Only 26% of employees say they're truly thriving at work.1 More than a statistic, the figure is a clear warning sign. When work wellbeing declines, stress increases, people leave, and performance suffers.
However, the inverse is also true: When organizations prioritize work wellbeing, they unlock higher performance, stronger retention, and greater adaptability to change — including to new technologies like AI.
A new report from Indeed reveals insights to help employers understand the impact of work wellbeing on both employees and business outcomes, highlighting the drivers that have the greatest impact on wellbeing at work.
Why wellbeing is essential for employees and businesses
The job market may favor employers right now, but workers still expect companies to prioritize their wellbeing. Companies that don't risk creating tension and fueling trends like "quiet cracking."
Unlike burnout, quiet cracking doesn't always manifest as exhaustion. And unlike quiet quitting, it doesn't immediately appear in performance metrics. Instead, it's a slower, quieter erosion of wellbeing — a lingering sense of unhappiness at work that chips away at engagement, performance, and loyalty. More than half of employees suffer symptoms of quiet cracking, creating a silent drain on productivity and morale.2
"Workplace happiness is no longer just a nice-to-have," said Kyle M.K., senior talent strategy advisor at Indeed. "It's an actual driver of productivity and fuels a business's ability to innovate."
Now in its fifth year, the latest Indeed work wellbeing report has gathered data that points to solutions, starting with quantifying the problem.
The work stress challenge
The data reveals a workforce in distress. Just one in four survey respondents is thriving at work, leaving 74% of employees experiencing low happiness, high stress, low satisfaction, or a lack of purpose. It's a global phenomenon, affecting workers across seven countries surveyed, with the US aligned to international trends.3
Employees with lower work wellbeing are nearly seven times more likely to regularly experience stress at work compared to their higher-wellbeing counterparts, according to the data. Only 6% of people reporting high wellbeing regularly experience stress at work. In contrast, 41% of those with low wellbeing scores say they regularly feel stressed.4
Work is now the leading source of stress, cited by 53% of people, surpassing even economic and political concerns (44%). And that stress doesn't stay at the office: nearly nine in 10 (87%) workers report that their level of happiness at work has a direct impact on how they feel at home.5
"It's easy to underestimate the value of wellbeing," M.K. said. "But we finally have data and evidence to show why feelings matter, and that when the employee's expectations are met, the business's expectations are met, too."
Making the case for wellbeing
When asked what drives work wellbeing, people often point to flexibility and fair pay. But there's more to the story. Three drivers emerge as the most powerful predictors of workplace wellbeing: Being energized by your work, feeling like you're part of something bigger than yourself, and trusting your coworkers, according to Indeed's report.
However, nearly half (42%) of workers surveyed don't feel energized. More than a third (37%) feel a lack of belonging at work. And 40% don't trust their colleagues.5 Addressing these gaps benefits both organizations and employees.
Employees with a high sense of wellbeing accomplish work goals at 1.5 times the rate of those without it. They're also more likely to contribute to business improvements and innovation.6 The business case for addressing wellbeing in the workplace extends to AI readiness as well, as those with higher wellbeing scores are more likely to feel motivated to learn AI tools.
Researchers at Oxford University working with Indeed's data on work wellbeing — the world's largest such dataset7 — found a clear and positive correlation between higher employee wellbeing and company valuation and profits. It all adds up to enhanced bottom lines.
The good news is that even just measuring and prioritizing employee wellbeing makes organizations nearly three times more likely to excel in it.
Measuring wellbeing for workplace success
Indeed's Work Wellbeing Score measures how people feel at work and why. Developed in partnership with Oxford University and expressed as a number up to 100, the score encapsulates four key measures of employee wellbeing: happiness, purpose, satisfaction, and stress.
Once at least 10 responses have been submitted, the score appears on individual company pages that Indeed maintains. It also offers insight into how each company performs on the factors that drive work wellbeing, such as feelings of accomplishment, appreciation, belonging, energy, fair pay, flexibility, trust, and more.
For job seekers, the score has become a significant factor in their decision-making. Most (97%) now want to see wellbeing data when evaluating companies, and half (49%) say it's most critical before they even apply.8 For employers, these metrics reveal where to focus improvement efforts and how their company stacks up against nearly every major competitor.
"The most successful companies understand that wellbeing isn't just about making people happy for happiness' sake," M.K. said. "It's about creating the conditions where people can do their best work, thrive, and achieve."
Learn more about the Indeed Work Wellbeing Score at Indeed.com
This post was created by Insider Studios with Indeed.
1 "2025 Report: How Work Wellbeing Fuels Performance," Indeed
3 2025 Report
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 Indeed, based on the number of global survey responses received
8 2025 Report #Work/InsiderStudios