The State of the Global Worker: Who Do They Trust to Create Change?

Workers’ well-being isn’t just shaped by what happens on the job — it’s deeply tied to the world around them. Access to quality education, health care, community support, and economic stability can make or break their quality of life, resilience, and productivity. 

Globally, workers expect employers, unions, and governments to create necessary change, but not all authorities are trusted or seen as effective, according to new SHRM research. SHRM’s third Global Worker Project report dives into the complex web of factors shaping worker well-being, uncovering who workers trust most and where real change can happen to improve their lives.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines social determinants of health as nonmedical factors that affect health outcomes, specifically the conditions in which people live and the external elements shaping those conditions. These social determinants of health can be grouped into five main categories: 

• Access to education and quality of education. 
• Neighborhood and built environment. 
• Access to health care and quality of health care. 
• Social and community context. 
• Level of economic stability. 

To gauge how workers are faring and identify where the most improvement is needed, SHRM asked them to evaluate these five key aspects of their lives. While global averages provide insight into the overall state of the workforce, the social determinants of health are deeply connected to the specific communities where workers live and thrive.

Education

Globally, nearly two-thirds of workers (64%) rated their access to and quality of education as good or excellent, making it the highest rated of the five social determinants of health.

Education takes many forms, from literacy and early childhood programs to vocational training, university education, and employer-led upskilling and reskilling initiatives. Together, these elements are key to creating a strong education-to-employment pipeline, according to the SHRM report. 

However, access to quality education varies significantly across countries, with 81% of workers in India rating their education quality as excellent compared to a mere 36% of workers in Japan. 

Neighborhood 

SHRM also studied the conditions shaping workers’ daily lives, including housing quality, transportation, parks, playgrounds, community walkability, and other geographic factors. Access to a well-designed neighborhood and built environment enhances workers’ safety and overall quality of life.

More than half of global workers (59%) rated their neighborhood and built environment as good or excellent. But some countries fared worse than others. For instance, just 39% of workers in the Dominican Republic expressed satisfaction with their local neighborhood. SHRM speculated this could be due to climate-related challenges. The World Bank reported that tropical storms, coastal erosion, and other threats have caused damage to local infrastructure, placing a burden on workers in the region. 

Transportation and Infrastructure 

An important aspect of workers’ neighborhoods and built environments is their access to reliable infrastructure, such as transportation, electricity, and internet services. These community resources are crucial in shaping workers’ ability to thrive both personally and professionally and can significantly influence their opportunities to secure well-paying jobs, according to SHRM’s report.

Although remote work increased during the pandemic, most global workers still engage in onsite work, with 63% working fully in person and 30% in a hybrid model. Only 7% work entirely remotely. Commuting workers need reliable and safe infrastructure, such as roads, sidewalks, parking, and public transit. 

Encouragingly, 86% of workers reported reliable transportation, and 88% said they find it safe. However, only 46% rated their community’s transportation infrastructure as good or excellent, while 18% said they consider it poor or very poor.

A stable electricity supply is also essential for workers to perform their jobs and connect with employers. However, more than 1 in 5 global workers face electricity shortages, with 18% experiencing them occasionally and 9% frequently.

By 2024, 5.5 billion people, or two-thirds of the global population, were online, up from 4.1 billion in 2019 and driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic’s demand for virtual services. However, 2.6 billion people worldwide still lack internet access. As compared to the 100% of people online in the United Arab Emirates, a mere 39% of workers have access to the internet in Nigeria. 

Health Care 

Quality health care significantly boosts workers’ well-being and productivity, though access varies by country, according to SHRM. Globally, 58% of workers rated their access to and quality of health care as good or excellent. 

Approximately 74% of workers in Indonesia rated their health care access and quality as good or excellent, surpassing the global average of 58%. This high rating reflects significant health care investments, including the 2014 launch of a national health insurance program. By December 2023, this initiative expanded access to over 95% of the population, reducing out-of-pocket costs from 45% to 33% of the country’s health expenditure.

Social and Community Support

Workers’ social and community context involves aspects such as social integration, support systems, community engagement, stress, exposure to violence and trauma, and the police and justice systems. 

It’s important to recognize that social and community context spans both workers’ personal and professional lives, including interactions with family, friends, and members of their community as well as co-workers and support systems in the workplace. A strong social and community context can provide workers with key support during times of need and plays an important role in workers’ overall well-being.

Globally, 49% of workers rated their social and community context as good or excellent. About 76% of workers in China rated their social and community context as good or excellent, far above the global average of 49%. This high rating reflects the cultural emphasis on family in the country, with over half of households in 2020 comprising at least two generations. Even as multi-generational living declines, urban families often live nearby, creating strong built-in support systems that enhance social connectivity.

Economic Stability 

Economic stability includes factors such as employment, income, expenses, and debt. Amid rising inflation and living costs, workers’ financial concerns are growing. Globally, only 45% of workers rated their economic stability as good or excellent, marking it as the lowest among the five social determinants of health. Steady employment and income remain crucial for supporting families and achieving personal and professional well-being.

Nearly 63% of workers in India rated their economic stability as good or excellent, well above the global average of 45%. This reflects India’s strong economic growth, averaging 8.3% annually from April 2021 to March 2024, and significant poverty reduction. Between 2015 and 2021, the poverty rate dropped from 25% to 15%, lifting 135 million people out of poverty. Looking ahead, nearly half of Indian households are expected to move into upper-middle or high-income segments by 2030, signaling a growing middle class.

Trusted Changemakers 

The global workforce relies on entities such as employers, labor unions, and governments to address the five social determinants of health, improving workers’ lives and livelihoods. 

Accountability differs by responsibility type. Globally, 64% of workers said they believe governments should ensure access to safe housing, transportation, neighborhoods, and quality health care. Conversely, workers hold employers most accountable for financial stability, including job security and fair pay. These entities have distinct roles, but all play a critical part in addressing workers’ needs.

However, global workers do not place equal trust in these entities to fulfill their responsibilities. On the whole, workers tend to trust workplace entities more than governments to meet their obligations. This trust is stronger for entities with which workers have closer relationships, illustrating in-group bias. For instance, 54% of union members trust their union to fulfill its duties, while only 36% trust labor unions in general. Similarly, 52% of employees trust their specific employer, compared to 41% who trust employers overall.

Trust is deeply tied to perceived effectiveness because workers tend to trust entities they believe deliver results. SHRM’s research revealed that workers view employers as more effective than governments in creating positive change due to direct and tangible outcomes from daily interactions. 

For example, employers are often seen as most responsible for fair pay, which supports workers’ economic stability. Labor market competition drives employers to adapt to workers’ preferences, offer quality jobs, and address concerns quickly, which similarly fosters trust.

In democratic countries, workers rely on elections to hold governments accountable for responsibilities such as safe housing and transportation. However, trust in governments is lower, with 53% of people believing their political system doesn’t allow them a say and only 41% trusting that decisions are based on sound evidence, as reported in OECD research. This perceived lack of influence reduces trust in government entities.