Workplace loneliness is on the rise, especially among people working virtually

As technology further seeps its way into the workplace, from Zoom meetings to AI chat systems, it’s easy to feel lonely. For those suffering under the solitude of work, you’re not alone: A new Gallup study suggests that employee loneliness is on the rise. 



For its 2024 State of the Global Workplace , Gallup published a mass survey of workers through its Gallup World Poll. Studying the mental health conditions of workers throughout the previous year, researchers found that 20% of workers experienced loneliness “a lot” the previous day. That means 1 in 5 workers express feelings of loneliness.



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“All of this is important for us to understand because loneliness is really like a disease,” Heather Barrett, director of Gallup’s Workplace Practice team, said in a webinar. “We may very well be in the midst of a loneliness pandemic here, even as we’re experiencing meaningful gains in other areas of human progress and productivity. 



Barrett connected this rising loneliness to the growth in AI : “There’s a bit of an irony to reflect on as we see technology becoming more conversant and conversational, while people are becoming more lonely.” 



No silver bullet when it comes to workplace loneliness



While loneliness may be rising across populations, certain subsets of people saw increased spikes. Specifically, workers with entirely remote jobs suffered from their isolation, with 25% of virtual workers expressing that they experienced loneliness “a lot” the previous day. That compares to fully in-person workers, where only 16% of respondents reported the same loneliness. 



These findings line up with previous survey results, such as a 2022 study from Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen : 72% of workers reported loneliness to Jenkins and Van Cohen, often because of remote work and hybrid workplaces. While workers espouse the benefits of remote environments , it may just be making them feel worse. 



Whether remote or in-person, employment itself mitigates some loneliness. According to Gallup, 32% of unemployed respondents reported experiencing loneliness “a lot” the previous day, compared to the 20% of workers polled. 



“Work can play a beneficial role in fighting against loneliness,” Barrett said. “We can be comforted that all kinds of different work interactions, be they virtual or in-person, can provide a benefit here.”