Glassdoor Report Highlights Worklife Trends 2026: Leadership, Forever Layoffs, and New Talent

According to economic research published by Glassdoor on employee work-life trends, several key points stood out. First, employees report feeling disconnected from leadership. Second, forever layoffs appear to be on the rise. Third, new graduates are generally being paid at a reasonable level. There are additional trends in the report, but those are best explored by reading it directly.

When your appreciated
enough to be layed off in 
little bunches! 🎕

It is the little things that
count! 💖🤗

Keep your CV up-to-date and 
keep learning. Consider
a side gig as well. 
You just never know and 
it is better to be prepared as 
much as possible. 
Been there before!

Leadership plays a critical role in guiding organizations, and there may be a broader trend in the survey's of general distrust. To know this more clearly one would need to pay attention to other surveys on trust in society, social trust, trust of institutions, trust of authority, etc. and just look for general similar trends. It may lead to more questions but you can see if this is isolated to workplace or has other factors involved.

There has also been an increase in layoffs, though so far it resembles a slow drip rather than a sudden wave. These have been dubbed "Forever Layoffs". Tracking this trend can help determine whether it reflects a natural recycling of jobs—where certain roles decline while others grow—or something related to the general economy. This is why it’s important to consider hiring trends alongside overall employment numbers.

Finally, the fact that graduates are finding jobs is an encouraging sign. A healthy economy needs fresh minds and new ideas entering the workforce. If we want to build strong human capital, putting these individuals to work modernizing and improving industries is essential. While it typically takes a few years for new graduates to gain enough experience to meaningfully influence their environments, their entry into the market is a positive step forward.

Glass Door Report Worklife 2026 Report