U.S. workers' engagement has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years. The decline was especially pronounced among remote and hybrid workers, and the same trend appeared in organisations that have adopted AI.

CNBC reported on Oct. 29 that Gallup's tally put U.S. worker engagement at 29 percent in the third quarter, down 2 percentage points from the previous quarter. It was the lowest level since 2011 and the first time it fell below 30 percent in 15 years.

Engagement measures how actively employees participate in their work and show enthusiasm for their organisation. It peaked at 36 percent in 2020, fell to 31 percent in 2024 and held at the same level through the first half of this year.

Gallup analysed the decline as equivalent to about 3.2 million fewer U.S. workers being engaged at work.

The gap by work arrangement was also clear. Engagement among fully remote workers fell 5 percentage points to 32 percent from 37 percent in the previous quarter. Hybrid workers who split time between office and home slipped 2 percentage points to 32 percent from 34 percent. The change among office workers was relatively small.

A similar pattern was observed at companies that have adopted AI. Engagement among remote workers in those organisations fell to 33 percent from 38 percent, while hybrid workers slipped to 33 percent from 37 percent. Their engagement advantage versus organisations that have not adopted AI, or where employees do not know whether AI has been adopted, narrowed to 2 percentage points from 5 percentage points for remote workers and to 3 percentage points from 8 percentage points for hybrid workers.

Ratings of workplace communication and relationships also worsened. The share saying they clearly understand what is expected of them at work fell to 46 percent from 49 percent. The share saying someone at work cares about them dropped to 37 percent from 40 percent.

Gallup senior scientist Jim Harter (짐 하터) pointed to the possibility that organisations in dispersed workplaces may not be conveying work expectations and a sense of belonging sufficiently. He said manager support and communication systems could lag the pace of AI adoption.

The survey was conducted in August among 21,648 U.S. adults. AI adoption has not been confirmed as a direct cause of the decline in engagement. Gallup stressed: "As the use of AI expands, clear work guidelines and manager support are needed."