The Emotional Recession: global declines in emotional intelligence and its impact on organizational retention, burnout, and workforce resilience.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered widespread disruptions to workplace wellbeing and employee engagement, intensifying risks of burnout and reduced retention. Although organizational performance has been widely studied, few investigations have examined longitudinal declines in emotional intelligence (EQ) during the pandemic and its aftermath or considered their implications for organizational resilience.

Methods

This study analyzed EQ trends from 2019 to 2024 using data from the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment (SEI), a validated 77-item instrument measuring eight core competencies and four life outcome factors. The stratified sample comprised 28,000 adults across 166 countries.

Results

Global EQ scores declined by 5.79% (Cohen's d = 0.22

SUBMITTER: Freedman JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12646932 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature