Chronic workplace stress levels are declining as we move further away from the pandemic, according to ADP Research’s “People at Work 2025” report. But while the percentage of workers experiencing daily stress has decreased from 15% in 2023 to just 7.5% in 2024, the struggle for many remains, with fewer workers thriving in their roles.
In the wake of the pandemic, there has been a notable decline in everyday work-related stress. In 2021, 19% of workers reported feeling negative stress daily. This figure has steadily decreased to 16% in 2022, 15% in 2023, and under 8% in 2024.
The report also highlights that workplace stress levels vary by region. In Japan, over 14% of workers are affected. In Thailand, the figure stands at 12%, while France and Argentina each have 11%. Taiwan follows with 10%. In contrast, the Netherlands reports a rate of 5%, and both Indonesia and Singapore have 4%. South Africa and China have the lowest rates, each at 3%.
There are also notable disparities in stress levels based on gender and age. Women report slightly higher stress levels than men across several regions. In North America, workers aged 27 to 39 have the highest share of individuals experiencing high stress, accounting for 11%. Meanwhile, in the Middle East and Africa, workers over 55 years old face significant stress, with 10% affected. In Latin America, the age group most impacted by high stress is those between 40 and 54 years old.
“There is a strong relationship between the frequency of bad stress and being overloaded or thriving,” said Mary Hayes, research director of People & Performance at ADP Research. “Those who report bad stress daily are much more likely to feel overloaded. But as the frequency of bad stress decreases, the share of overloaded workers drops and the likelihood of thriving rises.”
Globally, nearly 32% of workers experiencing daily stress report feeling overloaded, compared to just 7% who describe themselves as thriving. In contrast, among workers with minimal stress (once per week or less), 11% report feeling overloaded while 34% say they are thriving.
Latin America leads the way with 34% of workers thriving and only 10% feeling overloaded, while North America lags with only 23% thriving. Of all regions, Europe reports the highest levels of overload at 19%. Sweden and Czechia have the highest percentages, with 24% and 23% of workers expressing feelings of overload. In contrast, Poland stands out as the country with the least overloaded workers (13%), coinciding with a notably high level of thriving among its workforce (32%). Poland and Spain (31%) are the top performers when it comes to worker thriving, while France lags behind with only 20% of respondents reporting they are thriving.
In Asia-Pacific, China exhibits the largest share of thriving workers at 40% while South Korea has the smallest percentage of thrivers at 15%. Singapore has the biggest increase in the share of thriving workers, rising 11 percentage points to 26%.
The report also delves into the psychological toll of perceived judgement in the workplace. 32% of survey respondents expressed feeling scrutinized or judged, particularly in hybrid and remote work settings. This perceived pressure can heighten negative stress levels, leading to reduced productivity and overall job satisfaction.
Indeed, workers who feel judged are 3.4 times less likely to thrive on the job. A similar relationship exists between stress and feeling watched. Workers who feel like their manager is monitoring everything they do are 3.3 times less likely to thrive.
"The simple absence of bad on-the-job stress doesn't guarantee that workers will thrive. Other factors, such as a lack of trusting relationships with one's coworkers or leaders, or feelings of limited freedom and flexibility within the workplace, might also be involved,” said Nela Richardson, Chief Economist at ADP. “This matters for employers because overwhelmed and stressed workers are generally less efficient and tend to be less productive. Additionally, these individuals are more likely to look for new job opportunities. In contrast, employees who are thriving are less inclined to search for a new position.”