GITNUXREPORT 2026

Overworked Employees Statistics

Excessive work hours cause widespread death, disease, and lost productivity worldwide.

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Overwork costs US economy $300-500B yearly in lost productivity.

Statistic 2

Global overwork leads to $1 trillion in annual productivity losses.

Statistic 3

Burnout from overwork costs companies $190B in healthcare yearly in US.

Statistic 4

High turnover due to overwork averages $15K per employee.

Statistic 5

Overworked staff absenteeism costs firms 2.5 sick days more per year.

Statistic 6

EU overwork economic loss is €272B annually.

Statistic 7

Worker replacement after burnout costs 50-200% of salary.

Statistic 8

Stress-related presenteeism from overwork costs $84B in US.

Statistic 9

Overwork drives 23% of healthcare costs in corporations.

Statistic 10

Japan loses ¥3.5 trillion yearly to karoshi-related absences.

Statistic 11

Overworked employee errors cost manufacturing $50B globally.

Statistic 12

Absenteeism from burnout totals 550M lost workdays in US.

Statistic 13

Overwork turnover in tech sector costs $100B yearly.

Statistic 14

Healthcare workers' overwork adds $4B in malpractice costs.

Statistic 15

Global mental health costs from overwork: $1T in 2030 projection.

Statistic 16

Overwork reduces GDP by 1-2% in OECD countries.

Statistic 17

Retail overwork shrinkage costs $47B annually in US.

Statistic 18

Training new hires post-overwork turnover: $10K average cost.

Statistic 19

Overworked lawyers' errors lead to $8B in settlements yearly.

Statistic 20

Finance sector overwork absenteeism: $20B loss.

Statistic 21

Overwork in construction delays projects by 15%, costing billions.

Statistic 22

US firms lose $225B to disengagement from overwork.

Statistic 23

Overwork insurance claims rise 30%, costing $50B.

Statistic 24

Hospitality turnover from overwork: 73% rate, $11B cost.

Statistic 25

Overworked engineers cause 10% more redesign expenses.

Statistic 26

Global overwork litigation costs $200B yearly.

Statistic 27

Depression rates among overworked employees are 2.5 times higher than normal.

Statistic 28

Anxiety disorders affect 40% of workers logging 50+ hours/week.

Statistic 29

Burnout incidence reaches 77% in overworked professionals per Gallup.

Statistic 30

Suicidal ideation is 1.7x higher in long-hour workers.

Statistic 31

Stress-related mental health claims rose 28% due to overwork in 2020.

Statistic 32

Overworked employees report 60% higher panic attack frequency.

Statistic 33

PTSD prevalence is 35% among overworked first responders.

Statistic 34

49% of overworked workers experience chronic irritability.

Statistic 35

Bipolar disorder symptoms worsen by 25% with overtime.

Statistic 36

Overwork doubles schizophrenia relapse rates.

Statistic 37

55% of long-hour workers have adjustment disorders.

Statistic 38

Emotional exhaustion scores 40% higher in overworked staff.

Statistic 39

Overworked parents show 30% higher child-related anxiety.

Statistic 40

Insomnia from overwork affects 52% of executives.

Statistic 41

Cynicism levels rise 45% with excessive hours.

Statistic 42

Overwork linked to 3x higher substance abuse rates.

Statistic 43

Depersonalization affects 38% of overworked nurses.

Statistic 44

65% of overworked employees feel hopeless weekly.

Statistic 45

OCD symptoms increase 22% with long hours.

Statistic 46

Overworked workers have 50% higher eating disorder risk.

Statistic 47

Grief processing impaired by 28% in overworked individuals.

Statistic 48

Overwork raises dementia risk indicators by 15%.

Statistic 49

Phobia development 20% more likely in stressed overworkers.

Statistic 50

Overworked sales staff report 32% higher anger issues.

Statistic 51

Dissociative disorders up 18% with overtime culture.

Statistic 52

Overwork correlates with 26% increase in personality disorder symptoms.

Statistic 53

Hypervigilance affects 41% of long-hour security personnel.

