60+ Motivation Statistics, Facts and Trends [2025]

Have you heard employees talking about how their managers neglect all their efforts and never appreciate them for the outstanding work they have done? 

Or have you ever seen a hard-working employee feeling unmotivated to do his job? 

Didn’t it make you ponder what makes the employee feel that way and how many feel the same? 

Well, 85% of the employees feel unmotivated. The worst thing? It’s not just that. This feeling costs companies $7 Trillion. 

To know more, dive into this article on motivation statistics as it details all these things. 

Most Intriguing Employee Motivation Statistics

1. Just 15% of employees across the globe feel that they are motivated.
2. A boost in motivation results in a 20% improvement in employee performance.
3. A motivated employee’s work experience makes him 59% less likely to experience burnout.
4. Companies that actively motivate their employees can experience a 50% profit increase.
5. Unmotivated employees can cost up to $7 Trillion.
6. 74% of employees would be willing to accept lower pay if it meant working in their dream job or for an employer who values motivation.
7. Employee engagement and motivation play a pivotal role in reducing absenteeism by 41%.
8. When employees are motivated, they are significantly less likely (87% less) to consider leaving their current jobs.
9. 93% of employees consider trust in leadership to be crucial for motivation.
10. Motivated workers are 12 times less likely to churn than those who are not engaged.
11. More than 70% of employees want their employers to put in more effort to motivate them.

Is Motivation Among Employees the Same Worldwide? 

No, it isn’t. Only 10% of European employees expressed that they are motivated, compared to 33% in the United States. 

The situation in the UK is troubling, with only 8% of employees feeling motivated. 

Why Are Employees Demotivated? 

40% of demotivated employees attribute their lack of motivation to a lack of recognition. 

Meanwhile, 43% of employees blame feeling undervalued and bad managers(43%) for being demotivated.

What Type of Things Make Employees Feel Motivated? 

75% of the employees say that pay raises make them feel appreciated.

Other things that make employees feel appreciated are –

What Can Increase Motivation Among Employees?  

1. Clear understanding of job responsibilities leads to a 53% boost in employee motivation.
2. 77% of employees state their motivation will improve if their managers thank them more.
3. If employees feel more appreciated by their boss, 81% would be motivated to work harder.
4. 66% of employees express that having a corporate incentive program motivates them to stay in their current jobs.

Are Recognition, Engagement, Appreciation and Motivation Related? 

Yes, Recognition, engagement and appreciation are connected to motivation. 80% of respondents consider recognition to be a strong motivator.

Engaged employees are likely to be more motivated to do their work.

And talking about appreciation, that too is related to motivation because it makes them believe that their work is valued. 

So we can say that when employees’ work is appreciated and recognized, they are more motivated to do their work. 

Recognition Statistics 

1. Organizations that implement a recognition program experience a 14% increase in employee engagement, productivity, and performance.
2. Employees demonstrate a 2.7-fold increase in the likelihood of being highly engaged when they believe that their contributions will be recognized.
3. Only 22% of managers said that their companies provide them with an understanding of recognizing people.
4. 59% of the workforce feels they don’t receive appreciation from their boss.
5. 63% of employees who feel recognized are unlikely to actively search for a new job.
6. 11% of those who never get praised or thanked are unlikely to search for a new job.
7. 43% of the people who are not recognized for their hard work are “extremely likely” to look for a new job.
8. When recognized for work, 80% employees feel happy and happy employees are 15% more productive than unhappy ones.
9. 92% of workers say that they are more likely to repeat the act for which they have received recognition.
10. Approximately 60% of employees prefer to work where regular praise and thanks are given over a 10% pay increase without recognition.

What Do Employees Feel About Recognition? 

54% of women feel that recognition is very important, whereas only 46% of men feel the same.

But even after this, only half of the employees feel that their employers don’t recognize their strong performance.

40% of employees report feeling underappreciated in their workplace.

Talking about managers, only 26% of the managers said that employees in their organization are praised or thanked for their hard work.

What Are Employers’ Views on Recognition? 

22% of senior decision-makers do not believe that regular recognition and thanks significantly influence staff retention.

Talking about managers, over 80% of managers believe they are providing recognition for good work.

How Does Recognition Help Companies? 

1. Recognition can lead to savings of up to $16.1 million annually in turnover costs.
2. Organizations dedicating 1% or more of payroll to recognition experience an 85% rise in employee engagement.
3. Companies doubling the number of workers they recognize each week can anticipate:

•  A 24% enhancement in work quality, 
• A 27% reduction in absenteeism, 
• A 10% decrease in staff shrinkage.

4. 21% of respondents take fewer sick days when they get appreciation.

How Often Do Employees Get Recognition?

1. Over 90% of the employees feel recognition is important, but 62% state that they hardly ever or never receive recognition.
2. 29% of respondents haven’t received recognition in over a year.

How Do Employees Want to Get Recognized? 

1. 47% of employees express a desire to receive a spontaneous, personalized reward.
2. 57% of the employees want to be recognized through cash bonuses and 20% choose visibility to leaders.
3. 46% of employees appreciate small, unexpected rewards such as snacks, lunch, or thank-you notes.
4. 37% of employees prefer being praised privately.
5. 25% of employees prefer getting recognized in the form of an act of service.
6. 27% of women like to be appreciated in the form of acts of service, whereas only 21% of men prefer the same.

