Over the past few decades, job stress has increasingly become the primary source of stress for American adults, as numerous studies have shown.
Melissa Veseli
Data Scientist
Blerina Miftari
Sr. Content Editor
Last Updated: 06.03.2023
.svg)
Section 01
Section 02
Section 03
Section 04
Section 05
Section 06
Continued exposure to workplace stress and poor mental health can have a detrimental impact on employees, including diminished job performance, reduced productivity, decreased work engagement, and impaired communication. Additionally, it can also impact an individual's physical capabilities and daily functioning. To learn more about the ways in which stress can negatively impact work, keep reading.
According to a study, 55% of individuals in the United States reported experiencing stress every day.
40% of employees indicated that their job was highly stressful.
Roughly 33% of individuals report experiencing severe stress.
63% of American workers are willing to resign from their jobs to evade work-related stress.
About 76% of employees in the United States report that work-related stress has a detrimental effect on their personal relationships.
31% of both genders manage work-related stress by increasing their caffeine intake, according to research.
The other 27% smoke.
A quarter of individuals exercise more frequently when they experience less stress.
Depression-related absenteeism costs U.S. businesses a staggering $51 billion annually.
In addition to that, there are extra treatment costs of $26 billion.
The primary sources of workplace stress are excessive workload, which accounts for 39% of employee stress, according to research.
Interpersonal issues contribute to 31% of workplace stress, as per the same study.
Balancing work and personal life is responsible for 19% of workplace stress, according to the research.
Job security is also a cause of workplace stress, accounting for 6% of employee stress, as per the same study.
A study reveals that 94% of employees experience stress at their workplace.
About 25% of employees consider their job to be the primary source of stress in their lives, according to research.
According to research, occupational stress can impact individuals regardless of gender. However, the latest statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) indicate that women are disproportionately affected by work-related stress. This could be due to the fact that stress arises from excessive demands and responsibilities placed on an individual, which women may experience more acutely.
Women rated their stress levels as 5.1 on a scale from one to ten.
The APA Stress in America 2016 survey reported that men's stress levels were 4.4.
In comparison to women's stress levels of 5.1, on a scale from one to ten.
Daily feelings of stress were reported by 62% of working women in the United States and Canada.
In contrast, 52% of men reported daily feelings of stress.
Caregiving expectations, ongoing childcare difficulties, and women's overrepresentation in low-wage service jobs, exacerbated by the pandemic, have long-lasting impacts.
In contrast, researchers attribute the decrease in daily stress levels among women in Western Europe over the last year to social safety nets for parents and workers that prevent unemployment.
There are slight differences in how men and women tend to cope with stress.
In general, women tend to consume more food as a coping mechanism for stress than men, with 46% of females doing so compared to 27% of males.
Conversely, 44% of people cope with stress by discussing their problems with friends and family.
This coping mechanism is more commonly observed in women, as only 21% of men tend to cope with stress by discussing their problems with loved ones.
On the other hand, men are more likely to turn to illicit drugs as a coping mechanism for stress, despite the higher frequency of use.
Approximately 12% of men tend to rely on drugs to cope with stress.
This coping mechanism is less prevalent among women, with only 2% of females turning to drugs to manage stress.
Read the section below to learn which age is most affected by stress at the workplace.
Individuals aged between 30 and 49 years old in the US experience the highest levels of stress.
Around two-thirds of individuals aged between 30 and 49 years old report experiencing high levels of workplace stress.
Following closely behind, the 15-29 age group also reports a significant level of stress.
This age group has a stress level of 64%.
According to a survey, 44% of individuals aged over 50 reported experiencing workplace stress.
Over 25% of Americans report stress levels that hinder their ability to function normally, as per the 2022 Stress in America survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA).
The rates of stress are even higher among respondents who are aged between 18-34 years old and those who identify as Latino or Black.
More than half (52%) of Generation Z individuals in the US have received a diagnosis of mental health issues.
In contrast, the percentage of baby boomers who have received a diagnosis of mental health issues is lower, with only 41% reporting such a diagnosis.
As identified in a detailed section below, workplace stress can be attributed to factors such as compensation and lack of involvement in decision-making.
When it comes to the impact of different factors on employee stress levels at work, low salaries have been identified as a major contributor, with the percentage increasing from 49% in 2019 to 56%.
The percentage of employees reporting high levels of stress at work increased from 46% to 54% due to long working hours.
The most commonly reported significant factor contributing to workplace stress is the lack of opportunity for growth or advancement, which increased from 44% to 52%.
Heavy workload is cited as one of the contributing factors to workplace stress, with 50% of employees reporting it as a significant factor.
Lack of paid time off or sick leave is a significant factor that affects employee stress levels at work, with 50% of respondents reporting it as a contributing factor.
