The overall picture
According to Gallup's latest report, cited by the technology press and picked up by IT之家, in the third quarter of 2026 the engagement rate among U.S. workers fell to 29%, the lowest value recorded since 2011. The figure marks a downward progression compared with previous years: it was 36% in 2020 and 31% in 2024.
What is new this quarter is not only the absolute level but the speed of the deterioration: the decline affects all work arrangements, though with very different intensity depending on where the work is performed.
Remote and hybrid workers hit hardest
Compared with the previous quarter, engagement fell by 5 percentage points among those who work entirely remotely and by 2 points among those who alternate between on-site and remote work. Those who always work on-site recorded a decline of just one point. Gallup had already found previously that, in roles compatible with remote work, remote or hybrid employees perceive work expectations less favorably than their on-site colleagues.
The report does not clarify whether work arrangement is the cause of the decline or reflects pre-existing differences among the groups observed. The distinction matters: without data on workers' profiles and job types, it is impossible to determine whether remote work directly produces lower engagement or attracts those who are already less motivated.
The AI effect remains ambiguous
On the artificial intelligence front, Gallup reports a reversal of trend: at the beginning of the year, research indicated a possible improvement in attitudes toward AI and in engagement, whereas now the dynamic has flipped. In companies that have integrated AI into workflows, engagement is substantially equivalent to that of firms that have not adopted it.
Here too, the reading must be cautious: the material does not specify how AI integration was measured or which sectors were involved. The data suggest that technological adoption alone is not enough to sustain motivation, but it does not allow definitive conclusions to be drawn about the causal relationship.
What remains to be verified
The report focuses on the United States and a single quarter: it is therefore not possible to extend the result to other markets or to establish whether it is a lasting trend. Also still to be clarified are the composition of the sample, the operational definitions of the three work modes, and the reasons behind the lower satisfaction of remote workers—elements that the available material does not detail.
The relevance of the figure lies in its timing: the lowest level since 2011 is reached at a stage when hybrid and remote work are now widespread and AI has entered production processes. The comparison between the two phenomena, however, is currently limited to a statistical coincidence, not a verified explanation.
