— Three months into President Donald Trump’s second term economic conditions to him rather than to his predecessor Joe Biden while a considerable portion thinks responsibility is still shared between the two Nearly half of Americans surveyed April 2-15 say Trump is the more responsible of the two presidents for the current state of the U.S 21% indicate that both are equally responsible These results are nearly identical to what Gallup recorded in March Adding the “both” response to each president’s figure results in 67% of Americans in April thinking Trump bears substantial responsibility for the economy and 48% thinking the same of Biden Gallup has tracked these attitudes by web in March and April using its probability-based panel half of respondents were given four options for who bears the most responsibility for the economy — Trump The other half were offered only the choice of Trump or Biden 66% of Americans say Trump is the more responsible of the two nearly identical to the total percentage saying he is solely or partially responsible in the four-part question The remaining third say Biden is responsible Whether saying Trump is responsible for today’s economy is a criticism or compliment depends on one’s view of the economy Americans who rate the economy as either excellent or good are split between assigning responsibility to Biden (37%) those saying economic conditions are poor mostly assign responsibility to Trump (66%) Just 14% of this group attributes them solely to Biden Democrats' assigning of responsibility for the economy to Trump, which 75% do, is clearly a criticism, as most Democrats describe the current state of the economy in negative terms Republicans have a more mixed assessment of present economic conditions but they are also more than twice as likely to attribute conditions exclusively to Biden than to Trump (55% vs 91% of Democrats say Trump is mostly or equally responsible for the state of the economy the figures are 40% for Trump and 74% for Biden Given Trump’s assertive efforts and plans to remake the economy through a combination of tariff hikes along with Wall Street's negative reaction in early April to his policies and implementation of them it’s not surprising that many Americans perceive that the current economy already reflects Trump’s presidency more than Biden’s who are deeply concerned about the economy have already reached a consensus that it’s now Trump’s economy Republicans aren't likely to perceive that economic conditions are the result of Trump's rather than Biden's management until they are more convinced that the economy is doing well Trump's recent comments tying negative first-quarter economic growth to Biden — and his suggestion that possible negative second-quarter growth would also be Biden's responsibility — are likely to ensure current Republican beliefs about economic ownership persist To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Learn more about how the Gallup Panel works Results for this Gallup poll are based on self-administered web surveys conducted April 2-15 random sampling methods to recruit its Panel members Results to the four-response-option question about who is more responsible for the economy are based on interviews with 1,023 national adults and have a margin of sampling error of ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level Gallup weighted the obtained samples to correct for nonresponse Nonresponse adjustments were made by adjusting the sample to match national demographics of gender Demographic weighting targets were based on the most recent Current Population Survey figures for the aged 18 and older U.S Party affiliation weighting targets are based on an average of the three most recent Gallup telephone polls question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls Subscribe to the Front Page newsletter for weekly insights on the world's most pressing topics Most Americans expect their country's new tariffs to result in higher prices in the U.S with about half believing that job gains will result Gallup data reveal a growing housing affordability crisis in wealthy countries that affects not just economies and politics Americans are pessimistic about economic growth and the stock market with a majority now expecting their personal finances to worsen Fewer Americans than in 2023 and 2024 name inflation as the most important financial problem facing their family Low employee engagement is holding back global worker productivity, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report Global employee engagement and employee wellbeing have generally risen over the past decade which has implications for corporate productivity Here’s what leaders need to know from Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report: Global employee engagement fell by two percentage points in 2024 costing the world economy an estimated $438 billion in lost productivity In 2024, the global percentage of engaged employees fell from 23% to 21%. Engagement has fallen only twice in the past 12 years — in 2020 and 2024 Managers are experiencing the sharpest decline while individual contributor engagement remained flat at 18% Engagement among managers under the age of 35 fell by five percentage points; female manager engagement dropped by seven points managers have been squeezed between new executive priorities and employee expectations Many organizations experienced workforce changes after the pandemic rapid expansions and layoffs in some sectors Disrupted supply chains and the end of stimulus programs have shrunk budgets At the same time, employees have new demands for flexibility and remote work based on their pandemic experiences, but some companies have rolled this flexibility back. All of this eventually takes a toll on the world’s managers, who are struggling to make it all work Gallup research suggests leaders should rethink managerial roles entirely. By redesigning role responsibilities around performance coaching organizations can improve team performance for the new workplace Global employee wellbeing fell for a second consecutive year After five years of steady improvement, global employee life evaluations fell in 2023 and again in 2024 managers experienced the largest decrease in the percentage who rate their lives positively enough to be considered thriving while individual contributors saw their life evaluations improve slightly Many factors influence how people feel about their life overall including satisfaction with their income and the cost of living many employees spend most of their lives working, and their work experiences influence their life evaluations Half of employees who are engaged at work are thriving in life overall compared with only a third of employees who are not engaged If the world’s workplace was fully engaged Gallup estimates that $9.6 trillion in productivity could be added to the global economy The world’s workplace is trending in the wrong direction but science-based management practices show a promising way forward Gallup’s employee engagement meta-analysis finds that when organizations build their growth strategy around great management the result is better customer service and higher productivity These outcomes are reproducible across industries and cultures The best organizations Gallup has studied put manager training and development at the center of their strategy Even rudimentary training shows benefits to engagement managers who receive best-practice training have seen their own engagement and their team’s engagement improve substantially Management performance metrics improved by 20% to 28% The future of global productivity depends on an engaged and thriving workforce Gallup estimates that improving employee engagement through science-based management could unlock trillions in economic potential Harter has led more than 1,000 studies of workplace effectiveness including the largest ongoing meta-analysis of human potential and business-unit performance His work has also appeared in many publications The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal Ryan Pendell is a Senior Workplace Science Editor at Gallup COVID-19 created a tectonic shift in how workplaces operate Gallup research reveals 12 ways the pandemic transformed how great work -- and leadership -- gets done Hope is powerful -- and it's what people need most consistently from the leaders in their lives See what this means for current and future leaders 3.2 million fewer employees felt enthusiastic about and involved in their work The workplace has not returned to pre-pandemic normalcy But each of these challenges has a solution — Several measures of Americans’ economic mood have weakened in April compared with their prior readings — in some cases Americans’ six-month outlooks for economic growth and the stock market have turned from positive to negative interest rates and the job market have dimmed Gallup’s yearly reading on Americans’ assessment of their personal finances shows a record-high 53% now believing their situation is getting worse This marks the first time in the trend dating back to 2001 that a majority have expressed financial pessimism Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index has held steady with April’s -22 score not meaningfully different from March’s -20 and January’s -19 though it is down from a -14 reading in December These findings come from Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance survey Most of the poll was conducted after President Donald Trump announced what he termed “Liberation Day” tariffs on numerous countries on April 2 The market subsequently experienced significant volatility resulting in 4% to 5% declines in the major stock indices over the two-week survey period The latest poll updates Americans’ six-month forecasts for several aspects of the economy but particularly for the stock market and economic growth Americans have gone from being mostly positive about the direction of the stock market and economic growth in the days after Trump took office to being pessimistic In further evidence that perceptions of the job market have soured a majority of 58% now believe it’s a bad time to find a quality job when the public was split between calling it a good time (48%) and a bad time (45%) This is the most pessimistic outlook for jobs that Gallup has recorded in four years when the nation was still experiencing high unemployment related to the COVID-19 pandemic Americans’ assessment of their current financial situation is the same today as a year ago but their perception of the direction in which their finances are going has worsened adults rate their current financial situation as excellent While those figures are all within a point of last year’s ratings The average percentage of Americans calling their personal finances excellent or good since 2001 is 50% with positive perceptions peaking at 57% in 2021 consumers’ outlook for their finances is the most negative on balance since Gallup began tracking this measure in 2001 A record-high 53% now say their financial situation is getting worse exceeding the 38% saying their finances are improving by 15 points There have been only a few periods in Gallup’s trend that consumers' pessimism about their finances has significantly exceeded optimism One was in the economically challenged period during and after the 2007-2009 recession; another was at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the other was from 2022 to 2023 amid high inflation Americans have been more likely to think their finances are improving than deteriorating The six-point increase over the past year in those saying their finances are worsening has occurred about equally across household income groups as well as among stock owners and those who do not own stock Following the expected partisan pattern that occurs when the party of the sitting president changes Republicans’ pessimism about their finances has mostly vanished now that Trump is back in office falling 40 points from when Joe Biden was president a year ago Independents are slightly more pessimistic today than last April contributing to the negative overall shift Gallup’s monthly Economic Confidence Index (ECI) is essentially steady in April at -22 adults’ ratings of current economic conditions as well as their outlook for the economy Longer term, the index has declined by eight points since December. The index score, which has been negative since the start of high inflation in mid-2021, had climbed to -14 in December amid the presidential transition economic conditions remains better than was recorded for most of the past four years Gallup’s ECI summarizes Americans’ evaluations of current economic conditions (as excellent only fair or poor) and their outlook for the economy (whether they believe it is getting better or getting worse) The index has a theoretical range of +100 (if all Americans were to rate current conditions as excellent or good and say the economy is getting better) to -100 (if all Americans were to rate the economy as poor and say it is getting worse) In Gallup’s trend of these measures since 1992 Other questions in the April poll ask Americans where the economy stands on the standard business cycle and where it will be in a year A quarter of Americans believe the economy is currently growing and 42% say it is in a recession (27%) or economic depression (15%) Attitudes are more positive about where the economy will be a year from now with 45% predicting it will be growing by that time and fewer thinking it will be slowing down (7%) the percentage expecting the economy to be in a recession or depression (47% combined) is slightly larger than the 42% saying that about the current economy Gallup has asked this question periodically since 2008 the most positive evaluation was recorded in January 2019 when 41% said the economy was growing and only 17% thought it was in a recession or depression when 3% said it was growing and 69% believed it was in a recession or depression Americans’ outlook for the economy has varied less with more forecasting growth than a recession or depression This year’s reading is the first time that more than a third think the economy will be in a recession or depression in a year’s time — and the first time that the combined figure for those two negative predictions (now 47%) matches the percentage expecting the economy to be growing including independents who lean Republican are divided on the health of today’s economy whereas 48% think it is either slowing down (25%) in a recession (15%) or in a depression (8%) the vast majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents already believe the economy is slowing down (40%) in a recession (39%) or in a depression (17%) with very few saying it’s growing (3%) most of Republicans’ hesitancy about economic conditions fades as 82% say the economy will be growing a year from now foresee an even more difficult economic future with fewer thinking it will be slowing down and nearly eight in 10 predicting a recession (41%) or depression (35%) Public attitudes about several specific aspects of the U.S economy have changed markedly in the short time Trump has been in office as Americans’ expectations for the stock market economic growth and employment have turned negative and consumers are feeling unusually pessimistic about their personal finances This has occurred against the backdrop of Trump’s shifting tariff policies and an emerging trade war with China that has roiled the stock market The administration has argued that higher prices and declining stock values are essentially short-term medicine necessary for remaking the American economy as a financially secure manufacturing giant Most Republicans seem to have faith in that plan with most foreseeing economic pain or collapse To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). compare and export nearly a century of primary data Majorities of Americans are highly concerned about financial issues Americans' expectations for economic growth inflation and interest rates are more optimistic than they have been in recent years adults who say their income taxes are fair essentially matches the record-low 45% from 1999 Donald Trump averaged 45% approval in the first quarter of his second term with 44% of Americans confident in his management of the economy — About a third of currently enrolled students pursuing a bachelor’s degree certificate or certification (32%) say they have considered stopping their coursework in the past six months This is part of a downward trend and is now nine percentage points lower than the record high of 41% measured in 2022 These results are from the Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2025 State of Higher Education Study The survey is based on 13,933 current and prospective college students aged 18 to 59 who have not completed a degree program have been enrolled but stopped taking courses toward a degree/credential Respondents were recruited from an opt-in online panel The greatest declines in the percentage of postsecondary students considering withdrawal are seen among industry certification and bachelor’s degree seekers The share of students thinking about leaving an industry certification or bachelor’s degree program declined by seven points each from 2023 to 2024 nearly four in 10 students pursuing a certificate or associate degree say they have considered leaving their program Hispanic and Black students are more likely than their White and Asian peers to say they have recently considered leaving their postsecondary program Forty-two percent of Hispanic students and 35% of Black students say they have considered withdrawing in the past six months compared with 27% of Asian students and 28% of White students Students caring for a child or adult family member are more likely than their non-caregiving peers to report they have considered leaving their program in the past six months those who are caring for both a child and an adult family member (59%) as well as those caring for an adult family member only (45%) are the most likely to say they have considered leaving their program Emotional stress and mental health continue to be the two most important reasons currently enrolled students say they have recently thought about leaving their program About half of students who have considered withdrawing in the past six months (49%) say it was due to emotional stress while 41% say it was for personal mental health reasons the percentage citing cost of attendance decreased slightly from 31% in 2023 to 24% in 2024; cost and concerns about belonging on campus (24%) now tie as withdrawal considerations While the percentage of postsecondary students who have considered leaving their program has declined since its peak in 2022 the fact that nearly one in three students are still contemplating withdrawal underscores the persistent challenges facing today’s learners Emotional stress and mental health concerns remain the top drivers — outpacing even financial strain — indicating that program success and completion are deeply tied to students’ wellbeing This is especially true for Black and Hispanic students who report higher rates of withdrawal consideration as well as for student caregivers who often juggle personal responsibilities alongside their coursework It is essential for colleges and policymakers focused on improving retention and degree attainment to address these nonacademic barriers Investing in comprehensive mental health support flexible learning options and resources tailored to diverse student populations could make the difference in whether a student stays or leaves Learn more about the Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2025 State of Higher Education Study. To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Few current or prospective college students say four-year colleges charge fair prices but most say the investment pays off within five years of graduation Americans now split into roughly equal thirds as to whether they have a lot of (36%) some (32%) or very little (32%) confidence in higher education Lumina and Gallup find Americans are more confident in community colleges than four-year universities The greatest difference between the two is cost Most students say their college does an "excellent" or "good" job promoting free speech and that they feel respected by other students and faculty — Americans are widely skeptical about the benefits of the recent tariffs the Trump administration has imposed on the United States’ trading partners with majorities believing they will ultimately cost the U.S more money than they generate — in the short term (70%) as well as the long run (62%) think the tariffs are likely to result in higher prices on the products they buy while the public is evenly divided over the likelihood that the tariffs will bring more manufacturing jobs to the U.S Americans have little appetite for long-term disruption to the U.S economy before they see any economic benefits from the higher tariffs Republicans are more likely than Democrats and independents to say the tariffs will bring in more money to the U.S than they cost and will create more manufacturing jobs at home While the large majority of Republicans agree with Democrats and independents that the tariffs will result in higher prices on the products they buy Republicans are willing to tolerate economic disruption for longer These findings are from a Gallup web poll conducted April 2-15 as President Donald Trump initiated a major shift in U.S trade policy through a series of tariff measures These included a 10% blanket tariff on most imports and higher and targeted tariffs on countries that have significant trade surpluses with the U.S. The announcement of the tariffs triggered strong reactions from international trade partners and business leaders and sparked sharp declines in stock values and a selloff in U.S Although some of the tariffs were later suspended financial markets have continued to experience volatility raising tariffs on its trading partners is that those countries could retaliate with higher tariffs on U.S products — as China has already done this would hinder the budgetary goal of increasing federal revenue through tariffs Americans generally think the new tariffs will cost the U.S more than they bring in from other countries in the short term That contrasts with 29% who believe the tariffs will be a net revenue gain for the U.S The latter view is held by a majority of Republicans compared with 25% of independents and 4% of Democrats The public is slightly more optimistic about the impact that tariffs will have in the long run although more still say they will cost more (62%) than they benefit (36%) the U.S with 77% foreseeing a net gain for the U.S. versus 31% of independents and 6% of Democrats believe higher tariffs are “very likely” to result in increased consumer prices and another 23% say it is “somewhat likely.” This perception is even more pronounced among Democrats 92% of whom think higher consumer prices are very likely 36% of Republicans say higher prices are very likely and 46% think they are somewhat likely to result vast majorities of both party groups expect the new tariffs to lead to higher prices The public is more divided on whether tariffs will lead to an increase in U.S adults overall saying this is likely (25% very and 24% somewhat) and the other half saying it is not too (32%) or not at all (18%) likely partisans have sharply different perspectives on this question Most Republicans believe tariffs are very (56%) or somewhat (29%) likely to boost manufacturing jobs with only 21% saying more jobs are very (3%) or somewhat likely (18%) to result Independents align closely with the national averages on both measures Trump has acknowledged that Americans might experience some economic discomfort because of his tariff policies but has asserted that the long-term benefits would justify the short-term challenges The April poll suggests that Americans’ tolerance for discomfort comes down to how “short-term” is defined adults say they would not accept any economic disruption at all from tariffs while 68% would put up with at least a few months Those willing to tolerate some unease divide about evenly between accepting a few months (20%) up to a year (22%) or more than a year (26%) of economic pain Partisan differences are particularly stark with Democrats far less inclined than Republicans to endure prolonged hardship of a year or longer are not willing to accept any disruption at all along with 34% of independents and just 4% of Republicans 38% of independents and 60% of Republicans say they would tolerate up to one year 28% of independents and 15% of Democrats willing to endure a multiyear economic disruption to realize the possible benefits of tariffs although Republicans are far more willing to allow economic disruption to go on for more than a few months (69% there is little appetite even among Republicans for a multiyear disruption Americans are broadly skeptical that Trump’s recent wave of tariffs will yield meaningful economic benefits Most expect the tariffs to lead to higher consumer prices and few believe they will bring in more revenue than they cost while about half think they will result in increased U.S the disruption could include supply chain problems While Republicans express more optimism and a greater willingness to accept economic disruption independents and Democrats are far less convinced — about both the potential upsides of the policy and the worthiness of enduring any economic pain to achieve them These findings suggest a challenging political environment for sustaining aggressive tariff policies particularly as the public’s appetite for disruption is limited Anything lasting more than a few months will severely test Americans’ patience and anything beyond a year is even less likely to be tolerated Trump has shown a willingness to make exceptions to the high tariffs he announced on April 2 amid pushback from other countries and key U.S As economic consequences continue to unfold public opinion may prove to be another constraint on how far the U.S can go in reshaping its trade relationships through tariffs To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level Americans who name the government as the nation's top problem have widely differing explanations Americans' 44% confidence in Trump to manage economy similar to his first term WASHINGTON, D.C. ­­— President Donald Trump is closing out the first quarter of his second term in office with an average 45% job approval rating, higher than the 41% earned in his first term but well below all other post-World War II presidents elected in the U.S The average first-quarter rating for all presidents elected from 1952 to 2020 is 60% Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower had the highest first-quarter average ratings Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan averaged between 60% and 69% Joe Biden and Bill Clinton had similar average ratings of 55% to 58% in their first quarters Trump is the only president to have sub-50% average approval ratings during a first quarter in office Partisans’ ratings of Trump are stable with 90% of Republicans and 4% of Democrats expressing approval of the president’s job performance Independents’ current 37% approval has been steady since February but is nine percentage points lower than their inaugural rating of Trump The latest poll was conducted during a period of economic turbulence in the U.S as positive employment and gross domestic product reports in early April were overshadowed by Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs on April 2 Those tariffs triggered a sharp stock market decline ​Despite a temporary 90-day pause on some tariffs by Trump on April 9 and the easing of other terms since then Some economists warn of a potential recession volatile markets and signs of slowing growth adults say they have confidence in Trump to recommend or do the right thing for the economy including 30% with “a great deal” of confidence and 14% with “a fair amount.” Meanwhile a majority of Americans indicate they have either “only a little” confidence in the president (11%) or “almost none” (44%) Trust in the economic judgment of all other U.S leaders rated in the poll is weaker than for Trump with fewer than four in 10 Americans saying they have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the Republican leaders in Congress in general (39%) Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell (37%) Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (36%) and Senate Republican Leader John Thune (33%) Democratic leaders’ economic handling is even lower including for House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (30%) Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (25%) and the Democratic leaders in Congress in general (25%) Majorities of Americans have only a little or almost no confidence in the economic management of each of the leaders included in the poll except for Powell because he garners the highest “no opinion” rating (14%) Americans’ views of whom they trust to do the right thing on the economy reflect deep partisan divisions with little crossover support for leaders of the opposing party Trump commands the highest level of in-party support with 89% of Republicans saying they have a great deal (67%) or fair amount (22%) of confidence in him on the economy compared with 37% of independents and 8% of Democrats Other Republican leaders — including congressional leaders in general and Johnson and Thune specifically — also earn majority-level confidence from Republicans but far less from independents (25% to 29%) and Democrats (7% to 16%) Democrats express less confidence than Republicans in their own party’s congressional leadership (39%) Independents have more confidence in Jeffries than the others on the Democratic side — but even that is muted No more than 18% of Republicans have confidence in any of the Democratic leaders Powell earns more confidence from Republicans (43%) than Democrats (37%) or independents (32%) Gallup has tracked public confidence in presidents’ handling of the economy every year since the younger Bush took office in 2001 Obama and Biden all began their terms with majority-level confidence while Trump received 48% in the first year of his first presidential term His current 44% rating is similar to the 46% average throughout his first term The highest economic confidence ratings were for Bush in 2002 and Obama in 2009 (73% and 71% The lowest ratings for economic management were for Bush in 2008 (34%) amid the Great Recession and for Biden in 2023 (35%) as high inflation continued to plague Americans who has led the Federal Reserve since 2018 after being nominated by Trump has seen his economic confidence readings stagnate in recent years This year’s 37% rating is similar to those from the previous two years Powell’s only majority-level ratings were 58% in 2020 and 55% in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc on the U.S High inflation beginning in late 2021 and lasting into 2023 is likely at least partly behind Powell’s lower ratings in recent years inspired majority-level confidence in each of Gallup’s five readings between 2001 and 2005 the two Fed chairs who followed Greenspan ­­— Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen ­­— failed to register confidence ratings above 50% The president nominates the Fed chair for a four-year term Powell’s leadership has spanned presidential administrations of both parties as he was nominated by Trump in 2017 and reappointed by Biden in 2021 more Republicans than Democrats expressed confidence in Powell but the opposite was true during Biden’s administration Republicans now have more confidence in him than Democrats do Independents’ confidence in Powell has been less affected by the president’s party and seemingly more so by economic conditions in the U.S Democratic leadership’s latest 25% confidence rating is an all-time low for the group — well below the previous 34% low recorded in 2023 and the average of 45% since 2001. In contrast, Republican leadership’s latest 39% rating is