New research shows declining engagement among remote and hybrid employees, highlighting the importance of management support as organizations integrate artificial intelligence.
Employee engagement in the United States has reached its lowest level in 15 years, with particularly significant declines among remote and hybrid workers as businesses continue adopting artificial intelligence.
The October 28 Gallup report found that just 29% of US employees were engaged at work during the third quarter of 2026, down from 31% in the previous quarter.
Another 18% were actively disengaged, while 53% were classified as not engaged.
Gallup estimates the quarterly decline represents approximately 3.2 million fewer engaged workers, contributing to an overall decrease of about 11 million since 2020.
The findings raise questions about how technology adoption, changing work arrangements and organizational communication influence employees’ experiences.
Remote Workers Report the Sharpest Declines
Gallup chief scientist Jim Harter, with analysis contributed by Sangeeta Agrawal, identified particularly significant changes among employees working remotely.
Engagement declined by five percentage points among exclusively remote workers and two points among hybrid employees.
Among employees whose jobs could be performed remotely but who worked on-site, engagement declined by approximately one point.
The research also identified deteriorating perceptions of workplace clarity and personal support.
The proportion of employees who strongly agreed that they understood their responsibilities fell from 49% during the first half of 2026 to 46% in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, those who strongly agreed that someone at work cared about them personally declined from 40% to 37%.
AI Adoption Does Not Automatically Improve Engagement
Earlier Gallup research published in July found that engagement was six percentage points higher in organizations adopting AI.
That advantage increased to 15 points where employers communicated clear AI implementation plans and 18 points where managers actively supported AI use.
However, the latest findings show that the advantage narrowed considerably among remote and hybrid employees.
Engagement among fully remote workers in AI-integrated organizations fell from 38% to 33% between the second and third quarters.
Among hybrid employees in similar organizations, engagement declined from 37% to 33%.
Gallup’s findings are observational and do not establish that AI caused the decline.
Research Highlights the Risk of Work Intensification
Separate research from UC Berkeley Haas provides another perspective on workplace AI.
Researchers Xingqi Maggie Ye and Aruna Ranganathan conducted an eight-month ethnographic study at a technology company employing approximately 200 people.
They observed employees accepting additional responsibilities, maintaining multiple simultaneous tasks and extending work into periods previously reserved for breaks.
Similarly, an October 21 Ricoh survey found that 53% of employees reported AI tools creating friction or additional work, despite 91% of business decision-makers expressing confidence in their AI investments.
These studies use different research methods and populations, but together highlight why productivity gains should not be confused with improvements in employee experience.
What AI Developers and Employers Need to Change
For enterprise technology companies, successful AI adoption requires more than implementing software and measuring usage.
Organizations must clarify changing responsibilities, provide appropriate training and ensure that productivity improvements do not translate into unsustainable workloads.
Technology leaders should also examine employee engagement, workflow interruptions and managerial support alongside financial returns.
The broader challenge is ensuring that AI makes organizations more effective without weakening the human relationships and professional support systems that sustain performance.
