Last year, only 31% of employees were engaged, reflecting 2014 figures. The percentage of actively disengaged employees hit 17%, also the lowest level since 2014.
The percentage of engaged employees has declined by two percentage points since 2023, according to the report, underscoring a growing trend of employee detachment from organizations, especially for workers under age 35. Engagement did increase slightly during mid-2024, but nonetheless ended the year at a decade low.
Gallup has been tracking employee engagement since 2000, and noted that engagement peaked in 2020 at 36%. Since then, employee engagement has generally trended downward.
Gallup measured 12 elements of engagement and those that saw the most significant decline in 2024 — defined as a decline of three points or more — included:
1. Clear expectations: Only 46% of employees clearly know what is expected of them at work, down 10 percentage points from a peak of 56% in March 2020.
2. Believing someone at work cares about them: Only 39% of employees feel strongly that someone cares about them, a decline from 47% in March 2020.
3. Someone to encourage their development: Just 30% of employees strongly agree that someone at work encourages their development, down from 36% in March 2020.
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