New research has found that it may actually pay to keep your employees happy, as disengaged workers cost U.S. businesses almost $1.9 trillion in productivity last year.
The Gallup report found that, since the pandemic, more Americans have begun feeling dissatisfied with their work and employers, resulting in a massive loss for companies.
However, there is no clear reason why employees are feeling unhappy with their work.
Another survey from LinkedIn found that 85% of workers hoped they would find a new job in the coming year, though the current labor market is making things tight.
The Gallup report found that only a third of respondents said they were engaged at their jobs, and half said they were putting in minimal effort once they clocked in.
But the issue isn’t singular to the United States, as Gallup reported that globally, disgruntled workers account for a loss of $8.8 trillion.
Compared to 2020, employees were found to be less satisfied with their companies and less likely to connect to their goals and mission, Gallup shared.
Those who felt their jobs could be done remotely but worked on-site were the most unlikely to feel their company cared about them as a person.
The report comes as the United States prepares for another strange economic year following three years of back-and-forth trends.
Starting with layoffs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, companies looked to trim their staff during economic uncertainty. Then, from 2021 to 2022, the “Great Resignation” saw almost 100 million workers quit their jobs.
However, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has instead renamed the mass worker exodus “The Great Reshuffle” as workers quickly reentered the workforce.
Now, following a year of high inflation and rising interest rates, experts continue to try and sift through what could happen in the coming months.