It seems that the United Kingdom is suffering from a serious problem with job satisfaction, as a new report from Gallup titled "State of the Global Workforce 2024" reveals a significant crisis in job satisfaction in the UK. According to the report, only 10% of British employees feel motivated and engaged in their jobs, placing the UK at the back of the pack compared to the United States and many other European countries. This means that a staggering 90% of employees feel disconnected from their roles, and are likely to engage in the phenomenon of "quiet quitting," where employees do the bare minimum required.
Additionally, the report found that 40% of employees in the UK experience daily stress, while 27% report feeling sadness every day, the second highest rate among all European countries. Moreover, 20% of workers reported feeling angry on a daily basis. In contrast, only 23% of employees worldwide feel motivated and engaged at work, while 33% of workers in the United States express job satisfaction.
The data from the Gallup report is based on a survey conducted in 2023, which included more than 128,000 workers across over 160 countries. The survey was carried out annually, either face-to-face or via telephone. The report warns that "actively disengaged workers may be trapped in jobs they dislike for economic reasons." It added, "Economic factors are likely to play an important role in the decline of job engagement. We conclude that job opportunities allow disgruntled employees to leave their companies and find better prospects."
The report stated, "Less than half of employees in the UK see that now is a good time to find a job, and nearly a third report actively looking for another job." According to data from the UK's Office for National Statistics, analyzed by McKinsey, UK workers are not optimistic about the job market, as the number of vacancies has declined since its peak after the pandemic in 2022.
In a longitudinal study on a sample of 10,000 individuals in the UK conducted between 1991 and 2022, 26% of respondents indicated a desire to change jobs. However, according to McKinsey, only a quarter of those who expressed this desire actually changed employers after three years. Nineteen percent remained in their jobs despite wanting to leave.
This means that, according to McKinsey's data alongside Gallup's study, between 20% and 40% of the workforce in organizations consists of "actively disengaged employees." The impact of disengagement and low job engagement on companies and the economy is substantial. Gallup estimates that low levels of job engagement cost the global economy $8.9 trillion, or 9% of global GDP.
An analysis conducted by Gallup in 2024—mentioned in the report—included 183,000 business units across 53 industries and 90 countries, finding that companies with high levels of employee engagement also achieve better results. The study reported a 68% improvement in employee well-being, which translates to a 23% increase in profitability and a 13% increase in productivity.
According to the report, feelings of boredom and disconnection from work (regardless of the cause) are equivalent to or worsen than unemployment regarding many well-being indicators (such as stress, anger, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness). In contrast, when employees find their work and work relationships meaningful, it is associated with high levels of daily enjoyment and low levels of all daily negative emotions.
