UK workers among the most unhappy in Europe

Workers in this country are close to the top of the rankings when it comes to unhappiness, according to a piece of research on the subject that has just been published.

The study that this finding comes from is the annual State of the Workplace report by Gallup. The results of the 2025 report show that just over one quarter of workers in the UK – 26% to be exact – experience frequent feelings of sadness during the day. Back in 2021, the figure was 19%, but it has been rising on a steady basis since then.

When compared with other European countries, the current figure leaves the UK workforce as the second unhappiest. The Gallup study also indicates that they are among the least engaged. Only 10% told the survey that they feel engaged by their work. A further 41% stated that they found their working environment to be stressful.

Dominic Holmes from Cornerstone, a company that provides HR software, spoke to HR Magazine about the findings:

“Many employers aren’t doing enough to support their employees’ skills development. As a result, people are left feeling unmotivated or unprepared for the fast-changing world of work.”

He added that the solution was more complex than just introducing more training. Holmes argued that a holistic approach to the problem is needed. That sort of wholesale change can be difficult to manage, but an outsourced HR consultancy will help by taking some of the strain.

Another finding from the research is that 30% of workers began looking for a replacement job in 2024.