Statistic 54

In 2016, long working hours (55+ per week) caused 398,000 deaths from stroke and 347,000 from ischemic heart disease worldwide, according to WHO/ILO estimates.

Statistic 55

Overworked employees in Japan have a karoshi (death from overwork) rate of about 191.4 cases per million workers annually.

Statistic 56

US workers averaging 55+ hours/week have 35% higher risk of stroke compared to 35-40 hours/week.

Statistic 57

Prolonged overtime (>60 hours/week) increases coronary heart disease risk by 45% in men.

Statistic 58

Nurses working 12+ hour shifts have 2.3 times higher musculoskeletal injury rates.

Statistic 59

Overwork contributes to 745,000 deaths annually from cardiovascular diseases globally.

Statistic 60

Employees working 49+ hours/week report 20% higher incidence of hypertension.

Statistic 61

Long hours increase type 2 diabetes risk by 29% for those working 55+ hours/week.

Statistic 62

Overworked construction workers have 37% higher fatal injury rates.

Statistic 63

Shift workers with overwork have 40% increased gastrointestinal disorder prevalence.

Statistic 64

55+ hour weeks linked to 17% higher obesity rates in adults.

Statistic 65

Overworked employees experience 25% more sleep disorders.

Statistic 66

Long hours raise chronic fatigue syndrome risk by 50%.

Statistic 67

UK workers over 48 hours/week have 13% higher arthritis rates.

Statistic 68

Overwork in China leads to 600,000 cardiovascular deaths yearly from excess hours.

Statistic 69

US firefighters working overtime have 2x higher PTSD and injury rates.

Statistic 70

Long hours increase hearing loss risk by 21% in manufacturing.

Statistic 71

Overworked pilots report 30% higher vision impairment.

Statistic 72

Excessive overtime correlates with 28% rise in respiratory issues.

Statistic 73

49+ hour weeks boost skin disease incidence by 15%.

Statistic 74

Overwork elevates liver disease risk by 22% in salaried workers.

Statistic 75

Long shifts increase fracture risk by 18% among warehouse staff.

Statistic 76

Overworked teachers have 24% higher fibromyalgia prevalence.

Statistic 77

55+ hours/week linked to 19% more dental health problems.

Statistic 78

Excessive work hours raise anemia rates by 16%.

Statistic 79

Overwork contributes to 12% higher cancer risk from stress hormones.

Statistic 80

Long hours increase osteoporosis risk by 14% in women.

Statistic 81

Overworked IT professionals show 27% more back pain incidents.

Statistic 82

Shift overwork boosts thyroid disorder rates by 20%.

Statistic 83

60+ hour weeks correlate with 23% higher kidney stone prevalence.

Statistic 84

41% of workers are overworked globally per ILO.

Statistic 85

25% of US employees work 50+ hours weekly.

Statistic 86

In Japan, 22% of workers exceed 60 hours/week.

Statistic 87

EU average overtime is 3.8 hours/week, affecting 20%.

Statistic 88

39% of Indian workers are overworked (49+ hours).

Statistic 89

South Korea has 16.8% working 52+ hours/week.

Statistic 90

US millennials: 43% feel overworked always/often.

Statistic 91

Globally, 1 in 3 employees experiences chronic overwork.

Statistic 92

China: 70% of white-collar workers overworked.

Statistic 93

UK: 12% work 48+ hours, highest in finance (20%).

Statistic 94

Brazil overwork rate: 18% exceed 48 hours.

Statistic 95

Australia: 13% of full-time workers do unpaid overtime >10 hours/week.

Statistic 96

Women globally work 20% more unpaid + paid hours, leading to overwork.

Statistic 97

Tech sector: 53% of developers feel overworked.

Statistic 98

Healthcare: 62% of physicians report overwork.

Statistic 99

Education: 44% of teachers work 50+ hours/week.

Statistic 100

Finance: 28% work 55+ hours regularly.

Statistic 101

Manufacturing: 35% overtime exposure in US.

