Workplace stress is no longer just a feeling that “goes with the job.” In the most recent snapshot covered here, 66% of workers say they have experienced burnout more often in the last year, while 76% report that workplace stress cuts their productivity. These figures rise alongside higher rates of health impact, missed work, and even injury and illness costs, making it harder to treat stress as a personal issue rather than a workplace one.
Key Takeaways
- 61% of workers reported that stress negatively affected their health in the last year
- 65% of adults in the U.S. say they are experiencing stress either always or often
- 76% of employees said workplace stress reduces their productivity
- 37% of workers in the EU reported experiencing the feeling of burnout or being emotionally exhausted at work at least a few times a month (EU-27, 2021).
- 26% of workers in the EU reported work-related stress as a problem in 2022, according to the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) data compiled in the Working conditions dataset.
- 8.5% of U.S. adults reported needing medical care for mental health in the past 12 months due to stress-related issues (2019–2020, HHS/CDC NHIS-based measure).
- 51% of U.S. adults reported experiencing stress in the past day in 2019, according to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2021 Stress in America survey report (cited here via APA’s published results).
- 35% of U.S. adults reported that stress has impacted their physical health in the last month (2019 baseline from the Stress in America survey).
- 17% of U.S. adults reported that stress was a major reason for missed workdays in 2022, according to the CDC National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) analysis on work limitations and health.
- In the U.S., work-related stress is estimated to contribute to 60% of all workplace injuries and illnesses (as cited in OSHA’s workplace stress overview).
- In the U.S., the cost of workplace mental health conditions is estimated at $200 billion to $300 billion annually due to absenteeism and reduced productivity (RAND analysis).
- WHO estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion per year (through lost productivity).
- A 2022 Microsoft Work Trend Index found that 66% of workers say they have experienced burnout more often in the last year (Microsoft).
- The OECD reports that job strain is among the leading workplace risk factors associated with reduced wellbeing in high-income countries, with measured increases in stress exposure among remote/hybrid workers (OECD 2021).
- WHO guidance estimates that workplace interventions (manager training, workload management, stress reduction programs) can reduce stress-related outcomes by 20% to 30% on average in randomized and quasi-experimental studies.
Most workers report stress harming health and productivity, with workplace pressures driving injuries, illness, and burnout.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence & Surveys6 stats
01
61% of workers reported that stress negatively affected their health in the last year
02
65% of adults in the U.S. say they are experiencing stress either always or often
03
76% of employees said workplace stress reduces their productivity
04
22% of workers report having to work at high speed always or nearly always
05
25% of people in the UK were experiencing work-related stress at the time of the 2022 Health Survey for England
06
62% of employees reported stress-related symptoms in a 2021 survey by Mercer
Interpretation
Prevalence & Surveys Interpretation
Survey data in the prevalence category shows stress is widespread and costly, with 65% of U.S. adults reporting they experience stress always or often and 76% of employees saying it reduces their productivity.
02 · Category
Workforce Exposure4 stats
01
37% of workers in the EU reported experiencing the feeling of burnout or being emotionally exhausted at work at least a few times a month (EU-27, 2021).
02
26% of workers in the EU reported work-related stress as a problem in 2022, according to the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) data compiled in the Working conditions dataset.
03
8.5% of U.S. adults reported needing medical care for mental health in the past 12 months due to stress-related issues (2019–2020, HHS/CDC NHIS-based measure).
04
In Canada, Statistics Canada reports that 16% of workers reported high or very high work stress in 2022 (Canadian Community Health Survey—Work stress measures).
Interpretation
Workforce Exposure Interpretation
Under the Workforce Exposure category, stress appears widespread across regions, with 37% of EU workers reporting burnout or emotional exhaustion at least a few times a month and 26% saying work-related stress is a problem in 2022, while 16% of Canadian workers report high or very high work stress and 8.5% of U.S. adults sought mental health care for stress in the past 12 months.
03 · Category
Health Impacts8 stats
01
51% of U.S. adults reported experiencing stress in the past day in 2019, according to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2021 Stress in America survey report (cited here via APA’s published results).
02
35% of U.S. adults reported that stress has impacted their physical health in the last month (2019 baseline from the Stress in America survey).
03
17% of U.S. adults reported that stress was a major reason for missed workdays in 2022, according to the CDC National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) analysis on work limitations and health.
04
In 2022, 21.6% of U.S. adults reported symptoms consistent with moderate to severe depression, based on PHQ-9 (national survey).
05
Across 28 European countries, workers experiencing workplace stress have a 1.2x higher probability of being in poor health outcomes (systematic review meta-analysis, 2020).
06
A 2021 meta-analysis found that workplace psychosocial stressors are associated with a 1.3x increased risk of cardiovascular disease (relative risk estimate).
07
A 2020 prospective cohort study reported that high job strain was associated with a 1.5x higher risk of incident depression over time.
08
A 2019 systematic review reported that workplace stress is associated with a 1.2x higher risk of developing sleep disorders.
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
For the Health Impacts category, the data show that workplace stress is linked to measurable health problems, with 35% of U.S. adults reporting stress affected their physical health and workplace stress raising risks of conditions like cardiovascular disease by about 1.3 times and sleep disorders by about 1.2 times.
More related reading
04 · Category
Economic Burden4 stats
01
In the U.S., work-related stress is estimated to contribute to 60% of all workplace injuries and illnesses (as cited in OSHA’s workplace stress overview).
02
In the U.S., the cost of workplace mental health conditions is estimated at $200 billion to $300 billion annually due to absenteeism and reduced productivity (RAND analysis).
03
WHO estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion per year (through lost productivity).
04
In the U.S., the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 11,200,000 employees were affected by stress-related categories under “injuries and illnesses” in 2022 in the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) classifications.
Interpretation
Economic Burden Interpretation
The economic burden of workplace stress is massive, with WHO estimating $1 trillion per year in global losses from depression and anxiety and U.S. figures showing $200 billion to $300 billion annually in mental health costs plus 60% of workplace injuries and illnesses linked to work-related stress.
05 · Category
Employee Outcomes1 stats
01
A 2022 Microsoft Work Trend Index found that 66% of workers say they have experienced burnout more often in the last year (Microsoft).
Interpretation
Employee Outcomes Interpretation
In the Employee Outcomes category, a 2022 Microsoft Work Trend Index found that 66% of workers say they have experienced burnout more often in the past year, signaling a widespread negative impact on employees.
06 · Category
Interventions & Policy2 stats
01
The OECD reports that job strain is among the leading workplace risk factors associated with reduced wellbeing in high-income countries, with measured increases in stress exposure among remote/hybrid workers (OECD 2021).
02
WHO guidance estimates that workplace interventions (manager training, workload management, stress reduction programs) can reduce stress-related outcomes by 20% to 30% on average in randomized and quasi-experimental studies.
Interpretation
Interventions & Policy Interpretation
In the Interventions and Policy category, evidence from the OECD and WHO suggests that as job strain rises for remote and hybrid workers, well-designed workplace interventions such as manager training and workload management can cut stress-related outcomes by an average of 20% to 30%, offering a clear policy lever to improve wellbeing.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Workplace Stress Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workplace-stress-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "Workplace Stress Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/workplace-stress-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Workplace Stress Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workplace-stress-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)