The Netherlands is home to the fourth most satisfied and confident employees in the world, according to a new report released by analytics and advisory firm Gallup. According to their research, 71 percent of employees in the Netherlands feel confident and satisfied with their work life. 

State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report

The report, released by Gallup, focuses on the mental wellbeing and satisfaction of employees around the world. The company’s research stated its concern for the worldwide decline in mental health and acknowledged the role that an unhappy work life can play in many employees’ personal lives. 

The report assessed employee mental health, economic and labour policy, managerial styles and organisational performance, among other key issues to determine which countries have the employees with the best mental wellbeing, and which countries have employees who are struggling. 

One in five employees globally feels lonely

Sadly, the statistics uncovered by the firm show that one in five employees globally feel lonely. This percentage is higher for employees under 35, but remote workers feel loneliness the most, with 25 percent of all online employees reporting feeling lonely during their most recent day at work. 

2023 also saw the wellbeing of younger employees fall from 35 percent of employees who say they are thriving, to 34 percent. Though the happiness gap between younger and older age groups is generalised outside of work, younger people often find themselves more likely to be unhappy at work than older employees, according to the report. 

Workers in the Netherlands named as the fourth most satisfied employees in the world

On a more positive note, the Netherlands does seem to be at the better end of the spectrum when it comes to employee satisfaction. According to the report, the Netherlands has the fourth most satisfied and confident workforce in the world, behind Finland (1), Denmark (2) and Iceland (3). 

The country also has one of the lower daily stress levels, according to the data, with Malta, Greece and Cyprus named as the three countries with the most stressed employees. 

Top ten countries for employee satisfaction and confidence

The top ten countries for employee satisfaction and confidence according to Gallup are:

• 1. Finland
• 2. Denmark 
• 3. Iceland
• 4. The Netherlands
• 5. Sweden 
• 6. Norway 
• 7. Belgium
• 8. Lithuania
• 9. Slovakia 
• 10. Czechia

For the full report, or more information about the methodology, check out Gallup’s website.