Statistic 102

Overwork rising 10% post-COVID globally.

Statistic 103

Gen Z: 52% report overwork in first jobs.

Statistic 104

Remote workers: 42% work longer hours than office.

Statistic 105

Overworked employees lose 23% more productivity daily due to fatigue.

Statistic 106

Companies with overworked staff see 13% lower output per hour.

Statistic 107

Overtime beyond 50 hours reduces productivity by 25% weekly.

Statistic 108

Overworked teams have 20% higher error rates in tasks.

Statistic 109

Long hours lead to 15% drop in decision-making accuracy.

Statistic 110

Burned-out workers are 2.6x more likely to seek new jobs, costing productivity.

Statistic 111

Overwork causes 12% fewer innovative ideas generated.

Statistic 112

55+ hour weeks reduce cognitive performance by 18%.

Statistic 113

Overworked employees miss 37% more deadlines.

Statistic 114

Productivity per worker falls 21% after 50 hours.

Statistic 115

High overtime firms see 17% lower team collaboration scores.

Statistic 116

Overwork linked to 24% increase in absenteeism days.

Statistic 117

Exhausted workers have 16% slower task completion times.

Statistic 118

Overworked coders produce 22% more bugs per 1,000 lines.

Statistic 119

Long shifts reduce sales conversion rates by 19%.

Statistic 120

Overwork decreases meeting effectiveness by 14%.

Statistic 121

Fatigued employees have 27% lower quality ratings.

Statistic 122

Overtime culture leads to 11% fewer projects completed on time.

Statistic 123

Overworked managers delegate 30% less effectively.

Statistic 124

Extreme hours cut learning retention by 25%.

Statistic 125

Overwork reduces peer feedback positivity by 20%.

Statistic 126

Long-hour workers show 13% decline in strategic thinking.

Statistic 127

Overworked retail staff have 18% higher stock loss incidents.

Statistic 128

Fatigue from overwork slows response times by 15%.

Statistic 129

Overworked accountants report 21% more reconciliation errors.

Statistic 130

Extended hours lead to 26% drop in creative output.

1/130

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Imagine a workplace threat so dangerous it claimed over 745,000 lives in a single year, silently escalating risks for stroke, heart disease, and mental health crises among millions of overworked employees worldwide.

Key Takeaways

In 2016, long working hours (55+ per week) caused 398,000 deaths from stroke and 347,000 from ischemic heart disease worldwide, according to WHO/ILO estimates.
Overworked employees in Japan have a karoshi (death from overwork) rate of about 191.4 cases per million workers annually.
US workers averaging 55+ hours/week have 35% higher risk of stroke compared to 35-40 hours/week.
Depression rates among overworked employees are 2.5 times higher than normal.
Anxiety disorders affect 40% of workers logging 50+ hours/week.
Burnout incidence reaches 77% in overworked professionals per Gallup.
Overworked employees lose 23% more productivity daily due to fatigue.
Companies with overworked staff see 13% lower output per hour.
Overtime beyond 50 hours reduces productivity by 25% weekly.
Overwork costs US economy $300-500B yearly in lost productivity.
Global overwork leads to $1 trillion in annual productivity losses.
Burnout from overwork costs companies $190B in healthcare yearly in US.
41% of workers are overworked globally per ILO.
25% of US employees work 50+ hours weekly.
In Japan, 22% of workers exceed 60 hours/week.

Excessive work hours cause widespread death, disease, and lost productivity worldwide.