well above the 24% low for that group in 2014 after a federal government shutdown but not far from the historical average of 43% Confidence ratings were last at the majority level in 2009 for Democratic congressional leaders and in 2003 for Republican congressional leaders Democratic congressional leaders’ rating among their own party faithful has fallen 41 points since last year to their lowest point ever The previous low for Democratic congressional leaders among Democrats was 60% Republicans’ confidence in their own party’s congressional leaders has never fallen below 42% Trump averaged a 45% job approval rating in the first quarter of his second term — slightly better than his first term but well below post-World War II presidential norms Confidence in his economic leadership remains low at 44% including those in Congress and at the Federal Reserve Republicans’ confidence in their party’s economic leadership is strong while Democrats’ confidence in their own party’s leadership is historically low Explore President Trump’s approval ratings and compare them with those of past presidents in the Gallup Presidential Job Approval Center To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). conservatives and people of color are more approving of Trump in his second term but approval has declined among liberals and older Americans Satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S driven by a record-high increase among Republicans Americans' concern about maintaining their standard of living remains elevated say inflation or the high cost of living is the most important financial problem facing their family today today’s reading far exceeds the levels measured before inflation began to spike in 2021 and is large enough to earn the top spot on Gallup’s annual measure of consumers’ financial stressors Gallup’s April 1-14 Economy and Personal Finance survey finds that housing costs and lack of money are the next-most-commonly mentioned financial challenges after inflation taxes (5%) and debt (5%) are each named by at least 5% of Americans in response to the open-ended question Though inflation remains the top issue by a wide margin the 12-percentage-point drop in mentions of it is the biggest change since last year There have also been five-point increases in the percentages mentioning stock investments and lack of money The poll finds 44% of Americans rating their financial situations as excellent or good, 37% as “only fair” and 18% as poor — unchanged from last year, but significantly worse than the 57% excellent/good rating from early 2021, before the period of higher inflation began. Meanwhile, a record-high 53% currently say their financial situation is getting worse The poll was conducted during a period of stock market volatility after the Trump administration announced sweeping new tariffs on most U.S The market plunged in the immediate aftermath of the announcement but stock values recovered somewhat after Trump on April 9 paused many of those tariffs for 90 days Inflation is most often named the top financial problem by Americans at all income levels but middle-income people (38%) mention it more than do lower- or upper-income people (27% and 24% Housing costs rank among the top issues for all three groups but lack of money or low wages eclipses housing among lower-income people Stock market investments and retirement savings rank among the top problems for upper-income people but not for lower- and middle-income people Declines in mentions of inflation as the most important family financial problem are apparent among all income groups but disproportionately so among upper-income Americans with the 24% this year down 17 points from 2024 That compares with a nine-point drop among middle-income Americans and six points among lower-income Americans in the past year A separate question in the survey asked Americans how much they worry about each of nine financial difficulties that could affect them Americans are most likely to say they worry about not having enough for their retirement (59%) not having enough to pay medical costs for a serious illness or accident (59%) and not being able to maintain their standard of living (57%) 53% are worried about not getting a good return on their investments Americans are less worried about not having enough to pay for normal healthcare costs (45%) not being able to pay their normal monthly bills (42%) and not being able to pay their rent One-third of all Americans worry about paying the cost of a child’s college a figure dampened by the fact that it is not an issue for everyone among adults who have children under age 18 Making minimum credit card payments is also a low-ranking concern lower-income Americans worry more about these financial challenges than middle- and upper-income Americans do The largest gap in worry between lower- and upper-income people is for paying normal monthly bills something 71% of those with lower incomes and 24% of those with upper incomes worry about One issue — investment returns — sparks similar levels of worry across the three income groups More Americans are worried about these financial challenges than were in 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2021 (before the surge in inflation began) but there has been little change in the past two years since inflation has moderated The exception to this pattern is worry about not having enough for retirement which has subsided over the past two years perhaps tied to stock value gains in 2023 and 2024 The economic shocks of the past five years have had the most effect on Americans’ worry about being able to maintain their standard of living Most of that increase occurred between 2021 and 2023 The 57% currently worried about their standard of living essentially matches the high of 58% recorded in 2011 during a period of slow GDP growth and high unemployment after the Great Recession Significantly more Americans also worry about not having enough money to pay medical costs for a serious medical situation and not being able to pay housing costs with eight-point increases in each since 2019 Current levels of worry for most of these issues are just below their record highs Americans at all income levels are more worried now about these financial matters than were in 2019 and the sizes of the increases have been fairly similar across income subgroups is not the case for increased worry about making minimum credit card payments which is largely confined to middle- and lower-income adults which has not shown meaningful change for any subgroup Inflation continues to be a top-of-mind financial concern for Americans This is the case even though the peak in price increases happened nearly three years ago and inflation rates have been near the Federal Reserve’s 2% target rate over the past year Americans are likely still feeling the pinch from higher prices resulting from the cumulative effects of elevated inflation in recent years with wage growth only more recently keeping up with price increases trading partners are “very likely” to increase prices on the products they buy To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download) Steady one in five have no religious preference — Americans’ religious preferences have generally held steady in the past five years after a sharp increase in the percentage of Americans with no religious affiliation and concurrent declines in Protestant and Catholic identification over the prior two decades 45% of Americans identified as Protestant or nondenominational Christian 21% as Catholic and 10% as another religion with 22% not identifying with any religion Those figures are each within one percentage point of their 2018-2020 levels These results are based on annual aggregates of Gallup Poll data on Americans’ religious preferences adults who were asked about their religious preference identified as Protestant or nondenominational Christian Combined data from the past five years provides more precise estimates of the share of Americans identifying with smaller U.S Six percent of respondents gave a response that does not mention a specific religion (e.g. “spiritual”) or did not answer the question 69% of Americans identify with a Christian religion and 4% with a non-Christian religion Religious preferences are starkly different between younger and older Americans More than three in 10 younger adults — those in Generation Z (aged 18 to 27 in 2024) and millennials (aged 28 to 43 in 2024) — have no religious preference compared with about one in eight baby boomers and fewer than one in 10 of those in the Silent Generation (who were aged 79 or older in 2024) religious “nones” rival Protestants as the largest religious subgroup In older generations — Generation X and above — more than seven in 10 identify with a Christian religion predominantly Protestantism or Catholicism In Generation Z and the millennial generation the percentage affiliating with a Christian religion drops below 60% adults has fewer Protestants and Catholics than the prior generation with much greater differences for the larger Protestant group than for the smaller Catholic group While non-Christian religious affiliations are not common in any generation — ranging from 3% to 5% — younger Americans are more likely than older Americans to identify with a non-Christian religion This is primarily because of differences in Muslim identification as close to 2% of Gen Z adults and more than 1% of millennials are Muslim compared with less than 1% in older generations The decline in religious affiliation in the U.S over the past two decades is thus largely a result of generational change as younger adults — who are much more likely to have no religious identity — have replaced older generations which had relatively few unaffiliated members population replacement does not entirely explain the decline in U.S more adults over time have reported they have no religious identity the percentage with no religious preference has increased two or three percentage points in each of the past two decades (comparing the 2020-2024 time period with 2010-2014 and 2000-2004) increasing eight points (from 16% to 24%) between 2000-2004 and 2010-2014 and another seven points (to 31%) over the past decade adults in each generation with no religious affiliation has been accompanied by a similar decline in Protestant identification the total 15-point increase in no religious affiliation since the early 2000s has been met with roughly equal declines in Catholic and Protestant identification As Christian Americans prepare to celebrate Easter Jewish Americans observe Passover and Muslim Americans have recently completed Ramadan religious identification has stabilized after experiencing substantial change between 2000 and 2020 This change was largely driven by young Americans without a formal religious affiliation entering adulthood That contrasts with older generations of U.S who overwhelmingly adhered to a Christian faith adults identified with a Christian religion according to combined 2000-2004 Gallup data If substantial shares of adults in future U.S Christian religious identification will drop into the 50% range once the millennial generation becomes the oldest generation of Americans To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted by Recon MR in 2024 with combined random samples of 12,136 adults For results based on the total sample of national adults the margin of sampling error is ±1 percentage point at the 95% confidence level All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 80% cellphone respondents and 20% landline respondents with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods A majority of Americans believe God played at least some role in humans' origin but a majority also believe humans evolved from less advanced forms of life Protestants and highly religious Americans traditionally Israel's most sympathetic supporters The pope is viewed in a largely favorable light by Americans -- though less so among conservatives Most Americans have a religious preference -- predominantly a Christian one -- but less than half say religion is "very important" to them Dissatisfaction with affordable housing linked to worse outcomes in life LONDON — Satisfaction with the availability of “good affordable housing” has plunged in wealthy economies over the past few years reversing the decadeslong trend in which these economies had led the world Residents living in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) member states — a group of 38 mostly high-income market-based economies — have grown increasingly dissatisfied with housing locally as the rest of the world has followed a diverging path In the challenging years after the global financial crisis in 2008 wealthy economies remained significantly more satisfied with housing than the rest of the world was a median of 43% across the OECD were satisfied with the availability of good compared with 50% in the rest of the world This is marginally higher than in 2022 and 2023 but still low compared with the long-term trend Many countries across the OECD have seen significant declines in housing satisfaction in recent years the Netherlands and Australia recorded the lowest satisfaction figures in 2024 Only one of the 38 OECD countries — Estonia — saw double-digit higher satisfaction in 2024 (70%) compared with its longer-term average (54%) most people in wealthy countries aren’t struggling to afford adequate shelter just 11% of adults in OECD countries said they did not have enough money to provide adequate housing in the past 12 months compared with 38% in the rest of the world satisfaction with affordable housing has fallen notably in recent years even as most people are able to afford some form of shelter where far more people face real housing insecurity This likely reflects differing expectations and that views toward housing depend on where one lives people may feel dissatisfied not necessarily because they’re homeless or on the brink but because they perceive a decline in housing relative to what they believe should be available — such as affordable rent homeownership or choice — even if shelter is technically secure for most satisfaction may be buoyed by gradual improvements in access to basic housing The crisis in satisfaction with housing affordability across economies is unique in this regard as other aspects of local services do not follow the same trend When it comes to satisfaction with local healthcare people in the OECD remain more satisfied than the rest of the world Housing is the only one of these five services for which median satisfaction has fallen by more than 10 percentage points since 2010 (healthcare declined by eight points and is the only service not to receive a median satisfaction rating above 50% in 2024 there is a clear link between changes in house prices and changes in satisfaction with the availability of affordable housing As house prices have risen across OECD countries in recent years house prices fell across the OECD from their 2007 peak and took until 2017 to surpass this precrash figure so too did the percentage of adults in OECD countries who said they were dissatisfied with the availability of good The OECD reached peak dissatisfaction with housing in 2022 (52%) House prices also reached a peak in 2022 (134 on the OECD real house price index) before declining in 2023 (2024 data are not yet available) While house prices are not the only factor that contributes to people’s views on the availability of affordable housing they do seem to be a strong predictor in OECD countries How people feel about their housing locally is closely linked to how they view other aspects of their lives people who are satisfied with the availability of affordable housing in their local area are significantly more likely to see their living standards improving (49%) than people who are dissatisfied (35%) But the effects of satisfaction with housing go far beyond economic perceptions The more satisfied a person is with housing the more likely they are to feel personal freedom to feel safe walking alone in their area and to be more approving of their country's leadership Housing satisfaction is also closely linked to lower levels of stress and the higher likelihood that someone rates their life well enough to be considered thriving These outcomes hold true worldwide but vary being satisfied with affordable housing is more closely tied to perceptions of freedom living standards and stress in non-OECD countries than in OECD countries Developing economies typically have weaker property and tenure rights and protections Securing good housing in developing economies could therefore play a more central role in one’s economic and personal freedoms the differences are far smaller between OECD and non-OECD countries when it comes to the effect of housing satisfaction on thriving housing has a clear effect on personal wellbeing Housing shapes perceptions of economic and personal wellbeing While satisfaction with affordable housing has been rising over the past decade in non-OECD countries wealthy economies are seeing the opposite trend even though relatively few people in the latter are unable to afford shelter rising house prices have driven dissatisfaction with the availability of affordable housing to record highs with satisfaction significantly below levels for other services such as healthcare and schools regardless of a country’s income level housing remains a crucial factor in personal wellbeing Life satisfaction falls when people are dissatisfied with housing making housing not only an economic concern but a deeply human one Public perceptions of affordable housing are closely linked to leadership approval parties hoping to win or retain power should not underestimate how important a good To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone and face-to-face interviews conducted between April and November 2024 with random samples of roughly 1,000 adults the margin of sampling error ranges from ±3.4 to ±4.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level Our global research tracks human development worldwide and uses the Gallup World Poll — the most comprehensive and farthest-reaching survey of the world Gallup data point to five issues that will face Canada's next prime minister provincial divides and the relationship with the U.S New data highlight the housing crisis in Australia where satisfaction with affordable housing has collapsed compared with other wealthy nations Gallup data paint a mixed picture of economic perceptions in the U.K Nearly seven in 10 Americans expect home prices to rise in their local area over the next year Three-quarters think it is a bad time to buy a house adults who say they “strongly” and 32% who “somewhat” favor nuclear energy 20% of Americans “somewhat” and 15% “strongly” oppose using nuclear energy from Gallup’s annual Environment poll conducted March 3-16 have joined large financial institutions in pledging to greatly increase nuclear power With artificial intelligence data centers on the rise tech companies are finding that their energy needs will exceed what is available from other energy sources When Gallup first asked this question in 1994 57% of Americans favored and 37% opposed using nuclear energy views were evenly divided — yet from 2004 through 2015 public support for the use of nuclear power again outpaced opposition at a time of relatively low gas prices (and therefore likely low consumer desire for energy relief) adults expressed opposition to the use of nuclear energy — the only time that has occurred After two readings when views were divided Americans’ support for using nuclear energy began to rise Elevated inflation since 2021 may have contributed to this pattern Partisans remain sharply divided on the issue 64% of independents and 46% of Democrats backing the use of nuclear energy Republicans and independents are driving the latest increases in support with Republicans up 12 points and independents up eight points since 2023 Democrats’ support for nuclear energy has risen above 50% only four times since 1994 — most recently in 2012 — and has never surpassed 54% Public support is weaker for three proposals that President Donald Trump favors for boosting U.S production of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas Each of these proposals is favored by majorities of Republicans but no more than 17% of Democrats More independents oppose than support these measures Gallup has measured Americans’ views on each of these energy production proposals several times. Neither fracking nor oil exploration in ANWR has earned majority-level support in any of the readings, while offshore drilling was above 50% once out of three measurements — a 60% reading in 2011 Gallup has asked Americans since 2011 whether they prefer that the U.S gas and coal supplies or the development of alternative energy such as wind and solar power to solve the nation’s energy problems majorities of Americans have consistently favored alternative energy over producing fossil fuels adults now prioritizing alternative energy is a new low point in Gallup’s trend and well below the 73% high recorded in 2016 and 2018 The public’s continued general preference for developing alternative energy may help explain its tepid support for fracking and offshore drilling as well as outright opposition to ANWR oil exploration A record-high 79% of Republicans now prefer that the U.S while just 7% of Democrats and 32% of independents agree 92% of Democrats and 61% of independents favor an emphasis on alternative energy an average 55% of Republicans have favored fossil fuels while an average 84% of Democrats and 66% of independents have backed alternative energy sources the latest level of worry is well above the trend low of 22% adults who currently worry a great deal about energy 36% say they worry “a fair amount,” 20% “only a little” and 8% “not at all.” There is little difference across party groups 38% of Democrats and 36% of independents register high-level worry about energy The increase is driven largely by Republicans and independents and reflects a growing openness to nuclear power as a low-emission energy source While a majority of Americans still prefer that the U.S focus on renewable energy over fossil fuels support for renewables is the lowest in the trend concern about energy affordability and availability has declined The Trump administration’s commitment to fracking offshore drilling and oil exploration in the ANWR has majority support among Republicans but lacks majority approval nationwide To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download) residents have been affected by extreme weather over the past two years As President Donald Trump launches initiatives to reshape the nation in his second term a recent Gallup poll provides a road map for the issues Americans think need the most attention The Walton Family Foundation and Gallup have partnered to study the experiences of U.S Growing challenges related to student wellbeing pandemic learning loss and chronic absenteeism are increasing the demands placed on teachers — even as new technologies and better instructional materials are helping teachers save time and strengthen their impact To better understand what teachers need to thrive — and how to best support student achievement — the Walton Family Foundation has partnered with Gallup for a multiyear study of K-12 educators across the U.S This new research reveals that teachers who strongly agree that they are excited about what they teach are more likely to say their students are excited to learn in class and on track to succeed. Prior Walton Family Foundation-Gallup research has shown that students' own engagement is directly affected by their teachers' with many saying they are most excited about learning when their teacher goes out of their way to make the topic exciting or interesting Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping students' long-term success their ability to do so depends on the support they receive at every level — from fellow educators and school administrators to state and national policymakers This study aims to identify what teachers need to deliver on their core mission: preparing the next generation for great futures Thank you for downloading the Teaching for Tomorrow: Educators on the Future of Their Profession report The Walton Family Foundation and Gallup are systematically capturing attitudes opinions and experiences among and related to American youth Fill out the form below for instant access to the Teaching for Tomorrow: Educators on the Future of Their Profession report Ratings improve for Republicans but plummet for Democrats after the November election adults evaluating their lives well enough to be considered “thriving” on Gallup’s Life Evaluation Index stood at 48.9% in Quarter 1 matching the previous estimate from Quarter 4 These two levels mark the first time since spring 2020 that the thriving rate has been under 50% for two consecutive measurement periods and are two of just three sub-50% estimates ever to be measured outside of the Great Recession and COVID-19 eras Since reaching a record high of 59.2% in June 2021 — six months into the COVID-19 vaccine rollout — the thriving rate has now shed over 10 percentage points, projecting to an estimated 27 million fewer Americans who are thriving now compared with four years ago. These results are part of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index The most recent survey, conducted Feb. 18-26, 2025, included 5,876 U.S. adults surveyed by web as part of the Gallup Panel a probability-based panel encompassing all 50 states and the District of Columbia For its Life Evaluation Index, Gallup classifies Americans as “thriving,” “struggling” or “suffering” according to how they rate their current and future lives on a ladder scale with steps numbered from zero to 10, based on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale Those who rate their current life a 7 or higher and their anticipated life in five years an 8 or higher are classified as thriving The thriving rate also dipped to 48.9% in Quarter 3 the only other time outside of the Great Recession or the pandemic that it has dropped below the 50% threshold This was possibly due to a notable increase in consumer inflation during the two months preceding the measurement period the thriving rate had bounced back to the same 52.2% reading that preceded it in the summer the thriving trend line dating back to January 2008 is composed of 173 measurement periods both metrics that constitute the Life Evaluation Index have declined since Quarter 3 But while the percentage of adults rating their current life a 7 or higher has edged down just two points to 63% the percentage rating their anticipated life in five years has dropped five points since that time the decline in the thriving percentage is more greatly due to an erosion in hopefulness for the future than a change in immediate life satisfaction The decline in the thriving rate since Quarter 3 is not spread equally across different sectors of the U.S including when sorting by political identity: These results are generally consistent with past shifts in life ratings among political partisans and other demographic subgroups upon a regime change in Washington Amid major declines in life ratings for Democrats since the 2024 election the thriving rate has also proven to be a reliable predictor of regime change in U.S presidential elections based on its historical average of 53.5% since the end of the Great Recession in June 2009 In the months immediately preceding the November election The 2020 election during the COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by a thriving rate of 51.2% in the months immediately preceding the election that Biden won over Donald Trump And in the months preceding the 2008 election conducted during the Great Recession and financial crisis in which Democratic candidate Barack Obama was elected after eight years of Republican rule Gallup has reportable data from 2013-2016 for 24 “pivot counties,” a subset of 206 total counties identified in an analysis by Ballotpedia that Trump won in 2016 after they had previously backed Obama in 2008 and 2012 Using the 53.5% cutoff between “above average” and “below average,” 20 of the 24 reportable pivot counties (83%) had a thriving rate of 53.5% or less with an average rate of just 50.1% during that period Although insufficient data exist to reproduce this analysis with more recent elections what was found among these 24 pivot counties in 2016 provides supportive evidence for how general life ratings can influence the voting habits of American adults In the months running up to the 2012 election in which incumbent President Obama defeated Republican nominee Mitt Romney slightly below the 53.5% threshold but also substantially improved compared with the 47.4% measured four years prior The observed declines in life evaluation ratings can be explained primarily by changes in two metrics measured as part of the broader Well-Being Index both of which are highly related to life ratings and have worsened since Quarter 3 This includes not worrying about money in the prior seven days which shows a seven-point decline in agreement coupled with a similar increase in disagreement The other is having “a leader in your life” who creates enthusiasm for the future which shows a nearly four-point drop in agreement coupled with a five-point increase in disagreement as recently as 2020-2021 amid the pandemic the opportunity for significant improvement in U.S While increasing money worries could reflect a sinking stock market and steady declines in consumers' economic confidence decreasing agreement that leadership is creating enthusiasm for the future is more partisan Democrats have plummeted from 38% agreement to 25% while Republicans (up three points to 43%) and independents (up one point to 29%) are mostly unchanged indicating a likely Trump effect among those disinclined to support the president’s various policies and stated agenda To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Learn more about how the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index works Republicans are also behind an improved job rating for Congress Americans' reports of their own mental and physical health held steady last year at the lowest levels in Gallup's 24-year trend employees work fewer hours than five years ago shifting work-life priorities and employee burnout New Gallup research spotlights four needs of followers worldwide Great leadership is defined not by authority alone but by how much the people who follow leaders trust and support them organizations or other groups -- keep their followers in mind when making decisions even the most capable leader lacks true influence In a rapidly changing world of technological advancement and geopolitical uncertainty, Gallup set out to learn what people around the world need from their leaders -- simply by asking them. The full results from what we found are detailed in the newly released Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want Across 52 countries and territories -- accounting for 76% of the world’s adult population and 86% of global gross domestic product -- Gallup asked two questions: The three words that people use to describe the most positive leaders in their lives fall into four themes accounting for 56% of all attributes tied to positive leaders far outnumbering mentions of the next key need Compassion (7%) and stability (4%) combined account for about one in nine positive leadership traits mentioned Family members and managers are the leaders mentioned most often but people’s needs from leaders are consistent regardless of the type of leader people choose There are some slight variations based on factors such as age and geography the most important quality followers seek in their leaders is remarkably consistent worldwide: the universality of hope There is a connection between people’s ratings of their lives and the presence of positive leadership traits Among those who do not mention hope in relation to the leader they identified 33% are classified as thriving (meaning they rate their current life a “7” or higher out of 10 and their anticipated life in five years an “8” or higher) and 9% are classified as suffering (meaning they rate both their current and future lives a “4” or lower) As hope is the need with the highest prevalence this suggests a link to a reduction in suffering Followers with leaders who provide trust and hope are just as likely to be thriving as those with leaders who provide hope only But when hope -- the foundational need -- is combined with trust and either compassion or stability rates of thriving increase again (39% and 43% This suggests a link between people’s wellbeing and having a leader in their daily life who meets several of their needs Suffering is higher with low hope but decreases as numerous needs are met Although the base rate of suffering is low as even slight differences in suffering mean a lot to the people who experience it Today’s leaders, and those destined to lead in the future, face many profound challenges, not the least of which are recent developments in artificial intelligence. To face the evolving challenges of our time and succeed in this changing world leaders must ultimately know three things to succeed leaders must understand the needs of their followers This not only strengthens the follower-leader relationship but also increases the likelihood that their leadership will have a lasting But not all leaders will naturally fulfill the four needs of hope and developing them into strengths through knowledge and skill can unlock individuals’ unique leadership styles and allow them to capitalize on what they do best high-performance practices that bring out the best version of themselves -- and those who follow them The most successful leaders also have a deep understanding of the demands of their specific role and the expectations attached to it The best leaders achieve success -- despite varied roles organizations and industries -- by bringing multiple teams together and making great decisions driving the purpose and performance of their organization The more leaders can provide their followers with hope compassion and stability by leaning on their unique strengths and applying them to the specifics of their role Learn more about leadership and the needs of followers by downloading Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want stability and hope are important -- and how leaders can infuse them into their work environment See how leaders should be thinking about building hope based on their strengths See why trust is essential for employees and what the best leaders do to build it fell to its lowest level in a decade in 2024 The percentage of actively disengaged employees The percentage of engaged employees has declined by two percentage points since 2023, highlighting a growing trend of employee detachment from organizations particularly among workers younger than 35 These are among the findings of Gallup’s most recent annual update of U.S Though engagement increased slightly midyear In Gallup’s trend dating back to 2000 but it has generally trended downward since then Each point change in engagement represents approximately 1.6 million full- or part-time employees in the U.S The declines since 2020 equate to about 8 million fewer engaged employees including 3.2 million fewer compared to 2023 Among the 12 engagement elements that Gallup measures those that saw the most significant declines in 2024 (by three points or more in “strongly agree” ratings) include: People of all ages come to work seeking role clarity strong relationships and opportunities for development are progressively failing to meet these basic needs managers themselves are faring no better than those they manage The drop in employee engagement in 2024 was most pronounced for these U.S This decline in employee engagement occurred in a challenging economic environment Job vacancies continued to surpass hiring rates but fewer people in 2024 said it was a good time to find a job Quit rates are trending slightly down from 2021-2022 peaks as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) but remain near their longer-term averages The BLS has also reported improvements in overall non-farm labor productivity relative to the previous year but growth in business labor productivity was lower than the previous year’s.  