 2025a). Think about that for a moment. In an office of 100 people, only 31 would describe themselves as truly engaged with their work! The remaining 69 are either going through the motions or, worse, actively undermining their workplace. It's a workforce crisis hiding in plain sight.
Employee engagement goes far beyond mere satisfaction. Whereas a satisfied employee might think, "This job is fine," an engaged employee thinks, "I can't wait to tackle this project today." Engagement is that strong emotional and intellectual connection you feel to your work, the kind that makes you want to go above and beyond, not because you have to, but because you genuinely enjoy the work and care about the outcome.
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