Checked Out at Work?

You’re Not Alone—And You’re Not Stuck

Do you find yourself going through the motions at work? Showing up, doing the minimum, and counting the hours until you can leave? If so, you are far from alone. Millions of North Americans feel the same way right now. The passion you once had for your career has faded. The energy you used to bring to your job has disappeared. And the worst part? Nobody seems to notice—or care.

This is what workplace disengagement looks like. It is quiet. It is exhausting. And it is happening everywhere.

The Numbers Tell a Troubling Story

According to Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report, only 31% of workers in the United States and Canada feel engaged at their jobs. That means nearly seven out of ten people are either not engaged or actively disengaged from their work. They show up because they have to, not because they want to.

What is even more alarming is what is happening to younger workers. Gen Z and younger Millennials saw their engagement drop by eight percentage points since 2020. Older Millennials experienced an even steeper decline of nine points during the same period. Meanwhile, Gen X dropped six points. Only Baby Boomers held steady, with no change at all.

These are not small changes. Each percentage point represents about 1.6 million workers. That adds up to roughly 8 million fewer engaged employees across North America in just five years. The people who should be building their careers and growing their skills are instead feeling stuck, stressed, and unsupported. They are questioning whether their jobs have any real future.

The stress is real and it is everywhere. Gallup found that 50% of workers in the United States and Canada experience significant stress on a daily basis. That is the highest rate of any region in the world. Half of all workers wake up knowing they will feel stressed before the day even begins. This chronic pressure takes a toll on mental health, physical well-being, and relationships outside of work.

What Is Really Going On?

The Gallup research points to several reasons for this decline. Workers report that they do not have clear expectations for their roles. Only 46% of employees strongly agree they know what is expected of them at work, down from 56% in 2020. They feel like no one at work truly cares about them as a person. They see few opportunities to learn and grow. For younger workers who are still figuring out their career paths, this lack of support and direction hits especially hard.

When you combine unclear direction with constant change, remote work challenges, and economic uncertainty, it creates the perfect conditions for disengagement. People start to wonder if their efforts even matter. They question whether loyalty to an employer makes sense when layoffs can happen at any time. They begin looking for a way out—even if they are not sure what that looks like yet.

A Different Path Is Emerging

Here is something interesting. While engagement at traditional jobs is falling, interest in business ownership is rising. The TES Generational Career Confidence Survey, found that 83% of Americans view business ownership as a viable alternative to traditional employment. That is an overwhelming majority who see entrepreneurship as a real option.

Even more striking is the generational breakdown. Seventy percent of Americans believe business ownership offers greater opportunities than traditional jobs for career stability and financial growth. Among Millennials—the group experiencing the steepest engagement declines—that number jumps to 79%. Younger generations are not just unhappy with their current situations. They are actively looking for something better.

The survey also revealed that 76% of Millennials believe business ownership is the best protection against ageism in the workplace. They have watched their parents face layoffs and early retirement packages. They have seen talented older colleagues pushed out to make room for cheaper labor. Career Ownership offers a way to build something that cannot be taken away by a corporate restructuring.

With artificial intelligence changing the workplace faster than anyone expected, workers are thinking about long-term security in new ways. The survey found that 61% of Americans say business ownership is the key to thriving in an AI-driven world. Among Millennials, that figure rises to 71%. They understand that owning a business means they control how technology is used, rather than waiting to see if it will replace them.

You Do Not Have to Figure This Out Alone

At The Entrepreneur’s Source®, we have spent more than 40 years helping people just like you navigate career transitions. We understand that feeling disconnected from your work is not just frustrating. It affects your health, your relationships, and your sense of who you are. We have seen thousands of people transform their careers and their lives by exploring options they never knew existed.

A Career Ownership Coach® does not tell you what to do. Instead, they help you discover what you truly want from your career and your life. Through Career Ownership Coaching™, you explore your values, goals, and options in a structured way. You learn what possibilities exist that you may never have considered. You gain clarity about whether staying in your current path makes sense—or whether something different might be a better fit for who you are becoming.

The coaching process is confidential and comes at no cost to you. There is no pressure to make any particular decision. Your coach is there to guide you through self-discovery, not to push you toward a predetermined outcome. Many people find that simply having a trusted advisor to talk through their options makes all the difference in how they approach their future.

What Could Change for You?

Imagine waking up excited about your work instead of dreading it. Imagine feeling in control of your future instead of waiting for someone else to decide your fate. Imagine building something that reflects your values and creates the financial security and lifestyle you want for yourself and your family. These are not impossible dreams. They are real outcomes that people achieve every day.

Career Ownership is not for everyone. But for many people who feel stuck in disengaging jobs with no clear path forward, it opens doors they never knew existed. The first step is simply having an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to be. No commitments. No obligations. Just clarity.

Take the First Step Today

If you are tired of feeling disconnected at work, if you are ready to explore what else might be possible, you owe it to yourself to have a conversation. Connect with a Career Ownership Coach® today at entrepreneurssource.com. It costs nothing to start the conversation. And it might just change everything about how you think about your career and your future.

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About Your Career Revolution

Our mission is to help individuals explore self-sufficiency as an alternative career.

We help them define their Income, Lifestyle, Wealth, and Equity goals and provide education on the best ways to achieve them. We don’t sell franchises – we help people achieve their dreams of self-sufficiency through business ownership. The approach is different, the experience is different. And it works.

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