While higher employee engagement leads to more productive business units how is labor productivity increasing even as employee engagement declines Leaders working to strengthen their employee engagement strategy should consider three points: Employee engagement trends matter for organizational leaders because declines signal potential vulnerabilities for businesses Broad macroeconomic indexes do not always reflect what leaders and employees are experiencing in their own workforces and industries The factors that affect macro conditions do not necessarily align with the micro conditions --such as the quality of managing -- that directly affect how employees feel at work every day their individual productivity and their wellbeing can limit the success of individual organizations that have little to do with the engagement of their workforce even the most engaged and skilled real estate agents struggle to close deals compared with periods with lower rates Gallup research attributes declining employee engagement and rising detachment to: Despite declining overall U.S. engagement, many organizations Gallup has studied have achieved and maintained engagement levels more than twice the national average Despite the significant challenges workplaces have faced since 2020 strong leaders and managers can reverse engagement declines by focusing on these strategies: including Harvard Business Review, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal Sangeeta Agrawal and Jonathan Rothwell provided analysis and input for this article Hint: It still has something to do with the manager Engaged companies outperform their competition And when it comes to assessing their workforce's engagement those companies measure employee engagement in the right way Managing people is harder than ever -- but it's also more important than ever See why creating a thriving workplace hinges on manager engagement How a meta-analysis of 183,806 business units provides leaders with insights into building high-performing cultures have been working fewer hours per week for the past five years What are the implications for employees and their organizations Gallup finds that average hours worked have dropped progressively since 2019 when U.S employees reported working an average of 44.1 hours The decline in hours worked is more pronounced among younger (those younger than 35) than older workers (those aged 35 and older) older employees have seen an average reduction of just under one hour per person per week while younger employees have reduced their hours by nearly two hours that’s the equivalent of older employees taking an extra week off of work and younger employees taking two weeks These trends apply to full-time employees working at least 30 hours per week Several new findings may explain this shift: data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows declines in overall hours worked per person particularly in industries that traditionally employ more young workers such as retail Burnout may be a major reason why employees are working fewer hours The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified “burnout” as a work-related syndrome resulting from chronic stress Previous Gallup research has found that an unmanageable workload is one of the contributing factors to burnout This may help explain why employees report higher burnout (very often or always) as the number of hours they work rises above 45 hours per week burned-out employees are unmotivated to serve customers and perform below their potential Gallup finds that the overall work environment strongly influences burnout risk Employees of all ages who work 45 or more hours per week -- and are either not engaged or actively disengaged -- are at a greater risk of burnout with more than half of those who are disengaged reporting that they often or always feel burned out About one in 10 engaged younger workers and even fewer older engaged employees report burnout very often or always when working less than 45 hours per week Although the burnout rate doubles for engaged employees working 45 or more hours per week 80% of younger workers and 86% of older workers report that they rarely or never feel burned out even when working 45 or more hours per week As Gallup has found in previous research burnout is driven by much more than just hours worked Other major causes include being treated unfairly at work receiving unclear communication from managers lack of manager support and experiencing unreasonable time pressure These are all influenced by how employees are managed Organizations that focus too narrowly on hours worked -- and develop a one-size-fits-all “hours worked” policy -- risk missing the mark Gallup data show that employees of different ages have varying preferences regarding work hours while others prefer a more flexible approach that blends work and personal life Some may choose to work extra hours to complete a meaningful project or simply because it is their way of excelling at work For managers, the key is staying closely connected to each employee This helps them support high performance by aligning work with employees’ strengths and accommodating each person’s unique work-life needs Sangeeta Agrawal contributed analysis to this article Learn why employee wellbeing is important for organizational resilience Wellbeing encompasses all of the things that are important to each of us and how we experience our lives the best survey questions and team activity ideas Black adults and those with lower incomes worsen markedly since 2021 Editor's Note: The research below was conducted in partnership between West Health and Gallup adults who have recently been unable to afford or access quality healthcare has reached 11% -- equivalent to nearly 29 million people -- its highest level since 2021 according to new findings from the West Health-Gallup Healthcare Indices Study which classifies these individuals as “Cost Desperate.” The most notable increases since 2021 have occurred among Hispanic adults (up eight percentage points to 18%) Black adults (up five points to 14%,) and the lowest-income households earning under $24,000 per year (up 11 points to 25%) there has been no meaningful change in the proportion of White adults or middle- to high-income earners facing the same level of struggle disparities in access to healthcare based on race ethnicity and income are also at their highest point since surveying began the percentage of Americans aged 65 and above who are considered Cost Desperate has edged up just one point to 4% in 2024 while rates have risen by three points among those aged 50-64 (now 11%) and by four points among those younger than 50 (now 14%) West Health and Gallup developed the Healthcare Affordability Index to track healthcare access and affordability in America Research has found that people can be classified into one of three categories The latest findings are from the West Health-Gallup Healthcare Indices Study, conducted using web and mail surveys from Nov. 18-Dec. 27, 2024. The study included a nationally representative sample of 6,296 adults aged 18 and older via The Gallup Panel While the Cost Desperate category has reached its highest level yet the percentage of adults classified as Cost Secure -- able to access and afford quality healthcare has reached its lowest level with only about half of Americans (51%) falling into this category The demographic groups who saw the biggest drops are Hispanic adults (down 17 points to 34%) and Black adults (down 13 points to 41%) the percentage of White adults categorized as Cost Secure (58%) is consistent with 2021 levels providing further indication of the widening of the race/ethnicity gap in access to high-quality affordable healthcare Double-digit declines are also found among Americans from the lowest-income households Among those living in households earning less than $24,000 annually the percentage who are Cost Secure has dropped 14 points since 2021 to just 23% A similar decline of 12 points to 30% is evident for households earning $24,000 to less than $48,000 annually While there has been greater change in the proportion of Americans classified as Cost Desperate and Cost Secure in recent years nearly four in 10 Americans are Cost Insecure showing intermittent or inconsistent difficulty in accessing and affording healthcare Similar race and income gaps are evident among these Cost Insecure Americans Black (45%) and Hispanic (48%) adults are far more likely than White Americans (34%) to fall into this category as are Americans who earn less than $48,000 annually just over half of whom are considered Cost Insecure One of the three metrics that constitute the Affordability Index is being able to access affordable More than one-third of Americans (35%) report that they are unable to access quality four points higher than in 2023 and a new high since 2021 While households earning under $48,000 annually have always reported more difficulty accessing affordable healthcare the difficulty has worsened considerably in the past year climbing by 11 points (to 64%) among those in households earning under $24,000 and 12 points (to 57%) among those in households earning $24,000 to less than $48,000 Adults from higher-income households (earning $120,000 or more) report no change since 2023 for this aspect of the Healthcare Affordability Index the already-large gap between high- and low-income Americans in their ability to access affordable quality care has now expanded to its widest level The rising percentage of Cost Desperate Americans is yet another reflection of the financial strain and real-life anxiety experienced by healthcare consumers in the U.S The increase in the percentage of Americans unable to afford healthcare and medicine has impacted Black Hispanic and lower-income households disproportionately in the past year revealing that the already-existing gap between haves and have-nots in affording care is now bigger than ever These changes may reflect a confluence of factors including elevated levels of consumer and medical inflation and climbing rates of Medicaid disenrollment due to the expiration of the continuous enrollment provision and major cuts in Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup The West Health-Gallup Healthcare Indices Survey was conducted by web and mail Nov states and the District of Columbia as a part of the Gallup Panel the margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level is ±1.6 percentage points for response percentages around 50% and is ±1.0 percentage points for response percentages around 10% or 90% Reported subgroups will have a larger margin of error including majorities of Democrats and Republicans favor a federal law requiring equal insurance coverage for mental and physical healthcare Healthcare retains its place as one of the higher-ranking issues voters say are influencing their vote this year Americans are divided over President-elect Trump's policies for lowering healthcare costs independents think the policies take the U.S Twelve percent of Americans report borrowing an estimated $74 billion to pay for healthcare expenses last year More than one-quarter (28%) report being "very concerned" that a major health event could put them in medical debt in the future Majorities of Americans also express "a great deal" of worry about inflation and federal spending — Economic issues continue to dominate Americans’ national concerns with majorities expressing “a great deal” of personal worry about the economy public concern about Social Security and the environment is up significantly with Social Security registering a 15-year high and the availability and affordability of energy has decreased when the last measure of President Joe Biden’s term in 2024 is compared with the first measure of President Donald Trump’s second term this year After the change in presidential administrations partisans’ worries have shifted significantly on most of the 16 issues Gallup measured as Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have become more concerned while Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are less worried Americans’ top-ranking worries are pocketbook issues including the economy (60% worry a great deal) federal spending and the budget deficit (53%) half of Americans are greatly worried about hunger and homelessness and 48% each are concerned about the way income and wealth are distributed in the U.S and the size and power of the federal government illegal immigration and drug use are toward the bottom of the list while Americans exhibit the lowest concern about unemployment the availability and affordability of energy the issue evoking the least amount of worry has been declining since it peaked at 48% in 2021 Inflation and the economy have been uppermost worries since 2022 but healthcare has not ranked at the top of the list since 2020 (at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the last year of Trump’s first term) Twelve of the 16 issues (all but inflation and the federal government’s size and power) included in Gallup’s latest poll An average 45% of Americans worry a great deal about these 12 issues in 2025 This is the third consecutive reading of this measure that matches the high point in the trend healthcare and Social Security has risen by eight or nine percentage points since last year and concern about the environment is up six points concerns about immigration (-8 points) crime and drug use (-6 points each) have decreased Americans’ worries about federal spending Federal government size/power and income/wealth distribution were not asked about in 2024 The degree to which Democrats and Republicans worry about many issues has differed with each group generally worrying more when the sitting president is from the opposing political party and less when a president of their own party is in the White House This pattern has been particularly evident since 2017 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and Republicans and Republican leaners express significantly different degrees of worry on all issues except the possibility of a terrorist attack in the U.S Republicans are more worried than Democrats about the federal budget deficit Democrats express more worry than Republicans on every other issue Democrats have become significantly more worried about 10 of the 14 issues measured last year while Republicans have become less worried about 12 The steepest drops in Republican concern are seen for inflation (-18 points) the economy and energy affordability (-16 points each) The only issue on which Republican concern did not decrease was healthcare availability and affordability though it remains a lower priority overall for that group compared with Democrats and is roughly on par with last year’s reading Americans’ top worries remain firmly rooted in economic insecurity inflation and the federal budget deficit atop the list of problems they worry about a lot Social Security also ranks high after worry increased sharply from 2024 Environmental concern rose because of an increase among Democrats and Democratic leaners while worry about crime and drug use declined modestly sharp partisan differences over immigration the environment and income inequality point to continued polarization on several major policy fronts To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download) Editor's Note: This story is updated to reflect the correct figure for concern about energy in 2024 (37%) as well as the correct percentage-point change between 2024 and 2025 (two points) An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported these as 48% and 13 points Five years after COVID-19 forced shutdowns and 58% worry about another pandemic in the future Trust in media has dropped precipitously in recent years particularly among young adults and Republicans -- When Gallup began tracking Americans’ views of the news media in the early 1970s but public confidence in the Fourth Estate has collapsed over the past three decades President Donald Trump’s press secretary recently cited these data as a reason behind the administration’s decision to reserve a seat at White House press briefings for nontraditional “new media,” such as “podcasts social media and other independent outlets.” In light of this latest attention given to Americans’ views of the news media here are five notable findings about the media landscape in the U.S About two-thirds of Americans in the 1970s trusted the “mass media -- such as newspapers, TV and radio” either “a great deal” or “a fair amount” to “[report] the news fully, accurately and fairly.” By the next measurement in 1997, confidence had fallen to 53%, and it has gradually trended downward since 2003. Americans are now divided into rough thirds with 31% trusting the media a great deal or a fair amount 33% saying they do “not [trust it] very much,” and 36% adults say they have no trust at all in the mass media 59% of Republicans hold this view -- a view that saw a particularly sharp increase between 2015 and 2017 Republicans’ lack of trust in the media topped 50% for the first time in 2020 and has since remained at the majority level Lack of trust is also up sharply among independents while it continues to be low -- 6% this year -- among Democrats 32% of independents and 40% of Democrats in 2024 reported having “not much” trust in the news media resulting in the vast majority of Republicans (88%) and independents (74%) and nearly half of Democrats (46%) having low trust in the media 27% of independents and 54% of Democrats trust it “a great deal” or “a fair amount.” Over the past two decades, significant gaps in trust have also emerged by age People younger than 50 are much less trusting in the news media than people aged 50 and older particularly the oldest Americans (those aged 65 and older) An analysis of combined 2022-2024 data to increase sample sizes shows a 17-point gap in trust between the oldest Americans (those aged 65 and older) and those under age 50 -- 43% vs Democrats of all ages have generally expressed more trust in the mass media than Republicans of all ages two trends among Democrats suggest that trust in the media could decrease further in the future Gallup annually measures confidence in a variety of U.S. public institutions newspaper and television news -- ranked at the bottom While confidence in most of these institutions has fallen in the past 30 years it has declined more for the two news media institutions than for the three government institutions (Congress the Supreme Court) and the nine other institutions measured consistently since 1993 The three types of institutions had similar ratings in 1993 The news media has not reached that level again but the other institutions generally saw improvement in the late 1990s and early 2000s because of the dot-com economic boom and the rally effect after the 9/11 terrorist attacks confidence in these institutions also began to decline Gallup’s annual measurement of the perceived honesty and ethics of people in various professions finds a steep decline in Americans' trust in news professionals' honesty and ethics with television reporters experiencing a sharper drop than newspaper reporters and journalists 36% of Americans said television reporters had very high or high honesty and ethical standards Newspaper reporters and journalists have followed a similar trajectory But these professions had lower honesty and ethics ratings than television reporters in the early 1980s and their most recent ratings -- 17% in 2024 for newspaper reporters and 19% in 2023 for journalists -- are slightly higher than for television reporters To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Americans' ratings of the honesty and ethics of 23 professions are unchanged from 2023 but remain low historically and Hakeem Jeffries are among a few of the key U.S political figures Americans rate more positively than negatively Americans remain dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in the U.S. but the 34% satisfied is up from the record-low 28% recorded a year ago Americans' confidence in the media is at its lowest point as Democrats' confidence is near the record low and Republicans' is almost nonexistent Employees across America are feeling increasingly detached from their jobs They are seeking new job opportunities at the highest rate since 2015 while overall satisfaction with their employer has returned to a record low Yet, unlike the “Great Resignation,” many frustrated employees are struggling to make the leap to a new employer in a cooling job market and economy marred by inflation they are left feeling stuck with their discontent Gallup refers to this shift as the “Great Detachment.” this means that while turnover numbers may have slowed employee productivity concerns and future talent loss are hidden organizational risks when employees feel detached from their work organizational change initiatives are likely to meet indifference or resistance While the issues fueling the Great Detachment are not entirely new the historic workplace changes that initiated this new era are unique and require a new leadership approach Gallup research and field experience highlight five changes to organizations that have been particularly consequential in recent years: These shifts have left employees feeling disoriented and disconnected from their employer The Great Detachment coincides with significant declines in two critical elements of employee engagement: clarity of expectations at work and feeling connected to the company’s mission and purpose leaders can address their biggest vulnerabilities in this new era of work The most fundamental aspect of employees' performance and development at work is knowing what is expected of them there is no agreed-upon standard for success small majorities of employees reported having clear role expectations less than half of employees say they know what is expected of them at work This concerning decline hit a record low of 44% in late 2022 and remained just above that mark in November (45%) Gallup’s latest measure shows that clarity of expectations at work is even blurrier for younger employees hybrid workers and those in white-collar jobs leaders and managers should get back to the basics: They need to have two-way conversations with their team members to set expectations in a new or changing work environment This is especially true for younger or new hybrid employees Expectations become clear to employees when they are: Finding mission and purpose in one’s work provides intrinsic motivation for high performance People want to know their work matters and that their employer makes a difference in the world Mission and purpose also bond people together Highly engaged employees feel like they belong to a community employees’ connection to the mission or purpose of their organization initially held steady as employers worked to unify their workforce and employees rallied to save their business employees’ sense of connection began to erode as organizations experienced the pressure of constant change with connection to company mission dropping from 38% in March 2021 to a record low of 30% in February 2024 Connection to mission or purpose is particularly low among younger employees fully remote workers and front-line employees leaders must communicate an inspiring vision that people want to get behind This is critical at the organizational level the connection must be made at the team level Employees need a manager to show them why their effort makes a difference The Great Detachment indicates that many employees are struggling to navigate new priorities and new ways of working They are also questioning the meaning and purpose of their work This presents a challenge for companies that want to retain their talent strengthen their culture and grow their business The good news is that by addressing two declining elements of engagement -- clear expectations and mission or purpose -- leaders can turn these risks into game-changing strengths. Gallup’s 11th edition of its Q12® meta-analysis (from 2024) shows: Organizations that deliver on these two critical needs will build a more committed workforce and inspire their people’s best work Merely measuring workers' contentment and catering to their wants often fails to improve business outcomes Customer expectations have changed since the pandemic See what employees and CHROs say are the biggest obstacles to meeting the new expectations A Gallup survey of CHROs from Fortune 500 companies reveals a pressing need to build performance management systems that actually inspire employees each employee must see how their company's purpose helps them contribute to what they care about most Although the U.S. economy enjoys low unemployment and declining quit rates the psychological state of workers tells a more complicated story Historically low employee engagement and wellbeing levels indicate employees are struggling Many report feeling disconnected from their organization’s mission and like their organization doesn’t care about them Gallup’s measures of these key employee experiences remain below pre-pandemic levels the workplace never returned to normal These trends highlight a leadership challenge: inspiring and supporting teams through significant change and uncertainty. Employers who want to implement changes (such as AI adoption) will find it difficult to do so if their people are disconnected from their organization But there is hope: A good job is a vital part of a life well-lived employers can address engagement and wellbeing simultaneously creating a new foundation -- especially in uncertain times -- for consistent performance Here are seven workplace challenges for organizations to navigate going into the new year: In 2024, U.S. employee engagement reached an 11-year low Other key measures tell an even gloomier story: Overall employee satisfaction returned to an all-time record low and employees are seeking new job opportunities at the highest level since 2015 Perhaps concerned about a weaker job market and inflation workers are sticking with their current employer while feeling more disconnected than ever Gallup refers to this as “the Great Detachment.” Re-engaging the workforce and re-building employee commitment will be a critical leadership challenge in the coming year Read: The Great Detachment: Why Employees Feel Stuck In the 2024 State of the Global Workplace report Gallup analyzed the relationship between employee engagement and local job markets We found that when it’s harder to find a job people are more likely to be actively disengaged A plausible explanation is that people become very unhappy when they are trapped in a job they don’t like a better job market doesn’t necessarily result in employees becoming highly engaged Improving economic conditions shifts employees from angry to indifferent Read: 3 Key Insights Into the Global Workplace Fifty percent of U.S. employees are thriving in their overall lives -- a new record low in Gallup’s trend measuring employee wellbeing since 2009 Thriving employees who rate their current and future lives positively are less likely to miss work because of health issues and are less likely to seek another job the percentage of employees who believe their organization cares about their wellbeing is well below pre-pandemic levels Leaders need to prioritize creating a culture of employee wellbeing that surpasses their current efforts if they want sustainable employee performance Read: Despite Employer Prioritization, Employee Wellbeing Falters leaders have invested substantially in AI to boost productivity and customer service in their organizations employee adoption of AI in the workplace is lagging behind the hype Nearly seven in 10 employees say they never use AI while one in 10 say they use it at least weekly