Quick answer
- Gallup reports that 29% of US employees always or very often felt burned out at work as of August 2026, and 48% felt stressed a lot of the previous day.
- In APA's 2025 Work in America survey, 63% of US workers had at least one burnout-linked experience in the past month, and 25% reported emotional exhaustion.
- Health care is the hot spot: 45.6% of health workers felt burnout often or very often in 2022 (CDC), and 41.9% of physicians had a burnout symptom in 2025 (AMA).
The most current burnout statistics come from Gallup, which reports that as of August 2026, 29% of US employees always or very often feel burned out at work. Gallup's burnout figures cover full-time employees. The American Psychological Association, the CDC and the American Medical Association add detail on symptoms, causes and the jobs where burnout runs highest. Every number below lists its source, period and sample so you can check it or cite it.
The US burnout rate in 2026
There is no single official burnout rate. No federal agency counts it every month the way BLS counts quits. The best running measure is Gallup's question asking employees how often they feel burned out at work. The World Health Organization's ICD-11 definition, announced May 28, 2019, frames burn-out as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed," with three dimensions: exhaustion, mental distance or cynicism toward the job, and reduced professional efficacy. WHO classes it as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition.
- 29% of US employees always or very often feel burned out at work, as of August 2026 (Gallup employee wellbeing indicator). Gallup notes its burnout data reflect full-time employees.
- 27% of US full-time employees said the same in Q2 2026, per Gallup's article on wellbeing and productivity (published July 27, 2026, updated November 10, 2026). The two Gallup figures cover different survey periods, so quote each with its date.
- 23% felt burned out very often or always, and another 44% sometimes, in Gallup's 2018 study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees (Gallup, July 12, 2018).
- 49% of US employees were thriving in their overall lives as of August 2026, 47% struggling and 4% suffering, per the same Gallup indicator.
What this means for employers: On a team of 20 full-time staff, Gallup's rate implies five or six people who feel burned out most of the time (Workzenly calculation, illustrative). Burnout is common enough that you should plan for it, not treat it as a rare case.
Work stress statistics and burnout symptoms
Daily stress is broader than burnout, and it is more common. Gallup found that as of August 2026, 48% of US employees felt stressed a lot of the day yesterday, 20% felt lonely and 18% felt angry. Worldwide, 40% of employees experienced stress a lot of the previous day as of May 2025 (Gallup).
The American Psychological Association's 2025 Work in America survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll among 2,017 employed US adults from March 26 to April 4, 2025, asked which negative outcomes workers had in the past month. APA notes these outcomes are often associated with burnout, but reporting one does not mean a worker meets the WHO criteria.
Other findings from the same APA 2025 survey:
- 63% reported at least one of the listed negative outcomes in the past month; 37% reported none.
- 41% agreed that during the workday they typically feel tense or stressed out.
- 32% said work stress makes it difficult to sleep, and 32% said their work environment has a negative impact on their mental health.
- 62% agreed their employer provides sufficient resources to help employees manage stress.
The 2025 results are lower than in 2024 on most items. APA's 2024 survey (2,027 employed adults, March 25 to April 3, 2024) asked the same question:
| Outcome | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Any negative outcome | 77 | 63 |
| Lack of interest, motivation or energy | 29 | 26 |
| Emotional exhaustion | 25 | 25 |
| Difficulty focusing | 25 | 20 |
| Desire to keep to themselves | 23 | 18 |
| Irritability or anger with coworkers and customers | 17 | 13 |
| Desire to quit | 16 | 17 |
| Feeling lonely or isolated | 16 | 12 |
| Typically feel tense or stressed out during the workday | 43 | 41 |
Source: APA Work in America topline data, 2024 and 2025. The answer lists are the same in both years. The share reporting any outcome fell 14 points, but emotional exhaustion held at 25% and the desire to quit edged up.
