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The voice of the world in numbers
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March 31, 2026 |
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Welcome to Front Page, where we break down Gallup's latest insights on our constantly evolving world. Here are the five insights you shouldn't miss this week:
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1. U.S. Job Market Confidence Drops Sharply |
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The Data: Just over a quarter of workers (28%) say now is a good time to find a quality job, down from 70% in mid-2022.
More Context: This 42-percentage-point decline represents the steepest drop in job market confidence Gallup has recorded in recent years.
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2. Education Divide Emerges in Job Market Views |
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The Data: In Q4 2025, 19% of college-educated workers said it was a good time to find a quality job, compared with 35% of workers without a college degree.
The Trend: This marks a reversal from prior years, when college-educated workers were the more optimistic group. In addition, just 19% of Gen Z workers are optimistic about the job market, compared with a third of Gen X workers and 42% of baby boomers.
Latest on U.S. Workers
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3. Majority of Workers Are Job Hunting or Watching |
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The Data: Fifty-one percent of U.S. workers say they are actively looking for a new job or watching for opportunities.
By Age: Job seeking is highest among younger workers, including a majority of Gen Z (17% actively looking and 44% watching for opportunities). Millennials are similarly restless, with 13% actively looking and 44% watching. By contrast, only 4% of baby boomers are actively looking, and 74% say they are not looking at all.
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4. More U.S. Workers Struggling Than Thriving |
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The Data: In Q4 2025, 46% of U.S. workers were classified as “thriving” in their wellbeing, while 49% were considered “struggling,” marking the first time that struggling has exceeded thriving in Gallup's workplace trend.
More Context: Employed Americans' thriving rate, defined as the percentage of workers rating their current and their future lives highly, has declined from the low-to-mid 50s in 2022 and 2023 to its lowest level since Gallup began tracking worker life evaluations.
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5. Federal Worker Thriving Drops Sharply |
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The Data: Federal government employees' thriving rate has fallen 12 points, from 60% in 2022 to 48% in 2025.
Workforce Comparison: Life evaluations have dropped in all major segments of the U.S. workforce since 2022. Federal employees have seen a steeper decline in thriving than state and local government workers, whose combined rate fell six points to 50%, and the U.S. worker average, which also dropped six points to 48%.
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UPCOMING: Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report launches April 8. New data reveal how the world's employees are faring in the AI era.
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