For many workers, 2025 was a year defined by strict RTO obligations, large-scale layoffs, and an arduous job search. So it’s no wonder that one word describes the mood of employees this year, according to Glassdoor: “Fatigue.”
“Employees spent a lot of time this year on edge, worrying about the next headline, technology change or economic surprise just around the corner,” Glassdoor said in a Dec. 10 blog post. “Politics took over, layoff concerns remained, economic concerns rose, and AI disruption accelerated. The result? The workforce became empty.”
The job site saw a 41% spike in mentions of “fatigue” across the Glassdoor community from January 1, 2025 to November 18, 2025, compared to mentions for all of 2024.
“Workers don’t feel like this job market is working out for them,” Daniel Chao, chief economist at Glassdoor, told CNBC Make It. “We’re in an environment of weak employment, limited career growth, limited wage growth, and all of those things are making workers bitter about where they are.”
“Fatigue” is Glassdoor’s word of the year for 2025
Glassdoor pointed to several factors behind this year’s worker fatigue. One is about politics, with mentions of “Inauguration Day” up 875% year-over-year.
Another was economic uncertainty and stagflation, as many workers feared a recession and felt that wage growth was lagging behind the pace of inflation. Mentions of “stagflation” have more than tripled since 2024.
Finally, Glassdoor cited the disruption of AI (use of the word “agent” increased 2,244% year over year), as well as job search burnout and fear of layoffs.
We’ve been through a rollercoaster of five years, starting with the pandemic and never letting up. No wonder workers are exhausted.
Daniel Chao
Glassdoor Chief Economist
Additionally, workers may be feeling residual stress and anxiety due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic in recent years, Zhao said.
“We’ve had a roller coaster five years that started with the pandemic and never stopped,” Chao said. “It’s no surprise that workers are exhausted.”
Trends like the “job hugs” that have surfaced this year show that while workers may be dissatisfied and disengaged, a tough job market is keeping them where they are.
“Not only are workers feeling stuck in their jobs, but they’re also feeling stuck in their careers. That means many workers are feeling burnt out,” Zhao said.
With many workers feeling fatigued, AI policies, return-to-office orders, and efficiency drives are currently creating a “disconnect between employees and leaders,” Zhao said.
“It’s ironic that employers place so much emphasis on productivity and efficiency, but they don’t put as much effort into ensuring employee engagement,” Zhao says.
“If workers don’t feel like their efforts are being rewarded and are demotivated as a result, productivity is completely reduced.”
How workers can fight fatigue
For job seekers, Zhao notes that it’s a tough market, but suggests simple ways to cope: build a community with other people looking for work, have a support system, take breaks when needed, and pace yourself.
For employees who are feeling limited, it can be helpful to deprioritize tasks that are not important to their growth. Some workers are “looking for other ways to advance their careers, other ways to feed their ambitions, because the rewards are there,” Zhao said. That might mean pursuing a side hustle or project that helps you hone your skills or prepare you for your next career move.
Especially when dealing with burnout, experts typically recommend finding ways to distance yourself from stressors, reevaluating your priorities, and setting boundaries.
“Finding what motivates you is important for resetting expectations and managing burnout,” says Zhao.
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