Employee well-being has declined sharply over the past two years, with financial stress emerging as the primary driver of this downturn, according to the 2026 Workplace and Employee Survey Report released by WebMD Health Services. The report, based on responses from 3,872 full-time U.S. employees, indicates that fewer employees are thriving today compared to 2024. Financial well-being ranked lowest among the five dimensions measured—physical, mental, work, social, and financial—for the third straight year, with only 45.5% of employees reporting strong financial well-being this year.

The data shows a clear shift in the challenges facing the workforce. While physical health programs have maintained relative stability, mental, work, social, and financial well-being have all declined at a rate three to four times greater than physical well-being over the two-year period. Erin Seaverson, Senior Director of the Center for Research at WebMD Health Services, noted that while physical health investments are holding, the sharper declines in other areas show that today's pressures extend beyond what physical health programs alone can address.

Engagement and Burnout Gaps

Workplace experience varies widely by role, creating a significant divide in engagement and well-being scores. Only 12% of individual contributors report being highly engaged at work, a figure three times lower than the 37% engagement rate reported by senior leaders. Well-being scores reflect a similar disparity between these groups.

Middle managers are facing the heaviest burden, with burnout rates more than three times higher than those of individual contributors. Seaverson emphasized that one-size-fits-all approaches are no longer sufficient and that organizations need strategies reflecting the different realities employees experience at every level.

The Impact of Trust and AI

Trust plays a critical role in employee performance and sentiment. Employees with high trust in their organization are 27 times more likely to be highly engaged than those with low trust. The findings suggest well-being programs can serve as a strategic tool for building trust across the workforce.

Additionally, the report found that 80% of employees use AI at work. While increased AI usage correlates with higher feelings of productivity, employees who strongly agree that AI makes them more productive are also 4.5 times more likely to experience burnout.

Consumers are making more deliberate choices about what stays in their grocery baskets as rising costs, evolving eating habits and broader economic uncertainty influence purchasing decisions, according to new research released by RELEX Solutions. The RELEX State of Supply Chain Consumer Pulse survey of 1,000 consumers across the U.S. and U.K. found that 61% have changed how much food they purchase due to higher grocery prices. This shift creates a complex demand environment for retailers and manufacturers as spending does not reduce uniformly across categories.

Consumer Spending Priorities

The survey indicates that consumers are making specific tradeoffs based on price, value and health priorities. While 68% say fresh groceries remain worth paying more for and 49% say the same for household essentials, discretionary categories are seeing cuts. Nearly half (46%) have cut back on snacks and junk food, 39% have reduced beef purchases and 34% have cut back on alcohol.

Economic Concerns and Shopping Habits

Broader economic concerns continue to influence purchasing behavior, with 71% of consumers concerned that tariffs, geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and other global events will continue increasing the cost of everyday goods over the next six months. These concerns are driving specific shopping adjustments. More than half (54%) say lower prices are the single most important action retailers can take to help manage rising costs. Consequently, 51% stock up during promotions, 47% have switched to private-label products, 40% shop at discount retailers more often and 38% visit multiple stores to find the best prices.

Supply Chain Implications

The consumer findings align with trends identified in RELEX's 2026 State of Supply Chain report, which found organizations face significant challenges related to inflation, tariffs, demand volatility and changing consumer preferences. According to the report, 86% of organizations report being impacted by tariffs and trade policy changes, while 40% cite customer demand fluctuations as a major disruption. Additionally, 34% say demand volatility is complicating planning decisions and 30% of retailers say adapting to changing consumer demand is a significant challenge.

"For retailers and manufacturers, the biggest risk is assuming consumers are responding to rising costs in the same way," said Laurence Brenig-Jones, VP Product, Platform, RELEX Solutions. "Consumers are making highly individualized decisions based on price, health goals, value and household priorities. What's interesting is that while shoppers are pulling back in some categories, they continue to prioritize fresh groceries."