European workers report lowest engagement globally for sixth consecutive year
WASHINGTON, April 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global employee engagement declined for the second consecutive year, falling to 20% in 2025 - its lowest level since 2020, according to Gallup's latest State of the Global Workplacereport.
Low engagement continues to carry a significant economic cost. In 2024 alone, disengagement resulted in more than $10 trillion in lost productivity globally, representing 9% of global GDP.
Managers Continue to Drive Declines in Global Engagement
The ongoing decline in engagement is largely driven by falling manager engagement. Since 2022, manager engagement has dropped by nine percentage points, while engagement among individual contributors has remained largely stable.
"This report establishes a global baseline for management effectiveness in the AI era," says Gallup CEO Jon Clifton, "Businesses are investing heavily in AI, but the results are not showing up in the bottom line. Gallup's data points to an answer the corporate world has largely ignored: the manager."
Europe Remains Least Engaged Region Globally for Sixth Consecutive Year
At 12%, employee engagement in Europe is the lowest of any world region and has declined by one percentage point in the past year.
Engagement remains in the single digits across several major European economies, including Croatia (7%), Poland (7%), France (8%), Switzerland (8%), Luxembourg (9%), Ireland (9%), Austria (9%), Spain (10%) and the United Kingdom (10%). In recent years, engagement in Poland (7%) and Germany (11%) has fallen to new lows.
Albania (32%) and Romania (31%) lead the region, while Sweden (25%) and Malta (25%) are also among the most engaged. Several countries -- including Sweden, Denmark (22%), Slovenia (18%) and Greece (14%) - are at or near the highest engagement levels Gallup has recorded for them.
Some of the largest gains since before the pandemic have occurred in Lithuania (+16 points), Albania (+10) and Sweden (+7), while Italy (11%) has reached its highest engagement level in a decade.
Most in Europe Express Optimism in Job Market
Globally, perceptions of the job market have remained steady since 2022, with 52% of employees saying it is a "good time" to find a job. Employees who feel they have choice and opportunity in their work are 50% more likely to view the job market positively.
In Europe, a majority of workers (57%) say it is a good time to find a job - matching a record high for the region. Workers in the Netherlands (86%) are the most optimistic in the world, while those in Slovakia (32%) are the least optimistic in Europe.
Job market optimism has declined sharply in Sweden (-12 points) and Finland (-18), while rising significantly in Bosnia and Herzegovina (+12) and Greece (+10).
Employee Wellbeing Improves Globally and Remains Relatively High in Europe
Globally, employee wellbeing improved for the first time in three years, with 34% of workers classified as thriving. However, reports of daily stress, anger and sadness remain elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels.
In Europe, 49% of employees are thriving - slightly higher than recent years and well above the global average. Several European countries rank among the highest in the world for wellbeing, including Finland (81%), Iceland (78%) and Denmark (78%).
At the same time, wellbeing varies widely across the region. Workers in Northern Cyprus (23%) are the least likely in Europe to be thriving, while several countries - including Slovenia (59%), Serbia (56%), Kosovo (54%), Italy (51%), Latvia (50%), Albania (44%) and Poland (43%) - are at or near record highs. Montenegro (40%) also reached a new high.
About Gallup
Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.
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