These figures remained essentially unchanged from 2023 to 2024 the number of employees who say they feel very prepared to work with AI dropped by six percentage points in this period This could be a sign that leaders’ aspirations and vision for using AI in the workplace have not yet translated to clear direction or support for employee adoption but many won’t feel comfortable using AI at work until they receive a clear plan and training Read: AI in the Workplace: Answering 3 Big Questions Many working mothers and fathers aspire to management and leadership roles in their career women with children (35%) are about twice as likely as men with children (18%) to say they declined or delayed a promotion due to family obligations Women with children are also significantly more likely than men with children to consider reducing their hours or leaving their job due to child care issues Organizations that want to attract and retain top leadership talent need to change job structures and workplace norms to better support women with children at every stage of their career Women who strongly agree they are able to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal commitments are 50% more likely to be thriving in their lives more than twice as likely to be engaged at work and 38% less likely to be actively looking or watching for a new job Read: More Than a Program: A Culture of Women’s Wellbeing at Work To better understand conflicting perceptions of the workplace Gallup studied how managers think they lead their teams versus how employees say they are being managed 50% of managers strongly agree they are giving feedback to their direct reports every week while only 20% of individual contributors strongly agree their manager does so When it comes to managers giving recognition for good work Establishing a weekly coaching habit that includes meaningful feedback and recognition for quality work is a key growth opportunity for managers Read: The Strengths, Weaknesses and Blind Spots of Managers Many organizations now have a substantial number of hybrid workers. Fifty-three percent of remote-capable workers are hybrid to some degree. This requires organizations to create a meaningful workplace value proposition that draws people into the office It also puts pressure on teams that have people in different locations and on different schedules to better communicate and coordinate their work Gallup finds that the best teams create a team charter that defines how members best work together They maximize the quality of their on-site time with collaboration and team-building activities And they regularly evaluate their hybrid work experience as a team to adapt and improve Read: How to Boost Productivity in Hybrid Teams Ben Wigert is Director of Research and Strategy Discover the difference between how managers think they are leading their teams and how employees say they're being managed A hidden but growing discontent among employees is putting organizations at risk Examine how the relationship between work and life can impact women's career trajectories and overall wellbeing Even with the passing of the pandemic crisis Bisexual identification most common; younger adults more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup’s latest update on LGBTQ+ identification finds 9.3% of U.S. adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual in 2024. This represents an increase of more than a percentage point versus the prior estimate, from 2023 the figure has nearly doubled since 2020 and is up from 3.5% in 2012 LGBTQ+ identification is increasing as younger generations of Americans enter adulthood and are much more likely than older generations to say they are something other than heterosexual More than one in five Gen Z adults -- those born between 1997 and 2006 who were between the ages of 18 and 27 in 2024 -- identify as LGBTQ+ has successively lower rates of identification LGBTQ+ identification rates among young people have also increased from an average 18.8% of Gen Z adults in 2020 through 2022 to an average of 22.7% over the past two years Gallup has observed smaller growth in the percentage of LGBTQ+ identifiers in some older generations over the same time period This includes a nearly two-point increase among millennials (from 10.3% to 12.0%) and a one-point increase among Generation X (from 3.8% to 4.8%) There has not been meaningful change among baby boomers or the Silent Generation The latest results are based on interviews with more than 14,000 U.S adults across all 2024 Gallup telephone surveys Each respondent is asked whether they identify as straight or heterosexual Just under 1% mention some other LGBTQ+ identity Five percent of respondents decline to answer the question Among the nearly 900 LGBTQ+ individuals Gallup interviewed last year These figures total more than 100% because the survey allows respondents to report multiple LGBTQ+ identities adults who identify as LGBTQ+ counts each respondent only once One reason for higher LGBTQ+ identification among younger generations of adults is that they are much more likely to consider themselves bisexual than are older people more than half of Gen Z (59%) and millennial (52%) LGBTQ+ people are bisexual That drops to 44% among LGBTQ+ people in Generation X and is less than 20% among baby boomers (19%) and Silent Generation (11%) LGBTQ+ adults Older LGBTQ+ people are most likely to identify as gay or lesbian In the 12 years that Gallup has been tracking LGBTQ+ identification as those becoming adults during that period have been far more likely than their elders to say they are lesbian The recent increase is largely due to more adults in their late teens 20s and 30s -- particularly young women -- saying they are bisexual But younger adults are also more likely than older adults to identify as lesbian transgender or other nonheterosexual orientations The rate of LGBTQ+ identification is likely to continue to grow To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Results for this poll are based on telephone interviews conducted by ReconMR in 2024 with combined random samples totaling 14,162 adults For results based on the total sample of 899 LGBTQ+ adults the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level adults say changing one's gender is morally wrong but only about a third favor laws banning gender-affirming care for minors Nearly half of people worldwide view their area as a good place for gay or lesbian people to live Perceptions of acceptance have increased in 11 countries and decreased in 12 Almost six in 10 Americans support allowing openly transgender men and women to serve in the U.S and nearly eight in 10 back women serving in combat roles The COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay home with little warning while businesses quickly activated continuity plans and emergency public health protocols took effect Employees adopted new ways of working as the pandemic continued and waves of people changed jobs amid The Great Resignation Gallup measured how people’s work and lives changed This effort included more than 400,000 surveys of U.S The research revealed 12 ways workplaces have transformed since the onset of the pandemic most remote-capable employees -- whose jobs could be done at least partially from home -- worked solely on-site (60%) while about one in three worked hybrid (32%) 70% of remote-capable employees shifted to working exclusively from home more than four in five of these employees have some degree of remote flexibility with: most employees expect to remain working from their current location long term Time will tell if return-to-office mandates in 2025 change this pattern Read more: Gallup Global Indicators: Hybrid Work Hybrid work has its advantages and challenges The autonomy of remote work flexibility empowers people to work where and when they work best When Gallup studied employees’ preferred workstyle we found that 50% define themselves as “splitters” and 50% as “blenders”: but employees are more engaged and productive when their preferred workstyle matches how they actually work Read more: More Employees Want a 9-to-5 Schedule Than Leaders Think creating lasting challenges that leaders continue to navigate After years of improvement, employee engagement took a turn for the worse in 2021. By 2024, the percentage of employees who are engaged at work fell to a 10-year low Gallup’s measure of employee engagement includes 12 essential employee needs One of the elements that has dropped the most is employees knowing what is expected of them at work Having clear expectations is a foundational aspect of employee engagement and performance there is no agreed-on standard for success 55% of employees fully knew what was expected of them This number plummeted when the pandemic hit and fell to a new record low in 2024 (44%) Another driving force behind declining engagement was employees feeling less connected to their organization’s mission and purpose Sharing a mission and purpose also bonds people together only 30% of employees feel connected to their company’s mission/purpose Fully remote workers have struggled even more than hybrid workers to feel this connection to their organization with physical distance creating mental distance from their employer employee life evaluations have declined steadily to a record low in 2024 alongside declines in mental health and increases in daily negative emotions Gallup’s Life Evaluation Index measures respondents’ perceptions of where they stand now and in the future Read more: U.S. Employee Life Evaluation Hits New Record Low Record high levels of negative emotions have fueled declining wellbeing and mental health at work employees’ daily negative emotions spiked when public health issues were at their worst and remain elevated today as people recover from the trauma and disruption of the pandemic Younger workers are particularly susceptible to pessimistic life evaluations and higher levels of burnout Read more: The Economic Cost of Poor Employee Mental Health Gallup’s March 2024 survey of 151 Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) from large companies reveals that wellbeing ranks among the top organizational priorities this year for one in four CHROs (23%) Despite employers’ efforts, these changes have yet to make a difference in the workforce as a whole. In early 2024, only 21% of employees strongly agreed that their organization cares about their overall wellbeing, matching a record low. That percentage remains just above that mark today Employers can and do improve the wellbeing and mental health of their workforce Creating a culture of wellbeing and providing the necessary resources is essential One of the most significant factors influencing employee wellbeing is the quality of management. For instance, when employees are engaged at work, they have 42% lower stress than actively disengaged employees This highlights the vital role team leaders play in building a thriving workplace culture and directly supporting their team’s emotional wellbeing Read more: Despite Employer Prioritization, Employee Wellbeing Falters As workplace frustrations increase and organizations struggle to regroup in a post-pandemic world employees are feeling increasingly detached from their jobs Gallup refers to this shift as the “Great Detachment.” Employees are seeking new job opportunities at the highest rate since 2015 However, unlike during the “Great Resignation,” many frustrated employees are finding it difficult to leave their jobs due to a cooling job market and an economy strained by inflation Read more: The Great Detachment: Why Employees Feel Stuck Sudden change has been a constant since the pandemic Continuous change may be the new normal for organizations with seven in 10 employees (72%) reporting that their organization has undergone some form of disruption in the past year Leaders and managers are feeling this pressure the most with about three in 10 (28% of each group) reporting “extensive disruption,” compared to about two in 10 (18%) of individual contributors who say the same As businesses adjust to fluctuating markets managers are reporting disruption in the form of additional job responsibilities for employees (69%) team restructuring (55%) and budget cuts (46%) many managers are being asked to do more with less while also adapting to changes in personnel and reporting structures Read more: Disruptive Change is Hitting Managers and Leaders Hardest Customers have developed new habits and expectations for customer service many influenced by the conveniences introduced during the pandemic As a result, 56% of employees report noticing changes in customer expectations since the pandemic with 71% attributing changes to either customers being more demanding or having higher expectations for a better digital experience Only 28% of employees strongly agree they are proud of the products and services their organization offers Employees are clearly acknowledging that they aren’t as customer centric as they could be and that their organization could provide their customers with better services -- a sentiment that has only intensified amid new customer expectations Read more: Employee Detachment Threatens Customer Satisfaction As the challenges of leading teams in the new workplace continued to increase more burned out and more likely to quit than the people they manage This is bad news for everyone because managers play a major role in their team's success Read more: The Manager Squeeze Workplace civility has declined in recent years Drops in employee engagement and wellbeing suggest widespread discontent across the workforce which may contribute to employees feeling disrespected The percentage of employees who feel respected at work fell significantly during the height of the Great Resignation (2021-2022) when workers quit their jobs at historically high rates Some may have changed jobs because they felt less respected or undervalued while others may have felt disrespected watching others receive promotions and pay increases many employers required workers to return to the office during this time period Remote-capable workers forced back on-site reported the largest decline in feeling respected Read more: Respect at Work Returns to a Record Low The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as an everyday tool is among the most revolutionary things to happen in the past five years AI is taking off as a virtual assistant in many workplaces yet its adoption remains slower than expected Forty-four percent of white-collar employees report that their organization is adopting AI to improve business practices such as productivity and efficiency compared to 21% of frontline and production who say the same Only 15% of white-collar employees use AI weekly 81% of frontline and production workers who never use it) 45% say it makes them more productive and efficient Read more: AI in the Workplace leaders and managers took extraordinary steps to support employees Clear communication about these changes and moving forward after the pandemic was key to employee readiness and resilience when organizations clearly communicated these plans change fatigue set in as the pandemic continued and leaders’ efforts to create effective change management slipped or that their organization cared about their wellbeing compared to the start of the pandemic Read more: Resilience at Work: Leading the Post-Pandemic Workplace Worldwide, the cost of poor management and lost productivity from not engaged or actively disengaged employees is $8.8 trillion, or 9% of global GDP Improving management is perhaps the easiest way to boost productivity within organizations A simple but powerful thing managers can do for their team is to establish a “coaching habit.” Nearly eight in 10 employees who strongly agree they have received meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged at work -- regardless of how many days they worked in the office meaningful feedback are four times more likely to be engaged than those who do not The problem is only 21% of workers strongly agree they received meaningful feedback from their manager in the past week Gallup researchers found that deeply meaningful conversations can be as short as 15 to 30 minutes if done weekly and they tend to include discussion of: Read more: A Great Manager’s Most Important Habit The forced workplace experiment that began in 2020 introduced changes faster than anyone anticipated reshaping how people work in ways once thought impossible There have been valuable lessons about autonomy and efficiency: Many jobs can be done more independently than previously assumed the increased physical distance has also created mental distance between employees and their employers putting mental health and customer service at risk Managers' roles are more complex and demanding than ever Leaders are reevaluating what "workplace culture" truly means The best-run organizations studied by Gallup have maintained strong cultures by continuously refining the role of the manager and managers are best positioned to understand and align these with business needs great managers remain the foundation of resilient Their role must be more intentional and streamlined than ever The challenges are real -- but so is the opportunity Most remote-capable workers now have hybrid flexibility meaning employers need to make the commute worth it Most employees don't believe employers are fully committed to improving their mental health and wellbeing Most employees are not engaged – only 23% worldwide and just 33% in the U.S. were engaged in 2021, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report. To figure out what's gone wrong with their engagement leaders should study the behaviors of their highly engaged employees: What are they doing that the others are not Gallup, no stranger to the topic of engagement, finds there are several patterns of behavior unique to highly engaged employees is why not just teach workers to overcome barriers Why encourage executive buy-in or make engagement part of a manager's job Executives create the conditions for managers to foster engagement on their teams managers will be fighting an uphill battle no matter how hard they strive to be engagement-creating coaches management must then do its part because Gallup finds that 70% of the variance in a team's engagement is related to management Managers create the conditions that promote the behaviors of engaged employees (or just the opposite) with the relationships they establish The manager is either an engagement-creating coach or an engagement-destroying boss but both relationships affect employee behavior is transactional -- "You give me this I behave like that" -- which can create learned helplessness discouraging the discretional effort that engaged employees exhibit and ultimately disengaged employees who don't own their own engagement they actually teach their employees to need constant managerial intervention because they can't overcome obstacles take accountability or operate with their strengths on their own because that's the environment their managers have established Both kinds of relationships require a manager's close involvement, which is why managers have so much influence over engagement. But the kind of involvement is very different. The difference is especially noticeable in a key way: Coaches individualize, and bosses generalize All people have innate qualities that enable them to excel in particular ways Matching those strengths to task or role can create extraordinary performance outcomes and employees who work with their strengths tend to be more engaged than others Bosses who generalize will have trouble capitalizing on strengths and may be unable to detect engagement problems Individualization allows managers to see workers' unique qualities as well as their engagement needs That perspective helps them help workers articulate their own engagement needs There's an exceptionally effective tactic for that which managers can adapt for workplace engagement: the Socratic method The Socratic method is a dialectic that poses questions to stimulate reflection and critical thinking Coaches use the Socratic method -- though most probably don't label it as such -- to help workers think through challenges and solutions analyze their performance and plan their approach to their work These questions are always influenced by the human element of engagement, the foundation of Gallup's Q12 engagement assessment Employees perform at their best when these elements are fulfilled Coaches incorporate these elements -- sometimes directly as the individual requires -- to connect workers to their own engagement there may be any number of reasons a worker is struggling to complete a project "This report has been on your desk for a while now Are you having trouble getting the information you need to complete it Does it seem so low-priority you can afford to put it off but they all connect to engagement elements as well: access to necessary materials connecting tasks to the organization's mission or purpose Questions like those give managers perspective on each worker's employee experience and facilitate individualization and advocacy Employees' answers direct them to align their day-to-day work with their engagement Just having the conversation empowers workers to overcome obstacles take accountability and proactively improve their engagement are the behaviors associated with highly engaged workers Those behaviors are a result of environmental conditions constructed and maintained by managers That's why those behaviors can't be taught to or demanded from employees Those behaviors are a spontaneous outcome of relationships that managers must carefully tend while it's instructive to look at the behaviors of highly engaged workers to understand what they do that others don't the lesson to learn is not to be found just with the employees It's also to be found with the manager only 20% of workers worldwide have managers who enable the behaviors of engagement That doesn't give leaders a very large group to learn from -- but it does show that it's time to start learning Jennifer Robison contributed to this article Learn how strengths-based development can help you reach a higher ratio of engaged employees Americans' belief that global warming's effects have already begun is also at historical high but personal concern about issue is steady WASHINGTON, D.C. — A record-high 48% of U.S. adults anticipate that global warming will, at some point, pose a serious threat to themselves or their way of life, up from 44% saying this a year ago. The current reading is two percentage points above the prior high in 2023 following a long-term increase from 25% in 1997 The percentage of Americans who believe the effects of global warming have already begun This effectively matches the all-time high of 62% recorded in 2017 after registering between 59% and 61% in the intervening years As more Americans this year think the effects are already occurring fewer say global warming’s effects will be apparent in the future while the percentage believing the effects will never occur remains steady at 12% there has been no change in the amount that Americans report worrying about global warming or climate change The combined 63% is in line with the 61% to 66% who have expressed this level of worry since 2017 worry had varied between periods of lower and higher concern There has also been no recent change in Americans’ beliefs about the cause of rising temperatures over the past century About six in 10 (62%) continue to say global warming is mainly the result of pollution from human activities while 34% attribute it to natural changes in the environment The same poll finds the highest percentage of Americans in a decade saying that the seriousness of global warming is generally exaggerated in the news up from 37% last March and the highest since 2015 nearly as many (38%) believe the news underestimates the gravity of the issue while 20% say news coverage about global warming is generally correct While the percentage saying the news exaggerates the seriousness of global warming is up from last year More Americans than a year ago think the effects of global warming are already occurring because more Democrats (up nine points to 91%) and independents (up seven points to 66%) now hold this view Republicans’ belief that the effects are evident has dipped four points to 31% but this is more than offset by the increases among Democrats and independents more Americans now think global warming will pose a serious threat in their lifetime because of increased concern among Democrats (up eight points to a record-high 78% for the group) while views among independents and Republicans are fairly steady more Americans today think the news exaggerates the seriousness of global warming because more Republicans (up six points to 78%) and independents (up seven points to 38%) now express this Gallup measures Americans’ concern about global warming alongside six other environmental issues The 63% who worry a great deal or fair amount about global warming is on par with concern about plant and animal extinction (64%) and the loss of tropical rainforests (67%) it ranks below all other environmental issues rated in the March survey Those include air pollution (70%); waste management in the U.S lakes and reservoirs (80%); and pollution of drinking water (80%) The 24% of Americans saying they do not worry at all about global warming or climate change is by far the highest for any of the seven issues asked about with the 15% for extinction of plant and animal species being the next highest and the 5% for pollution of rivers At least half of Democrats worry a great deal about all seven issues ranging from 50% for the loss of tropical rainforests and 55% for management of U.S waste to 70% for global warming or climate change Majorities of independents worry a great deal about the two highest-ranked issues Fifty-six percent worry about pollution of rivers lakes and reservoirs; 55% say the same about pollution of drinking water Republicans worry less than both Democrats and independents about all of the issues ranging from a low of 8% for global warming to a high of 44% for pollution of drinking water Americans appear to be taking climate change more seriously today than a year ago with higher percentages saying the effects of global warming are evident and fearing it will negatively affect them in their lifetime their personal worry about the problem is flat and slightly more now believe the news exaggerates the seriousness of the problem Heavy news coverage of several catastrophic environmental events in the past year could be contributing to these patterns these events have personally touched fewer than four in 10 Americans As long as such experiences remain the exception global warming may continue to be more of an abstract than relevant problem to many Americans and thus lag other aspects of the environment as a major concern To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Americans support nuclear energy and offer mixed views on fracking and offshore drilling while a diminished majority prefer renewable energy development over more fossil fuel production adults either own or express interest in owning an electric vehicle unchanged from 2024 but down from 59% in 2023 Most Gen Zers worry about water pollution and the health of fish and oceans and nine in 10 say protecting water is important -- across both major political parties Since 2007, Gallup has recognized world-class organizations with the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award. Learn more here the 2025 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winners set themselves apart by intentionally creating environments where employees feel valued and heard This year’s 70 winning organizations differ in industry but they share a core belief: people are their greatest asset Whether a multinational corporation or a regional business each has made employee engagement and development a priority Some organizations have even discovered the power of combining engagement with a strengths-based approach these winning organizations have elevated the employee experience while strengthening business outcomes demonstrating that investing in people fuels long-term success these organizations set the standard for excellence Exceptionally high levels of employee engagement allowed these organizations to adapt and adjust in response to the challenges last year held. Gallup's engagement meta-analysis found that top- and bottom-quartile business units and teams had the following differences in business outcomes: Previously known as the Don Clifton Strengths-Based Culture Award, winners of the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award for strengths are unique in their ability to create thriving cultures and achieve outstanding business outcomes while investing in the strengths of their people to maximize the potential of their employees and teams These 12 organizations achieve more by helping employees focus on what they do best and integrating strengths-accelerated development into their mission Companies that incorporate strengths into their culture experience: Learn more about the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award criteria The Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award criteria are more rigorous than other workplace awards While many workplace awards require a small sample of survey participants and engagement winners must achieve a qualifying score that places them in the top tier of organizations Each company measures its engagement using Gallup's Q12 -- a survey that asks employees about performance commitment to their organization and business metrics The organizations that meet the required criteria are among clients in Gallup's historical database including more than 63.9 million respondents and more than 10.6 million workgroups from 228 countries Applicants submit information about their strategy A panel of Gallup workplace scientists and experts evaluates applicants and assesses them against criteria established by the most comprehensive workplace study ever conducted Applicants have to measure up to some of the most productive and profitable organizations in the world Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award strengths applicants similarly submit information to the review panel about their strategy and coaching efforts related to CliftonStrengths and the impact the strengths intervention has had our 2025 Winners With Distinction Award recognizes organizations for the effective work they’ve done this year implementing strategic initiatives to further engagement and help employees thrive Naming these organizations as winners for their standout strengths and engagement stories honors their commitment and effort healthcare coverage is below average; most say the system has major problems Editor's Note: This research was conducted in partnership with West Health a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations focused on healthcare and aging -- Americans' positive rating of the quality of healthcare in the U.S is now at its lowest point in Gallup’s trend dating back to 2001 adults who say the quality of healthcare is excellent (11%) or good (33%) is down by a total of 10 percentage points since 2020 after steadily eroding each year majorities ranging from 52% to 62% rated U.S 54% say it is only fair (38%) or poor (16%) As has been the case throughout the 24-year trend, Americans rate healthcare coverage in the U.S. even more negatively than they rate quality. Just 28% say coverage is excellent or good, four points lower than the average since 2001 and well below the 41% high point in 2012 These findings are from Gallup’s annual Health and Healthcare poll healthcare quality among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are down sharply since President Donald Trump left office in 2021 42% of Republicans and Republican leaners rate healthcare quality positively compared with 65% to 68% from 2017 to 2020 Republicans’ opinions of the quality of healthcare in the U.S