We are experiencing an ‘emotional recession’.
According to the annual State of the Heart (SotH) report, based on a survey of 277,610 people from 169 countries, this is the fourth consecutive year that emotional intelligence scores have declined.
Much of the report is dedicated to the shocking results for Gen Z. But there are headlines for women too. In addition, some specific and concerning data is emerging about men’s emotional wellbeing.
Across the board, burnout is on the increase and people are struggling to identify and manage their emotions, tap into intrinsic motivations, empathise with others and feel optimistic about the future.
Here, we’ll explore the key research findings and what this emotional recession means for the workplace.
What is emotional intelligence?
First, a definition. The SotH report states emotional intelligence is about being smart with feelings. It involves gathering emotional data and using that to solve emotional challenges.
In the Top 10 Skills for 2025 listed in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Work report, 8 of the 10 skills identified are emotional intelligence skills. Without emotional intelligence people feel helpless, stuck and their life lacks meaning.
It is rare to find an organisation willing to admit that its demands on employees are unsustainable and cause much of the distress its wellbeing resources are meant to treat.
State of the Heart research: Core themes
1. The long-tail of Covid
The period between 2019 and 2021 ‘wiped out people’s energy reserves and triggered an epidemic of burnout’. Since then it’s got worse. At a time when employees are asking for more work-life balance and wellbeing, the experience has further deteriorated.
2. Gen Z and mental health
Burnout is particularly severe for young workers. Gen Z have lower levels of emotional intelligence, are experiencing isolation and loneliness and find it particularly hard to stay motivated, navigate their feelings or connect with a bigger purpose.
3. The gender gap grows
Interestingly, women’s emotional intelligence scores have increased slightly, while men’s have continued to decline. Women’s scores for quality of life, relationships and effectiveness all went up between 2021 and 2023. But their scores for wellbeing have gone down.
The interpretation of this is that, while women may be leading the post-pandemic comeback, they are still carrying an unsustainable burden.
Meanwhile men are struggling emotionally and socially. Their scores went down in terms of their effectiveness, quality of life, relationships and wellbeing.
For too long we’ve expected people to absorb increasing pressure from both the outside environment and work itself.
What does this emotional recession mean for work?
These research findings should be a wake-up call for organisations. Something needs to change if we are to emerge from the emotional recession. Here are three factors to consider…
Businesses need to look hard at themselves
Clearly, a huge effort has gone towards providing wellbeing resources to employees. But these activities have not been enough to turn the tide. The problem is more systemic.
While an individual organisation cannot take full responsibility for the global situation, employers should look at how they present employees with an impossible choice. Either deliver on inhumane targets and long working hours while neglecting their mental wellbeing, or prioritise wellbeing at the expense of their career.
It is rare to find an organisation willing to admit that its demands on employees are unsustainable and cause much of the distress its wellbeing resources are meant to treat.
Next step:
Confront the impossible tension your people face and change expectations, rather than expecting employees to simply grow more resilient.
Rethink how to support Gen Z
Younger workers are the product of the world they grew up in. They are no different to older generations. If a Gen X employee were somehow to be reborn in 2004 they would fare no better than a Gen Z.
Rather than judging them, organisations need to help them develop their emotional intelligence. No one else is going to.
Next step:
Talk about feelings and name your own. Bring in counsellors and therapists to run workshops that don’t just teach the theory but actually help employees understand and navigate their inner world.
And keep one important finding from the research in mind – while Gen Z tend to be more risk averse, they are also more skilled than previous generations at balancing self-awareness with empathy for others. A Baby Boomer, for instance, will tend to notice their own emotions more than the emotions of others. There is an opportunity here for Gen Z to help older generations improve their empathy skills and show their older colleagues how to ‘care more’ about others. It isn’t all on the Gen Z employees to change.
Allyship is a two-way street
As both men and women struggle with different aspects of emotional intelligence, there is a need for allyship on all sides. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found that regardless of gender, age, income or race and ethnicity a growing number of people fear being discriminated against. Global distrust in the sources of information feeds polarisation, which leads to communities who could support each other, instead, turning on each other. It’s a form of divide and rule. While we are busy claiming to have it worse, we aren’t able to solve the problem at its cause.
Next step:
Create spaces for people to listen to each other, share experiences without blame or judgement, and find solutions that benefit all. It’s time to take responsibility for improving the emotional intelligence of your people and therefore their ability to work together more effectively in service of the purpose of the enterprise.
Final thoughts
We’ve been waiting for employees to turn up to work fully emotionally enlightened – and this has resulted in an emotional recession. For too long we’ve expected people to absorb increasing pressure from both the outside environment and work itself, by applying skills they were either born with or learnt elsewhere.
The evidence is clear; people are struggling. It is in our best interest (as well as being the right thing to do) to provide a workplace where people can develop their inner world and where, at the very least, the job itself doesn’t damage their emotional wellbeing.
