The consulting company Gallup in its report "The State of the Global Labor Market in 2026" assessed the level of employee engagement and the degree of stress they experience.
Stress or lack of employee engagement is not only a risk in terms of employee retention but also a potential decrease in productivity.
This is evidenced by data from the consulting company Gallup, which in its report "The State of the Global Labor Market in 2026" estimates losses at 9% of global GDP.
The trend seems to be worsening. Worldwide, employee engagement is declining, and workers feel less motivated and committed to their jobs.
According to Gallup, the global engagement rate is only 20%, the lowest since 2020.
Are workers in Europe or America experiencing more stress?
The global picture shows a striking dichotomy. Europe is less prone to stress but is also the least engaged region overall (for the sixth consecutive year), while the United States and Canada boast the most engaged workforce - and at the same time, the most stressed.
Which European employees cope better with stress?
When it comes to stress, Southern Europeans tend to suffer more than others: Greeks (61%), Maltese (57%), Cypriots (56%), Italians (51%), and Spaniards (47%) report the highest levels of stress.
At the same time, Danes (19%), Poles (22%), and Lithuanians (23%) seem to feel less tense. Latvia is in the middle with 37%.
According to Gallup, among employees experiencing the highest stress, managers, people under 35, and those working in hybrid arrangements are predominant.
Who is the least engaged at work, demographically and geographically?
The lowest engagement rates in Europe are observed in Croatia (7%), Poland (7%), France (8%), Switzerland (8%), Luxembourg (9%), Ireland (9%), and Austria (9%).
Spain (10%), the United Kingdom (10%), Germany (11%), and Italy (11%) have also barely reached double digits.
At the same time, Albania (32%), Romania (31%), Sweden (25%), and Malta (25%) demonstrate some of the highest engagement levels on the continent.
Gallup data indicate the profile of the least engaged workers: they are typically under 35 years old, hold non-managerial positions, and do not have access to remote work, even partially, although the differences with other demographic profiles are minimal.
Another 15% state that they are not just "not engaged" but "actively disengaged," meaning they are purposefully and consciously psychologically distancing themselves from their work, team, and employer - what is now known as "quiet quitting."
The authors of the study call this decline in engagement "a cause for concern."
"This is the first time that global engagement has fallen for two consecutive years. The largest decline occurred in South Asia (-5 points). No region of the world has increased engagement in the past year."
Are Europeans satisfied with their lives?
Despite low engagement rates, the data suggest that European workers feel much better when it comes to well-being.
About 49% of workers on the continent claim that their lives are thriving, compared to 34% of workers worldwide.
In half of the world’s regions, well-being scores are rising, with the largest increases observed in Latin America and the Caribbean (+2 points) and Europe (+2).
Finland (81%), Iceland (78%), and Denmark (78%) top the happiness rankings in Europe.
Amid issues caused by artificial intelligence and global instability, most European workers are optimistic: 57% claim that now is a favorable time to look for a job - this is higher than the global average of 52% - with the Netherlands leading (86%) and Slovakia at the bottom with 32%.
The least optimistic region in the world is the Middle East and North Africa (36%), while residents of Southeast Asia are the most confident - 64%.
