Confidence in Action: The Unseen Measure of Economic Well-Being

A data-driven look at how U.S. workers trust their employers and personal stability while remaining skeptical of government, regulation, and national media.

An analysis of workforce confidence revealing why trust is strongest in what people can see and control—and weakest in distant institutions shaping the economy.

by Ariane Claire, myCLEARopinion Insights Hub

Feb 1, 2026

We’re seeing it everywhere: capital investments paused, timelines adjusted, buying authority redistributed, and internal teams asked to do more with less. It’s a familiar cycle. And when this happens, research and marketing are often the first to be scaled back or postponed.

Economic uncertainty may be the backdrop, but it is not the defining force shaping today’s U.S. workforce. Instead, new research points to a more nuanced reality: confidence hasn’t disappeared. It has shifted.

Across industries, professionals are placing greater trust in what feels immediate and tangible: their employers, direct leaders, peers, and industry networks. At the same time, confidence in broader institutions, including federal government, regulation, and national media, continues to erode. The growing distance between these two realities is what we refer to as the confidence gap. This insight sits at the core of the Workforce Confidence Index, a multi-wave quantitative tracking study conducted in partnership with RONIN International and the myCLEARopinion Insights Hub.

Based on feedback from more than 3,500 working professionals across key U.S. industries, the study provides a longitudinal view of how confidence is evolving and where it is under strain.

What the Workforce Confidence Index Measures

The Index tracks worker confidence across four foundational dimensions:

• Government & Policy: Confidence that policy decisions support, rather than hinder, their industry.

• Industry Outlook: Optimism about the future health, stability, and opportunity within their field.

• Organizational Leadership: Trust in leadership to make sound, informed decisions during uncertain times.

• Personal Security: Perceived stability around employment, income, and near-term financial well-being.

Together, these measures allow organizations to benchmark confidence at the personal, organizational, and institutional levels and monitor how sentiment shifts over time.

Why Confidence Matters

Confidence is not a “soft” metric. When it declines, the effects are immediate and measurable:

• Employees become more risk-averse and less likely to advocate for change

• Organizations delay hiring, investment, and growth initiatives

• Leadership hesitates, slowing decision-making

• Broader economic momentum weakens as uncertainty compounds

Conversely, sustained confidence supports resilience. Organizations with confident workforces tend to see stronger productivity, greater openness to innovation, and more decisive leadership, especially during periods of disruption.

How We Define Confidence

Within the Workforce Confidence Index, confidence reflects optimism about the next 6–12 months: the ability to maintain stability, adapt to change, and achieve goals at both the individual and organizational level. This forward-looking lens allows leaders to move beyond static sentiment snapshots and instead understand confidence as a leading indicator; one that can inform strategy, communication, and investment decisions.

Implications for Leaders and Organizations

As trust in large, national institutions weakens, organizational credibility becomes increasingly central to workforce confidence. Clear communication, consistent leadership behavior, and strong industry ecosystems matter more than ever. Trusted trade media and industry-specific research also play a critical role, not only in informing decision-makers but in reinforcing confidence among the professionals who rely on those channels.

What’s Next

In the weeks ahead, we’ll be releasing additional insights from the Workforce Confidence Index, exploring what confidence signals for workforce behavior, leadership strategy, and economic momentum. To stay informed, and to understand how confidence can serve as a strategic indicator for your organization, follow along as new findings are released.

Learn More About The Confidence Gap Whitepaper (PDF)

Contact: Ariane Claire, Research Director, myCLEARopinion Insights Hub

Q&A Session

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: What is the “confidence gap” identified in this report?

A1: It reflects a consistent divide between strong personal and workplace confidence and weak trust in national institutions.

• High internal confidence: Workers report durable confidence in job security, personal finances, and company leadership.
• Low external trust: Confidence in federal government, regulation, and national media remains persistently weak.
• Stable pattern over time: This gap appears in every wave, indicating a structural shift rather than a temporary reaction.

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Q2: Why do workers trust employers and leaders more than institutions like government or media?

A2: Trust concentrates where competence and accountability are visible and verifiable.

• Direct experience: Employees interact daily with supervisors and leadership, making trust easier to evaluate.
• Clear feedback loops: Organizational decisions have immediate, observable consequences.
• Distance breeds skepticism: National institutions feel abstract, politicized, and less responsive to individual impact.

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Q3: What do these findings mean for business and policy leaders?

A3: Workforce confidence is now anchored locally and organizationally, not institutionally.

• Leadership matters more than messaging: Transparent, consistent communication from employers carries more weight than macro narratives.
• Industry networks are critical: Trade associations and industry media act as trusted intermediaries.
• Stability must be reinforced: Sustaining job security and financial confidence helps buffer broader economic uncertainty.