U.S. Employee Engagement Plummets to 11-Year Low

Employee engagement in the United States has dropped to its lowest levels in over a decade — with only 30% of workers actively engaged in their jobs in the first quarter of 2024.  

The data, published by Gallup, shows the decline represents a loss of 4.8 million engaged employees. This marks the lowest engagement rate since 2013. The record-high percentage of engaged employees was recorded in 2020, at 36%. 

The steep drop in work engagement was found to be most prominent among remote, hybrid, and employees under the age of 35.  

Gallup reports that “the younger group of millennial and Gen Z employees (born 1989 or later) have experienced a five-point decline in engagement, from 40% to 35%, while the percentage of actively disengaged employees has increased by one point, from 13% to 14%. This means that the younger millennials and Gen Z employees have seen their engagement ratio fall from 3.1 to 2.5.” 

Remote workers and those who could work remotely but are required to work on-site also show similar declines of 5 and 6 percentage points, respectively.  

The report suggests employee engagement is a big factor in organizational success, because it directly impacts “productivity, employee retention, customer service, safety incidents, quality of work and profitability.” The current downward trend in engagement poses big challenges for U.S. companies this year. 

However, some organizations have managed to avoid this trend. According to Gallup, the organizations leading in employee engagement average 70% engaged employees and boast a ratio of 14 engaged employees for every actively disengaged one.  

These top-performing companies are reported to have planned and intentionally built inspiring workplace cultures, often incorporating hybrid work environments, clear expectations, and holistic approaches to employee well-being.