Confidence in Action: Why Worker and Management Confidence Is the Signal Businesses Can’t Ignore

Confidence isn’t just a buzzword - it’s a signal. It tells us where the economy is headed and serves as a powerful economic confidence indicator. It shows how businesses will respond and whether workers feel secure enough to take risks, innovate and grow. In today’s U.S. business climate - shaped by inflation, policy uncertainty, rapid tech disruption and shifting workforce expectations – workforce confidence is under pressure like never before, reflecting key US workforce trends 2025 and providing crucial business confidence insights.

U.S. Workforce Confidence Trends: What the Data Shows

Recent research highlights a notable decline in employee confidence at work. LinkedIn's Workforce Confidence Survey shows U.S. workers’ confidence in job security and career prospects has fallen to its lowest point since 2020. Economic uncertainty, automation fears and layoffs are driving this decline, with younger workers feeling it most. HRO Today's Worker Confidence Index echoes this, reporting lower trust in leadership and fewer workers expecting promotions.

It’s not just employees. At the top, management sentiment is sliding too. The Conference Board's CEO Confidence Index dropped to 34 in Q2 2025 — the steepest quarterly fall in nearly five decades. Deloitte's CFO Signals Survey also shows a sharp dip in optimism, signaling a more cautious approach to business investment and hiring. These trends are key examples of ongoing management confidence trends and illustrate the importance of benchmark workforce sentiment.

Why Confidence Matters for Every Business

When worker and management confidence erodes, the ripple effects are immediate:

• Workers hesitate to change jobs or push for innovation.
• Companies delay investments, hiring and expansion.
• Owners and key decision makers hesitate to move forward with decisions.
• Economic growth slows as uncertainty spreads. 

On the flip side, strong employee confidence drives resilience. Research consistently links employee confidence to higher productivity, higher innovation and stronger financial performance. For leaders, confidence fuels bold decisions and strategic agility - qualities that matter most in uncertain times.

Introducing the Worker Confidence Tracker

To help businesses navigate this uncertainty, RONIN International, in partnership with myCLEARopinion Insights Hub, has launched the Worker Confidence Tracker. This initiative measures and monitors U.S. worker confidence across four key areas:

• Government and Policy - Do workers believe policies support their industry?
• Industry outlook - How optimistic are they about the future of their sector?
• Organisational leadership - Do employees trust their leaders to make the right calls?
• Personal security - How confident are individuals in their job stability and finances?

Unlike traditional surveys, our tracker taps into real voices from B2B participants across roles — from frontline workers to executives — to deliver actionable insights in real time. 

How We Define Confidence In Our Tracker

In our study, confidence means the degree of optimism workers and leaders have about maintaining stability, achieving goals, and adapting to change over the next 6–12 months. This definition allows us to track confidence at multiple levels — personal, organizational and institutional — so businesses can benchmark and act on what matters most.

The Bigger Picture – Why Confidence Is A Strategic Asset

The stakes are high. With 83% of CEOs expecting a recession within 12-18 months collected in Q2, those numbers bounced back a bit in early Q3 but are sending clear signals about the negative power of uncertainty. That uncertainty at the top has an impact at the employee level.  Confidence is more than a feeling - it’s a strategic asset. Companies that have a confidence strategy based on near real time data will be better positioned to weather uncertainty and seize opportunities.

Other Key Studies on Confidence

• LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index – Tracks worker sentiment on job security and career prospects.
• HRO Today Worker Confidence Index – Quarterly analysis of worker attitudes toward job security, leadership, and promotions.
• Gallup Economic Confidence Index – Measures Americans’ outlook on the economy.
• Conference Board CEO Confidence Index – Barometer of CEO sentiment on economic and industry conditions. 
• Deloitte CFO Signals Survey – Quarterly insights into CFO confidence and risk appetite.

What's Next

Over the coming weeks, we’ll share insights from our Workforce Confidence Tracker, revealing what confidence really means for workers, leaders and the economy. Follow us for updates and learn how confidence can be your organization's most powerful signal in uncertain times. Stay in the know about key developments in business confidence impact and employee engagement statistics.