What this means for employers: One in four workers reporting emotional exhaustion is a steady signal, not a spike. Watch for the visible signs in your own team: more call-outs, short tempers with customers and good people pulling back.
What causes workplace burnout
APA asked workers how much each of 18 factors affects their stress at work. Among workers for whom each factor applied, these had the largest shares saying "significant impact":
Pay leads the list, but four of the top nine are about time: workload, long hours, work spilling into family time and inflexible hours. A fifth, lack of paid time off or sick leave, is about recovery time.
- Gallup's 2018 burnout research named five main causes: unfair treatment at work, unmanageable workload, lack of role clarity, lack of communication and support from the manager, and unreasonable time pressure.
- Managers matter. Employees whose manager is always willing to listen to their work-related problems are 62% less likely to be burned out (Gallup, 2026).
- Engaged employees are 69% less likely to experience burnout than other employees, per Gallup's engagement indicator. See our employee engagement statistics for the full picture.
- Employees who feel their organization cares about their wellbeing are about 3.2 times less likely to report frequent burnout (Gallup). Only 21% of US employees strongly agreed their organization cares about their overall wellbeing in 2026 (Gallup).
- Working where you prefer helps. In APA's 2025 survey, 37% of workers in their preferred work environment felt tense or stressed during the workday, against 51% of those who were not.
These are survey associations, not proof of cause.
What this means for employers: You may not be able to raise pay this quarter, but you can control hours, predictability and time off. Publish schedules early, keep shifts within agreed limits and make sure people actually use their paid time off.
Burnout by industry and job
Burnout statistics by industry are thin, because most surveys report national totals. The strongest data are for health care and teaching.
The CDC's Vital Signs report (MMWR, November 3, 2023), based on the General Social Survey's Quality of Worklife module, found:
- 45.6% of health workers reported feeling burnout often or very often in 2022.
- The share feeling burnout very often rose from 11.6% in 2018 to 19.0% in 2022.
- Poor mental health days among health workers rose from 3.3 to 4.5 days in the previous 30 days.
- The share of health workers saying there were often not enough staff rose from 25.7% to 32.0%. Those reporting short staffing had 2.73 times the odds of reporting burnout.
- Health workers harassed at work had 5.83 times the odds of burnout. Those with supervisor help had lower odds (odds ratio 0.26).
| Worker group | 2018 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Health workers | 11.6 | 19.0 |
| Other essential workers | 15.1 | 15.5 |
| All other workers | 12.8 | 14.1 |
Source: CDC, MMWR 72(44), Table 2. "Very often" only; the CDC's 45.6% figure adds "often" and "very often."
Physician burnout has fallen from its pandemic high but remains above four in ten. The American Medical Association reported on April 16, 2026 that 41.9% of physicians had at least one burnout symptom in 2025, down from 43.2% in 2024 and 48.2% in 2023. The data come from nearly 19,000 physician responses across 38 states and 106 health systems in the AMA Organizational Biopsy. The AMA also runs a separate national study with academic partners that uses a different measure, so its numbers do not match this series exactly.
Teachers report heavy stress too. In Pew Research Center's survey of 2,531 public K-12 teachers (October 17 to November 14, 2023), 77% said their job is frequently stressful and 68% said it is overwhelming. For comparison, Pew's February 2023 survey of US workers found 29% find their job stressful and 19% overwhelming all or most of the time. The question wording differs, so treat the gap as directional.
Hourly and frontline jobs get less support. In APA's 2025 report, 25% of manual labor workers were unsatisfied with their employer's mental health support, against 16% of office workers and 19% of customer, client or patient service workers. Only 53% of manual laborers and 49% of service workers said their employer regularly shares information about mental health resources, against 65% of office workers.
What this means for employers: Clinics and care providers should treat staffing levels as a burnout control, since short staffing more than doubled the odds of burnout in CDC's data. Our healthcare scheduling page covers how clinics plan coverage, and a shift differential can help fill the hardest shifts.
