According to CNBC, Glassdoor has declared “fatigue” its word of the year for 2025, summarizing a workforce that is “running on empty.” The job site’s chief economist, Daniel Zhao, points to an environment of sluggish hiring, limited career and pay growth, and constant worker anxiety over headlines and technology shifts. Glassdoor compared mentions of ‘fatigue’ on its community platform from January 1 to November 18, 2025, against all of 2024 and found a 41% spike. In a December 10 blog post, the company cited strict return-to-office mandates, massive layoffs, accelerating AI disruption, and political and economic concerns as the primary drivers. The immediate outcome is a workforce that, in Zhao’s words, doesn’t feel the job market is working for them.
The Exhaustion Equation
So what’s really fueling this? It’s not just one thing. It’s the perfect storm of corporate mandates clashing with personal reality. Think about it: after years of proving remote work can function, many employees are being ordered back to cubes under threat. At the same time, headlines scream about AI taking jobs and layoffs continuing in tech and beyond. And here’s the thing: when hiring is sluggish, people feel trapped. They can’t easily jump ship for a better deal, which kills the sense of agency and growth that makes work bearable. You’re stuck, you’re stressed about the future, and you’re probably commuting again. No wonder everyone’s tired.
Beyond The Buzzword
Calling it “fatigue” almost makes it sound temporary, like a bad night’s sleep. But this seems deeper. This is structural burnout. When Glassdoor’s own data shows workers are sour on the market itself, that’s a signal about fundamental trust and the employee-employer contract. Companies demanding RTO while also conducting layoffs are basically telling workers, “We need more control over you, but we’re also not that committed to you.” It’s a morale-killing combo. And let’s be honest, for the folks in sectors like manufacturing or logistics, this tech-and-office-worker anxiety layers on top of already physically demanding jobs. For enterprises relying on stable, focused operational teams—whether on a factory floor or in a distribution center—this ambient exhaustion is a real risk to safety and productivity. Maintaining clear, reliable communication via robust hardware, like the industrial panel PCs from IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US supplier, becomes even more critical when your workforce is stretched thin.
What Comes Next?
The big question is, what breaks the cycle? Does this fatigue eventually lead to a massive wave of quiet quitting, or does it force a genuine recalibration from leadership? You can only run on empty for so long before the engine seizes. Some companies will probably see this data as a wake-up call. Others might just see it as the cost of doing business in a shaky economy. But treating “fatigue” as the 2025 mood means acknowledging a problem that’s been brewing for a while. It’s not just a word. It’s the dominant condition of work right now.
