Stressed or disengaged employees aren’t just a retention risk — but can potentially drag down productivity.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
That’s according to management consulting firm Gallup, which sets the loss as high as 9% of global GDP, in its 2026 State of the Global Workplace report.
The trend appears to be worsening. Worldwide, employee engagement is dipping, with workers feeling less motivated, connected and committed.
Gallup puts the global rate at just 20%, the lowest since 2020.
Are workers more stressed in Europe or in the Americas?
The global picture reveals a striking dichotomy. Europe is less stressed, but also the least engaged region overall (for the sixth consecutive year), while the US and Canada boast the most engaged workforces — and the most stressed at the same time.
Which European employees handle stress better?
When it comes to stress, southern Europeans tend to be the most affected in general, with the Greeks (61%), Maltese (57%), Cypriots (56%), Italians (51%) and Spaniards (47%) recording the highest stress levels.
At the same time, Danes (19%), Poles (22%) and Lithuanians (23%) appear to feel less under pressure.
According to Gallup, the profile of the most stressed employees points to a majority of managers, under 35, and in hybrid work arrangements.
Who is least engaged, demographically and geographically?
The lowest engagement rates in Europe emerged in Croatia (7%), Poland (7%), France (8%), Switzerland (8%), Luxembourg (9%), Ireland (9%) and Austria (9%).
Spain (10%), the UK (10%), Germany (11%) and Italy (11%) just narrowly hit double digits, too.
At the same time, Albania (32%), Romania (31%), Sweden (25%) and Malta (25%) show some of the highest levels of engagement on the continent.
Gallup’s data points to a profile among the least engaged workers: typically under 35, in non-managerial roles and without remote work access, even partially, although the differences with other demographic profiles are minimal here.
A futher 15% declare not just to be “unengaged”, but “actively disengaged”, meaning they are purposely and consciously psychologically detaching themselves from their work, team and employer — what is today known as “quiet quitting”.
Research calls this engagement slump a “cause for concern”.
“This is the first time global engagement has dropped for two consecutive years. The largest drop was in South Asia (-5 points). No region of the world increased engagement in the past year”.
Are European workers better off globally?
Despite a poor engagement record, data says European workers are far better off when it comes to well-being.
Some 49% of employees across the continent claim to be thriving, compared to 34% globally.
Half of the world regions saw a rise in thriving, with Latin America and the Caribbean (+2 points) and Europe (+2) experiencing the largest increases.
Finland (81%), Iceland (78%) and Denmark (78%) top the happiness chart in Europe.
Amid challenges brought by AI and global volatility, the majority of European workers are optimistic, with 57% claiming it’s a good time to find a job — higher than the 52% global average — led by the Netherlands (86%), while Slovakia closes the chart at 32%.
The least optimistic world region here is the Middle East and North Africa (36%), while South-East Asians are the most confident at 64%.