Commuting is cited as a factor that contributes to workplace stress by 50% of employees.
Nearly half of employees (48%) consider the absence of involvement in decisions as a contributing factor to workplace stress, which marks a significant increase from the previous survey conducted in 2019 (39%).
Health and safety concerns, including physical illnesses and ailments, were cited as a contributing factor to workplace stress by 45% of employees, which represents more than two out of five.
Unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions are a factor that impacts the workplace stress levels of 44% of employees.
People with disabilities report a greater impact of physical illnesses and ailments on their workplace stress levels (71%) compared to those without disabilities (41%).
Those with disabilities are more likely to perceive unpleasant or hazardous physical conditions as a significant contributor to workplace stress, with 69% reporting this compared to only 39% of those without disabilities.
Employees in lower-level job positions are more vulnerable to the negative effects of workplace stress.
Front-line employees, including customer service representatives, report higher levels of work-related stress, with 67% experiencing it, according to the data.
Front-line employees, including customer service representatives, report higher levels of work-related stress, with 67% experiencing it, according to the data.
Executives or CEOs, on the other hand, experience higher levels of work-related stress with 54% reporting it.
In the past 30 days, 35% of front-line workers have experienced frequent or more frequent feelings of frustration at work.
.svg)
This section examines how certain types of jobs, such as manual labor or customer service, sales, or entertainment, can contribute to mental and physical health problems at work.
Nearly 59% of employees have experienced adverse effects of work-related stress in the last month, leading to a decrease in work effort (19%), difficulty in focusing (21%), and a lack of motivation, energy, or interest (26%).
Workers involved in manual labor or in customer service, sales, or entertainment are more prone to report physical fatigue symptoms, with 51% and 53%, respectively, compared to those working in administration, management, or desk jobs (38%).
Workers in manual labor and customer service, sales, or entertainment industries are more prone to report experiencing cognitive exhaustion compared to those in administration, management, or desk jobs (41% and 44% versus 29%, respectively).
Employees in manual labor or customer service, sales, or entertainment roles are more prone to report frequent emotional exhaustion in the past 30 workdays, with 41% and 40% respectively, compared to 25% in administration, management, or desk jobs.
Employees engaged in manual labor and working in customer service, sales, or entertainment are more likely to report that their mental and physical health problems have negatively impacted their ability to achieve work-related goals in the past month.
Individuals engaged in manual labor or working in customer service, sales, or entertainment are more likely to report experiencing mental health issues, with 42% of those in manual labor and 45% of those in customer service, sales, or entertainment reporting such problems.
Employees in administration, management, or desk jobs report experiencing mental health problems at a rate of 33%, which is lower than manual laborers and those in customer service, sales, or entertainment.
Manual laborers and those in customer service, sales, or entertainment report higher rates of physical health problems impacting their work, with 40% and 41%, respectively, compared to 30% of those in administration, management, or desk jobs.
While workplace stress is unavoidable, it has a significant impact on businesses and the economy, leading to trillions of dollars in absenteeism, reduced productivity, and healthcare expenses. However, by providing stress management resources, businesses can minimize the effects of stress, ultimately resulting in lower healthcare and stress-related costs in the long term.
The global economy experiences a loss of around $1 trillion in productivity due to depression and anxiety.
Approximately one million employees are absent from work daily due to stress-related reasons, according to estimates.
The impact of job-related stress on the US industry is significant, with estimated losses of over $300 billion attributed to absenteeism, reduced productivity, and workplace accidents.
Employees spend over five hours per week thinking about their stressors, resulting in lost office work hours.
The annual healthcare costs related to work-related stress in the US is estimated to be $190 billion.
The UK is also facing the impact of work-related stress, with an estimated €20 billion in annual healthcare costs.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of US workers have expressed a willingness to quit their job to escape work-related stress.
Every year, American companies incur $51 billion in costs related to employee absenteeism caused by depression.
Moreover, there is an additional $26 billion in treatment expenses.
To account for lost productivity or replace workers, companies typically allocate approximately 75% of a worker's yearly salary.
Stress has caused around 16% of workers to resign from their previous employment.
More than 56% of employees have reported spending time searching for a new job, which is higher than the 40% of respondents who reported doing so in 2018.
The number of fatalities attributed to work-related stress is estimated to be 120,000.
The healthcare expenses of stressed employees are twice as much as those of other workers.
In 2020, the cost of productivity loss resulting from absenteeism associated with poor health amounted to over $84 billion annually.
American companies are projected to bear a cost of $602.00 per worker per year due to unanticipated absenteeism, and for larger organizations, the total expense could approach $3.5 million annually.
Over 20% of employees devote more than 5 hours of their workweek to pondering their sources of stress or concerns.