We can't really eliminate work stress with our hectic lifestyles, but keeping track of the workplace stress statistics and analyzing them can help us significantly reduce it. Such a practice can help find solutions and implement changes that could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars each year.

Work-related stress is the reaction people sometimes have when facing work demands and challenges that are too overwhelming for them. So, stress is a personalized experience, and what is perceived as stressful can vary significantly depending on the person. That's why matching a person to a job is very important, and it's where statistics like these are a great resource. Without further ado, let’s get right into them.

Worrying Stress in the Workplace Statistics (Editor’s Picks)

  • Two-thirds of US workers say that work is a significant cause of stress.
  • Work-related stress causes 120,000 deaths in the US each year.
  • The US job industry is losing more than $300 billion each year due to work-related stress.
  • 28% of work-from-home employees in India feel burnout.
  • The average American work hours are 47h per week.
  • For every dollar put into the treatment of work-related mental disorders, there is a four-dollar return in improved worker health and productivity.
  • 15% of US employees look for a new job because of stress.
  • US businesses that have stress-relieving programs experience 41% fewer work-related injuries.

Workplace Stress Statistics

1. Workplace stress causes 120,000 deaths in the US each year.

(American Psychiatric Association)

Workplace stress causes a shocking 120,000 deaths and results in almost $190 billion in healthcare expenses each year. This is 5% to 8% of the total national health care spending in the United States. The numbers are not decreasing over time, either. Although a lot of effort has been invested in talking about the subject, we have yet to see tangible results regarding work-related stress reduction.

(The American Institute of Stress)

Stress in the workplace stats show that these significant losses result from different accidents, employee turnover, absenteeism, reduced productivity, and the various medical and legal costs of dealing with the problem. The list is long, and it's apparent that stress can severely impact a business. It's no wonder that the companies are interested in reducing their employees' work stress levels.

3. Two-thirds of US workers say that work is a significant cause of stress.

(American Psychological Association)

Work-related stress statistics show that 60% of people consider it anywhere from a somewhat to a very significant cause of stress in their lives. Work stress impacts every aspect of life, and we can’t simply shake it off when the workday is over. In addition, 35% of the interviewed people are stressed out by job stability, which only intensifies the stress they already feel at work.

4. More than a third of US employees believe that their jobs are causing them health problems.

(The American Institute of Stress)

Approximately 35% of people in the US say their jobs are harming their physical or emotional wellbeing, and 42% say that personal relationships are also affected. Workplace stress statistics clearly show that stress affects not only the people suffering from it but also those around them. That, in total, makes even more people indirectly affected by work stress. Although company managers talk a lot about stress-reducing policies, the fact is that 50% of interviewed people said that their workload has increased compared to last year.

5. 28% of police officers suffer from very high distress levels.

(CareerCast), (Frontiers in Psychology)

A study conducted by CareerCast shows that enlisted military personnel, firefighters, airline pilots, and police officers are the most stressful jobs in America. The first four places are reserved for jobs that involve a lot of responsibility for people's lives. The rest of the list shows that maintaining a good public image can be highly stressful because other stressful occupations include broadcasters, event coordinators, newspaper reporters, marketing and public relations executives, etc.

6. The average American work hours are 47h per week. 

(Gallup), (Eurostat)

The most common work hours for full-time jobs are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday. But this can vary a lot, especially in sectors like retail, food preparation, and transport. A 40-hour workweek is commonly considered the norm for full-time employment, but the surveys show that 80% of full-time employees in the US work more, and only 10% work less than this norm. The average number of working hours for full-time employees is 47, according to the survey. To put things into perspective, Dutch employees work only 30.3 hours each week on average.

7. The number of US employees feeling stressed because of their work increased by 6% during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(American Psychological Association)

Workplace stress statistics for 2020 show that stress related to work increased considerably during the global pandemic. Around 70% of interviewed employed adults now say their jobs are a major source of stress. In comparison, 64% of the interviewed people felt that way in 2019. 

Employed parents took the hardest hit because, in this time of remote work, they have to juggle between house errands and work. Making a clear line between the two is proving to be a genuine challenge.

8. 28% of work-from-home employees in India feel burnout.

(the7thfold)

The pandemic’s devastating effects on the global economy have made people worldwide afraid of losing their jobs. Workplace stress statistics for 2020 from India show the problem clearly. Around 50% of professionals in this country cited job uncertainty as the most significant stress factor and career growth as the second largest one (40%). Nearly a third of the work-from-home employees interviewed (28%) reported burnout. This proves that you don’t have to be in an office to feel stressed about work.

