Educators Top National Burnout Rate

Teachers in K–12 classrooms have the highest burnout rate in the United States, according to a recent Gallup Panel Workforce Study.

Forty-four percent of K­–12 workers surveyed reported “always” or “very often” feeling burned out, and college educators were not far behind at 35 percent.

The study reports that between March 2020 and February 2022, the gap between K–12 worker burnout and burnout in all other industries almost doubled due to the pandemic, increasing from an eight to a 14-percentage point gap. K–12 workers have been at the top of the most burned out nationally, and COVID introduced new challenges to a profession that is already struggling.

The Gallup Panel Workforce Study also found:

• Within K–12 employees, teachers are the most burned out at 52 percent.
• Thirty percent of all workers in other industries feel “always” or “very often” burned out.
• Female teachers feel burned out more than male teachers at 55 percent compared to 44 percent.
• K–12 male workers feel burned out more than male workers in other industries at 38 percent compared to 26 percent.

For more information on the Gallup study, check out K–12 Workers Have Highest Burnout Rate in U.S.

For strategies to support employee mental health, see the following HRX articles:

• Mind Connection: Mental Health Matters
• EAPs Could Reduce Employee Burnout