Most employees not engaged in their jobs: Global workplace report

Only 13 per cent report they feel engaged, emotionally invested in their jobs

The vast majority of employees globally are not engaged in their jobs, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report.

Only 13 per cent of employees reported they are engaged in their jobs, meaning they are emotionally invested in creating value for their organization.

Actively disengaged workers — those who are “negative and potentially hostile” to their organizations — outnumber engaged workers by nearly two to one, the report found, after surveying employees across 142 countries.

In contrast to the 13 per cent of employees who are engaged in their jobs, 63 per cent of employees are not engaged, while 24 per cent are actively disengaged.

Active disengagement costs the United States’ economy $450 to $550 billion every year, according to Gallup estimates. Disengagement also correlates with higher levels of turnover, absenteeism and safety incidents along with lower profitability, productivity and customer ratings.

Engaged employees are more likely to report job growth in their organizations, with 44 per cent of engaged employees reporting their organizations are hiring and expanding.

Engaged employees are also more likely to report feeling they have a high quality of life and experience more positive emotions.

In Canada and the U.S., engagement tends to be higher with employees who have higher education levels. College-educated workers are more likely to report feelings of engagement and satisfaction with their jobs.

Canada reported slightly higher levels of employee engagement, with 16 per cent of employees being engaged, 70 per cent being not engaged and 14 per cent being actively disengaged.

In the U.S., the engagement level was even higher, with 30 per cent of employees being engaged, 52 per cent not engaged and 18 per cent actively disengaged.

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