Stress Awareness Month | Stress levels are falling - so why are so few workers thriving?

According to the latest insights from ADP Research’s People at Work 2025 series, global workplace stress has halved in just one year – falling from 15% to 7.5%. In the UK, the figure stands at 7%. On the surface, this seems like a cause for celebration. But look deeper, and a more complex picture emerges: only 24% of UK workers are thriving – one of the lowest rates globally.

“It has been five years since the world of work was shaken to its core,” says Mary Hayes, Director of Research, People and Performance at ADP. “Workers have the pandemic in the back window finally, which could be one of the influences bringing down daily stress. But the simple absence of bad on-the-job stress doesn’t guarantee that workers will thrive.”

The paradox of low stress and low fulfilment

ADP defines stress as a combination of both positive (eustress) and negative (distress) experiences. While distress might be receding, it doesn’t necessarily mean employees are energised or fulfilled. A key insight from the report is the emergence of a “rattled” workforce – individuals who may not be overwhelmed, but still feel uneasy or disengaged at work.

Over half of employees – 58% globally and 57% in the UK – describe themselves as “rattled”, experiencing a blend of energising and depleting stress. Hayes explains: “Rattled workers tend to have a mix of good days full of positive, energising stress, and days that feel more negative or overwhelming. This is not uncommon… and it comes down to communicating with employees to identify what triggers the positive and negative stress.”