The countries where workers and their bosses are most and least engaged

Chart shows employee engagement levels in the U.S. and globally.

Employee engagement is the goal of every good business leader—and it’s distressingly rare. Worldwide, only 30% of managers and 23% of rank-and-file workers describe themselves as highly involved and enthusiastic at work, according to Gallup. In the U.S. those numbers are 37% and 32%, respectively—higher than those in China, Japan, and most of Europe, but also an 11-year low.

Gallup estimates that low engagement costs the global economy a stunning $8.9 trillion a year, owing to lower productivity and higher turnover. Overwork, boredom, and mental health issues are among the main factors behind the dissatisfaction. One ray of hope: Highly engaged managers often boost the engagement of their direct reports. So: How are you feeling?

chart shows global employee engagement rate, per country

This article appears in the August/September 2024 issue of Fortune with the headline, "The global economy’s $8.9 trillion motivation problem."