Burnout by gender, age and work setup
- Gender. In Q4 2025, 31% of women employed full time said they very often or always feel burned out at work, compared with 23% of men (Gallup).
- Age. APA's 2025 survey found 40% of workers ages 18 to 25 rated their mental health "fair" or "poor," against 26% of ages 26 to 43, 18% of ages 44 to 57, 14% of ages 58 to 64 and 13% of those 65 and older. Pew's 2023 survey also found workers younger than 50 more likely to call their job stressful and overwhelming.
- Disability. In APA's 2025 survey, 45% of workers with a disability reported emotional exhaustion at work in the past month, against 23% of those without.
- Leaders. Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2026 report found 46% of leaders worldwide experienced daily stress in 2025, 7 points more than individual contributors.
- Work setup. APA's 2025 survey found 61% of workers fully in person, 25% hybrid and 14% fully remote. What mattered more than the setup was whether it matched the worker's preference (see causes above). See our hybrid work schedule guide.
What this means for employers: Your youngest staff and the people juggling care at home are most likely to be running on empty. Predictable schedules and a fair way to request time off help both groups.
Long hours and burnout
BLS does not measure burnout, but it does measure long workweeks. In 2025 Current Population Survey annual averages (11-month averages, because October 2025 data were not collected during the federal shutdown), for people at work in nonagricultural industries:
| Hours worked | People (thousands) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | 76,022 | 48.9% |
| 41 to 48 hours | 12,347 | 7.9% |
| 49 to 59 hours | 12,831 | 8.2% |
| 60 hours and over | 8,413 | 5.4% |
| All people at work | 155,593 | 100.0% |
- About 21.2 million people worked 49 hours or more (Workzenly calculation: 12,831,000 plus 8,413,000).
- Men were more likely to work 60 hours or more: 7.2% of men at work versus 3.4% of women.
- People who usually work full time averaged 41.8 hours a week at work.
- In APA's 2025 survey, 56% of workers said long hours significantly affect their work stress, and the share was 48% among frontline workers.
What this means for employers: Hours are the lever you can see in your own data every week. Track who is over 45 or 50 hours, rotate the heavy shifts and consider compressed options like a 4/10 work schedule where they fit. For full-time definitions, see how many hours is full time.
The cost of employee burnout
- Employees who felt burned out very often or always were 63% more likely to take a sick day, 2.6 times as likely to be actively seeking a different job and 23% more likely to visit the emergency room, per Gallup's 2018 study.
- Gallup estimates that burnout-related turnover and lost productivity cost organizations worldwide $322 billion every year (Gallup, 2026). This is a Gallup estimate, not a measured total.
- 17% of US workers reported a desire to quit their job in the past month in spring 2025 (APA).
- Employees who feel their organization cares about their wellbeing are 54% less likely to be job hunting (Gallup wellbeing indicator).
Burnout feeds turnover. Our employee turnover statistics show quit rates by industry from BLS.
What this means for employers: Do not apply global dollar estimates to your own business. Count what you can: sick call-outs, overtime hours and the cost of replacing each person who leaves.
What employers can do
- Control hours. Long hours and heavy workloads rank among the top stress factors in APA's 2025 data. Cap consecutive long shifts and watch weekly totals.
- Make schedules predictable. Inflexible hours and work cutting into family time each affect more than half of workers' stress. Post schedules early and allow approved swaps.
- Protect time off. Lack of paid time off or sick leave is a significant stressor for 53% of workers it applies to. See our paid sick leave statistics.
- Staff to the workload. In CDC's health worker data, short staffing came with 2.73 times the odds of burnout.
- Train managers to listen. Gallup found employees whose manager always listens are 62% less likely to be burned out.
About this data
These burnout statistics come from source pages or report we opened on November 13, 2026. Gallup's wellbeing indicator updates as new quarterly US data arrive. APA runs its Work in America survey each spring and publishes results over the summer. The CDC figures come from the General Social Survey's Quality of Worklife module, last fielded in 2022. The AMA publishes physician burnout data once a year, and BLS updates CPS annual averages each January. We review this page when any of these sources releases new data. Journalists, students and bloggers are welcome to cite this page with a link back to it; please link the original source too.
