Effective communication is the lifeblood of any successful workplace. In 2024 and 2025, companies are navigating hybrid work, digital tools, and generative AI – all of which are reshaping how we connect on the job. Strong communication can boost productivity and engagement, while poor communication leads to missed deadlines, stress, and even lost talent. What do the latest numbers say about how we communicate at work?
Let’s dive into the most up-to-date workplace communication statistics in the US (with some global context) for 2024 and 2025, including comparisons to prior years and forecasts for the near future. Let’s look at the statistics!
Most interesting communication in the workplace statistics
- Only 31% of U.S. employees say they are highly satisfied with training and skill-development opportunities in 2024, down from 44% in 2023.
- Almost 60% of first-time managers have never received management training.
- Replacing an employee costs employers on average about 33.3% of that employee’s base salary.
- Direct learning cost per hour in 2024 reached $165, up 34% year over year.
- Only 15% of U.S. employees are “actively motivated” at work in 2024; 85% are either not engaged or actively disengaged.
- U.S. employee engagement dropped from 36% in 2020 to 31% in 2024.
- 55% of organizations already provide AI skills training, and over 60% plan to expand it.
- Employees in organizations that prioritize career development are 32% more likely to deploy AI training and significantly more confident in profitability, attraction, and retention.
- Companies are seeing a pullback in total corporate training budgets: from about $101.8 billion in 2023 to $98 billion in 2024 (≈ −3.7%) in the U.S.
- Large companies (10,000+ employees) saw their average annual training spend drop from about $16.1 million in 2023 to $13.3 million in 2024.
Stats on workplace communication volume and overload
Employees now spend almost their entire workweek communicating – about 88% of their time is taken up by writing, reading, and responding to messages or talking in meetings. On average, that amounts to roughly 19 hours per week spent on writing tasks alone (emails, reports, etc.). Work is truly becoming synonymous with communication.
Source: Grammarly
84% of business leaders say they are communicating through more channels than ever before – juggling email, chats, video calls, project apps, and more. The proliferation of communication tools has increased the volume and pace of workplace communication, sometimes to overwhelming levels.
Source: Grammarly
The average office worker receives around 117 emails per day and sends about ~31. Email overload remains a reality in many organizations, despite the rise of newer messaging platforms.
Source: Microsoft, EmailAnalytics
A significant share of professionals are frustrated by the communication overload: 55% say they spend too much time crafting or deciphering messages, 54% find it challenging to manage the flood of workplace communications, and 53% feel anxious about misinterpreting written communications. In fact, 63% of people cite wasted time as one of the worst consequences of poor communication at work.
Source: Grammarly, Project.co
One in three employees is dissatisfied with the communication channels their organization uses in 2025. In other words, 33% feel that the tools provided (email, chat apps, etc.) are not effective or convenient enough – indicating room for improvement in how companies enable communication.
Source: Gallagher
Stats on effective communication and productivity
64% of business leaders and 55% of knowledge workers believe that improving communication has boosted their team’s productivity. When people have the information they need and clear expectations, they can work more efficiently.
Source: Grammarly
37% of employees say they would work harder and be more productive if they felt their efforts were recognized by management. In fact, workers are 85% more likely to do quality work when they feel their voice is heard and their input matters. This highlights the link between open communication, recognition, and discretionary effort.
Source: Great Place To Work
49% of employees believe that communication (or the lack of it) directly impacts their productivity. Virtually everyone agrees that good communication makes a difference in how well they can perform – underscoring why organizations can’t afford to ignore communication issues.
Source: Forbes
Stats on communication, employee engagement, and retention
Employee engagement remains alarmingly low, and communication is a key factor. Globally, only 21% of employees are engaged at work (as of 2024) – meaning just 1 in 5 feel passionate about and committed to their work. The U.S. engagement rate is a bit higher (around 31% in 2024) but has been declining slightly in recent years. Poor communication – unclear expectations, lack of feedback – is often cited as a reason for disengagement.
