Employee survey insights
As the workplace continues to evolve, organizations are paying closer attention to how employees perceive their jobs, make decisions and engage with new technologies. Artificial intelligence is becoming a larger part of daily work, creating opportunities to improve productivity while also raising questions about trust, autonomy and the role of human judgment. At the same time, employers are looking for ways to strengthen employee engagement by fostering meaningful work, supporting informed decision-making and helping employees adapt to a changing workplace.
Recent research examines how workers view their roles, how AI is influencing workplace decisions and which factors have the greatest impact on engagement and long-term job satisfaction. These insights can help organizations create environments where employees feel empowered, connected and prepared for the future of work.
Perceptions of job climate
Perceptions of the job market improved in 2025, with 52% of employees globally saying that now is a good time to find a job where they live. This percent had roughly plateaued since 2022, after recovering from a slight dip in 2020. There is no difference between genders and attitudes toward job climate.
Globally, the regions most optimistic about their job climates are Southeast Asia (64%), Australia/New Zealand (60%) and Latin America/Caribbean (60%). The United States and Canada (47%) and the Middle East and North Africa (36%) have the least positive job climate perceptions.
There are slight differences in perception when considering work location, with 49% saying it’s a good time to find an exclusively remote job versus 56% saying the same for hybrid positions. Fifty-seven percent believe now is a good time to find a managerial job, and 49% believe now is a good time for individual contributors.
The State of the Global Workplace 2026 survey was conducted among 263,810 (141,444 employed) respondents from January to December 2025. Read more.
India’s employee engagement problem
India is facing a significant dip in employee engagement, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report. Only 23% of employees are engaged in their jobs, the lowest result in four years. However, this is still three percentage points higher than the global average.
Eighteen percent of Indian workers surveyed are actively disengaged, meaning they are upset and frustrated enough to act in ways that oppose their employer’s goals. This figure has been slowly falling since its most recent peak in 2021.
There is a strong relationship between team engagement and positive business outcomes. There is an estimated 9% of the country’s GDP lost in workplace productivity annually due to its current level of disengagement.
Despite this, the average employee experience has improved in India. Although 59% are not engaged, these individuals are looking for greater clarity, communication and connection to their team, showing potential for productivity growth.
The State of the Global Workplace 2026 survey was conducted among 263,810 (141,444 employed) respondents from January to December 2025. Read more.
What people want from their central business district
Almost three-fourths of city residents around the world say their central business district (CBD) offers a great experience, but fewer than half visit weekly. An even smaller amount (30%) spends leisure time in their CBD. This gap shows that respondents are more likely to go downtown for a cultural event or errand rather than to socialize.
Respondents who stay in their downtown for longer periods of time are more likely to define their CBD as “vibrant.” This creates a positive feedback loop as those who enjoy their time downtown are more likely to spend more time there.
This means that CBDs must offer more than just offices to thrive. Forty-one percent of respondents report they want their CBD to be a lively, mixed-use district with housing, shops and offices. One-third say they want a walkable green zone with limited car access, emphasizing the desire for community in these spaces.
The City Pulse 2026 survey was conducted online from July 8 to November 4, 2025, via an anonymous, panel-based survey of 35,000 urban residents in 75 global cities. The survey included a total of 133 CBDs. Read more.
Will AI make the workplace more human?
According to the Gensler Global Workplace Survey 2026, the average worker spends more than half their time in the office, with 26% of their workweek spent in non-office and non-home locations. Although how and where people work has stabilized, the workplace has not kept pace. Two-thirds report “hacking” their workspace to compensate for workspace performance gaps. One in four employees have resorted to DIY fixes for ergonomics, temperature or visual privacy, while meeting space availability and noise remain unresolved challenges.
Workers who consider learning critical to their job performance are more likely than their peers to experiment with new ways of working (60% vs. 41%) and are more attuned to what’s happening across their organization (83% vs. 69%). Noise level, flexible furniture, updated technology and resting spaces are all elements that support learning in the workplace.
With workplace flexibility on the rise, workers are interested in prioritizing their health and wellness through access to nature. Forty-three percent report a desire for outdoor areas at their workplace. Having outdoor workspaces and natural light supports feeling productive, creative and inspired.
The Gensler Research Institute conducted an anonymous, panel-based survey of 16,459 full-time office workers across 16 countries between July 22 and September 12, 2025. Read more.
Adaptation is necessary for survival
The pace of change in 2026 is accelerating decision-making for business leaders. Seven of 10 (70%) business leaders say their primary competitive strategy over the next three years is to be fast, nimble and adaptable. They also cite the two most important drivers of success are accelerating how people and resources are orchestrated to perform work and increasing their organization’s ability to adapt to change.
In order to achieve success, companies are pushed to accelerate their processes to remain competitive. In the past, long cycles of planning and predictable execution were the norm. Now, success depends more on sensing change and adapting accordingly.
Most C-suite leaders (59%) are taking a tech-focused approach to AI. However, when compared to those who take a human-centric approach, those taking a tech-focused approach are 1.6x more likely to not realize returns on AI investments that exceed expectations.
Deloitte and Oxford Economics collaborated for the 2026 Global Human Capital Trends report, surveying more than 9,000 business and human resources leaders across many industries and sectors in 89 countries. Read more.
Human agency and AI 
An analysis of over 100,000 chats in Microsoft 365 Copilot shows that almost half (49%) of all conversations support cognitive work such as analyzing information, solving problems, evaluating and thinking creatively. The remainder is split between working with others (19%), finding information (15%) and producing work (17%).
Sixty-six percent of AI users surveyed say AI allows them to spend more time on high-value work and 58% say they are able to produce work they couldn’t have a year ago. When asked which human skills are most important to maintain as AI develops, quality control of AI output (50%) and critical thinking (46%) were the most responded. The majority of respondents (86%) report they treat AI output as a starting point rather than a final answer.
When it comes to leadership and AI, only 26% of users surveyed say their leadership is clearly and consistently align on AI.
The Work Trend Index survey was conducted by an independent research firm, Edelman Data x Intelligence, among 20,000 full-time employed or self-employed knowledge workers who use AI at work across 10 markets. The survey was fielded between February 18 and April 7, 2026. Read more.