Global Employee Engagement in 2026: The Numbers
Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2026, the lowest since 2020; manager engagement dropped from 27% to 22% (Gallup).
Key takeaways
- Global employee engagement: 20% in 2026, lowest since 2020 (Gallup).
- Down from a 23% peak in 2022.
- Manager engagement fell from 27% to 22% in one year.
- Manager engagement flows through to teams, making the manager layer the priority fix.
20% of employees worldwide are engaged at work in 2026, per Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report, the lowest level since the 2020 lockdowns and down from a 23% peak in 2022. The sharpest deterioration is among managers: manager engagement fell from 27% to 22% in a single year. Because manager engagement is a leading indicator for the teams they run, the manager layer is where global HR teams are concentrating: distributed-leadership training, realistic spans of control, and direct measurement of manager effectiveness. Mercer's Global Talent Trends survey found improving people managers' skills topped HR leaders' priorities for the first time across all industries and geographies surveyed.
References
- State of the Global Workplace 2026 — Gallup