Disengaged employees cost businesses dearly. It is estimated that lost productivity due to disengagement (much of it stemming from communication breakdowns) costs the global economy about $438 billion in 2024. Similarly, an analysis found that if all organizations communicated and engaged employees effectively, it could add ~$9 trillion to global GDP. In short, improving workplace communication isn’t just “nice to have” – it has huge financial implications.
Source: Gallup
Trust and transparency are critical for engagement. 74% of employees say they would prefer to work for a company where management is transparent and trustworthy in its communications. However, trust is lacking: only 75% of workers globally trust their employer to “do what’s right,” down from 78% previously. Low trust often correlates with poor or inconsistent communication from leadership.
Lack of honest communication erodes trust: 68% of employees believe that business leaders don’t tell the truth or intentionally exaggerate in communications. This is up from 56% a couple of years earlier, indicating growing skepticism.
Source: Edelman
It’s no surprise that 61% of employees also say that low trust in their workplace hampers their daily productivity and effort – when people doubt what they hear from leaders, motivation suffers.
Source: PwC
Poor communication and engagement drive turnover. 22% of employees report that they left a company because they didn’t feel trusted or heard by their employer. During the recent “Great Resignation,” many cited feeling ignored or unsupported as a reason for quitting.
Source: PwC
On the flip side, when employees do feel valued and informed, they stay longer – it is found that having engaged, well-communicated employees reduces turnover by 51% in low-turnover organizations, and by 21% in high-turnover environments. Keeping the communication lines open can significantly boost retention.
Source: Gallup
Statistics on the consequences of poor communication
86% of employees and executives cite lack of effective collaboration and communication as the primary cause of workplace failures. In other words, nearly nine in ten people believe that when projects or initiatives fail, poor communication is at the root. Everything from unclear instructions to siloed teams can derail execution.
Miscommunication leads to stress and burnout. 51% of workers admit that poor communication in their workplace increases their stress levels. Over time, this adds up – about 43% of employees have experienced burnout, fatigue, or mental exhaustion specifically due to communication issues (like information overload or constant unclear messaging). Despite this, only 4 in 10 employees rate their company as doing a good job supporting employee well-being and stress management.
Source: Grammarly, Project.co
Communication breakdowns hurt day-to-day efficiency. 63% of employees say they have wasted time at work due to communication issues – for example, duplicating work because of unclear direction or waiting on information that wasn’t properly conveyed. Similarly, 59% have missed important messages or updates because of miscommunication (overlooked emails, messages lost in the shuffle, etc.). These everyday inefficiencies accumulate, reducing overall productivity.
Source: Project.co
Poor communication causes tangible losses. In surveys, 28% of employees directly blamed poor communication for delays or failure to deliver work on time. Clients and customers feel the impact too: 24% of employees say their company’s communication problems have led to a poor customer experience, and 14% report losing customers to competitors as a result. Even internal talent is at risk – 8% of organizations have lost employees who quit due to frustration with internal communication issues.
Source: Expert Market, Project.co
Missed messages and misalignment cost money. The cost of ineffective communication ranges from $10,000 to $55,000 per employee per year, depending on that person’s salary level. This reflects hundreds of hours lost to clarifying misunderstandings, responding to redundant emails, or doing rework. Businesses lose an estimated $9,284 per worker annually due to poor communication. Across the U.S. workforce, that could amount to tens of billions of dollars in losses annually.
Stats on workplace communication channels and tools
Email remains the most-used communication tool in business. In a late-2024 survey, 36% of employees said email is their primary tool for internal communication, more than any other method. Email was followed by online chat/messaging platforms (26%) and project management tools (17%) as the next most common ways co-workers communicate. Traditional methods like face-to-face conversations or phone calls lagged far behind for day-to-day internal comms (each used primarily by only 6% of respondents).