Economic Costs

Overwork costs US economy $300-500B yearly in lost productivity.
Global overwork leads to $1 trillion in annual productivity losses.
Burnout from overwork costs companies $190B in healthcare yearly in US.
High turnover due to overwork averages $15K per employee.
Overworked staff absenteeism costs firms 2.5 sick days more per year.
EU overwork economic loss is €272B annually.
Worker replacement after burnout costs 50-200% of salary.
Stress-related presenteeism from overwork costs $84B in US.
Overwork drives 23% of healthcare costs in corporations.
Japan loses ¥3.5 trillion yearly to karoshi-related absences.
Overworked employee errors cost manufacturing $50B globally.
Absenteeism from burnout totals 550M lost workdays in US.
Overwork turnover in tech sector costs $100B yearly.
Healthcare workers' overwork adds $4B in malpractice costs.
Global mental health costs from overwork: $1T in 2030 projection.
Overwork reduces GDP by 1-2% in OECD countries.
Retail overwork shrinkage costs $47B annually in US.
Training new hires post-overwork turnover: $10K average cost.
Overworked lawyers' errors lead to $8B in settlements yearly.
Finance sector overwork absenteeism: $20B loss.
Overwork in construction delays projects by 15%, costing billions.
US firms lose $225B to disengagement from overwork.
Overwork insurance claims rise 30%, costing $50B.
Hospitality turnover from overwork: 73% rate, $11B cost.
Overworked engineers cause 10% more redesign expenses.
Global overwork litigation costs $200B yearly.

Economic Costs Interpretation

The global economy is hemorrhaging trillions of dollars because we've somehow decided that running our workforce into the ground is a business strategy.

Mental Health

Depression rates among overworked employees are 2.5 times higher than normal.
Anxiety disorders affect 40% of workers logging 50+ hours/week.
Burnout incidence reaches 77% in overworked professionals per Gallup.
Suicidal ideation is 1.7x higher in long-hour workers.
Stress-related mental health claims rose 28% due to overwork in 2020.
Overworked employees report 60% higher panic attack frequency.
PTSD prevalence is 35% among overworked first responders.
49% of overworked workers experience chronic irritability.
Bipolar disorder symptoms worsen by 25% with overtime.
Overwork doubles schizophrenia relapse rates.
55% of long-hour workers have adjustment disorders.
Emotional exhaustion scores 40% higher in overworked staff.
Overworked parents show 30% higher child-related anxiety.
Insomnia from overwork affects 52% of executives.
Cynicism levels rise 45% with excessive hours.
Overwork linked to 3x higher substance abuse rates.
Depersonalization affects 38% of overworked nurses.
65% of overworked employees feel hopeless weekly.
OCD symptoms increase 22% with long hours.
Overworked workers have 50% higher eating disorder risk.
Grief processing impaired by 28% in overworked individuals.
Overwork raises dementia risk indicators by 15%.
Phobia development 20% more likely in stressed overworkers.
Overworked sales staff report 32% higher anger issues.
Dissociative disorders up 18% with overtime culture.
Overwork correlates with 26% increase in personality disorder symptoms.
Hypervigilance affects 41% of long-hour security personnel.

Mental Health Interpretation

The modern workplace seems less like a source of livelihood and more like a laboratory producing, with grim efficiency, every mental affliction in the diagnostic manual.

Physical Health

In 2016, long working hours (55+ per week) caused 398,000 deaths from stroke and 347,000 from ischemic heart disease worldwide, according to WHO/ILO estimates.
Overworked employees in Japan have a karoshi (death from overwork) rate of about 191.4 cases per million workers annually.
US workers averaging 55+ hours/week have 35% higher risk of stroke compared to 35-40 hours/week.
Prolonged overtime (>60 hours/week) increases coronary heart disease risk by 45% in men.
Nurses working 12+ hour shifts have 2.3 times higher musculoskeletal injury rates.
Overwork contributes to 745,000 deaths annually from cardiovascular diseases globally.
Employees working 49+ hours/week report 20% higher incidence of hypertension.
Long hours increase type 2 diabetes risk by 29% for those working 55+ hours/week.
Overworked construction workers have 37% higher fatal injury rates.
Shift workers with overwork have 40% increased gastrointestinal disorder prevalence.
55+ hour weeks linked to 17% higher obesity rates in adults.
Overworked employees experience 25% more sleep disorders.
Long hours raise chronic fatigue syndrome risk by 50%.
UK workers over 48 hours/week have 13% higher arthritis rates.
Overwork in China leads to 600,000 cardiovascular deaths yearly from excess hours.
US firefighters working overtime have 2x higher PTSD and injury rates.
Long hours increase hearing loss risk by 21% in manufacturing.
Overworked pilots report 30% higher vision impairment.
Excessive overtime correlates with 28% rise in respiratory issues.
49+ hour weeks boost skin disease incidence by 15%.
Overwork elevates liver disease risk by 22% in salaried workers.
Long shifts increase fracture risk by 18% among warehouse staff.
Overworked teachers have 24% higher fibromyalgia prevalence.
55+ hours/week linked to 19% more dental health problems.
Excessive work hours raise anemia rates by 16%.
Overwork contributes to 12% higher cancer risk from stress hormones.
Long hours increase osteoporosis risk by 14% in women.
Overworked IT professionals show 27% more back pain incidents.
Shift overwork boosts thyroid disorder rates by 20%.
60+ hour weeks correlate with 23% higher kidney stone prevalence.

