A recent survey by UK-based workplace learning company Sponge reveals a troubling trend: nearly half of employees (46%) have considered quitting due to emotional exhaustion or numbness at work, with 3% already having left. The survey of 520 full-time workers at large companies (5,000+ employees) paints a picture of widespread disengagement, with workers describing their relationship with their jobs using words like “tired,” “surviving,” “unfulfilling,” “necessary,” or even “blah,” “meh,” and “autopilot.” One respondent bluntly stated, “I’m here to get paid.”
This isn’t just burnout—it’s a deeper emotional detachment. Sponge’s researchers attribute this to a decade of uncertainty, disruption, and digital overload, intensified by the pandemic. The result is a workforce increasingly numb, in self-preservation mode, and disconnected from their roles.
**Change Breeds Indifference**
When faced with new workplace policies or strategies, 30% of employees feel “numb or indifferent,” and 17% feel “nothing.” Only 23% report feeling “inspired or excited,” while 30% feel “overwhelmed or anxious.” For many, organizational change is something to endure, not embrace.
**Few Are Thriving**
When asked about their career state, 38% of workers said they’re “just surviving,” 17% feel “stuck,” and only 8% are “thriving.” Even among the 35% “building toward a future,” open-ended responses often revealed resignation rather than ambition. Over 63% of employees feel disconnected from colleagues at least sometimes, despite constant digital communication via tools like Slack or Zoom. This disconnection impacts performance: among 326 respondents to a follow-up question, 24% reported disengagement, 19% grew more cynical, 18% were less productive or creative, and 9% avoided meetings or collaboration.
**Barriers to Seeking Help**
When struggling, 38% of workers don’t seek help because they believe “it wouldn’t make a difference.” Another 21% distrust their manager or team, 12% fear being judged, and 13% cite lack of time. Only 7% feel comfortable asking for support, signaling a breakdown in perceived or actual workplace support systems.
**Drivers of Detachment**
Among workers experiencing negative emotions, 27% cited feeling undervalued as the top cause, 19% pointed to a lack of purpose, and 17% blamed unclear priorities or constant change. Other factors included job insecurity or financial pressure (16%), excessive digital meetings or tools (8%), and lack of colleague connection (7%). Additionally, 60% of workers said personal priorities like family, health, or finances conflict with job demands at least sometimes.
**Lack of Psychological Safety**
Only 26% of workers feel “very safe” expressing emotional concerns at work, while 43% feel “somewhat safe.” Alarmingly, 23% feel “not very safe,” and 9% feel “not at all safe.” This suggests nearly a third of employees can’t openly discuss emotional struggles.
**A New Normal?**
The survey highlights a concerning normalization of emotional exhaustion. When workers use terms like “surviving” or “meh” to describe their jobs, and nearly half consider leaving, it reflects a workforce where numbness has become routine rather than exceptional.
**Survey Details**
Conducted in September 2025 by an independent provider, the survey included 520 full-time employees across various roles and departments at large organizations. It used a mix of quantitative (rating scales, multiple-choice) and qualitative (open-ended) questions, supplemented by analysis of 40 third-party research sources on employee experience, workplace tech, and global events. The margin of error is approximately 4.3% at a 95% confidence level.
U.S. Labor Market Snapshot — September 2025
With the BLS pausing its monthly nonfarm payroll/unemployment release, we lose our usual high-visibility labor benchmark. But we still have strong signals from private and turnover data to help us read the market’s pulse.
What the data tell us...
• ADP (Sept 2025): Private sector lost ~ 32,000 jobs.
• Wages (ADP): Up ~ 4.5% year-over-year.
• JOLTS (Aug 2025, latest): Job openings steady at 7.227 million, openings rate at 4.3%.
• Turnover (Aug): Hires, quits, and layoffs all largely unchanged.
• The labor market appears to be losing traction. A drop in private hiring, especially in smaller firms, could signal weaker momentum ahead.
• Employers are not aggressively expanding headcounts—job openings have plateaued at the moment.
• Wage growth remains positive, though moderation in hiring could ease labor cost pressures down the line.
Caveats to Consider...
• ADP excludes public sector and may diverge from eventual BLS totals.
• JOLTS is backward-looking (August), and the next release (September) is still weeks away.
• These are proxy signals...not perfect substitutes for comparing to the BLS nonfarm payroll report.
What to watch next...
• The BLS’s return to publishing the monthly employment report
• The September 2025 JOLTS release in early November
• Corporate earnings / hiring commentary in November – December
• Revisions to earlier months when BLS resumes full reporting
Bottom line...
Even without the official BLS “jobs report,” the signals from ADP and JOLTS are pointing toward a cooling labor market, rather than a continued “boom.” The “job engine” may be sputtering, and the next few months will be key in confirming whether this is a soft patch or the start of a deeper slowdown.