also fell in 2014 after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) before rebounding under the Trump administration Positive ratings of healthcare quality among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have been less variable since 2001 and typically lower than ratings among Republicans their latest 50% reading is eight points higher than Republicans’ healthcare coverage have followed a similar trajectory as their views on quality 30% of Democrats and 25% of Republicans rate healthcare coverage positively In addition to registering subpar ratings of the quality and coverage of healthcare in the U.S. few Americans -- 19% -- say they are satisfied with its cost This reading is unchanged from last year and toward the low end for the measure The high point in satisfaction was 30% in 2020 This spike was largely due to an increase in satisfaction among Republicans Republicans have typically been more satisfied than Democrats with the cost of healthcare the first few years of the ACA’s implementation An open-ended question measuring Americans’ views of the most urgent health problem facing the country finds that two issues related to the healthcare system -- cost (23%) and access (14%) -- and one specific health condition -- obesity (13%) -- are mentioned most often Another 6% each name drug or alcohol abuse and abortion while 4% each name mental illness and cancer Both diabetes and the flu or viruses are cited by 3% of U.S When Gallup first asked this question in 1987 and it remained the top problem in five subsequent readings through 1999 adults’ most urgent health problem has been related to the nation’s healthcare system -- namely cost or access -- rather than specific health conditions Americans' largely negative views regarding healthcare coverage and quality in the U.S likely contribute to the widespread perception that the overall healthcare system has major problems (54%) or is in a state of crisis (16%) The seven in 10 Americans now holding these views is in line with the trend average of 69% Partisans’ views are nearly identical on this measure In contrast to their largely negative assessments of the quality and coverage of healthcare in the U.S. broad majorities of Americans continue to rate their own healthcare’s quality and coverage positively adults consider the quality of healthcare they receive to be excellent or good and 65% say the same of their own coverage There has been little deviation in these readings since 2001 older adults and those with higher incomes register more positive ratings of the quality and coverage of their own healthcare Americans are also much more likely to express satisfaction with what they pay for healthcare than with the total cost of care in the U.S Fifty-eight percent are now satisfied with their own costs down from the high point of 67% in 2020 but in line with the trend average Americans’ rating of the quality of U.S healthcare has fallen to the lowest reading in 24 years and views of healthcare coverage nationally remain broadly negative These views likely play into the belief that the U.S healthcare system has major problems or is in a deep state of crisis Cost is named as the most urgent healthcare problem in the country Despite their widespread negativity when it comes to healthcare in the U.S. Americans largely rate their own healthcare positively To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). adults classified as "cost secure" has slipped to 55% The biggest drop is among those aged 50 and older Americans' confidence in the police has increased eight points since last year Nurses lead eight other providers in Americans' ratings of their medical care Doctors rank second; hospitals and walk-in clinics round out the top four About 30 million Americans report borrowing money to pay for healthcare in the past year Editor's Note: This research was conducted in partnership with West Health adults -- or about 31 million Americans -- report they had to borrow an estimated total of $74 billion in the past 12 months to pay for healthcare for themselves or a household member A majority of Americans (58%) share concerns that they would experience medical debt if faced with a major health event The findings are from the latest West Health-Gallup Healthcare Survey of 3,583 U.S Nearly one in five young adults aged 18 to 29 (18%) report they needed to borrow to pay for healthcare Similar rates are reported by adults aged 30-49 This stands in stark contrast to the 9% of Americans who are 50 to 64 and only 2% of those 65 and older who say they needed to do so Women younger than 50 are more likely than younger men -- 20% vs respectively -- to report that they borrowed money to pay for healthcare women aged 50 to 64 are twice as likely to report borrowing money as men in the same age bracket although no gender gap exists among those 65 and older Black adults (23%) and Hispanic adults (16%) are each substantially more likely to report having borrowed money than their White (9%) counterparts the disparities are particularly pronounced among adults younger than 50 with 29% of Black adults reporting borrowing money for healthcare compared with 19% of Hispanic adults and 14% of White adults Americans with children under the age of 18 living in their household are twice as likely to report that they borrowed money in the past 12 months compared with those who do not have children living in their home (19% vs Of those who say they borrowed money in the prior 12 months to pay for healthcare nearly six in 10 (58%) report borrowing $500 or more while 38% report borrowing less than $500; collectively This projection takes into account the percentage of adults who report borrowing money in the past 12 months and the average amount they report borrowing (See Survey Methods for more information.) Although men are less likely than women to report borrowing money to pay for healthcare they are more likely to borrow larger sums The amount borrowed increases dramatically with age Half of adults 50 and older who report borrowing money to pay for healthcare in the past 12 months borrowed approximately $3,000 or more the median amount was $750 for adults aged 30-49 and $300 for young adults aged 18-29 Although reports of borrowing are much less common among adults 65 and older -- just 2% in the past year -- the relatively high sums older adults report borrowing may reflect critical gaps in Medicare eligibility or coverage A majority of Americans (58%) are concerned that a major health event could lead to personal medical debt This includes 28% who say they are “very concerned” about the possibility Although most Americans aged 65 or older are eligible for Medicare more than half (52%) say they are “somewhat” or “very concerned” about the potential for medical debt if a major health event happens to them or someone in their household These concerns may reflect recent or impending cuts to Medicare funding or long-standing deficiencies in Medicare coverage Younger adults are even more likely to be concerned with approximately three out of five adults younger than 65 reporting they are “somewhat” or “very concerned.” Concerns run higher among minority groups and women Sixty-two percent of Black adults and 63% of Hispanic adults say they are somewhat or very concerned about facing medical debt compared with 56% of White adults who feel the same level of concern women (62%) report concern about medical debt at a higher rate than men (54%) Medical debt concerns are reported by more than six in 10 Americans living in households earning up to $120,000 annually Although concerns begin to decline at higher incomes 40% of Americans with annual household incomes of $180,000 or more still say they have concerns Concerns over medical debt loom large for the nearly six in 10 Americans who are uncertain whether they would have the resources necessary to cover healthcare costs if faced with a major medical event making it difficult for Americans of any age to budget for these expenses and the added worry of financial hardship can magnify the stress and burden of the event itself An estimated 31 million Americans borrowed money to pay for healthcare in the past year alone, and millions more are coping with the high cost of healthcare by skipping treatments, avoiding care or making other tradeoffs that put their health at risk families and racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by these struggles The findings suggest that stronger public policy is needed to address the impacts of high-priced healthcare; without such changes millions more may accumulate debt or be forced to make painful tradeoffs about seeking healthcare To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup The West Health-Gallup Post-Election Healthcare Survey was conducted by web Nov the margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level is ±2.1 percentage points for response percentages around 50% and is ±1.2 percentage points for response percentages around 10% or 90% Gallup weighted the combined samples to correct for nonresponse Nonresponse adjustments were made by adjusting the sample to match the national demographics of gender Estimates for the amount of money Americans borrowed to pay for healthcare in the past 12 months are computed using the following dollar values for respondents who selected each borrowing range: no money borrowed = $0; borrowed under $100 = $75; borrowed $100 to less than $500 = $300; borrowed $500 to less than $1,000 = $750; borrowed $1,000 to less than $5,000 = $3,000; borrowed $5,000 to less than $10,000 = $7,500; borrowed $10,000 or more = $12,500 Americans' agreement that the federal government must ensure all Americans have healthcare coverage now exceeds 60% after declining to as low as 42% during the years when the Affordable Care Act was being debated and implemented -- As the March 9 switch to daylight saving time (DST) approaches in the U.S. the majority of Americans (54%) say they are ready to do away with the practice adults say they are in favor of daylight saving time which marks the first time Gallup has measured Americans’ opinions about daylight saving time since 1999 views about the practice have shifted dramatically similar to the 74% who did so in a 1990 poll Support was more muted in readings from 1937 to 1957 though daylight saving time was not uniformly observed across the U.S Daylight saving time was introduced at the national level in 1918 sought to conserve fuel by extending daylight working hours as a wartime necessity Congress passed the Uniform Time Act to institute time changes nationally in the spring and fall each year various laws have modified the timing of those clock changes members of Congress from both parties introduced proposals to make DST a year-round standard public support for daylight saving time has plummeted across all demographic groups income and education -- have seen declines in support for DST of 30 percentage points or more support for daylight saving time varies across some demographics: asked of a different subsample than was asked the favor/oppose question sought to get a better understanding of what Americans want regarding time changes during the year Gallup asked these respondents which of three scenarios they prefer: having standard time year-round having daylight saving time year-round or maintaining the current system of switching between the two say they would prefer to have standard time the whole year prefer having daylight saving time in place the whole year prefer the status quo of switching between the two each year This means 43% favor having daylight saving time part of the year or year-round only slightly less than the 48% who would prefer not to have it at all But it also means more than seven in 10 Americans would prefer no clock changes each year Gallup asked a variant of this question in 1946 and 1947 also finding close to half of Americans in favor of standard time being in place all year Slightly fewer back then favored having daylight saving time the whole year fewer favored yearly standard or daylight time -- meaning no clock changes -- in the 1940s (between 62% and 64%) than the 72% who hold that preference today Preferences for daylight saving and standard time are similar by subgroup As lawmakers at the federal and state levels continue to debate the future of daylight saving time Americans seem more willing than ever to do away with the time changes that now occur in early March and early November Even though DST allows for sunnier evenings over the spring and summer it comes at the cost of setting clocks ahead every March There is mounting evidence that the twice-yearly time changes can have negative effects -- such as sleep disruption including higher rates of heart attacks and workplace accidents after time changes studies have found that adding sunlight hours later in the day results in minimal energy savings All of this may have contributed to shifts in Americans’ opinions on the matter To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download) Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted by ReconMR Jan Randomly chosen subsamples of approximately 500 respondents each answered one of the two question on daylight saving time For results based on these samples of national adults the margin of sampling error is ±6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level Americans have favored daylight saving time for decades but not necessarily year-round Majorities supported it for the entire year during World War II and in 1973 to deal with the energy situation Gallup's Economic Confidence Index is at -19 in February unchanged from January despite swings in Republicans' and Democrats' economic outlook employees who strongly agree that they are treated with respect at work has returned to the record low of 37% first recorded in 2022 Gallup began measuring respect at work in 2018 Respect declined for all types of workers in 2022 -- across industries, job levels, and demographic characteristics like gender and age. This occurred during the height of the Great Resignation (2021-2022) when many employers required workers to come back to the office and employees quit their jobs at historically high rates Remote-capable onsite workers saw the biggest drop in perceptions of respect in 2022 on-site workers who are not remote capable experience the lowest levels of respect fully on-site workers strongly agree they are treated with respect at work Workers in traditional “blue collar” roles are more likely to be on the front line in production or interacting with customers These roles have common challenges ranging from safety and difficult working conditions to difficult customer or manager interactions People come to work expecting to receive respect team members can communicate openly and constructively When employees report a lack of respect at work there’s a strong chance that ethically and legally questionable behavior is present A 2018 Gallup study found that 90% of employees who disagree or strongly disagree they are respected at work report having experienced at least one of 35 discrimination or harassment behaviors in the past 12 months Understand that respect is personal and situational Intentional or unintentional disrespect can escalate when managers are not in touch with their people What feels normal to one person can feel like an affront to another Gallup finds that employees fall about evenly into being “splitters” or “blenders” when it comes to work-life balance Some people enjoy getting work calls or emails outside of business hours (blenders) -- others hate it (splitters) People are less likely to feel respected when their work routine doesn’t match their preferred way of working Address disrespect at work with frequent (weekly) meaningful conversations between managers and team members Workplace policies are no replacement for a direct manager who understands the individual and the situation Managers who know their people well can communicate expectations and make reasonable individualized changes to work routines that let employees know that they are heard and valued Pay and wellbeing are among the most important factors defining the war for talent positive and timely experience for a job candidate the likelihood of acceptance of a position increases — Amid volatility in the stock and bond markets in April Americans' preference for stocks as the best long-term investment has declined while real estate remains the top choice for the 12th consecutive year The 37% of U.S. adults viewing real estate as the best investment is virtually unchanged from last year’s reading while the 16% choosing stocks is down six percentage points the public’s preference for gold is up five points Thirteen percent of Americans think savings accounts or CDs are the best option for long-term returns and 4% prefer cryptocurrency — all in line with last year’s readings The latest findings are from Gallup’s April 1-14 poll conducted mostly after the Trump administration announced sweeping tariffs on April 2 The announcement was followed by sharp declines in stock values and a sell-off of U.S government bonds before Trump temporarily paused some of the tariffs on April 9 Market instability has persisted in recent weeks with many economists warning of a potential recession After trailing gold in 2011 and 2012, real estate essentially tied with gold and stocks as the top long-term investment in 2013. Real estate has ranked as the top investment for Americans each year since 2014, with between 30% and 45% selecting it Although gold’s appeal as a long-term investment has increased this year, it remains below its record high of 34% in 2011 — when investors sought safe assets amid high unemployment a depressed housing market and volatility in financial markets Americans’ choice of stocks or mutual funds as the best investment has historically fallen during periods of market volatility historically a stable but less popular choice are largely unchanged from recent readings Bonds and cryptocurrency (with the latter added to the investment choices offered in the list in 2022) continue to trail behind other traditional investment vehicles and have not registered above 10% and 8% Americans at all income levels choose real estate as the top long-term investment middle- and higher-income Americans naming it perceptions of the best investment vary notably Adults earning $100,000 or more are the most likely income group to favor stocks while those with lower incomes are more likely than others to choose safer or more tangible options like gold and savings accounts Similar patterns by income group have been evident in recent years have money invested in the stock market ­­— either in an individual stock or a self-directed 401(k) or individual retirement account This is the third consecutive year that stock ownership has been above 60% which was typically the norm from 1998 until the Great Recession when ownership fell and stayed below that threshold for more than a decade Gallup added a question this year asking Americans if they have money invested in a retirement savings plan such as a 401(k) 403(b) or IRA and found that a similar 59% say they do Americans’ investments in the stock market and retirement savings plans are closely affiliated with several socioeconomic characteristics adults are more likely than their counterparts to have stock investments and retirement savings plans The April poll also asked Americans how worried they are about nine financial matters and found that concern about not getting a good return on their investments ranks toward the top of the list adults who are concerned about their investment returns includes 26% “very” and 27% “moderately” worried Those who report having money invested in the stock market are more likely to say not getting a good return on their investments is a worry (62%) than those without stock holdings (38%) Americans appear to be following economic news — including tariffs and market swings — and adjusting their perceptions of investment risk accordingly Real estate continues to be named the best long-term investment while stocks have fallen amid recent market volatility and gold has picked up much of that decline even as fewer say stocks are the best investment history suggests that investors may change their investment strategy if the economy remains volatile To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Support for establishment of independent Palestinian state remains at majority level adults who now say they sympathize with the Palestinians is up six percentage points from last year and the highest reading by two points The latest reading is from a Gallup poll conducted Feb during which the temporary ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas that started in mid-January continued The poll began one day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s White House visit that included a joint press conference with President Donald Trump Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to view Israel favorably (83% vs while Democrats view the Palestinian Territories more favorably than Republicans do (45% vs Partisans’ sympathies in the Middle East situation follow a pattern similar to their favorable ratings of the two countries Republicans broadly sympathize with the Israelis (75%) over the Palestinians (10%) while Democrats sympathize with the Palestinians over the Israelis by a nearly 3-to-1 ratio (59% vs Independents’ sympathies are similar to the national averages Republicans and independents have consistently backed the Israelis since 2001, though independents’ support for the Israelis is now at its lowest in World Affairs surveys by one point. Democrats also sided with the Israelis until 2022 when roughly equal shares said they sympathized with each side Initially, Democrats’ declining sympathy for the Israelis was seemingly the result of disapproval of the nation’s right-leaning political leadership under Netanyahu it has fallen further in the past two years Democrats’ sympathies for the Israelis dipped to 38% while the reading for Palestinians jumped 11 points to 49% marking the first time Palestinian sympathies prevailed among this group killing over 1,000 Israelis and taking nearly 250 as hostages Democrats’ sympathy for the Palestinian people had dipped six points by the following February Democrats’ sympathy for the Palestinians is up 16 points marking the first time it has reached the majority level a core tenet of Middle East peace proposals has been the so-called “two-state solution,” which would entail the creation of a Palestinian state Gallup has measured Americans’ views on this since 1999 more Americans have supported than opposed the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip adults who favor establishing a Palestinian state is in line with readings since 2020 Americans were still more in favor of an independent Palestinian state than opposed but support was mostly below the majority level Support and opposition were most similar to each other in 2015 and 2017 Given their majority-level sympathy for the Palestinians it follows that Democrats are also broadly supportive of an independent Palestinian state While 41% of Republicans support a Palestinian state Democrats’ support for a Palestinian state has been trending upward since 2021 whereas independents’ has been relatively steady over the same period Republicans’ support is up 15 points after dropping sharply last year Americans’ sympathies with the Israelis continue to decline largely because of Democrats’ dwindling support for the Israelis in the long-standing conflict with the Palestinians Republicans remain overwhelmingly sympathetic toward the Israelis the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is still supported by a majority of Americans though by far more Democrats than Republicans Discussion of a two-state approach for achieving peace in the region is largely on hold following the Oct as world leaders wrestle with how Israel’s safety will be secured after the war what role Hamas will play in Gaza and how the West Bank will be governed To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Republicans' and Democrats' views of Israel are more divided than ever The parties also show significant differences in their ratings of Mexico and Ukraine Surveys in Israel and in the West Bank and East Jerusalem offer a glimpse into life for Israelis and Palestinians one year after the Israel-Hamas war began Keep up with how Americans react to the Trump administration and how society evolves with key Gallup trends Employees are watching for or actively seeking new job opportunities at the highest rate since 2015 At the same time, employee satisfaction has hit a record low, contributing to what Gallup calls the “Great Detachment” -- an era in which people feel increasingly disconnected from their employers What exactly are employees looking for in their next job Gallup’s nationally representative study of more than 10,000 U.S employees identifies the four most important factors in choosing a new job: These factors have consistently topped a list of 14 job attributes for the past four years The desire for greater work-life balance and wellbeing as well as better pay and benefits has increased in importance since the pandemic this set of priorities shows how employees define a better job today Organizations that align with these expectations will have a strong foundation for selling or reselling talented individuals on their workplace showing a shift in how people think about work and life Most employees no longer see work-life balance and wellbeing as perks -- they expect them. Only one in five employees believe their organization cares about their wellbeing Better pay and benefits remain a top concern, as the percentage of employees who rated it as very important rose from 41% pre-pandemic to 54% today Fair compensation has long been essential for employee attraction and retention but a wave of higher-paying job changes during the Great Resignation increased pay expectations it is not enough on its own to attract top talent -- employees also want other meaningful job features The need for greater stability and job security remains a key factor in attracting talent Fifty-four percent of employees rated it as very important, which is similar to past ratings As hiring slows and technological innovation continues to disrupt the nature of work job seekers continue to place a premium on stability and security Quickly evolving economic and workplace dynamics will likely keep this factor at the forefront of prospective employees’ minds as they evaluate future job opportunities 48% of employees say this factor is very important. Employees are more engaged in their work perform better and stay longer when their responsibilities align with their talents and passions Organizations that match candidates to roles based on their strengths and give them a preview of how their unique strengths will shine in a new role are more likely to gain a competitive advantage The top four reasons for taking a job are consistently important across the U.S workforce and employee demographics like generation it is important for organizations to consider the unique needs of their own workforce and different groups within it millennials -- not Gen Z -- are the most demanding generation when it comes to choosing a new job Millennials place more importance on the top three factors for choosing a job -- work-life balance compensation and job stability -- than any other generation Although all generations share the same top four job priorities millennials’ elevated needs may look slightly different Many are mid-career professionals with school-age children who would prioritize workplace flexibility and a steady income to support their families rate accelerates my professional development or career advancement as particularly important Organizations should also recognize differences by job role: organizations that excel in talent recruitment and retention recognize that there are universal employee expectations that are important to everyone while some groups have priorities that are particularly important to them many employees felt disconnected from their jobs and looked for new opportunities at concerning rates a decline in hiring and a turbulent economy made switching jobs difficult many remained in roles where they were dissatisfied Today, as recruiters express optimism about hiring in 2025 and organizations seek to re-engage their workforce assessing what employees seek in a great job will give organizations an advantage in attracting and retaining top talent Results for the quarterly Gallup workforce studies (noted as “WF QX” in footnotes) reflect results from the Gallup Panel Other recent data obtained before 2022 also come from the Gallup Panel including its COVID-19 Panel studies; however some older trend data come from other sources employees are based on self-administered web surveys conducted with a random sample of adults working full time and part time for organizations in the United States For results based on the sample of employed U.S the margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level varies for different topics and time frames Details for the recent quarterly surveys are noted below The primary metrics reported on in this article consisted of a sample size of 10,342 The margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level for these data points is ±2 percentage points Employee turnover risk is at its highest in nearly a decade Learn how to reduce employee turnover by regularly having the right conversations Recognition is a powerful tool that connects employees to their organization See how quality recognition can boost employee retention Gallup measures employees' intent to leave or recommend their employer along with the job climate and top reasons employees leave or take a job Wellbeing in the workplace is an executive concern adult mental health and emotional wellbeing dropping significantly in 2020 to a historic low and remaining there through our last recorded measurement in December of 2023 Concerns about employee mental health have broadened discussions on employers’ roles in supporting employee wellbeing. In response, some employers have developed new employee value propositions to communicate how their organizations improve their employees’ wellbeing Others have expanded resources through employee wellbeing initiatives and assistance programs Despite employers’ efforts, these changes have yet to make a difference in the workforce as a whole. The percentage of employees who strongly agree their organization cares about their overall wellbeing tied a record low of 21% in early 2024 and remains just above that mark failing to deliver on promises to support employee wellbeing can disappoint and further frustrate employees Employees may perceive these initiatives as empty words if they see no results even when leaders do things to channel resources into supporting employee wellbeing this can feel like “carewashing,” where organizations face accusations of providing superficial support for workplace wellbeing while neglecting the root causes of burnout How can employers close the gap between their wellbeing strategies and employees’ experiences Here are three actions leaders should focus on: Many employers turn to their employee assistance programs (EAPs) for employee mental health support According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics1 most large to midsized employers offer EAPs that provide various services related to mental health relationship issues and other wellbeing-related needs Taking a closer look at how EAPs affect employees a March 2024 Gallup survey reveals that among employees who have used an EAP 32% say it is “extremely helpful,” while 47% rate it as “somewhat helpful.” These findings combined with common employee reports of frustration indicate that while EAPs help people in need they’re not a comprehensive solution Gallup finds that communication and participation rates in these programs show significant room for improvement This means that many employees are still unaware of their employers’ EAP and most have never personally used the service Improving communication and participation in existing workplace wellbeing programs are essential next steps for most organizations Expand your employee wellbeing strategy to cover all five elements of wellbeing Creating a culture of wellbeing requires a holistic approach that addresses the whole person physical health issues can affect finances and workplace stress can affect relationships at home Gallup's comprehensive study of people in more than 150 countries revealed five universal interconnected elements that shape our lives: career Employers can use these elements to design comprehensive wellbeing programs Yet when asked if their employer is taking action on each of the five elements of wellbeing between 6% and 15% of employees strongly agree that any one of the elements is being supported by their employer The good news is that while Gallup research shows that focusing on all five elements is vital career wellbeing is particularly important to overall wellbeing and an easy starting place for employers to connect work and life Rather than seeing work and wellbeing as competing priorities employers should view work as one of the key ingredients of a meaningful life Integrate wellbeing into coaching conversations Managers serve as the primary connection between an employer and an employee They are typically responsible for helping employees integrate work and life When employees talk about wellbeing at work Only 36% of employees say they have talked to their manager or supervisor about their personal wellbeing and conversations between coworkers are even less frequent (29%) Increasing the frequency of these discussions can show employees that their organization cares managers don’t need to be mental health experts They can maintain professionalism while emphasizing the importance of wellbeing encouraging the use of resources and benefits facilitating activities focused on the five elements and listening to employees about their personal lives Wellbeing isn’t just an employee expectation; it’s foundational to sustainable employee performance When employees strongly agree their organization cares about their overall wellbeing a workplace culture that truly prioritizes employee wellbeing makes people feel cared about and tangibly improves their lives wellbeing becomes a priority people talk about encourage and do together regularly -- from leaders and managers all the way to the frontline Profile of Small Employers in the United States and the Importance of Employee Assistance Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic American journal of health promotion: AJHP leaders and managers can cultivate a thriving workforce by implementing key practices that put people first Most employees feel like their company doesn't care about their wellbeing See why leaders need to start paying closer attention to how their employees are doing As employee burnout and negative emotions reach record levels interest rates most optimistic in past seven years -- Americans are the most optimistic they have been in the past seven years about several aspects of the U.S particularly economic growth and the stock market Majorities of Americans expect both indicators of economic health to go up this year while 41% are hopeful that interest rates will fall exceeding the 35% saying interest rates will rise The public is divided over whether unemployment will increase (38%) or decrease (38%) -- although at a time of relatively low unemployment the 21% expecting the rate to hold steady could be viewed as positive but that is down significantly from recent years Americans' predictions for how five economic indicators will perform in the next six months Americans are optimistic about the outlook for Economic growth unemployment and the stock market over the next six months Gallup has asked Americans to predict the six-month trajectory for these economic indicators in five of the past seven years -- in 2019 it tracked the question nearly every month from October 2001 through 2005 and periodically between 2007 and 2014 conducted shortly before President Donald Trump took office Americans are more positive about these economic indicators than they were in 2019 before the pandemic sent the economy into a brief but deep recession economy bounced back in 2021 but was plagued by inflation rates not seen in four decades The Federal Reserve raised interest rates in an attempt to slow inflation and the stock market has reached record highs Americans’ current outlook on the stock market is the most optimistic Gallup has recorded while the percentages expecting interest rates unemployment and inflation to worsen are among the lowest Solid majorities of Republicans believe all five economic factors will improve over the next six months This includes three-quarters who say the stock market and economic growth will increase over the next six months and six in 10 who say inflation and interest rates will go down Independents share Republicans’ positive expectations for economic growth and the stock market Six in 10 independents believe both will go up more independents think that inflation will get worse (by going up) than predict it will improve (by going down) while they are divided on whether interest rates and unemployment will improve or worsen believe the stock market will increase in the next six months but only one in five expect economic growth to improve Three-quarters of Democrats expect inflation to rise perhaps because of Trump’s pledge to impose tariffs on U.S A majority of Democrats think the unemployment rate will increase Republicans and independents are more optimistic that all five aspects of the economy will improve than they were in January 2023 This was at the midpoint of former President Joe Biden’s term Slightly more Democrats now than in 2023 expect the stock market to increase and interest rates to decrease Changes in Republicans’ outlook are generally larger than those for the other party groups including a 59-percentage-point increase in the percentage expecting economic growth to improve (by going up) and a 49-point decrease in the percentage predicting inflation to improve (by going down) Those changes contrast with a 32-point drop in Democrats’ expectations for economic growth to improve -- the largest movement on any measure for Democrats -- and a 21-point shift on inflation Republicans’ expectations for economic growth and unemployment were similar to now in 2019 when Trump was president and the economy was generally healthy Likely reflecting changing economic conditions since then Republicans are more inclined now than in 2019 to believe the stock market will go up (75% vs which were typically higher than those Biden received on the issue during his term To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). reflects an uptick since October that masks improved ratings from Republicans and worsening ratings from Democrats just before Trump began his second term Americans predict a somewhat challenging 2025 The 44% of Americans who are "very satisfied" with their personal life is at a new low though personal satisfaction still outpaces national satisfaction alleges potential violations of the Governmental Conduct Act and state Procurement Code and retaliation Email notifications are only sent once a day A Virginia-based education company has filed an ethics complaint against the superintendent of Gallup-McKinley County Schools alleging Mike Hyatt retaliated against the firm and tried to terminate its contract with the school district after it turned him down for a “lucrative job.” which describes itself as a for-profit company that provides online and blended education programs accuses Hyatt of violating the Governmental Conduct Act and state Procurement Code Hyatt has ostensibly tried to leverage his position as Superintendent to secure a lucrative job with the Contractor a company over which he has regulatory authority,” the complaint states “Superintendent Hyatt has evidently put his own interest above [about] 4,200 students’ and their families’ interests by seeking employment contrary to the GCA and the Procurement Code,” it adds is the latest to ensnare a public official in controversy since voters in 2018 approved a constitutional amendment to create an independent agency to handle ethics complaints The commission is charged with promoting “the integrity of state government through the interpretation and improvement of New Mexico’s campaign finance and governmental conduct laws,” according to its website Hyatt denied using his position as superintendent to try to get a job with Stride Inc as a vice president of innovation and accused the company of unethical practices The complaint states Hyatt requested an annual salary of $235,000 when he applied to work for the company which has been providing virtual schooling services to the district since June 2020 “I think people are able to apply,” Hyatt said adding he believes the job was eliminated anyway The complaint states the Governmental Conduct Act has specific prohibitions against a public officer or employee seeking employment with a contractor The Procurement Code has similar prohibitions “The GCA requires that public employees treat their government position as a public trust,” the complaint states adding the Procurement Code “prohibits contemporaneous employment with a contractor.” Asked why he would apply for a job with a company contracting with the district “I don’t think there’s anything illegal about that I saw that it looked like an area that I might be interested in if I decided to not work in my district Hyatt indicated he would have left the district had he gotten the job “The [school] board would have to release me from my contract if that’s what I chose to do,” he said “I still have another year or two years on my contract so I could have just decided what I wanted to do.” The job application asked whether Hyatt was “subject to any type of agreement with a current or former employer or entity that would restrict” his ability to work for Stride “Superintendent Hyatt’s response was ‘No’ even though he should have known that he was subject to the GCA’s and Procurement Code’s prohibition from seeking employment with a contractor to the District,” the complaint states The complaint also alleges Hyatt “appeared to log onto the virtual interview from his District computer using his District e-mail address during the school day .. in likely violation of the GCA’s requirement that a public employee use the resources of public office only to advance the public interest and not to pursue private interests.” Hyatt said he was never given anything in writing informing him he didn’t get the job “That’s all I know about as far as the job is concerned.” The complaint seeks to explain why Hyatt didn’t get a formal rejection letter Stride’s senior vice president of schools Adam Hawf turned down Hyatt for the job in a Feb 21 phone call “as opposed to issuing him a formal letter due to the sensitivity of the relationship and a fear that [Hyatt] would adversely affect the District’s relationship with the Contractor,” the complaint states Hyatt alleges Stride is retaliating against him “There’s a whole other issue with that particular company that they’re concerned about because we found that they were breaking the law with our contract and that’s why they’re losing their contract when we have multiple pieces of evidence to show that they broke the law in New Mexico and took advantage,” he said Hyatt provided The New Mexican a copy of a termination for cause and notice of nonrenewal letter he sent to K12 Virtual Schools LLC which was included in the ethics complaint outlines alleged violations of “applicable law and local policy,” including exceeding the required teacher-student ratio and not having appropriately licensed teachers “They found out that we caught on to them trying to profit off of students and breaking the law and they are scrambling because they violated the law and they’re trying to blame that on me not getting a job that’s not even a job,” he said I have nothing in writing to say I didn’t get a job Stride said it stood firmly by its performance “We are successfully helping thousands of students many of whom are engaged in credit recovery to catch up and make meaningful academic progress,” the company said “We are proud of the achievements of our students Families continue to choose this program because of the positive impact it has on their children’s education.” The complaint asserts Hyatt “was aware of the alleged student-teacher ratios and the licensure issues prior to submitting his application for employment with the Contractor.” The complaint also states Hyatt served as a positive reference for Stride with the New Mexico Public Education Department and the state of Ohio as recently as February “despite knowledge of the concerns he later raised” in the April 1 termination letter “He apparently is using the excuse of teacher-student ratios teacher licensure and fingerprint clearance issues that are not new to [the district’s program for virtual educational services] to terminate the Contractor’s Contract in order to potentially enable him to get a position with another vendor to the District who is likely responding to” a pending request for proposals Hyatt also shared a recent news story by the Lexington Herald Leader in Kentucky that states Stride “agreed to a settlement in 2016 over accusations it made false claims about its business.” Asked if he had any regrets applying for a job with Stride “After discovering how unethical and dishonest this company has been I do regret that I would ever put myself in a position to work for “They have harmed students in multiple states and so that it why the contract is looking to be eliminated and has nothing to do with me personally.” Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon An education company filed an ethics complaint Monday against Mike Hyatt superintendent of Gallup-McKinley County Schools which raises potential violations of the Governmental Conduct Act and the state Procurement Code alleges Hyatt retaliated against the company and tried to terminate its contract with the school district after it turned him down for a “lucrative job.” Hyatt denied wrongdoing and claims Stride Inc. is retaliating against him after the school district raised material breaches of the terms of its contract Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Receive a list of headlines from the latest edition of The New Mexican in your inbox every morning get a preview of The New Mexican's big Sunday stories and review highlights from the week Stay informed of the latest local news by receiving emails as soon as news is posted online Stay up to date with news from the Capitol during the legislative session and follow New Mexico politics throughout the year A guide to outdoors opportunities and profiles on peoples' connections with places Keep up with what's going on in the local business scene Receive the latest episode of "Conversations Different" in your inbox every Tuesday.  Taking the temperature of New Mexico's environmental issues local prep sports and more every Wednesday Contests and special offers from The Santa Fe New Mexican and advertising partners Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Americans are far more satisfied with the way things are going in their own life than with the U.S -- Forty-four percent of Americans say they are “very satisfied” with the way things are going in their personal life the lowest by two percentage points in Gallup’s trend dating back to 2001 This also marks the continuation of a decline in personal satisfaction since January 2020 Another 37% of Americans today say they are “somewhat satisfied” with their personal life while far fewer are “somewhat” (9%) or “very” (8%) dissatisfied These findings are from Gallup’s annual Mood of the Nation poll during President Joe Biden’s final weeks in office Gallup has asked Americans whether they are satisfied or dissatisfied with their personal life since 1979 adding the follow-up question measuring degree of satisfaction in 2001 The previous low point in Americans’ high personal satisfaction occurred in 2011 when the country was still recovering from the 2007-2009 recession Similar sub-50% lows occurred at other times of economic uncertainty, including 47% readings in December 2008 during the global economic crisis and last year amid persistently weak economic confidence. Americans’ economic confidence remains in negative territory today which is likely a factor in their latest personal satisfaction reading personal satisfaction was highest when economic confidence was markedly high in January 2020 before the economic collapse precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic Americans in all key demographic subgroups have become less likely to say they are very satisfied with their personal life since early 2020 but Republicans have slipped the most (43 points) The five-point drop in the percentage of Democrats who are very satisfied is the smallest decline Democrats are among the groups registering significantly higher personal satisfaction than the national average adults with an annual household income of $100,000 or more those who attend religious services at least weekly Each of these groups is more likely than their counterparts to say they are very satisfied Although the percentage of Americans who are generally very satisfied with their personal life is at its lowest point the combined share who are very or somewhat satisfied the record low for the combined measure was 73% in July 1979 during the energy crisis personal satisfaction levels have varied between 78% and 85% putting the current measure near the middle but down significantly from the 90% high in January 2020 Americans’ satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S contrasts sharply with their personal satisfaction adults are “very” (50%) or “somewhat” (27%) dissatisfied with the country while just one in five are somewhat (16%) or very (4%) satisfied Personal satisfaction has been consistently higher than national satisfaction since 1979 when Gallup first asked these two questions Personal satisfaction has also been less variable than national satisfaction Not only has dissatisfaction with the country outpaced satisfaction for more than 20 years, but the percentage of Americans saying they are very dissatisfied has been the largest group since 2006. The highest reading for extreme dissatisfaction in the polls it has been asked (typically once a year each January) was 66% in January 2021 The current 50% is above the average of 45% since 2006 Partisanship is the greatest differentiator in satisfaction with the U.S The 61% of Republicans and 40% of Democrats who are very dissatisfied with the U.S illustrates the difference in views of partisans from the sitting president’s party and the opposing party Although the survey was completed before Donald Trump’s inauguration shifts in partisans’ satisfaction with the U.S since last year suggest that their views had already begun to change Republicans’ extreme dissatisfaction has fallen 13 points and Democrats’ has risen seven points since last year After several challenging years that encompassed the COVID-19 pandemic and persistently high prices Americans’ extreme satisfaction with their personal life has fallen to the lowest level in a quarter century though the total percentage satisfied is significantly above the 1979 record low Political discontent appears to have further depressed satisfaction Personal satisfaction continues to far outpace Americans’ satisfaction with the U.S. This dichotomy -- whereby Americans rate their own situation better than the nation’s -- is commonly seen in polling on a number of subjects education and the economy/personal finance Given that Donald Trump is back in the White House history suggests that Republicans’ satisfaction with their own life and with the U.S will improve and Democrats’ will worsen To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). but remains down from the pandemic high of 25% measured as recently as March 2021 Americans' personal satisfaction remains significantly higher than satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S Americans perceive significant AI risks and responsibilities WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nearly all Americans use products that involve artificial intelligence (AI) features, but nearly two-thirds (64%) don’t realize it, according to a new study conducted in partnership with Telescope an organization that works toward the responsible advancement of technology While some Americans are optimistic about how AI will contribute to society in the future believe the government is at least partially responsible for addressing the potential harms and risks associated with AI majorities say business leaders also bear responsibility for how AI is used These findings are based on a nationally representative web study of nearly 4,000 U.S artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as “computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.” When asked whether they have used some kind of AI-enabled product in the past seven days while 50% say they have not and 14% say they aren’t sure when asked about their usage of six common AI-enabled products (personal virtual assistants adults report using at least one of these in the past week with 83% saying they have used at least four Half of those initially saying they have not used an AI-enabled product in the past seven days report using five or six of the listed products in the past week and another 37% report using three or four Over eight in 10 Americans report using five common AI-enabled products within the past seven days -- weather forecasting apps or websites (87%) half of Americans (50%) say they have used a personal virtual assistant such as Amazon Alexa Apple Siri or Microsoft Cortana in the past week Those initially saying they have used an AI-enabled product are considerably more likely to report interacting with a personal virtual assistant (71%) more than a third of those saying they have not used an AI-enabled product also report using a personal virtual assistant in the past week (35%) as do nearly half of those who are unsure whether they’ve used an AI-enabled product (47%) Adults aged 18 to 29 (46%) are significantly more likely than those aged 65 and older (23%) to report using AI weekly Perceived usage of AI is also higher among Americans with a college or graduate degree (47% those earning at least $120,000 in annual household income (45% 38% making $60,000 to less than $120,000 and 30% making less than $60,000) 38% living in suburbs and 31% living in rural areas) more Americans have negative than positive views of AI’s potential impact on various aspects of society Majorities expect that AI will have a negative impact on the spread of false information (72% “somewhat” or “very” negative) Americans’ job opportunities (60%) and U.S national security (56%) and in the next five years AI’s future impact on detecting nonviolent criminal offenses is about equally split The only area asked about that receives more positive than negative views is AI’s impact on medical diagnosis and treatment Americans who report using AI-enabled products in the past week are more likely than those who do not to have positive views of AI’s potential impact The one exception is for the spread of false information for which there is no meaningful difference by reported AI usage Americans who report using a higher number of common AI-enabled products have more positive views of the potential for AI technology in medical diagnosis and treatment: 63% of those who report using five or six of the listed products have somewhat or very positive perceptions of medical applications for AI compared with 58% of those who report using three or four products and 54% who reporting using fewer than three using more AI-enabled products is associated with more negative perceptions of how AI will affect the spread of false information in the next five years While 64% of Americans who use three or fewer products feel AI technology will have a somewhat or very negative impact on the spread of false information 71% of those who use three or four of the products and 75% of those who use five or six products have a negative view are more likely than older adults to have negative perceptions of the impact of AI technology Seventy-eight percent of younger adults say they think AI will have a very or somewhat negative impact on Americans’ opportunities to get good jobs in the next five years there are minimal differences in attitudes by political affiliation The largest gaps are seen for the effect of AI on national security (59% vs 50%) and the spread of false information (78% vs with Democrats reporting more negative attitudes than Republicans in both cases Most Americans say the government is at least partially responsible for reducing the potential harms caused by AI A nearly unanimous 96% say the government is mostly or partly responsible for reducing AI-related national security threats Large majorities of Americans also believe the government is at least partially responsible for addressing potential AI problems related to the spread of false information (88%) unauthorized use of individuals’ likeness (81%) and job displacement (68%) Perceptions of government responsibility are similar among Republicans and Democrats although Republicans are slightly more likely to say business should take primary responsibility for negative effects on workers displaced from their jobs by AI technology job displacement is the one area in which Americans see businesses as having considerably more responsibility than the government: 84% say businesses are mostly (32%) or equally (52%) responsible while 68% say the government is mostly (16%) or equally (52%) responsible Although perceived responsibility for businesses is highest for job displacement effects when it comes to other areas of potential AI-related harm businesses are not off the hook in Americans’ eyes Over six in 10 Americans say the government and businesses are equally responsible for addressing problems related to the spread of false information (68%) personal data privacy violations (63%) and unauthorized use of individuals’ likeness (62%) A slim 52% majority also believe the government and businesses share responsibility for reducing harm to workers who lose their jobs because of AI technology Demographic differences in perceptions of responsibility are generally small and vary across different types of potential AI-related problems When asked how much personal accountability they should take for using AI technology responsibly 55% of Americans believe they should take “a lot” of personal accountability and 32% say they should take “some.” Views of personal accountability for responsible AI use are not any higher among respondents who report using multiple AI-enabled products each week -- 54% of those who use five or six of the listed products say they should take a lot of responsibility with one in seven (14%) saying they feel they should take very little to none who report the highest level of AI-product usage and the most negative views of AI’s impact in the next five years perceptions of personal accountability are even lower Nearly a quarter (23%) say they should take very little to no personal accountability for using AI technology responsibly over twice the rate of those aged 40 and older As AI technology rapidly advances in the U.S products that Americans use frequently in their daily lives are increasingly adopting AI to improve their efficiency it is not always evident to users that a product uses AI features This research confirms that nearly all Americans report using products with AI features sites and web tools such as weather forecasting navigation and online shopping use AI technology Many also do not recognize that virtual personal assistants embedded in smartphones tablets and other devices are a form of AI-enabled technology Despite the ubiquity of AI technology in daily life many Americans hold negative views of its potential influence on jobs social connections and security in the next five years and want to see the U.S government and businesses take a role in reducing the potential harms AI may cause in the future adults feel a high level of personal accountability for their own use of AI These results suggest that many Americans may lack awareness about how their own behavior could shape AI’s impact on U.S offering an opportunity to provide guidance to help Americans incorporate AI into their lives responsibly To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Learn more about how the Gallup Panel works AI adoption could stagnate without effective change leadership Three questions and three actions help workplaces realize the benefits of AI Americans' confidence in the economy has improved while fewer approve of Joe Biden's performance and are satisfied with the state of the nation Fifty-one percent of working women in the U.S report feeling stressed a lot of the day yesterday (vs 42% of working women say their job has had a somewhat or extremely negative impact on their mental health over the last six months (vs The consequential ripples of women's wellbeing affect organizations as declines in wellbeing are associated with lower engagement higher burnout and increased participation in job-seeking behaviors Women who report feeling stressed a lot of the day yesterday are 46% more likely to be actively looking or watching for new job opportunities Based on research conducted from February 2023 through October 2024 Gallup examined how the relationship between work and life can affect women’s career trajectories and overall wellbeing trying to find balance between work and life feels like a perpetual tug-of-war with each side demanding an increased level of presence and attention About one in six women (17%) report having to address personal or family responsibilities at work daily or several times a day (vs 18% of women say they need to address job-related responsibilities outside of working hours at least daily (vs Women are also more likely to think about work during their personal time each day (39% of women vs These daily disruptions -- whether it be scheduling dentist appointments for children between meetings or answering emails after hours -- are associated with higher levels of stress Women who report managing all three of these previously mentioned behaviors daily to several times a day are 81% more likely to feel burned out By supporting women in integrating personal and work responsibilities organizations can benefit from these employees’ improved wellbeing being the default responder to their children’s needs can significantly affect their careers Women (38%) and men (37%) are similarly likely to strongly agree that their organization provides them with the flexibility needed to address child care responsibilities But women with children (64%) are nearly three times as likely as men (22%) to strongly agree they are the parent or guardian expected to address unexpected child care issues Working women with children are roughly twice as likely as their male counterparts to report having considered reducing their hours or leaving their jobs altogether because of child care issues or declined or delayed promotions because of personal or family obligations These findings might suggest that women are “opting out” of their careers to focus on childrearing. However, Gallup observes a similar trend among working parents and guardians who have indicated a desire to pursue positions in senior leadership This suggests that women’s tendency to take actions that have the potential to limit their career at greater rates than men cannot be fully attributed to gender differences in career aspirations In terms of work styles, employees tend to be either “splitters” or “blenders.” Splitters prefer to have clear boundaries between work and personal life Blenders