A growing sense of pessimism is permeating workplaces across the country, impacting employee wellbeing and productivity. Employees surveyed by meQuilibrium (meQ) for its Summer 2025 State of the Workforce Report, report feeling negatively about the state of the country, their work situation and their finances.
More than two-thirds of employees said they feel worse considering the state of the country and more than half expect the state of the country to worsen. About one-third feel worse about their work situation, with one-quarter expecting their work situation to worsen, and half feel pessimistic about their finances, with 27% expecting their situation to decline.
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“Pessimism in the workforce represents a greater threat than just complaining about one’s job around the water cooler – it directly undermines workplace productivity and mental health,” said meQ Chief Science Officer Brad Smith. “We found that employees with work-related pessimism experience an over 60% reduction in productivity and 128% greater risk of depression.”
In addition, the report found employees are grappling with uncertainty and feeling disconnected at work. When coupled with pessimism, uncertainty can magnify negative feelings about work. For example, a high degree of uncertainty stress more than triples the rate at which employees have a pessimistic view of their work situation and reduces productivity by as much as half, the report found.
Meanwhile, disconnect can stem from burnout, broken trust among employees and leadership, and a distrust of supervisors. The report found that more than half of employees show at least one symptom of disconnect, and those who have severe disconnect report a 66% impairment in productivity.
The report also revealed that pessimism is more prevalent among Gen Z and government employees both personally and professionally.
Companies and their leaders can identify and support workers facing increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) in the workplace, according to the study. Employees who struggle with low emotional control are more likely to feel overwhelmed at work and carry that stress into their personal lives, while those with stronger emotional control report less stress and uncertainty, meQ said. This highlights the importance of psychological resilience within the workforce.
“In a world defined by volatility and ambiguity, building resilience is no longer optional – it’s essential,” said Smith. “Our research shows that skills like emotion control and empathetic leadership can shield employees from the toxic effects of uncertainty and pessimism.”
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Kristen Smithberg
Kristen Smithberg is a Colorado-based freelance writer who covers commercial real estate, insurance, benefits and retirement topics for BenefitsPRO and other industry publications.
