More U.S. workers said they are struggling in their lives than thriving — a first since Gallup began tracking the life evaluation of the U.S. workforce, according to a March 24 Gallup article.
The findings are based on Gallup’s survey of 22,368 U.S. employees conducted Oct. 30 to Nov. 13.
Here are five things to know:
1. Nearly half — 49% — of respondents said they are struggling, compared to 46% who said they are thriving. This marks a reversal from 2022 and 2023, when the share of workers classified as thriving was in the low-to-mid 50s.
2. The share of thriving workers remained steady between 57% and 60% from 2009 to 2019, fell to 55% in 2020, rebounded in 2021, and has steadily declined since.
3. The survey asked respondents to rate their current and future lives on a 10-point scale. In addition to those classified as thriving or struggling, 5% of workers were considered “suffering.”
4. Federal workers’ thriving rate has dropped 12 percentage points since 2022 to 48%, a steeper decline than the roughly 6-point drops seen among U.S. workers overall and state and local government employees.
5. Thriving workers miss 53% fewer workdays due to health problems and are 32% less likely to be actively seeking a new job, according to Gallup.
