Across the U.S., workers are showing up every day, often carrying an invisible weight. Burnout is on the rise, motivation is slipping, and financial stress is mounting. How people think about their jobs is shifting on the heels of unease. For many, traditional workplace support systems simply aren’t cutting it — and people are starting to take matters into their own hands.
Side hustles have become second nature, and workers want the space to take control of their own wellbeing. This makes flexibility an even bigger deal.
To understand how employees are really doing right now — and what they need most from employers — Remote spoke to 2,000 full-time, desk-based U.S. workers. The results of our latest Workforce Pulse Survey reveal a snapshot of a workforce at a crossroads: worried about the economy, unsure about their career future, and searching for employers they can trust.
The short version.
Flexibility still trumps everything else.
Everyone's thinking about side hustling.
Your employees probably don't feel supported.
A side hustle nation? The financial strain is real.
Nearly 1 in 5 employees (18%) already have a second job or side hustle.
An additional 57% are seriously or casually considering one due to financial strain.
The top concerns driving this trend include:
Retirement savings and financial preparedness (60%), followed by layoffs (45%) and job security (44%).
On top of day-to-day financial pressure, workers are also reacting to the broader economic environment. Nearly 80% say they’re more concerned about the country’s economic direction than they were a year ago, and one-third of employees are actively reconsidering their next career move in response to ongoing uncertainty – including headlines about tariffs, global retaliation, and stock market volatility.
Employees are trying to regain control over their financial future, and increasingly looking outside their primary employer to do so.
Workers aren’t feeling resourced, or reassured.
Only 17% of workers say their employer is giving them the resources and support they need to feel stable and motivated at work. That’s despite:
62% reporting higher stress than a year ago.
Just 24% saying they feel very motivated right now.
31% describing themselves as only slightly motivated — and 9% as not at all.
A communication gap that’s costing trust.
Trust and clarity become even more important when the economy’s shaky. Yet, most employees say their companies are silent on the impacts of this. Just:
18% of employees say their company regularly shares updates on how the economy may impact their role or organization.
26% get vague updates.
35% get none at all — but wish they did.
Interestingly, hybrid (50%) and remote workers (46%) were more likely than in-office workers (37%) to report having these conversations, suggesting that organizations with distributed teams may lean more towards intentional, proactive communication.
Flexibility = stability (in an unstable reality).
Flexibility has long surpassed being a nice-to-have perk. It’s a solid must-have. As workers face growing pressure at home and on the job, flexible work options are helping them manage stress, stay engaged, show up in their personal lives, and feel seen.
32% of employees say they’re more interested in fully remote jobs than they were a year ago.
26% report growing interest in hybrid work.
Only 11% say they’re more interested in fully in-office roles.
Among those with flexible arrangements, 60% say they’d consider taking a pay cut to keep that flexibility.
This ever-growing preference — despite rising job insecurity — marks flexibility as a form of psychological and practical safety. Employees may feel vulnerable within their current roles, but flexible working gives them a sense of agency.
What employees want from employers.
When asked to rank the most important characteristics in an employer, workers said:
Stability and reliability as an organization
Flexible work arrangements
Career growth and development
Ethical and compliant business practices
An innovative, forward-thinking culture
And when it comes to tangible support, workers pointed to:
Increased compensation or bonuses (53%)
Transparent communication from leadership (40%)
More flexibility in hours or location (36%)
Career development opportunities (33%)
Mental health or well-being support (28%)
Is AI making us anxious about the future?
Sixty-eight percent of workers expect AI will affect their job in some way. Breaking it down further:
31% think AI will replace parts of their role within five years.
6% think that shift will come within just one year.
37% expect AI to change how they work, even if it doesn’t replace them.
These numbers highlight a ballooning concern, and the need for employers to up-skill and support their workforce, rather than just assuming resilience.
Next steps for employers.
The takeaway isn’t complicated. Workers want honesty, stability, and real investment in their well-being. To meet these asks in a proactive sense:
Talk about it. Regular, transparent updates help employees feel grounded.
Rethink flexibility. Flexible policies have moved out of ‘perk’ territory, and into the ‘essential’ camp. Flexible working can be a lifeline for disengaged and anxious employees. For those with needs and responsibilities that don’t fit into rigid structures, too.
Invest in development. Clear career paths build security and loyalty.
Support financial wellness. Educational resources can go a long way.
Create space for dialogue. Especially when the conversations are hard.
Surface-level perks only are out, leadership that listens, communicates, and follows through is in. Employees are overwhelmed on multiple fronts right now, employers need to take some of the pressure off where they can.
As Remote’s Chief People Officer Barbara Matthews put it:
“The findings serve as a reminder that people-first leadership isn’t about guesswork; but listening, responding, and proactively creating environments where employees can maintain stability and productivity, even in uncertain times, instead.”
Methodology
This survey was commissioned by Remote and conducted by Pollfish the week beginning May 5, 2025. It includes responses from 2,000 full-time, salaried or desk-based U.S. workers aged 22–64, spanning fully remote, fully in-office, and hybrid work environments.
