If you’re an American worker right now, chances are you’re feeling uneasy—not just about your job, but about the broader economic landscape. That unease is growing louder, and new data from Glassdoor, the workplace review platform, backs it up. Out of roughly 70,000 survey responses collected in May, only 44% of employees expressed a positive six-month outlook for their companies. That’s the lowest confidence level recorded in nearly a decade.
This dip in optimism isn’t new—it began back in March 2022, right when inflation surged to a 40-year high. In response, the Federal Reserve began a series of aggressive interest rate hikes to rein in skyrocketing prices. The result? A more cautious, tense, and uncertain workforce.
More economic signals are on the way. The University of Michigan will release its preliminary consumer sentiment report this Friday, which analysts hope might show a slight improvement. That’s after sentiment dropped to levels not seen since inflation peaked at 9% in June 2022. And keep an eye on Wednesday, when we’ll see if inflation held steady at 2.3% in May.
Worker Confidence at a Historic Low
The tone among employees is clearly shifting. Glassdoor’s lead economist, Daniel Zhao, says concerns over repeated waves of layoffs are driving much of the anxiety. “Many employees mention multiple rounds of cuts, which create a constant fear of when the next one is coming,” Zhao explains. That fear is magnified by the resulting understaffing and the pressure on remaining employees to pick up the slack.
Layoffs aren’t just anecdotal. In May alone, the number of employee reviews referencing layoffs jumped 9% compared to April. Even more telling, mentions of “uncertainty” shot up by 63% year over year. Zhao notes that this unease isn’t limited to broad economic policy; many employees directly link it to corporate decisions and internal instability.
Digital Footprints Tell the Same Story
The Zeta Economic Index, which tracks trillions of digital interactions among 245 million Americans, paints a similar picture. Sentiment about the job market has declined nearly 9% since May of last year.
However, not every sector is equally impacted. Workers in industries like construction and logistics are feeling the squeeze most acutely. Their confidence dropped by 2.6% just since April, much of it tied to trade tensions and a slowdown in tariff front-running. In manufacturing, pessimism continues to grow. The Institute for Supply Management reported that U.S. manufacturing contracted for the third month in a row in May, echoing what workers in the field are already experiencing firsthand.
Confidence Gap Widens Between Leaders and Entry-Level Workers
The Glassdoor survey also uncovered a troubling divide between leadership and those just starting their careers. In May, confidence among entry-level workers plummeted to 43.4%, the lowest ever recorded. While it’s not unusual for junior staff to feel more uncertain, the confidence gap between them and top executives has widened to a staggering 18 percentage points.
Oxford Economics added more context earlier this June. Its research found that recent college grads are entering a market that’s increasingly unfriendly—especially in tech. Artificial intelligence is reshaping job availability, while trade policy volatility, including uncertainty surrounding former President Donald Trump’s tariffs, is adding yet another layer of unpredictability.
Anecdotes From the Ground Show Real-Life Impact
Beyond statistics and indices, real voices on Glassdoor reveal the emotional weight of all this uncertainty:
- Business struggles: “There’s constant chatter about overdue invoices, delayed vendor payments, and last-minute efforts just to keep the lights on.”
- Layoff fatigue: “The company has faced ongoing challenges. People are being let go quietly, without any official word.”
- Burnout epidemic: “We’re so exhausted that people are quitting without having anything else lined up. In this economy, that says everything.”
The overall message is clear: The American workforce is navigating a landscape filled with economic pressure, corporate instability, and emotional fatigue. And unless the outlook improves, these concerns may shape not only how people feel about their jobs—but whether they stick around at all.
