Workers around the world are more skilled and confident than ever—but that confidence doesn’t translate into job satisfaction or commitment. According to ManpowerGroup’s Global Workforce Barometer, 89% of employees feel confident in their skills and experience to perform their jobs, yet only 62% report being satisfied with their current role. Even more revealing: one-third say they don’t have sufficient opportunities to achieve their career goals with their current employer.
This growing gap reflects how quickly employees are acquiring new skills, particularly in emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI), while many employers struggle to keep pace. According to ManpowerGroup’s new research on AI in the workplace, 81% of tech leaders say their companies are still in the testing or pilot stages of AI adoption, and only 10% have fully integrated it across operations. As a result, many workers feel underutilized, undervalued, and inadequately supported.
“The progress of AI is forcing every company to transform in order to survive and grow. However, digital transformation is just as much about people as it is about technology,” said Becky Frankiewicz, President & Chief Strategy Officer of ManpowerGroup. “The future of work isn’t about control—it’s about collaboration. When companies invest in people, people give back. Right now, workers are asking for more: more balance, more flexibility, more human-centered priorities—and above all, more opportunities to grow.”
Key Findings: Confidence Rises, But So Does Stress
The overall Confidence Index stands at 68%, up by 1 point from 67% last year, based on responses from 13,700 employees across 19 countries. The findings reflect a workforce in flux:
82% of employees say their work feels meaningful (+2% from 2024).
Confidence stands at 76% (+2 points).
Job satisfaction dropped to 62% (–1 point), showing the gap between skill and experience.
Only 65% feel secure in their jobs over the next six months (–6 points).
49% experience moderate to high daily stress—most significantly among middle managers (82%) and Gen Z (56%).
Three Key Challenges Employers Can’t Ignore
1. The Link Between Work Stress and Retention
While 82% of employees find their work meaningful, 49% experience daily stress—an increasing figure. Gen Z continues to show the highest stress levels (56%) despite reporting strong support, while middle managers suffer the most (82%). Meanwhile, frontline workers report the weakest alignment with company values, intensifying pressure in first-line roles.
This disconnect helps explain why even confident and career-oriented employees are leaving: meaningful work alone isn’t enough to offset burnout, especially when growth opportunities are limited and support is lacking.
2. The Middle Management Squeeze
Middle managers face intense pressure, caught between top-down demands and front-line needs. About 34% fear job loss in the next six months due to restructuring or AI’s rise. At the same time, 77% cite economic instability, organizational changes, and AI as their top concerns.
Although trust in leadership has grown (+4% from 2024), it adds pressure on those expected to support and develop others while facing uncertainty themselves. Millennials show the largest drop in job satisfaction (–11%), especially millennial women, who report the lowest satisfaction levels overall.
Employees working fully onsite are less likely to quit (63%) compared to remote workers (43%)—but they report lower wellbeing (63% vs. 72% for hybrid workers) and higher stress. This indicates that rigid work models may trap employees in unfulfilling roles, while remote workers use their flexibility to leave when dissatisfied.
3. Growth as a Trust Indicator
The data confirms a close link between development opportunities and talent retention. Workers who say they have opportunities for career development report 77% confidence (+4 points from 2024), while those with a clear career path show 62% satisfaction (+5 points). Hybrid workers perform best across all trust indicators.
However, the quality of development remains crucial. While one-third of employers acknowledge AI can’t replace human-centered skills—like ethical judgment (33%), customer service (31%), and team leadership (30%)—many still struggle to offer training that helps workers integrate AI into their roles, even as this becomes a core employee expectation.
Conclusion: Invest in People
With the average cost of voluntary turnover at $18,591 per employee, and only 55% of workers feeling satisfied and unlikely to leave, the gap between confidence and satisfaction is no longer just a morale issue—it’s a pressing business concern. Organizations that fail to invest in their people risk losing them to competitors who do.
About the Global Workforce Barometer
ManpowerGroup’s Global Workforce Barometer tracks worker wellbeing, job satisfaction, and confidence worldwide. It is a robust tool grounded in independent research best practices and statistically representative samples, offering deep insights into what employees need and expect globally. The goal: to shape the future of work by analyzing the key factors influencing today’s workplace and workforce sentiment.
Methodology
Responses were collected from 13,771 workers across 19 countries between March 14 and April 11, 2025. Data was weighted by gender, age, and region to reflect each country’s workforce population. All countries are equally weighted for balanced global representation.
Participating countries:
Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
