written by While workplace engagement is declining alarmingly at the global level, Romania stands out in Europe with the highest percentage of engaged employees, according to the latest Gallup report – State of the Global Workplace 2025.
Only 1 in 5 employees worldwide consider themselves “engaged” – meaning actively involved, passionate about what they do, and emotionally connected to their workplace. This marks a decrease of 2 percentage points compared to 2023 and translates into estimated economic productivity losses of $438 billion.
Where This Decline Comes From
The main cause of this global decline is the drop in engagement among managers, from 30% to 27%, with young managers (under 35) and female managers being the most affected. These groups feel the direct pressure of changes: from unrealistic leadership expectations and lack of resources to undersized teams for the workload and the stress caused by the rapid shift to digitalization and artificial intelligence.
Europe ranks last globally, with only 13% of employees actively engaged. While this figure has remained stagnant compared to the previous year, it signals a systemic issue: the lack of a motivating professional environment and a growing disconnect between employees and employers.
Romania at the Top
Romania retains its number one position in Europe, with 35% of employees engaged, although it has seen a 1% decrease compared to the previous year. Although this figure remains modest compared to the ideal level (Gallup estimates the maximum potential at 70%), Romania manages to outperform more developed countries such as France, Italy, and Germany. Albania ranks second, followed by Kosovo in third place.
How Romanians Evaluate Their Quality of Life
Romania ranks 10th in the world for “Life Evaluation,” where people assess their quality of life on a scale from 0 to 10. On average, Romanians rated themselves relatively high on this scale, both in the present and when thinking about their life five years from now. This ranking reflects a good level of satisfaction and optimism among the population, with a slight increase compared to the previous year.
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