Burnout among American workers has jumped to a six-year high, according to a recent study, as employees continue to feel overworked and trepidatious about their employment opportunities elsewhere.
According to insurance company Aflac’s latest WorkForces Report, nearly three in four (72 percent) U.S. employees battle moderate to high burnout at work, up from around three in five last year. This year saw Gen Z become the most burned-out bracket, with 74 percent suffering from at least moderate levels of work-related stress compared to 66 percent of millennials.
Why It Matters
As Aflac noted in its report, the “looming undercurrent” of rising stress among employees is a widespread concern, stemming from the financial challenges facing a growing number of Americans, as well as the concerning softness in the labor market.
Experts have pointed to a growing phenomenon known as “job hugging”—employees remaining with their current employer out of financial necessity rather than desire—as both a signal of labor market weakness but also a potential explanation for why Americans feel less satisfied with their roles.
What To Know
Aflac’s survey took place between April and May of this year among 2,000 U.S. workers.
Heavy workloads remain the key driver of stress, cited as the top reason by 35 percent of workers, with financial insecurity affecting an even larger portion. Some 44 percent say they would be unable to pay $1,000 for a sudden illness or injury, and 52 percent said they suffer from so-called “medanxiety”—chronic fear over unexpected medical expenses.
As well as rising rates of burnout, the survey found that 48 percent of employees feel confident that their employer cares about their mental health, down from 54 percent last year.
“Worker burnout is rising for a whole host of reasons,” said Ron Goetzel, senior scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Among these, he told Newsweek, are the increased demands of 21st-century jobs and “toxic” workplace cultures that offer less flexibility.
Author and stress researcher Rebecca Heiss added that the rise of AI, while perhaps making employees more productive, had begun to create a distance “from the actual meaning and purpose of our work.”
“We’re not struggling anymore,” she told Newsweek. “And I actually think the human brain requires that struggle, that stress to have purpose and meaning. And without purpose and meaning, we end up burning out.”
What People Are Saying
Aflac Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Owenby wrote: “The prevalence of stress and burnout should raise a red flag and is certainly a matter that requires attention. Breaking the cycle of stress and burnout may begin with employers carefully analyzing employees’ responsibilities both on and off the clock and threading the needle between productivity and home life balance. Developing a broader understanding of what is driving stress can support the creation of programs that alleviate burnout which, in turn, can deliver a higher level of productivity.”
Jennifer Schielke, co-founder and CEO of staffing and recruiting firm Summit Group Solutions, told Newsweek: “The on-going uncertainty and slow economic recovery certainly causes the uprooting of issues that may or may not even be related to the employer. Couple that with a market that is now employer-driven instead of candidate driven, and that creates a level of “loss of control” that perhaps creates a sense of being “trapped” – so even if it is a good work situation, that perception of not having options at your fingertips could trigger a sense of insecurity, which impacts engagement and satisfaction.”
What Happens Next
As experts tell Newsweek, should current trends continue, companies may have to grapple with lower productivity and difficulties in attracting top talent. However, the effects on hiring may be blunted by persistent weakness in the labor market.