WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2025

New Deputy Report Unveils U.S. Shift Worker Sentiment Trends for 2025

Shift workers are mostly happy, but where they live and what they do makes all the difference

SAN FRANCISCO – Deputy, the world’s leading workforce management platform for hourly work, today released its third annual Shift Pulse Report – a nationwide snapshot of how U.S. shift workers are feeling and why that matters. Based on more than 1.5 million anonymized end-of-shift surveys submitted between April 2024 and April 2025 – a 260% increase from last year – the report gives leaders a rare, real-time view into morale, engagement, and productivity across frontline industries.

The report introduces a new metric: Net Happiness Score – a standardized way to track sentiment and identify workplace pressure points by time, industry, and geography. Since sentiment is a leading indicator of employee turnover, burnout, absenteeism, and performance, the insights from this report are crucial to business operations and success.

“Shift Pulse has become the voice of America's frontline workers," said Silvija Martincevic, CEO of Deputy. "What started as a way to hear directly from shift workers has evolved into a trusted source of real-time workforce sentiment data. Business leaders now turn to our annual findings to understand not just what's happening in their own operations, but how they compare to industry benchmarks and regional trends."

A Nation Divided by Sentiment

This year's data reveals two contrasting stories:

The Optimism: Nationwide, nearly 79% of shift workers say they feel good or amazing about their work. States like South Carolina, Virginia, and Utah are leading the way, showing that investments in scheduling flexibility and culture pay off in morale and retention.
The Imbalance: States like North Dakota, New Mexico, and Vermont report significantly lower Net Happiness Scores, with some trailing the national average by over 20 percentage points. The message is clear: many workers feel unsupported, overstretched, and unseen.

Industry Highlights:

Happiest Industry Sectors: The happiest workers were in tobacco, e-cigarette & marijuana stores, with 91.87% happy, followed by catering, cafe/coffee shops, and dental offices.
Unhappiest Industry Sectors: The unhappiest workers were found in pharmacies with 13.94% unhappy, followed by delivery & postal services, animal health, and medical clinics.
Scheduling and Sentiment Connection: Businesses offering better shift visibility and flexibility – especially in states like Utah, Virginia, and South Carolina – report significantly higher team morale.

By providing real-time insights into how frontline workers feel, Deputy enables employers to take proactive steps to improve scheduling, workplace culture, and employee engagement. This data-driven approach helps businesses make informed decisions that reduce turnover, boost morale, and enhance overall productivity.

For more information and additional findings, download the full report below.

ABOUT DEPUTY
Deputy is the world’s leading workforce management platform, revolutionizing hourly work for over 1.5 million workers and 380,000 workplaces across more than 100 countries. For over 15 years, Deputy has helped businesses effortlessly navigate and comply with complex labor laws while enhancing employee engagement with predictable, transparent, and flexible scheduling. With actionable insights and real-time data, Deputy transforms labor efficiency into a competitive advantage. More than just a solution, Deputy is a trusted partner in building workplaces that foster productivity, well-being, and growth.

Discover how we are improving the world of work, one shift at a time at www.deputy.com and join the conversation on LinkedIn.