Worker optimism hits low
Gallup polling shows U.S. worker pessimism and engagement have hit decade lows — a sign of rising job market anxiety even as headline unemployment stays low. That shift could complicate organizing momentum and change how unions frame campaigns around job security and mental‑health supports. (upi.com)
Gallup’s late‑2025 workforce survey found 49% of U.S. workers reporting they were “struggling” and 46% reporting they were “thriving,” the first time struggling exceeded thriving since Gallup began tracking in 2009. (UPI: ) The poll was a probability‑based Gallup Panel survey of 22,368 employed U.S. adults conducted Oct. 30–Nov. 13, 2025, with a reported margin of sampling error of about ±1 percentage point for all respondents. (Fast Company/AP: ) (USF/WUSF summary: ) Gallup reported active employee engagement at 31% in 2025 — a level Gallup and media outlets described as a decade low — and only 28% of workers said it was a “good time” to find a quality job, down from roughly 70% in mid‑2022. (HR Dive: ) (Fast Company/AP: ) The survey showed sharp demographic splits: just 19% of college‑educated workers said it was a good time to find a quality job, about 2 in 10 workers ages 18–34 said the same, and roughly 4 in 10 workers ages 65+ were optimistic about job prospects. (WTOP/Associated Press: ) (Fast Company/AP: ) At the state level, Vermont’s labor infrastructure has recent organizing activity and formal campaigns in motion: the Vermont AFL‑CIO held its 2025 annual convention and passed resolutions including calls to legalize strikes, and Vermont has a legislatively referred “Proposal 3” on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot to add a constitutional right to collectively bargain. (Vermont AFL‑CIO: ) (Ballotpedia: ) Nationally, public approval of labor unions has remained high — around 68% in Gallup’s 2025 annual measure — while unions and advocacy groups have been advancing workplace mental‑health initiatives such as Unite’s “United Minds” campaign and state groups like NAMI Vermont continue organized advocacy and annual Mental Health Advocacy Day events. (Gallup/Labor polling summary: ) (Unite: ) (NAMI Vermont: )
