Fewer than 1 in 5 Americans feel their job has purpose, poll finds

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(Photo by Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - Employees who find strong purpose in their work are dramatically more engaged, less burned out, and less likely to be job hunting than those who don’t, according to a new Gallup and Stand Together study.

Methodology:

Gallup and Stand Together conducted a nationally representative survey of 4,475 U.S. working adults from Aug. 18–25, 2025, to produce these findings. 

The resulting study, "The Power of Purpose," introduces the Work Purpose Index—a three-item measure assessing how much employees believe their work contributes to something important, benefits others, and provides daily meaning. Employees are categorized as having strong, moderate, or low work purpose based on their scores.

By the numbers:

Employees who find strong purpose in their work report far better outcomes across the board. 

Half (50%) are engaged in their jobs—feeling connected, enthusiastic, and committed to their organization’s success—compared with just 9% of those with low purpose and 31% of U.S. workers overall.

Purpose also helps protect against negative experiences. Only 13% of employees with strong purpose say they feel burned out "very often" or "always," versus 38% of those with low purpose. 

Likewise, just 41% of employees with strong purpose are looking for a new job, compared with 68% of those with low purpose.

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Dig deeper:

According to Gallup, most organizations place relatively little emphasis on purpose when hiring. When asked what factors matter most in a new hire’s success, only 30% of leaders rated a strong sense of personal purpose and passion for the organization’s mission as "very important." In contrast, 77% said communication skills were very important.

Researchers found that many workers crave more purpose at work. While 45% say they work mainly for pay and benefits, only 18% feel their job has a purpose they believe in. Yet 30% say their ideal job would provide that sense of purpose—on par with the value they place on compensation.

Big picture view:

Analysis from The Power of Purpose study finds that some jobs naturally align with an employee’s deeper sense of meaning. For example, a teacher driven to educate or a healthcare worker motivated to improve others’ wellbeing may see a direct link between their work and their personal purpose.

However, this type of alignment isn’t possible—or even desirable—for everyone. Many employees aren’t looking for their job to fulfill their life’s purpose, but they can still find meaning in what they do.

Purpose isn’t limited to specific careers. It can be developed in any role when the work environment supports it. Gallup and Stand Together’s research shows employees are more likely to feel purposeful when they can see how their efforts make a difference—by helping others, improving a process, or contributing to meaningful results.

Purpose also grows stronger when employees understand how their role connects to the organization’s broader mission. Those who strongly agree that their company’s mission makes their job feel important are 3.6 times more likely to have a strong sense of purpose at work (58% vs. 16%). Even short, ongoing conversations that highlight these connections can make daily work feel more meaningful and rewarding.

Why you should care:

Researchers found that employees with a strong sense of purpose bring greater energy, focus, and commitment to their work. Yet purpose remains underemphasized in many workplaces, and fewer employees experience it in their current roles than say they want in an ideal job. Findings from researchers at Gallup and Stand Together, published in "The Power of Purpose" report, show that purpose at work is measurable, actionable, and closely tied to engagement and retention.

The researchers also found that employees are more likely to feel purposeful when they see how their efforts make a difference and understand how their role connects to their organization’s mission. Leaders who intentionally foster these connections can help employees find greater meaning in their work and, in turn, build stronger, more resilient organizations.