Middle managers drive broad decline in employee confidence

Employee confidence in the United States has plummeted to a record low, with middle managers at the forefront of this alarming trend. According to Glassdoor's Employee Confidence Index, the confidence level among middle-managers hit an all-time low in February, dragging down the broader index to 45.1%, the lowest since data collection began in 2016.

The unique position of middle managers, caught between directing junior employees and answering to senior ranks, has made them particularly susceptible to burnout. This has been exacerbated by the ongoing wave of layoffs, with major tech companies like Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc. targeting these roles for job cuts last year. The pressure to "do more with less" has taken a toll on middle managers, as evidenced by anonymous reviews citing the need for months of recovery after leaving such intense roles.

The declining employee confidence is not limited to middle managers, however. Across all ranks, workers are expressing growing pessimism about their employers' prospects, with only 45.1% reporting a positive six-month business outlook. Layoffs, particularly in the tech and media industries, have fueled these concerns, with mentions of job cuts in Glassdoor reviews skyrocketing compared to pre-pandemic levels. Even employees who have survived layoff rounds are becoming increasingly anxious about the future, reflecting the broader erosion of trust in leadership and perceptions of ineffective communication and management.