More workforce statistics: Employee engagement statistics · Job satisfaction statistics · Shift work statistics · Four-day work week statistics.
Sources
- Gallup, Global Indicator: Employee Wellbeing (US data as of August 2026; global data 2025). gallup.com/394424
- Gallup, "How Employee Wellbeing Affects Workplace Productivity," July 27, 2026, updated November 10, 2026. gallup.com/workplace/713057
- Gallup, "Employee Burnout, Part 1: The 5 Main Causes," July 12, 2018. gallup.com/workplace/237059
- Gallup, Global Indicator: Employee Engagement. gallup.com/394373
- Gallup, State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report (2025 data). gallup.com/workplace/349484
- American Psychological Association, 2025 Work in America Survey: The Experience of Working in America During Times of Change, July 2025 (fielded March 26 to April 4, 2025). Full report (PDF) and topline data (PDF)
- American Psychological Association, 2024 Work in America Survey: Psychological Safety in the Changing Workplace (fielded March 25 to April 3, 2024). Topline data (PDF)
- CDC, Nigam et al., "Vital Signs: Health Worker–Perceived Working Conditions and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health — Quality of Worklife Survey, United States, 2018–2022," MMWR 72(44), November 3, 2023. cdc.gov/mmwr
- American Medical Association, "AMA: Physician burnout rates are falling, specialty gaps remain," April 16, 2026 (2025 data). ama-assn.org
- Pew Research Center, "What's It Like To Be a Teacher in America Today?," April 4, 2024 (fielded October 17 to November 14, 2023). pewresearch.org
- Pew Research Center, "How Americans View Their Jobs," March 30, 2023 (fielded February 6 to 12, 2023). pewresearch.org
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Table 19: People at work in agriculture and nonagricultural industries by sex and hours of work, 2025 annual averages. bls.gov/cps/cpsaat19
- World Health Organization, "Burn-out an 'occupational phenomenon': International Classification of Diseases," May 28, 2019. who.int
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of US workers are burned out in 2026?
Gallup reports that as of August 2026, 29% of US employees always or very often feel burned out at work. Its burnout data cover full-time employees. In a separate article, Gallup put the Q2 2026 figure at 27% of full-time employees. The two numbers come from different survey periods.
What is the definition of burnout?
The World Health Organization's ICD-11, announced May 28, 2019, defines burn-out as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It has three dimensions: exhaustion, mental distance or cynicism toward the job, and reduced professional efficacy. WHO classes it as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition.
Which workers have the highest burnout rates?
Health care stands out. CDC found 45.6% of US health workers felt burnout often or very often in 2022, and the share feeling it very often rose from 11.6% in 2018 to 19.0%. The AMA reported 41.9% of physicians had at least one burnout symptom in 2025. Pew found 77% of public K-12 teachers say their job is frequently stressful (survey of fall 2023).
What causes workplace burnout?
In APA's 2025 Work in America survey, workers most often named low salaries (67%), lack of growth (58%), too heavy a workload (56%) and long hours (56%) as having a significant impact on their work stress. Gallup's 2018 research named unfair treatment, unmanageable workload, unclear roles, poor manager support and time pressure.
Are women more burned out than men at work?
Yes, in Gallup's data. In the fourth quarter of 2025, 31% of women employed full time said they very often or always feel burned out at work, compared with 23% of men. Gallup published the comparison in its July 27, 2026 article on employee wellbeing and productivity, updated November 10, 2026.
How does burnout affect employers?
Gallup's 2018 study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees found those burned out very often or always were 63% more likely to take a sick day and 2.6 times as likely to be actively seeking a different job. Gallup also estimates burnout-related turnover and lost productivity cost organizations worldwide $322 billion a year.