Global employee engagement slipped to just 21 percent in 2024 according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report, marking the second drop in engagement in the past 12 years and signaling a troubling shift for workplaces worldwide .

Managers are at the heart of the crisis, with engagement among them falling from 30 percent to 27 percent , a decline that carries ripple effects across entire teams and onto global productivity.

The economic impact is staggering. Lost productivity from dwindling engagement is estimated to cost the global economy US $438 billion  . Perhaps even more striking is the finding that in high-performing teams where managers are highly engaged, team engagement can reach up to 70 percent , underscoring the critical role of effective leadership.

Gallup points to three strategic actions leaders can take to reverse the trend:

• train every manager ,
• provide ongoing coaching , and
• invest in manager wellbeing .

Properly supported, managers are more likely to lead engaged teams, improving overall organisational performance.

Read the full report

You can download the full State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report directly from Gallup’s website . It includes detailed global, regional and country-level data, practical leader guidance and access to a related webinar.