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While it may seem surprising—given the ongoing push by many American workers to stay remote or hybrid post-pandemic—many workers are craving support and connection, as the nation’s loneliness crisis rises. Recent research identified loneliness as a significant and emerging threat to workers’ mental and physical health. And, experts say, it can have widespread effects on the workplace.
In its survey, Loneliness in America 2025, Cigna found that 52% of U.S. workers report feeling lonely. The resulting impact on business is both profound and measurable, according to the Evernorth Research Institute, the research arm of Evernorth, Cigna’s health services business.
Among other concerning results, the research found that lonely employees are more likely to miss work, disengage while at work and/or leave their jobs altogether. This is creating ripple effects that cost employers in productivity, morale and talent retention, researchers wrote.
Loneliness: A crisis for employees, organizations Jason Youngblood, Cigna
According to Jason Youngblood, who leads Cigna Healthcare’s behavioral center of excellence, loneliness is such a growing employee issue that employers ignore it at their peril. For example, 36% of lonely employees are looking for a new job, compared to 20% of their peers. Also, they’re more likely to miss work
