Workplace Research
Half of Workers Low in Psychological Capital Plan to Leave Within a Year. Among High-PsyCap Workers It Is 19%.
The American Psychological Association’s 2026 Work in America survey, conducted by The Harris Poll among 2,009 employed US adults, found work getting harder on almost every measure. Fewer workers described their workplace as healthy (80%, down from 85% a year earlier), fewer said they feel valued (80%, down from 84%), and 37% said their work environment harms their mental health, up from 32%.
Then APA split the results by psychological capital, and the picture changed. Workers high in it reported less stress, more security, more optimism about AI and far lower intent to quit. APA’s central point is that psychological capital is not a fixed trait. It can be developed, and employers can help.
What Psychological Capital Is
Psychological capital, or PsyCap, combines four related capacities that shape how people respond to challenge at work. APA measured it with a validated five-item scale and grouped respondents into low, moderate and high levels.
If that list sounds like the brief for half the motivational and resilience keynotes booked every year, that is the point worth noticing. APA has just put national data behind the outcomes those sessions are meant to produce.
The Same Workplace, Two Different Experiences
| Measure | High PsyCap | Low PsyCap |
|---|---|---|
| Plan to look for a job at another organization in the next year | 19% | 51% |
| Describe their workplace as very or somewhat healthy | 95% | 63% |
| Typically feel tense or stressed during the workday | 38% | 55% |
| Say their work environment hurts their mental health | 24% | 47% |
| Worry about losing their job in the next few weeks or months | 21% | 44% |
| Worry AI could make some or all of their duties obsolete | 37% | 53% |
Nearly two-thirds of high-PsyCap workers (64%) also said technological change had created new opportunities in their role or career path, and they were more likely to report that AI improved their productivity, time management, work quality and creativity.
The Backdrop: More Stress, More AI Anxiety
Across all workers, 48% said they typically feel tense or stressed during the workday. Concern about losing a job in the next few weeks or months rose to 32% from 26% in 2025. Nearly half (48%) worried AI could make some or all of their duties obsolete, the highest level since APA began asking in 2023. 64% now believe technological change benefits employers more than workers, up from 52%, and 37% worry they will fall behind colleagues if they do not use AI, up from 30%.
Almost everyone surveyed (95%) said it matters to them to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological wellbeing. The gap between that expectation and the experience is widening.
One Honest Caveat
APA is clear that a survey cannot establish causality. Some of the difference may run the other way: a healthier workplace may raise people’s psychological capital, not just the reverse. APA’s reading is that the two reinforce each other over time, which is exactly why it recommends employers invest in both the conditions and the capacities.
What APA Recommends, and Where an Event Fits
Broaden the definition of performance
APA suggests leaders look beyond whether people can do the work to whether they have the psychological resources to adapt to change and respond to challenges. A conference or all-staff day is one of the few moments an organization addresses those resources for everyone at once. Programming it as skill-building rather than a pep talk is the difference. See resilience speakers and keynote vs. motivational speaker.
Invest in people, not just technology
Before approving a major technology change, APA suggests asking how people are being prepared psychologically to succeed in the new environment. If your agenda includes an AI session, pair it with one on the human side of the transition. See AI and human skills speakers.
Design for feeling valued
APA’s third recommendation is to treat culture as a condition that shapes psychological capital. That is a culture and leadership brief, not only a wellbeing one. Related reading: 61% of US workers are languishing and managers without mental health resources.
Source: American Psychological Association, 2026 Work in America survey, report and press release published September 22, 2026. Conducted online by The Harris Poll among 2,009 employed US adults, May 21 to June 1, 2026. Results accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level; credible intervals are wider for subgroups.
Speakers Who Build Hope, Efficacy and Resilience
Want resilience programming that builds something?
Tell us what your people are carrying this year. We will match you with a speaker who builds hope, confidence and resilience as skills, not just a good feeling for an hour.