prefer to alternate between work and personal time moving fluidly between the two throughout the day Just over half of women employed full time (54%) prefer a blender work style (vs when looking at their actual work arrangements Gallup finds that 75% of full-time working women report that their actual work schedule matches that of a splitter (vs This means that more than one in three women employed full time (36% vs 29% of men) have a misalignment between their preferred work style and actual work arrangement This mismatch can result in lower engagement and make them more likely to seek a new job While many organizations now provide greater flexibility many women do not have the blended work arrangement they desire and need to continue developing and growing in their careers workforce1 and more than half of the college-educated labor force2 organizations must find ways to support women in balancing the competing demands of work and life Just 26% of women strongly agree their organization cares about their wellbeing This suggests that either organizations are not doing enough to publicize their policies or that the current wellbeing offerings do not adequately address women’s needs The first step in designing effective change is reviewing current policies and resources with the goal of understanding usage and gathering employee feedback Leaders should consider how roles are structured and look for opportunities for greater flexibility for those and resources ensures that employees are aware of and feel encouraged to use the organization’s wellbeing offerings Managers are the crucial link between employers and employees. They are responsible for translating organizational strategies, policies and expectations while helping direct reports integrate work in a way that aligns with their lives. When employees have conversations about wellbeing at work they are most likely to do so with their manager only a quarter of employees report that their manager was someone who had provided helpful support for balancing work and personal responsibilities When asked where they have received the most helpful support in this area employees are most likely to report friends and family this finding is particularly concerning given the vital role managers play in helping employees achieve their career aspirations while navigating their individualized needs managers need clear expectations and dedicated training for initiating meaningful conversations -- including those about wellbeing -- with their employees While the job of manager is not that of a mental health expert or practitioner foster trust and engage employees with genuine interest creates an environment where concerns about wellbeing can be raised and addressed Programs and managers alone cannot make progress if employees do not feel that their organization has a strong culture of wellbeing If employees doubt leadership’s commitment to wellbeing initiatives or worry about negative repercussions for accessing them they may avoid engaging with these offerings This avoidance can lead to resources being overlooked and employee needs remaining unmet ultimately affecting the company’s bottom line Building a culture of wellbeing starts with leaders demonstrating desired behaviors fostering open communication about the importance of wellbeing and making the employee experience a central focus of their organizational strategy https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/civilian-labor-force-summary.htm https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/09/26/women-now-outnumber-men-in-the-u-s-college-educated-labor-force/ Kristin Barry is Director of Hiring Analytics at Gallup Kate Den Houter is a Research Associate at Gallup Karen Guggenheim is the founder of the World Wellbeing Policy Forum and CEO of the wellbeing platform WOHASU Outdated structures and family responsibilities can hinder women's career goals Here's how to support their rise to the top A new metric reveals how employees want to configure work and life a preference that can have a big impact on how they are managed in the new workforce CHROs may be underestimating how many of their employees prefer a traditional 9-to-5 schedule See the latest data on splitters and blenders Are you worried about employees mentally checking out Workplace trends like quiet quitting and the hunt for "lazy girl jobs" -- high-paying low-effort employment -- make it increasingly challenging to operate a high-performance workplace That's why we created this employee engagement checklist: to help leaders like you create involved and enthusiastic workforces Use the advice in this checklist to increase engagement and make this year your organization's year of mission Trust in political and civic institutions highest for local and state governments adults have no trust at all in the media (36%) than trust it a great deal or fair amount Another 33% of Americans express “not very much” confidence Gallup first asked this question in 1972 and has measured it in most years since 1997 yet by Gallup’s next readings in the late 1990s and early 2000s smaller majorities of 51% to 55% trusted the news media The latest findings are from a poll conducted Sept which includes Gallup’s annual update on trust in the media and other civic and political entities in the U.S As has been the case historically, partisans have different levels of confidence in the media to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. Currently, 54% of Democrats, 27% of independents and 12% of Republicans say they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in the media. Independents’ trust matches the record low in 2022 while Democrats’ and Republicans’ are statistically similar to their historical low points After dropping precipitously to the trend low of 51% in 2016 Democrats’ trust in the media ranged from 68% to 76% between 2017 and 2022 but fell to 58% last year and has edged down since significant gaps in trust have also emerged by age An analysis by age groups using aggregated data to increase sample sizes shows a 17-percentage-point gap in trust between the oldest Americans (those aged 65 and older) and those under age 50 -- 43% vs Young Democrats trust the media far less than older Democrats do: 31% of Democrats aged 18 to 29 versus 74% of those aged 65 and older have a great deal or fair amount of confidence The news media is the least trusted group among 10 U.S civic and political institutions involved in the democratic process The legislative branch of the federal government adults express at least a fair amount of trust in their local government to handle local problems (67%) their state government to address state problems (55%) and the American people as a whole when it comes to making judgments under our democratic system about the issues facing the country (54%) Between 40% and 48% of Americans trust the judicial branch headed by the U.S the federal government’s handling of international problems and the executive branch led by the president adults trust the federal government’s handling of domestic problems (37%) Each of these individual readings is below its average dating back to 1972 with several near their historical low ratings -- including the federal government’s handling of domestic and international problems The only significant change since last year is a six-point increase in confidence in men and women in political life who either hold or are running for public office express a great deal or fair amount of trust in all but two of the entities -- the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government majorities of Republicans have confidence in the judicial branch and state and local governments Democrats’ trust exceeds Republicans’ by more than 40 points for the executive branch the federal government’s handling of international and domestic problems Republicans’ trust outpaces Democrats’ in just one of the entities -- the judicial branch Each entity garners more trust from older than younger adults except for the legislative and judicial branches The United States continues to suffer from a crisis in confidence in many institutions and those who either hold or are running for public office trust in the fourth estate -- the mass media -- is at a new low Local and state governments and the American people as a whole are the only entities garnering trust from more than half of U.S To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). as being greatly divided on the most important values largely because of depressed ratings from Democrats Most key measures of the political environment for the 2024 election favor the Republican Party over the Democratic Party A sharp rise over the past decade in young women who describe their political views as liberal is reflected most prominently in their attitudes on the environment and abortion Well-recognized employees were 45% less likely to have changed organizations two years later Organizations face constant risk of losing their top talent, shouldering the cost of their replacement and managing the cultural disruption of their exit. Gallup finds that in May 2024, 51% of all U.S. employees were watching for or actively seeking a new job But much of this turnover risk is preventable New research from Gallup and Workhuman evaluated the relationship between recognition and turnover by tracking the career paths of nearly 3,500 employees from 2022 to 2024 The findings strengthen existing evidence that employees who receive high-quality recognition defined by five pillars of strategic recognition are more connected to their organization’s culture and more likely to stay at their organization years into the future The key takeaway from this research is that employees who receive high-quality recognition are less likely to leave their jobs Longitudinal data from 2022 to 2024 show that well-recognized employees are 45% less likely to have turned over after two years new findings show that the risk of future departures is further reduced when looking at employees currently receiving high-quality praise that fulfills at least four pillars of strategic recognition These employees are 65% less likely to be actively looking or watching for another job opportunity compared with those receiving lower-quality recognition Turnover is expensive for organizations Gallup estimates that replacing leaders and managers costs around 200% of their salary replacing employees in technical roles costs 80% of their salary and replacing frontline workers costs 40% of their salary excluding unmeasured losses in morale and knowledge it can cause other employees to reevaluate their own roles worry about job security or even question the company’s future Voluntary turnover can also eliminate role expertise gained over years of performing well and disrupt workplace friendships that boost engagement Despite recognition’s proven impact on key business outcomes, initial Gallup-Workhuman research in 2022 revealed that the substantial benefits of strategic recognition remained unrealized in most organizations only 19% of senior leaders and managers said employee recognition was a major strategic priority at their organization senior leaders were 50% more likely to strongly agree with the value of recognition (42% vs While leaders are increasingly acknowledging the importance of recognition Just 22% of employees say they get the right amount of recognition for the work they do But the five pillars of recognition offer a way to bridge the gap between leadership priorities and employees’ daily experiences Implementing quality recognition should be incremental Gallup and Workhuman have identified five essential pillars of strategic recognition in the workplace to build a culture that prioritizes and consistently delivers high-quality recognition employees either do not receive recognition at all or do not receive recognition that satisfies any of the five pillars of strategic recognition employees who receive recognition that meets at least four pillars are nine times as likely to be engaged as employees whose recognition experiences do not fulfill any of the five pillars And meeting all five pillars can have a transformational impact on key outcomes like engagement and turnover While meeting most of the pillars is ideal employees who receive recognition that satisfies even one of the pillars are 2.9 times as likely to be engaged as those who receive recognition that does not meet any of the pillars Leaders can create an intentional plan to introduce additional pillars to realize the full potential of strategic recognition Leaders can create a competitive advantage by integrating high-quality strategic recognition across their organizations leaders are acknowledging the increasing need for recognition systems many organizations still underappreciate the full power of recognition Recognition is a powerful and cost-effective way to improve organizational performance When implemented with intention and backing from employees strategic recognition using the five pillars is proven to help facilitate drastic long-lasting improvements in both retention and employee engagement two of an organization’s most vital outcomes in the modern workplace Rachael Yi is a Content Associate at Gallup Effective recognition does more than lets employees know they're doing a good job -- Five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic forced nationwide closures of businesses and schools in the U.S. a steady three in five Americans say the pandemic is over while almost as many worry that there will be another global pandemic in their lifetime report that their life is completely back to the normal that existed before the pandemic while 13% expect to eventually return to pre-pandemic normalcy and 40% think life will never get back to normal report having contracted COVID-19 at some point since 2020 Sixteen percent of Americans say they have tested positive without having any symptoms When it comes to their current feelings about catching COVID-19 one in five Americans continue to say they are worried but relatively few say they are wearing a mask regularly adults say they have received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past six months or plan to get one soon 18-26 update to Gallup's probability-based COVID-19 web panel tracking poll These readings are unchanged from Gallup’s last update one year ago Gallup has tracked Americans’ perceptions of whether the pandemic is over in the U.S In late May/early June 2023 -- after President Joe Biden signed a congressional resolution to end the nation’s state of emergency and the U.S and global public health emergency declarations ended -- a majority (64%) said the pandemic was over continued to believe it had ended in late August/early September 2023 As has been the case since Gallup’s first reading in 2021 Republicans are more likely than independents and Democrats to say the pandemic is over 61% of independents and 43% of Democrats think the pandemic has ended These readings are on par with last year’s Although a majority of Americans think the pandemic is over report that their life is completely back to normal Another 13% say their life has not yet returned to pre-pandemic normalcy but expect it will while 40% do not anticipate it ever getting back to normal Americans’ reports of a return to normalcy have edged up four percentage points to a new high in this trend that began in 2021 Republicans (58%) are more likely than Democrats (42%) and independents (45%) to say their life is back to normal 41% of independents and 29% of Republicans say their life will never be normal again Similarly small shares of each group expect normalcy to eventually return are worried that there will be another global pandemic in their lifetime including 16% who are “very worried” and 42% “somewhat worried.” Another 26% of Americans are “not too worried,” and 15% are “not worried at all.” Partisans’ concerns about another global pandemic diverge sharply as majorities of Democrats (78%) and independents (57%) say they are at least somewhat worried Twenty-nine percent of Republicans are not worried at all about a future pandemic Americans’ current worry about getting COVID-19 is essentially unchanged from one year ago as 21% say they are very (3%) or somewhat (18%) worried Concern about getting COVID-19 was highest in the first year of the pandemic adults’ worry averaged 53% between April and November 2020 The lowest point in worry about contracting the virus was 17% in June 2021 Worry then increased as new variants of the disease spread in 2021 and 2022 Worry about contracting COVID-19 remains highest among Democrats and some largely Democratic groups such as women The 29% of Democrats who now say they are worried about getting the virus compares with 9% of Republicans and 21% of independents adults say they “always” or “very often” wear a mask outside their home and 13% do so “sometimes.” Twenty-eight percent “rarely” wear a mask Those who have worn a mask are most likely to say they have done so to avoid COVID-19 infection -- including those who say they are immunocompromised (22%) and those who say they are not (36%) Another 10% say they have worn a mask to follow CDC guidelines after having COVID-19 and 33% say they’ve worn a mask for reasons not related to COVID-19 adults say they have received a COVID-19 vaccination in the past six months (46%) or plan to do so (5%) while 49% say they have not gotten the latest shot Vaccination status is much higher among Democrats (66%) than Republicans (24%) older adults (58%) than younger adults (43%) and college graduates (55%) than those without a college degree (42%) Americans are slightly more likely to report that they have received an annual flu shot than a COVID-19 shot (51% vs This pattern is seen particularly among Republicans (among whom 38% have received a flu shot) and older adults (71%) Those who have not recently been vaccinated against COVID-19 were asked to choose the main reason for not getting the shot Twenty-one percent express concerns about the safety of the shot while slightly smaller percentages say they do not believe it is effective (16%) believe they already have antibodies from the virus (16%) plan to get it but have not yet done so (16%) or do not think they would face serious health effects from COVID-19 (15%) Fewer say they don’t trust vaccines in general (8%) or are concerned about reacting to the shot (7%) Americans’ personal experiences with COVID-19 over the past five years are quite varied: Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented shutdown in modern U.S a majority of Americans say the pandemic is over adults say their life is not yet back to normal and never will be About six in 10 Americans are worried about another global pandemic in the future as Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say the pandemic is ongoing and that their life is still disrupted as a result Democrats are also far more worried than Republicans about another global pandemic occurring in their lifetime with far more Democrats than Republicans saying they have received a COVID-19 shot in the past six months To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Less than one month into his second term in office, President Donald Trump’s job approval rating is at 45%, similar to his first post-inauguration reading of 47% in January Trump’s ratings on several issues that his administration has targeted in the first weeks of his presidency are similar to his overall rating approve of the president’s handling of the situations in Ukraine and in the Middle East between the Israelis and Palestinians as fewer offer opinions of his performance on these two issues conducted as Trump continued to sign an unprecedented number of executive orders memoranda and proclamations addressing a wide array of policy areas 37% of independents and 4% of Democrats approve of Trump’s job performance overall Republicans also broadly approve of the president’s handling of immigration (92%) Another 80% of Republicans each approve of Trump’s handling of the situations in the Middle East and Ukraine Democrats register single-digit approval ratings of Trump on all six issues measured Aside from independents’ 40% rating for the president’s performance on immigration their ratings range from 31% on the economy to 37% on foreign affairs Trump's job approval rating is 15 points below the historical average for all other elected presidents in mid-February since 1953, but it is five points higher than the February reading in his first term Bill Clinton has the next lowest mid-February rating for a newly inaugurated president -- which is six points higher than where Trump is now John Kennedy (72%) and Jimmy Carter (71%) were the highest rated at this point in their presidencies the gap in partisans’ approval of presidents in their first February in office ranged from 21 to 60 points increased further to 84 points in 2021 for Biden and is now a record-high 89 points for Trump Trump’s current ratings on foreign affairs and the economy are also historically low compared with early-term ratings for other recent presidents His latest 44% approval rating on foreign affairs though better than the 38% he earned at the same point in his first term Barack Obama (54%) and Clinton (53%) but similar to George W Republicans (+8 points) and independents (+7 points) are more likely to approve of Trump’s handling of foreign affairs now than in 2017 while Democrats' ratings of him on the issue are essentially unchanged Trump’s approval rating on the economy now is lower than his 48% reading in February 2017 as well as the first-term February ratings for Biden (54%) Clinton’s 45% economic rating in February 1993 While nine in 10 Republicans again approve of Trump’s handling of the economy independents’ approval is now 13 points lower and Democrats’ is eight points lower Americans’ approval of Congress has jumped 12 points since early January, to 29%, which is the highest rating since May 2021 congressional job approval had not risen above 20% in just over two years The latest jump in Americans’ rating of Congress is mostly owed to a 42-point surge among Republicans whose improved views are likely the result of their party assuming control of the U.S 53% of Republicans approve of the job Congress is doing along with 26% of independents (up nine points) and 5% of Democrats (down 18 points) Republicans’ approval for that Congress ultimately averaged 29% Congressional approval also averaged 40% among Democrats for that session Each party’s record-high approval rating of Congress was recorded in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. when Americans rallied around their government and institutions Republicans’ congressional approval was 89% Democrats’ was 82% and independents’ was 81% Republicans’ widespread approval of Trump’s overall job performance and his handling of immigration and the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East is not enough to earn him majority-level ratings among all Americans This is because independents’ approval of the president is weak and Democrats’ is nearly nonexistent Trump’s first two job approval ratings have both been below 50% due to relatively low support among independents, similar to his first term but lower than what Biden enjoyed early in his term. Like Trump, Biden registered exceedingly high approval from his party but very low approval from the opposition Republicans are also pushing overall approval of Congress to its highest point in more than two years as they seek to enact Trump’s policy agenda history has shown that partisans’ approval tends to fade somewhat after an initial honeymoon period To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Explore President Trump's approval ratings and compare them with those of past presidents in the Gallup Presidential Job Approval Center View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Trump's initial job approval rating is similar to what it was at the start of his first term reaffirming his position as the lowest-rated new president since 1953 Among the five living men who have served as president Barack Obama has the most favorable image and Joe Biden the least favorable A 45% plurality of Democrats say they would like their party to become more moderate while a similar 43% plurality of Republicans prefer that their party maintain its current ideological bent Positive views of foreign trade surge again under Trump foreign policy preferences at the start of Donald Trump's second term are largely the same as Gallup found when he took office in 2017 The public is united in thinking the nation's top priorities should be preventing terrorism curtailing nuclear proliferation and securing energy supplies to pursue favorable trade deals and work with organizations like the United Nations to bring about global cooperation on the other hand, rate promoting democracy or economic development in other countries as highly important although there are sharp partisan differences in views on this group of goals These findings are from Gallup’s annual World Affairs poll In addition to measuring Americans’ preferred foreign policy goals for the first time in eight years the poll finds widespread public support for the NATO alliance Gallup measures views about the economic impact of foreign trade annually the percentage saying foreign trade represents more of an opportunity than a threat to the U.S statistically similar to the prior high of 79% seen at the end of Trump’s first term This is primarily fueled by Republicans’ returning to the same level of enthusiasm about trade as they had in 2020 after feeling less confident during Joe Biden’s presidency The poll asked whether each of 11 foreign policy objectives should be a very important foreign policy goal of the U.S. Americans prioritize national security in foreign policy placing less value on supporting other countries politically or economically Most Americans not rating each goal as “very important” at least rate it as "somewhat important" rather than "not too" or "not at all" important Americans’ views have changed on one of the eight goals previously rated in 2017 -- defending U.S allies’ security -- while the rest are statistically unchanged The 59% currently saying that defending allies’ security ought to be a very important goal is down from 66% in 2017 but is similar to all prior ratings dating back to 2001 Working with multinational organizations like NATO and helping reduce poverty and disease around the world are new to the list this year while promoting economic development in other countries was included once before with less than a third in both readings rating such economic diplomacy as very important Republicans and Democrats broadly agree that preventing terrorism and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons should be key U.S Majorities of Republicans and Democrats also agree that securing adequate energy supplies promoting favorable trade policies for the U.S allies’ security are highly important Partisans are also somewhat in agreement that helping build democracies and promoting economic development elsewhere are less important U.S All three party groups place these at the bottom of the list though more Democrats than Republicans rate them as very important there are substantial partisan differences in perceptions of how important it is to work with multinational organizations and promote and defend human rights abroad Democrats rate each of these much more highly than independents and Republicans do the gap between Democrats’ and Republicans’ prioritization of promoting human rights abroad has widened significantly Close to half of each party group rated this as very important from 2001 through 2008 but Republicans have since become less likely to consider it very important Independents’ views on the issue haven’t changed significantly Republicans’ already strong focus on securing energy supplies has increased further (from 83% in 2017 to 90% today) -- while Democrats’ interest in this Partisans’ views on the other goals are similar to eight years ago Republicans’ and Democrats’ views on helping other countries build democracies have flipped since one point during the Iraq War Democrats (47%) are much more likely than Republicans (21%) to rate it as very important This is a near reversal of attitudes in 2005 was attempting to install a democratic government in Iraq under George W after the Bush administration overthrew Saddam Hussein Despite not rating working with NATO as an important foreign policy goal as highly as Democrats do the majority of Republicans (64%) join most Democrats (92%) and independents (75%) in believing the NATO alliance should be maintained three-quarters of Americans continue to back the alliance The percentage of Americans who consider foreign trade as an opportunity for economic growth has jumped 20 percentage points since last year while those seeing it as more of a threat to the U.S This returns perceptions of trade to the attitudes seen toward the end of Trump’s first term All three political party groups became more confident about the benefits of trade under Trump from 2017 to 2020 then grew less confident under Biden and have since reverted to being more positive today Republicans’ views have swung the most by far in the past year These shifts likely reflect Republicans’ much higher confidence in Trump than Biden to negotiate trade deals that would be favorable to the U.S Democrats may be more positive about the benefits of trade defensively in reaction to Trump’s proposing tariffs on imports Americans put the greatest emphasis on U.S energy procurement and favorable trade policies Majorities of Republicans and Democrats agree that these should be foreign policy priorities The most substantive differences between the parties are seen in working with organizations like NATO and the U.N compared with roughly four in 10 Republicans say that working with organizations like these should be very important U.S amid the Trump administration freezing most foreign aid administered through the USAID program during Trump’s first month in office Democrats put much more emphasis than Republicans on humanitarian efforts abroad Continuing the pressure he put on NATO countries to contribute more to Europe’s defense in his first term Trump in January called for member countries -- but not necessarily the U.S -- to increase their defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product Such messaging may explain why Republicans continue to support the NATO alliance but at a lower rate than Democrats all party groups’ confidence in foreign trade has returned to the high levels last seen in February 2020 To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). research from Gallup and Workhuman finds that simply adjusting workplace policies does not always unlock the benefits of remote work for employee wellbeing benefits implementing practices that put people first is the key to elevating employee wellbeing Leaders and managers can cultivate a thriving workforce by aligning their support for employees with their remote work strategies According to Gallup research, 76% of full-time hybrid workers in the U.S. most often cite improved work-life balance as a top advantage of hybrid work This sentiment is even clearer among exclusively remote workers with 85% saying that improved work-life balance is among the greatest benefits of remote work For many workers without flexible work arrangements working from home at least some of the time has a strong appeal found that a majority (61%) of on-site workers working a full-time job with remote capability would prefer a hybrid work arrangement and an additional 28% would prefer to be fully remote Hybrid and remote work appeal to many workers as a direct solution to achieving a healthy work-life balance the data on daily experiences across work locations tell a more complex story Fully remote workers are most likely (33%) to strongly agree that they are able to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal commitments but hybrid (27%) and on-site (25%) workers report experiences with