Physical Health Interpretation

The grim arithmetic of modern labor reveals that the relentless pursuit of productivity is not just burning out our workforce, but quite literally burying it under a global avalanche of preventable deaths and chronic illnesses.

Prevalence

41% of workers are overworked globally per ILO.
25% of US employees work 50+ hours weekly.
In Japan, 22% of workers exceed 60 hours/week.
EU average overtime is 3.8 hours/week, affecting 20%.
39% of Indian workers are overworked (49+ hours).
South Korea has 16.8% working 52+ hours/week.
US millennials: 43% feel overworked always/often.
Globally, 1 in 3 employees experiences chronic overwork.
China: 70% of white-collar workers overworked.
UK: 12% work 48+ hours, highest in finance (20%).
Brazil overwork rate: 18% exceed 48 hours.
Australia: 13% of full-time workers do unpaid overtime >10 hours/week.
Women globally work 20% more unpaid + paid hours, leading to overwork.
Tech sector: 53% of developers feel overworked.
Healthcare: 62% of physicians report overwork.
Education: 44% of teachers work 50+ hours/week.
Finance: 28% work 55+ hours regularly.
Manufacturing: 35% overtime exposure in US.
Overwork rising 10% post-COVID globally.
Gen Z: 52% report overwork in first jobs.
Remote workers: 42% work longer hours than office.

Prevalence Interpretation

The world's workforce is running on a cocktail of ambition and exhaustion, where the modern badge of honor is a blurry line between dedication and depletion.

Productivity

Overworked employees lose 23% more productivity daily due to fatigue.
Companies with overworked staff see 13% lower output per hour.
Overtime beyond 50 hours reduces productivity by 25% weekly.
Overworked teams have 20% higher error rates in tasks.
Long hours lead to 15% drop in decision-making accuracy.
Burned-out workers are 2.6x more likely to seek new jobs, costing productivity.
Overwork causes 12% fewer innovative ideas generated.
55+ hour weeks reduce cognitive performance by 18%.
Overworked employees miss 37% more deadlines.
Productivity per worker falls 21% after 50 hours.
High overtime firms see 17% lower team collaboration scores.
Overwork linked to 24% increase in absenteeism days.
Exhausted workers have 16% slower task completion times.
Overworked coders produce 22% more bugs per 1,000 lines.
Long shifts reduce sales conversion rates by 19%.
Overwork decreases meeting effectiveness by 14%.
Fatigued employees have 27% lower quality ratings.
Overtime culture leads to 11% fewer projects completed on time.
Overworked managers delegate 30% less effectively.
Extreme hours cut learning retention by 25%.
Overwork reduces peer feedback positivity by 20%.
Long-hour workers show 13% decline in strategic thinking.
Overworked retail staff have 18% higher stock loss incidents.
Fatigue from overwork slows response times by 15%.
Overworked accountants report 21% more reconciliation errors.
Extended hours lead to 26% drop in creative output.

Productivity Interpretation

The data clearly suggests that treating employees like perpetually burning candles doesn't just leave them melted and miserable—it actively ensures the light they produce is dimmer, costlier, and flickering with avoidable errors.

Sources & References

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