Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
U.S. employee engagement has yet to recover from its pandemic-era peak, with younger workers experiencing the sharpest declines, according to new Gallup data. The findings suggest that confusion around expectations, limited development opportunities, and weaker manager relationships are weighing most heavily on early- and mid-career employees.
Gallup found that 31% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2025, unchanged from 2024 but well below the 36% peak recorded in 2020. The five-point decline since then represents roughly 8 million fewer engaged workers nationwide, exposing the scale of disengagement following the pandemic.
Younger Workers See the Steepest Drop
Engagement losses have been most pronounced among younger employees. Since 2020, engagement among Generation Z and younger millennials has fallen eight points, while older millennials have seen a nine-point decline. Generation X experienced a smaller drop, and baby boomers’ engagement levels remained largely stable.
Gallup’s data shows that younger workers are increasingly less likely to feel supported or developed at work. In 2025, only 41% strongly agreed that someone at work cares about them as a person, down from 54% in 2020. Perceptions of learning and growth opportunities declined by 11 points over the same period.
Communication and Clarity Drive Disengagement
Across all age groups, two engagement factors have weakened the most since 2020: clarity about job expectations and feeling cared about at work. Gallup’s qualitative analysis found that more than one-third of employees believe better communication would most improve clarity around expectations.
Workers pointed to gaps in transparency around company direction, inconsistent feedback from managers, and limited discussion of career paths. Many respondents also cited respect, recognition, and being listened to as central to feeling valued at work.
Unclear Standards for “Great Performance”
Gallup also found widespread uncertainty around what defines exceptional performance. While senior leaders were more likely than managers and individual contributors to say they understand expectations, fewer than one-third of leaders strongly agreed that standards for excellence are clear.
The data shows a strong connection between clarity and engagement. Employees who clearly understand what high performance looks like are several times more likely to be engaged than those who do not.
What the Data Signals for Employers
Gains made in employee experience prior to 2020 have stalled or reversed, particularly for younger workers who rely more heavily on feedback, development, and guidance. Restoring clarity, communication, and growth pathways may be critical to reversing engagement declines.
Without renewed focus on these fundamentals, disengagement risks becoming a long-term structural issue rather than a temporary post-pandemic hangover.
