American Workers in 2026:
Satisfied at Work, Anxious About the Future
Job satisfaction remains strong, confidence is mixed, and AI concern rises sharply over a three-year horizon. Our Q1 survey reveals how U.S. workers really feel about their jobs, the economy, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
Steady Sentiment
The Employee Mindset Score
A single measure of U.S. workforce health, combining job satisfaction, employee confidence, and AI threat perception.
At 67.8, American workers land in steady sentiment territory. But beneath the surface, the data reveals real tension: 88% are satisfied with their employers, yet 69% are anxious about the job market. Workers feel secure in their current roles while worrying about what comes next.
The Employee Mindset Score will be tracked quarterly to monitor shifts in workforce sentiment as economic conditions and AI capabilities evolve.
Job Satisfaction Index
72.6 / 100
Workers are largely satisfied with their employers (88%), but stress is the weak link. Only 14% report zero workplace stress, and 33% plan to leave within 2 years.
Employee Confidence Index
63.5 / 100
89% feel secure in their current role, yet 69% are anxious about the broader market. Financial vulnerability is the weak link: 45% have less than 3 months of savings.
AI Threat Index
33.2 / 100
Moderate overall, but rising. 56% are concerned about AI threatening their jobs within 3 years. Those who use AI most are most afraid of it: a 72% higher threat score.
Key Findings
The headlines that define the Q1 2026 American workforce
Workers who use AI most are most afraid of it
Heavy AI users have an AI Threat Index of 42.9, while non-users score just 25.0. Those with front-row seats to AI capabilities are 72% more threatened by what they see.
+72% higher AI threat among heavy users
Entry-level workers face a triple crisis
Low confidence (56.1), low savings (47% have zero), and low AI exposure (only 45% use AI at work vs. 87% of executives). The workers most vulnerable to displacement are least equipped to weather it.
47% have zero emergency savings
Gen Z is the most anxious generation
Gen Z feels the highest AI threat (36.0) and lowest overall mindset score (67.0) of any generation. 22% are extremely anxious about the job market, compared to 17% of Millennials and Gen X.
22% extremely anxious about jobs
Executives appear to know something others do not
Executives have the highest satisfaction (73.2) and highest confidence (70.4), but also the highest AI threat of any job level (35.4). They are the most satisfied yet most concerned about AI.
Highest satisfaction AND highest AI threat
Satisfaction is high, but financial runway is thin
88% of workers are satisfied with their employers, yet 46% have less than three months of emergency savings. Even satisfied workers are one disruption away from crisis.
46% have less than 3 months saved
AI concern accelerates over time
AI is not the top immediate threat today, with only 17% citing it as their biggest concern. But worry grows: 49% are concerned in the next 6-12 months, jumping to 56% at the 3-year mark.
56% concerned at 3-year horizon
Job Satisfaction IndexMeasuring contentment with current employers, expected tenure, stress levels, work environment fit, and compensation adequacy. |
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The story behind the numbersAt 72.6, the Job Satisfaction Index indicates solid overall satisfaction. 88% of workers are satisfied with their employers, and 67% expect to stay 3+ years. But the picture is not uniformly positive. Only 14% of workers report no stress in their roles, while 18% report high or extreme stress. Surprisingly, stress rises with seniority: 24% of executives report high or extreme stress, compared to 18% of entry-level workers. Retention is a real concern33% of workers are either actively looking (12%) or planning to leave within two years (21%). Remote workers are most likely to be job hunting (17% actively looking), while hybrid workers are most stable (just 8%). Work model mismatch persistsWhile 68% of workers are in their preferred environment, 37% of in-office workers would prefer a different arrangement. Hybrid workers show the strongest alignment, with only 29% preferring something else. The hospitality crisisHospitality workers have the lowest satisfaction (63.8) of any industry. 34% have zero savings, and 17% feel underpaid relative to cost of living. Yet only 14% are actively looking, suggesting they may feel stuck.
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Satisfaction rises with seniorityExecutives report 23% higher satisfaction than entry-level workers, a pattern that holds across all index components.
Hospitality and education workers lag behindTech and healthcare lead in satisfaction, while hospitality faces a crisis with the lowest scores.
Hybrid workers are the least likely to leaveRemote workers are twice as likely to be actively job hunting compared to hybrid workers.
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Employee Confidence IndexMeasuring role stability, job market anxiety, market outlook, trust in official data, and financial resilience. |
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Confidence in role, anxiety about marketAt 63.5, the Employee Confidence Index reflects cautious optimism tempered by real vulnerabilities. 89% of workers are confident in their own role stability, yet 69% are anxious about the broader job market. Workers believe they individually are safe while everyone else is at risk. Gen Z is most anxious22% of Gen Z workers are extremely anxious about the job market, compared to 17% of Millennials and Gen X. Gen Z also cites AI as their top employment threat (18%), while Gen X ranks it third at just 12%. Financial vulnerability is the weak link21% of workers have zero emergency savings. Another 24% have only 1-3 months. In total, 45% have less than three months of cushion. Women are hit harder: 53% have under 3 months saved, compared to 40% of men. Entry-level trust deficit33% of entry-level workers distrust government job market data, compared to just 12% of executives (nearly 3x the distrust rate). Those in the most precarious financial situation have the least faith in official narratives.
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Entry-level confidence lags 25% behind executivesThe confidence gap tracks closely with financial security. 47% of entry-level workers have zero savings, vs. just 8% of executives.
Women are 60% more likely to have zero savingsThe gender financial gap is stark: 27% of women have no emergency fund compared to 17% of men.
45% of workers have less than 3 months of savingsNearly half of workers would face immediate financial pressure in a job loss.
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AI Threat IndexMeasuring AI threat perception, career impact expectations, concern timelines, and self-assessed replaceability. |
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The AI power user insightAt 33.2, the AI Threat Index indicates moderate concern overall. But segment by AI usage and the picture changes dramatically. Workers who use AI constantly have a threat score of 42.9. Workers who do not use AI at all score just 25.0. Heavy AI users are 72% more concerned about AI displacement. 35% of power users are extremely concerned about AI threatening their jobs within 3 years, compared to just 11% of non-users. Familiarity breeds concern, not comfort. The AI exposure gapEntry-level workers are being left behind in the AI revolution. Only 45% use AI at work, compared to 87% of executives. Just 4% are heavy AI users vs. 46% of executives. And only 37% expect more AI in the next 6-12 months, while 81% of executives do. Tech workers: the contradictionTech workers have the highest AI threat score (38.5) and believe 51% of their job is replaceable by AI. Yet 80% are positive about AI career impact, they have the lowest zero-savings rate (10%), and the highest confidence (68.9). They see the threat clearly, but feel equipped to navigate it. Concern grows on a longer horizonAI isn't the top immediate threat. Only 17% cite it as their biggest employment concern, but concern accelerates over time. While 49% worry about the next 6-12 months, that jumps to 56% at the 3-year mark. Extreme concern increases 30% from short to long term.
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Heavy AI users are 72% more threatenedThose who use AI constantly see its capabilities firsthand, and it concerns them.
Tech workers believe 51% of their job is replaceableTechnology workers assess the highest replaceability, nearly double that of operations workers.
Executives are 11x more likely to be heavy AI usersEntry-level workers are being left behind: only 4% use AI heavily vs. 46% of executives.
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Q1 2026 Employee Mindset Score Survey
Survey conducted January 12-13, 2025 | n=756 employed U.S. workers earning $50,000+/year