Women employed full time in the U.S. report higher employee engagement and stronger motivation for career advancement than men. At the same time, they are more likely than men to say they feel burned out at work.
According to Gallup’s Q4 2025 data:
- Women lead men by six percentage points in workplace engagement, 34% versus 28%.
- Women are also more likely to say they are extremely motivated to explore career growth opportunities: 20% say this, compared with 16% of men.
- Nearly a third of women (31%) versus less than a quarter of men (23%) say they “very often” or “always” feel burned out at work.
For now, women’s higher engagement and higher burnout are coexisting. This dynamic raises important questions about how sustained effort can be supported, and whether unaddressed burnout could ultimately limit women’s long-term leadership trajectories.
Women Continue to Outpace Men in Engagement in the U.S.
While women’s engagement has fluctuated over the past four years, it has consistently maintained an edge over men's. The current six-point gap is slightly higher than the average gap over the previous four years.
Both women and men reported slightly higher engagement at differing points in 2022 and 2023 than they do today. In the first quarter of 2024, women’s engagement declined to 31%, then rose to 35% in the second quarter and has remained near that level since. Men’s engagement also declined over that period, but unlike women’s, it has not rebounded from its early 2024 low.
Development, Clarity and Purpose Are Key Drivers of Employee Engagement for Women
Across many dimensions of workplace engagement, women are more likely than men to report positive experiences at work. Results across eight of the 12 elements of employee engagement — as measured by Gallup’s Q12 — show women lead men by a significant margin.
Women are seven points more likely than men to strongly agree that someone at work encourages their development, 33% versus 26%. They are six points more likely to strongly agree that they know what is expected of them at work, 51% versus 45%. Women also lead by five points in strongly agreeing that:
- They have the opportunity to do what they do best every day.
- The mission or purpose of their organization makes them feel their job is important.
- They have a best friend at work.
Burnout Peaks for Mothers and Leaders
Considering women’s levels of engagement alongside burnout paints a more nuanced picture.
Among full-time employed workers with children, 33% of women versus 25% of men say they “always” or “very often” experience burnout — an eight-point difference. Among those without children, the eight-point gap remains, 31% among women and 23% among men.
The burnout gap is not confined to any single field. While it is wider in education and healthcare, women report higher burnout than men across several different business and industry sectors.
The gender gap in burnout is widest at the top. From 2022 through 2025, an average of 29% of women in leadership roles reported experiencing burnout compared with an average of 19% of men in these roles, a 10-point difference. Among managers, there is about a seven-point difference in average burnout rates between women (34%) and men (27%). These differences have remained relatively stable across the four-year period.
Burnout does not always show up as disengagement, but it has the potential to affect long-term performance and retention if not monitored and appropriately addressed. Leaders who respond to these warning signs by improving work design, clarifying priorities, and strengthening development support are more likely to preserve both current performance and long-term contribution potential.
The Most Motivated Are Carrying the Heaviest Load
Despite reporting higher levels of burnout, women are more likely than men to say they are “extremely motivated” to pursue career growth opportunities, 20% versus 16% of men who say the same.
Drive is highest among women with children: 25% say they are extremely motivated to pursue career growth opportunities. This figure exceeds that of every other group in the workforce: 19% of men with children, 17% of women without children and 15% of men without children.
These findings indicate a strong future orientation among a segment of the workforce that is already more highly engaged than their counterparts. Career growth motivation signals future organizational leadership strength. Employees who are extremely motivated to grow are more likely to pursue advancement, seek new responsibilities and step into expanded roles.
Sustaining Performance Requires Intentional Work Design
The data show that women are maintaining high engagement and reporting motivation to grow, even as burnout remains elevated. Differences in employee development support, role clarity and purpose alignment are associated with engagement advantages, while higher burnout suggests sustained effort under strain. Monitoring engagement, burnout and career growth motivation together provides leaders with additional insight into long-term workforce sustainability, particularly for women in or approaching leadership positions.
Protecting performance in this context requires intentional design. Engaging in regular, meaningful conversations with employees, watching for signs of burnout and aligning workload with priorities are practical steps leaders can take. Organizations that invest in these areas will be better positioned to support high-performing contributors while strengthening their future leadership pipeline.
Explore Gallup’s research and tools to help sustain engagement, reduce burnout and develop future leaders:
- Understand the engagement of women in your organization with Gallup’s Q12.
- Equip managers to support women’s development and wellbeing through clearer priorities, stronger coaching and more consistent growth conversations.
- Strengthen your future leadership pipeline with data-driven talent selection.