work-life balance that are not significantly different from each other employees across all three work arrangements experience frequent burnout at statistically similar rates Despite some clear advantages for exclusively remote workers employees across all work locations have room for improvement in these vital aspects of their wellbeing work location plays a fundamental role in an employee’s work experience fully remote (37%) and hybrid workers (36%) are significantly more engaged than their on-site peers (30%) key outcomes related to employee experience are much more strongly influenced by good managers and business practices Research from Gallup and Workhuman confirms that focusing on the human element of workplace culture results in meaningful differences in employee wellbeing Gallup and Workhuman identified several strategies that organizations can use to improve aspects of wellbeing for all employees regardless of whether they are working in an on-site hybrid or exclusively remote work environment Over the past five years, Gallup research has shown a decline in clarity of expectations at work across the U.S. workforce with remote and hybrid employees experiencing this decline at twice the rate Consistent ambiguity at work generates stress hinders productivity and burdens workers trying to balance the responsibilities of work and life Creating role clarity and helping employees know what is expected of them at work each day is increasingly important when employees’ schedules and work locations are less defined and structured Gallup and Workhuman find that employees who strongly agree that they know what is expected of them at work are 47% less likely to experience frequent burnout and 23% less likely to say they struggle with work-life balance a few times a week or more Effective managers build clarity by explicitly sharing their expectations and collaborating with employees to prioritize projects and tasks They are ready to partner with employees to reprioritize as demands change where managers involve employees in conversations about setting performance goals is crucial for helping employees set reasonable targets that align with a healthy work-life balance Even highly talented employees can burn out when expected to achieve the unachievable employees with high achievement drives may feel compelled to work more at the expense of their wellbeing and productivity Managers who facilitate frequent check-ins with their employees to discuss progress on their goals create a dynamic system of accountability They ensure each employee aligns with team goals while establishing reasonable objectives Recognition goes beyond a simple “feel good” exchange among employees it enhances wellbeing by allowing employees to feel seen and valued for reasons beyond their workplace contributions Employees who strongly agree that recognition is an important part of their organization’s culture are 4.2 times as likely to strongly agree that their organization cares about their wellbeing Recognition is also a powerful tool that leaders and managers can use to communicate organizational values and expectations recognition signals to employees the behaviors their managers and team members want to see more often To support employee wellbeing and work-life balance organizations should focus recognition on the behaviors that align with their values if an employee is only recognized for staying late at the office or working overtime to complete a project it may create an expectation that such efforts are necessary for success Managers and leaders can promote wellbeing by recognizing achievements and actions outside of work This acknowledges employees as people with lives outside of work and can include recognition for life events Gallup and Workhuman find doing so is an effective but underutilized resource Slightly more than one in three employees (37%) say they receive recognition for non-work-related things but those who do are twice as likely to say their organization cares about their wellbeing The relationship between remote work and wellbeing is not always straightforward Life’s responsibilities do not disappear when an employee moves to a more remote work arrangement While increased workplace flexibility provides a small boost in healthy work-life balance for exclusively remote workers human-centric business practices consistently drive meaningful improvements in the employee experience across work locations Gallup and Workhuman find that all leaders and managers can support their employees’ wellbeing by setting clear expectations Emily Lorenz and Rachael Yi contributed to this article Gallup studied 10,570 full-time remote-capable workers from a nationally representative study of 21,543 workers in the U.S. Results based on this sample of full-time remote-capable workers have a margin of sampling error of ±1.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level for response percentages around 50% and ±0.7 for response percentages around 10% or 90% Shared Gallup-Workhuman findings featured in this article are based on a survey conducted from April 16-30 with 4,439 adults who are employed full time or part time For results based on these samples of national employed adults the margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level is ±2.3 percentage points for response percentages around 50% and is ±1.4 percentage points for response percentages around 10% or 90% Recognition is an essential component of great organizational culture See how employee recognition -- or lack thereof -- is affecting key industries Recognition -- when it means something -- boosts employees' engagement and wellbeing Ensure your recognition counts by making it authentic Generosity could do more for people's wellbeing than earning a higher salary WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This year’s World Happiness Report not only reveals which country is the happiest in the world but also underscores the power of kindness: New evidence shows acts of generosity and the belief in others’ goodwill are significant predictors of happiness These findings couldn’t come at a more important time Gallup trends show that acts of benevolence -- helping a stranger volunteering time and donating money -- have dropped significantly from their pandemic-era peak Though still higher than pre-pandemic levels the sudden drop-off in these behaviors raises questions about where these trends might be headed Nordic countries continue to dominate the top spots Iceland and Sweden maintaining their positions as the happiest countries in the world This year's top 10 countries also include Costa Rica and Mexico from Latin America and Israel from the Middle East. Notably, after falling out of the top 20 for the first time last year 15 Western industrial countries are now less happy than they were between 2005 and 2010 Switzerland and Canada are among the biggest losers the most recent report focuses on the effect that caring and sharing have on people’s happiness Despite the rise in generosity during the COVID-19 pandemic volunteering and donating -- have lost their momentum This matters to the world’s future wellbeing because individually these behaviors are all key drivers of happiness One of the report’s most striking revelations is that being kind and expecting kindness from others -- believing that your wallet would be returned if you lost it -- are stronger predictors of happiness than avoiding major negative events like crime or economic hardship believing in the goodwill of those around us can have a bigger impact on our wellbeing than earning a higher salary countries where people expect their lost wallets to be returned -- like the Nordic nations -- rank highest in happiness The simple belief that others will act with honesty and decency contributes to greater overall life satisfaction These findings reaffirm what social scientists have long suggested: Benevolence benefits both the giver and the receiver Engaging in acts of kindness provides a psychological boost and creates a ripple effect People who regularly engage in benevolent acts -- such as helping a stranger volunteering or donating -- report higher life satisfaction than those who don’t But the benefits aren’t just about feeling good in the moment Long-term studies show that sustained acts of generosity lead to improved mental and physical health But benevolent actions could deliver even more benefits if they involve what the World Happiness Report refers to as the “three Cs” -- caring connections People who help others and expect kindness from others are happier A happier world might be simpler than we think: Choose kindness Our happiness -- and the happiness of those around us -- depends on it Read the full report. To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Gallup's latest annual update on how the world feels shows its emotional state stopped getting worse in 2022 negative emotions fell for the first time since 2014 worry and physical pain each taking a downturn "Blind Spot: The Global Rise of Unhappiness and How Leaders Missed It." The latest World Happiness Report delivers some unhappy news to Americans -- and the rest of the world Sharp decline in confidence in judiciary is among the largest Gallup has ever measured LONDON -- Americans’ confidence in their nation’s judicial system and courts dropped to a record-low 35% in 2024 still expresses trust in an institution that relies largely on the public’s confidence to protect its authority and independence Americans’ perceptions of their courts were most often in line with the median for OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries with a majority in each typically expressing confidence confidence in the courts across the other OECD countries has been stable has seen a sharp decline -- 24 percentage points -- in the past four years The resulting 20-point gap in confidence between the U.S and the median of OECD nations in 2024 is the largest in the Gallup trend it is also among the steepest declines Gallup has measured globally on this metric Few countries and territories have seen larger percentage-point drops in confidence in the judiciary (over a similar four-year span) than the U.S These include Myanmar (from 2018 to 2022) overlapping the return to military rule in 2021 Venezuela (2012-2016) amid deep economic and political turmoil and Syria (2009-2013) in the runup to and early years of civil war and others that have experienced their own kinds of disorder in the past two decades it is still higher than what Gallup has previously measured in places such as Venezuela in 2016 (16%) Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013 (22%) or Syria in 2013 (25%) A look at trends in judicial confidence by Americans’ approval of their country’s leadership (Gallup doesn’t measure party identification in its global surveys) provides insights into how the U.S has reached its lowest point on record for faith in the courts leadership have lost confidence in the judicial system and courts judicial confidence among those approving of U.S leadership was steady at 62% between 2021 and 2023 the one seen in the first four years of Barack Obama’s administration This year marks the first time on record that judicial confidence among those approving of U.S and the first time that confidence in the courts has been below 50% among both those who approve and those who disapprove of U.S a double whammy pushing the national figure to its lowest in two decades It’s been the norm for those disapproving of their country’s leadership during Democratic administrations to lose confidence in the judicial system over time (just as disapprovers of the country’s leadership did during Donald Trump’s presidency the 17-point drop under Biden signals that something profound occurred to atypically shake his opponents’ confidence in the courts -- with the various legal cases against Trump likely factors the 18-point decline in confidence in the judicial system between 2023 and 2024 among those who approve of their country’s leadership may also be related to Trump’s legal cases reflecting dissatisfaction with several circuit court and Supreme Court decisions that went in Trump’s favor leadership approvers’ confidence in the judicial system above 60% across the first three years of Biden’s presidency (before plunging in 2024) contrasts with the decline Gallup has documented in Democrats’ trust in the Supreme Court This suggests that the questions measure different sentiments -- particularly that respondents may not have had only the Supreme Court in mind when asked about the judicial system and courts more generally Democrats’ trust in the judicial branch headed by the Supreme Court fell 25 points (from 50% to 25%) between 2021 and 2022 spanning the Dobbs decision overturning constitutional protections for abortion Democrats’ confidence in the Supreme Court rebounded a bit Republicans’ trust in the high court increased slightly between 2021 (61%) and 2022 (67%) The judiciary stands out for losing more U.S institutions experienced between 2020 and 2024 Even though confidence in the national government also declined the decline of 24 points in judicial confidence is somewhat outsized Dozens of countries have at different points seen larger collapses in government confidence than the U.S. while few have seen bigger declines in judicial confidence Americans also express less confidence in the military and financial institutions in 2024 than they did in 2020 but these declines have not been as severe About half of Americans today are confident in the honesty of elections The net result is that for the first time on record many more Americans trust the honesty of their elections (51%) than trust their judicial system (35%) Confidence in the rule of law is foundational to a free society But Americans’ faith in the embodiment of the rule of law -- the judicial system -- has fallen significantly in recent years But if confidence in the courts remains jaded -- perhaps for different reasons and irrespective of approval toward the country’s leadership under Trump -- it could undermine the public’s faith in the legitimacy of important legal cases and decisions To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted June 28-Aug the margin of sampling error is ±4.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level Gallup's latest update on global safety shows people worldwide feel safer today than they did a decade ago Supreme Court remains mired in the low 40s Ukrainians are growing increasingly weary of the war with Russia Gallup's latest surveys of Ukraine show 52% would like to see the war end as soon as possible This article is the first in a series based on Gallup’s latest surveys in Ukraine some occupied territories with entrenched Russian control were excluded because of lack of coverage by Ukrainian mobile operators The exclusion represents approximately 10% to 12% of the population LONDON -- After more than two years of grinding conflict Ukrainians are increasingly weary of the war with Russia In Gallup’s latest surveys of Ukraine an average of 52% of Ukrainians would like to see their country negotiate an end to the war as soon as possible Nearly four in 10 Ukrainians (38%) believe their country should keep fighting until victory Ukrainians’ current attitudes toward the war represent a decisive shift from where they stood after it began in late February 2022 Surveyed in the months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion with 73% preferring fighting until victory support for fighting until victory slipped but more than twice as many Ukrainians favored a continued fight (63%) over a negotiated peace (27%) with support for negotiated peace rising to 52% Rising fatigue with the war comes at a time when its immediate future is in question Russia has made military inroads on the front line in recent months despite Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's "victory plan" to end the war which includes joining NATO and using Western long-range missiles against Russian territory also received mixed reactions from Western allies when presented last month -- overlapping the timing of Gallup's October fieldwork outgoing President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the green light to strike inside Russia using long-range U.S the prospect of now-President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House may have created uncertainty about the ongoing provision of military and monetary aid the United States has given more military aid than any other country to Ukraine Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022 the front line of the conflict has remained mostly in the country’s East and South these same regions most exposed to the conflict were least likely to want to keep fighting it although majorities supported it (63% and 61% support for continuing the war has withered in all regions in Ukraine no matter how close to the front line they are Support has dipped below 50% everywhere in 2024 Some of the biggest declines in support for the fight have been in regions far from the front line including Kyiv (down 39 percentage points) and the West (down 40 points) Among Ukrainians living in the country’s East more than twice as many people now want the war to end as soon as possible (63%) rather than continue (27%) A fair share of Ukrainians who favor negotiating a quick end to the war believe Ukraine should be open to ceding some territory in exchange for peace More than half of this group (52%) agrees that Ukraine should be open to making some territorial concessions as part of a peace deal to end the war while 38% disagree and another 10% don’t know Gallup did not ask more details about the level of territorial concessions that people would be open to Even among Ukrainians who favor fighting until their country wins the war there is evidence that how they conceive of “victory” is shifting respectively) of Ukrainians who favored continuing to fight believed victory meant regaining all territory lost since 2014 Gallup asked Ukrainians who favor a quick negotiated end to the war about their views toward foreign powers in helping bring this about Most want countries of the EU (70%) and the United Kingdom (63%) to play significant roles in potential peace negotiations under either a Trump or Kamala Harris presidency there was little meaningful difference in views between potential Harris and Trump presidencies Roughly half of Ukrainians who favored peace wanted the U.S to play a significant role in potential peace negotiations Trump has repeatedly called for the war to end and said he would work to do so quickly as president After more than two years of little movement on the battlefield the future of the war in Ukraine looks deeply uncertain Russia has been making steady progress in recent months changing political realities may soon alter Ukraine’s ability to sustain the fight people are increasingly weary of the war and looking for a quick peace agreement Zelenskyy said the end to the war is closer than many people think A significant number of Ukrainians may hope his prediction is correct To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup These results are based on nationally representative probability-based samples among the adult population Results are based on telephone (2020-2024) surveys of approximately 1,000 or more respondents per survey wave in each year For results based on the total sample of national adults in Ukraine the margin of sampling error is ±3.0 percentage points in a given year at the 95% confidence level The margin of error reflects the influence of data weighting question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error some occupied territories with entrenched Russian control were excluded due to lack of coverage by Ukrainian mobile operators New Gallup surveys show Ukrainians remain convinced their country will be accepted into NATO and the European Union within 10 years Ukrainians' support for the war with Russia remains strong heading into the second year of the conflict between the countries Gallup surveys in Ukraine show the war has destroyed the last shred of Ukrainian support for Russia a record-high 35% of Ukrainians said they would like to leave Ukraine permanently Seventy-two percent of Fortune 500 CHROs predict AI will begin replacing roles in their organization within the next three years What this means for companies is that in this era of increased focus on AI and technology the demand for new skills is higher than ever The time to act on upskilling the workforce is now the latest data on the current state of upskilling across organizations show that employees are not adequately encouraged to learn new skills and that recognition for learning new skills is not common Gallup and Workhuman have identified three key trends that leaders can use to ensure their organization stays ahead of the upskilling deficit By understanding and addressing these trends organizations can create a culture that promotes continuous learning and development ultimately leading to a more engaged and capable workforce According to a recent study from Gallup and Workhuman employees strongly agree that their organization encourages them to learn new skills Another study by Gallup shows that less than half of employees (47%) strongly agree they have the skills they need to be exceptional at their current job many employees feel they are not skilled enough to do their jobs well today and are not getting the encouragement they need to be ready for the future This lack of encouragement may stem from many factors and a lack of clear communication about the expectations of upskilling within an organization For example, 93% of Fortune 500 CHROs say they have begun using AI in their organization but only 15% of employees say their organization has communicated a clear plan or strategy for integrating AI technology into current business practices employees who have been at their organization for less than one year (36%) are more likely to strongly agree that their organization encourages them to learn new skills compared with employees who have been at their organization for one to less than three years (30%) or for three years or more (24%) We also find that senior leaders (43%) are more likely to strongly agree that their organization encourages them to learn new skills compared with managers (25%) project managers (24%) and individual contributors (26%) who represent the majority in most organizations may not be getting the encouragement to upskill needed to grow -- or even maintain -- the success of their organization The encouragement to upskill that employees are receiving falls short of what is needed organizations must prioritize upskilling initiatives and create an environment that supports continuous learning and development for all employees they can ensure their workforce is equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in an increasingly competitive and technologically advanced market Employees’ most common reasons for learning new skills are to perform their job more effectively and to pursue personal growth. Gallup and Workhuman find that 60% of workers who recently learned a new skill did so because it helped them do their job more effectively and 51% saw it as an opportunity to learn and grow Despite some leaders’ concerns that upskilling a top performer could risk making them more marketable to competitors these findings show that employees are much less likely to say the reason they recently learned a new skill for work was to change their career path or secure a job elsewhere than to say it was to improve their performance at their current job only 4% of employees say that the last time they learned a new skill for work was because they needed it to get a job at a different organization When looking at the relationship between encouragement to upskill and turnover intentions employees who strongly agree that their organization encourages them to learn new skills are 47% less likely to be searching or watching for another job This suggests that the benefits of upskilling tend to outweigh the risks associated with employees potentially leaving the organization fostering a culture of continuous learning and providing encouragement to upskill ultimately benefits both employees and the organization as a whole Previous Gallup and Workhuman research has shown that recognition can significantly enhance employee engagement Recognition is also a powerful tool to demonstrate to employees what values and behaviors are important at work workers report that learning a new skill is one of the most common reasons why employees at their organization receive recognition In an era of technological transformation in the workplace it is an oversight that more leaders aren’t using the transformative power of recognition to boost upskilling across the organization Gallup and Workhuman find that the effect of recognizing employees for learning new skills can be profound Employees who say that learning a new skill is commonly recognized in their workplace are 75% more likely to strongly agree that their organization encourages them to do so And this encouragement translates directly into more tangible intentions to upskill: When learning a new skill is commonly recognized in a workplace employees are 56% more likely to strongly agree that they are motivated to learn new skills By intentionally recognizing or celebrating employees' efforts and achievements in upskilling organizations can create a positive learning culture that promotes continuous development and growth -- and contributes to the overall success of the organization Results are based on a survey conducted April 16-30 with 4,439 adults who are employed full or part time For results based on this weighted sample of national employed adults the margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level is ±2.3 percentage points for response percentages around 50% and ±1.4 percentage points for response percentages around 10% or 90% See why that means leaders should invest in more Information about Gallup's newest AI Readiness and Adoption solution A recent Bentley University-Gallup study shows Americans remain cautious about how artificial technology is being used but greater transparency could help ease some of their concerns cost-effective method of improving organizational performance -- yet it is underused marking a new era in artificial intelligence with businesses aiming to boost productivity According to Gallup’s latest study on AI adoption 93% of Fortune 500 CHROs say their organization has begun using AI tools and technologies to improve business practices most workers remain unaware of these efforts employees say their organization has begun integrating AI into their business practices with the highest percentage in white-collar industries (44%) If leaders want to achieve the productivity and innovation gains that AI promises they need to clearly communicate their plans and provide more intentional training and guidance for employees who feel unprepared for this new era of work Weekly use remains limited, and many employees never use AI. Despite leaders prioritizing AI adoption and using AI tools themselves Gallup asked employees how often they use AI in their role: Nearly seven in 10 employees say they never use AI, while one in 10 say they use it at least weekly. These figures remained essentially unchanged from 2023 to 2024 suggesting that AI adoption requires leadership and training to increase usage White-collar workers are more likely to be using AI the most frequent users of AI in their roles While 81% of employees in production/frontline industries say they never use AI only 54% of white-collar workers say they never do and 15% report using AI weekly Most employees using AI use it for idea generation and task automation the most common uses are to generate ideas (41%) This is particularly true for leaders: Forty-six percent of leaders compared with 36% of individual contributors indicate they use AI in their roles to consolidate information or data Gallup finds a similar gap between leaders who automate basic tasks (45%) and individual contributors who do so (36%) Nearly half of employees (45%) say that their productivity and efficiency in their role has improved because of AI Leaders also report benefits at the organizational level: Forty-five percent of CHROs say their organization’s operational efficiency has improved because of AI Few employees feel prepared to use AI in their roles Only 6% of employees feel very comfortable using AI in their roles while about one in six employees (16%) are very or somewhat comfortable using AI about a third of employees (32%) say they are very uncomfortable using AI in their roles the number of employees who say they are very prepared to work with AI dropped by six percentage points Some employees may be facing a “reality check” when it comes to AI adoption Or it may be a sign that leaders are talking more about AI without providing clear support or direction leaving employees worried they will be left behind So, what makes employees feel prepared and comfortable using AI as part of their work? Gallup has identified three key strategies for supporting AI adoption within organizations: while 93% of CHROs say they have begun using AI in their organizations And only 15% of employees say their organization has communicated a clear plan or strategy for integrating AI technology into current business practices when employees strongly agree that there is a clear plan they are 2.9 times as likely to feel very prepared to work with AI and 4.7 times as likely to feel comfortable using AI in their role only a small part of the workforce is self-motivated early adopters Most employees won’t feel comfortable with AI until leadership communicates a plan Seventy percent of employees say their organization does not have guidance or policies for using AI at work While this percentage is lower (60%) for white-collar industries and employees who currently use AI at least once a year (47%) it still means a majority of employees in the most AI-affected jobs do not have straightforward guidelines about using AI at work This lack of guidance limits employee use of AI technology and creates security risks By establishing clear guidelines for usage organizations can empower their workforce to use these technologies effectively and securely ensuring AI serves as a tool for furthering innovation and efficiency rather than a liability almost half of workers who use AI at least once a year say their organizations have not offered any sort of training on using AI at work When employees participate in required training they are 89% more likely than those who have not received any training -- formal or informal -- to say that AI will have an extremely positive impact on their individual productivity and efficiency at work While experimentation may be part of getting comfortable with AI tools formal educational experiences are crucial to motivating employees to explore AI tools and use them effectively on their own Although few can predict what will happen next with breakthrough technologies like AI one thing is clear: Without effective leadership AI adoption in the workplace will remain limited This means that the billions of dollars being invested in AI workplace transformation may not pay off if organizations do not manage it well Leaders need both a technology and a people strategy to see results established guidelines and formal training Results for the quarterly Gallup workforce studies are based on self-administered web surveys conducted each quarter The Q2 2024 survey was conducted May 11-25 with a random sample of 21,543 working adults the margin of sampling error is ±1.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence level random sampling methods to recruit its panel members 72% see AI replacing jobs in their organization in the next three years are you preparing your people now for the AI transition Gallup and Bentley University find that most Americans (75%) believe artificial intelligence will lead to fewer job opportunities in the next 10 years.