From Whom Do Employees Want to Get Recognition? 

28% of people prefer to be recognized by their direct manager. [10]

How Many Companies Spend Money on Recognizing employees? 

Nearly two in three leaders, or approximately 66%, report that their organizations do not have a specific budget for recognition. 

46% don’t know how much is allocated, and 10% don’t know whether there is a budget for recognition.

Engagement Statistics

1. Teams with high levels of engagement can increase a company’s profitability by 21%.
2. Engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave their jobs.

This can help companies save a lot because every time an employee decides to leave, the employer faces a loss of over $5,000. 

The expenses associated with low employee motivation incentives add up, averaging $4,129 to bring in new talents and approximately $986 to integrate the new hire.

3. Engaged employees perform 20% better than their disengaged counterparts.
   • They contribute to a 23% increase in profitability. 
   • They bring 18% higher productivity in sales. 
   • They show 43% increasing profitability.

Motivation Among Students Statistics

Since the onset of the corona pandemic, 64% of students reported facing distractions at home during virtual learning.

Related Questions – 

Are Employees Aware of Their Organization’s Employee Motivation Strategy? 

40% of the employees are well-informed about their company’s employee motivation strategy, goals, and tactics.

How Much of the Budget is Allocated to Recognizing People?

Companies spend 2% on recognition.

Can a Recognition Program Help in Team Performance? 

A well-implemented recognition program can contribute to an average 11.1% increase in team performance.

How Does Motivation Impact Productivity? 

Productivity levels decline by 49% when an employee is demotivated.

What Do Employee Recognition Programs Focus on? 

87% of employee recognition programs focus on employee tenure.

Is Peer-to-Peer Recognition Effective? 

Yes. Peer-to-peer recognition is 35.7% more likely to impact performance and financial results positively than manager-only recognition.

Is There Any Gender Gap Noticed in Recognition? 

There is a gender gap of 7% in regular recognition.  Almost half of men state that they receive recognition a few times a month or more, only 43% of women say the same.

Closing Thoughts… 

Only 15% of the employees are motivated to do their work. The rest, 85%, are not only demotivated, but their demotivation is not only making them less productive; it’s increasing their absenteeism and making them leave their current roles. 

However, many things like appreciation and recognition can help boost employee motivation. 

81% of the employees feel that recognition is a strong motivator for them. So, if given proper recognition of hard work, motivation can be increased. 

Sources 

1. Just 15% of Employees are engaged. The rest lose $7 trillion in productivity. 
2. Motivation Statistics: Numbers in 2023.  
3. Motivated Employees Can Increase Profits By Almost 50%.
4. How to Lower Absenteeism by 41% with Employee Engagement. 
5. 11 Need To Know Employee Motivation and Engagement Statistics.
6. Must-Know Employee Motivation Statistics (Current Data)
7. 21 Employee Recognition Statistics Worth Memorizing.
8. Employers to retain half of their employees longer if bosses showed more appreciation: Glassdoor Survey
9. Workers willing to leave a job if not praised enough. 
10. 27 Essential Employee Recognition Statistics [2023]: Need to Know Facts For Managers and HR.
11. Recognition Programmes: Are they important? 
12. The Importance of Employee Recognition: Statistics and Research. 
13. Organizations risk losing employees by failing to provide recognition at work. 
14. Survey: 59% of people Never had a boss who truly appreciated their work.  
15. Can Employee Recognition Help You Keep Them Longer? 
16. 17 Employee Recognition Statistics That Will Make You Think. 
17. Generation Z and Millennials Seek Recognition at Work. 
18. Reward Your Most Valuable Asset This Holiday Season With An Employee Incentive Card.
19. Employee Engagement and Productivity Trends In the UK.  
20. 38 Statistics On Employee Recognition & Motivation. 
21. Bridging the Appreciation Gap: How Employees Prefer to Give and Receive Recognition at Work. 
22. It’s time to rethink your employee recognition strategy. 
23. 15 Employee Motivation Statistics You Need To Know in 2024. 
24. Why High Employee Engagement Results in Accelerated Revenue Growth. 
25. What You Risk By Forgetting Employee Engagement. 
26. What is Employee Engagement, and How Do You Improve it? 
27. Achievers Survey Finds Without Recognition, Expect Employee Attribution in 2018 
28. 4 Recognition and Rewards Program Levers for Driving Performance and Engagement.
29. New Research Unlocks the Secret of Employee Recognition. 
30. How peer-to-peer recognition boosts employee Engagement? 
31. Distractions at Home, Weak relationship – challenge for educators. 
32. 28 Key Motivation Statistics Driving Success. 
33. How to Stay Motivated When Learning Online.

Alison Adams

Alison Adams, a Philly native and proud University of Pennsylvania alum, is your go-to Career Expert with a laid-back approach. She’s been in the job seeker’s shoes and knows how to navigate the wild world of work. Alison’s all about sharing practical tips and tricks with a personal touch, making her a favorite for those looking to level up their careers.

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