How could the findings on employee disengagement affect the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research?
New data on loneliness and engagement may shape Associated Press-NORC Center reports. The release of reports by KPMG and Gallup provides specific, recent data on workplace sentiment, particularly concerning loneliness and engagement. Because the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research actively collaborates with Gallup on public opinion surveys and social trends, the research center is likely to incorporate these findings. Specifically, the data showing that 24% of hybrid employees experienced loneliness, according to Gallup's 2026 study, provides a concrete metric that the research center can analyze and integrate into its own public opinion surveys and reports on the modern workforce.
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How it reaches Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research
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KPMG and Gallup released reports detailing concerns about employee disengagement. A survey conducted in 2025 found that 89% of respondents in the U.S. and Canada felt that strong human connection at work directly impacts their productivity. Simultaneously, KPMG found that 45% of employees now report feeling lonely at work, which is nearly double the rate reported the previous year.
The full event1independent outlet -
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and Gallup actively collaborate by jointly conducting public opinion surveys and sharing findings on social and economic trends. The new data on human connection and loneliness provides specific metrics that the research center can analyze and integrate into its own public opinion surveys and reports, influencing the scope and focus of its analysis on social and economic trends.
No report states this step directly. Brind drew it from the reporting on each side of it, so treat it as an informed guess.
Tap any step to see the evidence behind it.
The facts so far
As reported. Each one links to where it comes from.
- 89% of respondents felt “strong human connection at work directly impacts [their] productivity.”forbes.com
- KPMG found 45% of employees now report feeling lonely at work, nearly double what it was just a year ago.forbes.com
- Gallup’s 2026 study found that 24% of hybrid employees experienced loneliness.forbes.com
- Gallup found that only 31% of U.S. employees were actively engaged at work in 2025.forbes.com
Why it matters
Workplace disengagement and loneliness are significant social and economic trends that affect productivity and mental health. For the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which tracks social and economic trends, these findings provide timely, high-profile data points on the state of the American workforce.
This research center plays a key role in informing public discourse about modern labor conditions. By incorporating data from major firms like Gallup, AP-NORC helps translate complex corporate survey results into broader, accessible public opinion findings, allowing policymakers and the public to understand the human cost of digital transformation.
What we don't know yet
- How will the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research specifically frame the findings on loneliness in its upcoming reports?
- Will the research center focus more on the impact of hybrid work or the role of leadership in addressing disengagement?
What would change this answer
Who else could feel it
Other possible ripples from the same event.
- Associated PressLikelyAssociated Press may cover new reports detailing employee loneliness and disengagement
- OpenAIPossibleKPMG's internal disengagement may challenge its AI partnership with OpenAI
- MicrosoftPossibleEmployee disengagement may curb demand for Microsoft's collaboration tools
- Fox NewsPossibleFox News may cover new reports on employee loneliness and disengagement
Reporting
- forbes.comOct 23
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Brind's analysis is written by AI from the reporting linked above and can be wrong. This explainer is a possibility worth considering, not a forecast: steps marked as Brind's reasoning are not stated in the reporting. It is not investment advice; do your own research.