9. Although 69% of US healthcare workers say they feel stressed, there are many low-stress jobs in healthcare.

(Aims Education), (Goodwin University), (Fierce Healthcare)

Some of the least stressful healthcare jobs are medical billers and coders, medical lab technicians, sterile processing technicians, dental hygienists, diagnostic medical sonographers, nurse educators, lactation consultant nurses, school and telehealth nurses, etc. The national healthcare system is enormous, so it has many job positions that don’t directly deal with emergency health issues and other situations that some people might find stressful.

(World Health Organization)

When it comes to mental health in the workplace, statistics show that for every dollar invested in treating everyday mental disorders, there is a four-dollar return in better health and increased productivity of the workers. This perfectly demonstrates the importance of a stress-free work environment, especially considering that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion every year in lost productivity.

11. 34% of US workers had left their jobs at least once due to work stress.

(Mind Share Partners)

The demographic that’s most likely to quit a job because of stress are millennials and centennials. A survey conducted by a nonprofit organization called Mind Share Partners showed that 34% of the people interviewed had left their jobs at least once due to work stress. This percentage is the highest for millennials (50%) and centennials (75%). Baby boomers weren’t so sensitive to job stress, so only 10% of them reported quitting a job because of it.

12. 39% of the employees in North America cite heavy workloads as the primary work stressor.

(Statista)

The most common causes of stress in the workplace are heavy workload (39%), people issues (31%), work-life balance (19%), and lack of job security (6%). Employers demand more and more from their employees, which leads to bad relationships between coworkers. It’s probable that reducing workloads would actually reduce the other stressors too.

13. 15% of US employees look for a new job because of stress.

(Colonial Life) (Statista)

In one study, 15% of people said they are looking for a new job because of stress at their current one. A different study showed that 51% of people interviewed in 2018 don’t believe that the stress of changing jobs is a big deal, and they change it every one to five years. That is a significant increase when compared to 34% who did so in 2016.

14. Male physicians in Canada have 40% higher suicide rates compared to the general public.

(Canadian Medical Association Journal)

Female physicians are at risk, too, with stats showing more than double the suicide rate compared to the general public. Jobs with high depression rates also include food industry workers, artists and writers, humanitarian workers, veterinarians, and teachers.

15. 42% of US employees reported that verbal abuse is common in their workplace.

(The American Institute of Stress)

Moreover, 10% of employees have witnessed physical violence caused by work-related stress, and 14% stated that some work equipment had suffered damage due to workplace rage. 2% even reported actually hitting one of their coworkers. These numbers are alarming. How productive can a person be working in conditions like these?

How to Use Statistics on Stress in the Workplace

The main reason for keeping statistics on work-related stress is to try and make things better. Fortunately, more and more companies are improving their business policies to suit their employees better, and the results are very promising.

16. 81% of organizations in Australia have some stress-reducing policies in place.

(TNS Social Research)

Regarding stress in the workplace, statistics in Australia show that 91% of employees consider mental health in the workplace is important, and 88% believe physical safety is, too. The good news is that 81% of managers in Australia say their workplace has one or more programs and practices to support their employees’ mental health.

17. According to UK research, happy workers are 12% more productive.

(Social Market Foundation)

Work productivity statistics derived from a study at Warwick University in the UK show that employees presented with short comedy clips, more breaks, and snacks and beverages were 12% more productive at their workplace. These “happiness shocks” also include feedback and praises from peers and management. The expenses are virtually nonexistent but can significantly improve the company’s results and worker job satisfaction.

18. One in five employees in Australia takes time off work due to stress.

(TNS Social Research)

When it comes to the effects of stress in the workplace, statistics show that 21% of employees take time off due to work stress. The percentage more than doubles (46%) if people believe their work surroundings are unhealthy for their psyche. In workplaces that employees consider good for their mental health, only 13% have reported taking time off work due to mental health issues.

(Mental Health America)

When it comes to injuries in the workplace due to stress, statistics show that organizations that have introduced employee engagement policies have shown an increase in both productivity (21%) and profitability (22%). Employees had higher levels of attentiveness and proactivity, which resulted in a decline of workplace accidents and low-quality work by 41%.

The new policies also significantly reduced absenteeism (37%) and turnover rates (25-65%). Overall, these organizations experienced substantial financial growth, which can easily cover the costs of employee benefits.

Conclusion

The numbers don’t lie. Companies that invest in their employees’ well-being are doing much better in terms of productivity and profit. Sadly, most companies don’t realize this, and their managers are still wondering why they have such high turnover rates. Things are slowly changing, though, and many companies are starting to implement stress-relieving policies and procedures.