Gallup

Over four in 10 U.S. women say their health has affected their career in some way, such as having fewer career options or feeling that a promotion, leadership role or new job was unrealistic. One in three (29%) say their health has kept them from living up to their full potential at work. The implications can extend beyond career advancement. When health challenges narrow women’s opportunities at work, they can also limit women’s economic power — their ability to contribute at work, influence decisions in the workplace, earn for their families and build wealth. For employers, the findings raise important questions: How often are health challenges narrowing women’s opportunities before they ever show up in traditional measures of career advancement? And what role can workplace policies and programs, from paid leave to coverage for more health conditions, play in better supporting women’s health and their ability to reach their full potential at work? Explore new research from Gallup and Pivotal on women’s experiences with health and healthcare — and what they can mean for careers, families and communities: https://lnkd.in/gt7qDmuE

Effective coaching requires managers to know their employees and the work they do. Sustaining high performance requires managers to engage in ongoing dialogue and provide timely, actionable feedback to help employees improve. Yet Gallup research reveals a disconnect between the coaching employees need and what they receive. The best managers address this vulnerability through three consistent practices: establishing expectations, continually coaching and creating accountability. When these practices become part of the everyday experience of work, managers can create greater clarity, support development and help employees perform at their best. Learn how the best managers use coaching to get results: https://lnkd.in/eAxHK84H

What’s changing in Americans’ views of government corruption? And how do Americans want labor unions’ influence to change? Explore these trends in this week’s Front Page.

An engaged workforce is not necessarily a thriving workforce. Employees can be highly engaged in their work while still experiencing low wellbeing. And Gallup research shows that when wellbeing is low, engagement can become more difficult to sustain. Employees who are thriving in their lives are 2.2 times as likely to be engaged at work. Compared with employees who are both engaged and thriving, those who are engaged but not thriving face significantly greater risks of burnout, stress, worry and negative daily emotions. Engagement improves employees’ day-to-day work experiences, while wellbeing strengthens their capacity to sustain engagement over time. For leaders, the challenge is to strengthen both, creating the conditions for performance that lasts. Explore the connection between employee engagement and wellbeing: https://lnkd.in/gi3ug8CH

The world’s best workplaces achieve engagement levels more than three times the global average. These outliers demonstrate that high engagement can be sustained. Gallup research has identified the workplace conditions that matter most. Employees need clarity about what is expected of them, the resources they need to perform, opportunities to use their strengths, meaningful recognition, development and a connection between their work and a larger purpose. Managers are central to creating those conditions. They translate organizational priorities into the daily experience of work through communicating expectations, coaching, recognition and accountability. Gallup finds that managers account for up to 70% of the variance in team engagement. The world’s best workplaces model what’s possible when these conditions are consistently present, offering an example for organizations looking to strengthen engagement over time. Explore the data behind the world’s best workplaces: https://lnkd.in/dGK6T5Q8

Black thriving in the U.S. has rebounded to 49%, narrowing the gap with White and Hispanic Americans. But a closer look at the data reveals a more complicated picture. While 68% of Black Americans are optimistic about their future, 56% rate their present lives positively. And beneath the overall gains in thriving, important differences are emerging: Black men now outpace Black women in thriving by seven percentage points, while thriving among Black adults aged 65 and older has fallen 11 points since 2023. Gallup and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Dr. N. Joyce Payne Research Center call this the “Convergence Mirage” — progress at the aggregate level that can obscure very different experiences across groups. The fourth annual Black Thriving in America report examines those differences across wellbeing, work and daily life. Released at Gallup World Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the report was part of an event that also marked the inaugural Jim Clifton Prize for Research Impact, recognizing retired South African Justice Albie Sachs and Nobel laureate Sir Angus Deaton for work that has expanded knowledge and contributed to human thriving, opportunity and dignity.

Among employees at AI-adopting organizations, manager support stands out. Forty-eight percent of employees who say their manager actively supports AI use are engaged, compared with 30% of those without that support. As AI changes how work gets done, managers play a critical role in translating organizational priorities into day-to-day expectations, including where AI adds value and where human judgment remains essential. Explore the relationship between AI adoption and employee engagement: https://lnkd.in/dNP55Eqk

A new school year brings attention to what students are learning. But where they put those skills into practice matters too. Service offers opportunities to work with others, solve real problems, communicate ideas and take on responsibility, experiences that can help turn learning into practice. Research from Gallup and The Allstate Foundation finds that 52% of young people who have participated in service say those experiences positively affected how prepared they feel for a future career. Those who report more hours of service in the past year also tend to rate themselves more highly in career-relevant skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork and public speaking. The way young people participate is also linked to career confidence. Those with opportunities to make decisions and lead during service are more likely to feel confident they can have the career they want (50% vs. 34%). For educators, caregivers and communities, the findings point to another way to help prepare young people for what comes next: Give them opportunities to contribute, solve problems and lead. Explore the research and recommendations for helping youth build career-ready skills through service: https://lnkd.in/dsqRqrs7

As manager engagement declines, organizations have more at stake than manager wellbeing alone. Since 2022, manager engagement has fallen by nine points globally — the steepest decline of any employee group. At the same time, employee engagement continues to fall worldwide. These trends are not independent. Managers sit at the intersection of strategy and execution. When they are engaged and supported, they create clarity, accountability and momentum. When they are stretched too thin, priorities blur and execution breaks down. When manager wellbeing declines, performance follows. Explore the full findings in Gallup's 2026 State of the Global Workplace report. https://lnkd.in/dEaDmm8j

Among employees at organizations that have adopted AI, 25% say workplace culture has worsened over the past year compared with 24% who say it has improved. At face value, the positive and negative effects appear roughly balanced. But zoom in on manager support, and a different picture emerges: among employees who strongly agree their manager supports their AI use, 31% say culture has improved, compared with 21% who say it’s worsened. AI can shift workplace culture, but which way depends on whether managers are showing up for their teams through the change. Explore the full findings: https://lnkd.in/dQWBsnJi