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‘Quiet quitting’ could be hitting the economy – here’s why
A Resolution Foundation report suggests that declining worker engagement in Britain may be contributing to weak productivity growth, which matters because productivity is important for raising living standards. The findings align with the idea of “quiet quitting”: doing the job’s required tasks while declining extra work, often to protect work-life balance.
In a survey of 4,656 adults, the share willing to go the extra mile for their employer fell from 69% in 2015 to 55% in 2025. The share who said their job was interesting dropped from 74% to 63%, while only one in four were less than fairly satisfied with their role, a record low. The report says workers have not simply become more work-shy; rewarding pay and flexible hours may be increasingly important to keeping them engaged.
In short
- Fewer workers say they will go the extra mile.
- Job interest has fallen over the past decade.
- The report links engagement to pay and flexibility.
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The case for
Lower engagement may be one factor behind weak productivity: when fewer workers find their jobs interesting or feel motivated to contribute beyond their basic duties, employers may lose ideas, initiative and discretionary effort that help improve output. If this trend is widespread, understanding and addressing it could support productivity and, in turn, living standards.
The case against
The figures show changing attitudes, but do not establish that quiet quitting is causing weak productivity; pay, management, investment and wider economic conditions may matter more. Doing the job as agreed can also reflect a reasonable boundary rather than disengagement, and employers seeking extra effort may need to offer fair pay, flexibility and more satisfying work.
Explained simply
Productivity measures how much goods and services are produced for the time and resources used. When it grows, employers and the wider economy can produce more, which can help support higher wages and living standards.
The Resolution Foundation is a British research organisation that studies living standards and the economy. Worker engagement refers to how involved and motivated people feel in their jobs; “quiet quitting” is a term for sticking to required duties without taking on extra work.
Pay and working arrangements can affect how people feel about their jobs and whether they are willing to do more than required. Changes in engagement therefore matter to employers and policymakers seeking to understand why productivity has grown slowly and what might support living standards.