Source: Project.co
For communicating with clients, email also dominates. Over half of companies use email as the main way to reach customers, whereas only 9% of businesses rely on phone calls as their primary client communication method. (That 9% for phones is actually an increase from previous years, but it’s still relatively low.) Other channels like project platforms (15%), online chat (10%), and in-person meetings (2%) make up the rest of client communications. The data shows that even in 2024, much of our work communication – both internal and external – still funnels through the inbox.
Source: Project.co
Organizations have widely adopted new communication technologies. For instance, 67% of companies use Slack as one of their workplace communication tools, and 62% use Zoom for virtual meetings. (By comparison, only 26% were using the Google Workspace suite for collaboration in that particular survey.) The pandemic accelerated the uptake of these digital platforms, and they’ve become standard in many workplaces.
Source: Expert Market
Many businesses are continuing to invest in communication tools. In 2024, 67% of companies implemented new communication software or platforms to help their teams connect. These range from team chat apps and video conferencing to project management and collaboration tools. Notably, some teams have even embraced less traditional apps – about 9% of companies report using tools like Microsoft Teams, video calls, or even WhatsApp as “other” channels for internal communication. This indicates that organizations are experimenting with diverse solutions to find what best fits their communication needs.
Source: Project.co
Despite the plethora of modern tools, the volume of messages is hard to tame. The typical worker sends roughly 31 emails a day and receives 100+ emails, as mentioned earlier. Add in dozens of instant messages and multiple meeting invites, and it’s clear why communication tool fatigue is a real issue. Companies are trying to streamline: the best-performing firms keep communication “twice as streamlined” – avoiding unnecessary CC emails and jargon – which helps employees focus on what matters.
Source: Microsoft, EmailAnalytics
Stats on remote and hybrid communication
Remote and hybrid work are here to stay, reshaping how we communicate. As of 2024, about 13% of full-time U.S. employees work fully remotely, and another 26% work in a hybrid arrangement (splitting time between home and office). That means roughly 39% of the workforce is not in the office full-time, a huge shift from pre-2020.
Other surveys show even higher remote numbers; for example, one found 42% of people primarily work from home in late 2024. Regardless of the exact figure, it’s clear that a large portion of communication now happens via digital channels rather than face-to-face.
Source: WFH Research, Project.co
Managers and employees largely support the hybrid model: 95% of business leaders in one 2023 poll said they plan to continue with remote/hybrid work going forward. Workers, too, value flexibility – another survey found 68% of employees believe the ideal workplace is a mix of remote and on-site work. This means virtual communication (email, chat, video calls) will remain a central part of work life in 2025 and beyond.
Source: Expert Market, American Staffing Association
The good news: digital communication tools generally boost productivity for most people. Over three-quarters (77%) of workers say that tools like email, instant messaging, and video conferencing have improved their productivity, whereas only 19% feel these tools have made them less productive (the remainder see no impact). With remote work tech, employees can collaborate quickly without the need for physical meetings, which many find efficient.
Source: EmailToolTester
However, an “always-on” culture can create pressure. Three-quarters (74%) of employees feel pressure to respond to work emails as soon as possible, and a striking 85% say they expect their co-workers to reply to emails quickly too. The immediacy of digital communication can thus become a source of stress. In fact, waiting for a response – whether by email or direct message – is cited as a top cause of anxiety for workers (40% get stressed waiting on an email reply). Clearly, remote communication requires setting norms so employees don’t burn out trying to be available 24/7.
Source: EmailToolTester
The value of meetings is being questioned. With virtual meetings just a click away, many workplaces saw a surge in meetings – but not all are useful. 61% of people feel that they waste time in meetings, according to a 2024 survey, although this was a slight improvement from the previous year.
Source: Project.co
There’s also that familiar refrain: “This meeting could have been an email.” Indeed, about 28% of workers said that many meetings should have just been an email instead. Companies are now trying to combat “Zoom fatigue” and over-meeting by encouraging async updates and stricter agenda-setting. Finding the right balance of synchronous vs. asynchronous communication is a key challenge in the hybrid era.
Source: EmailToolTester
Stats on internal communication and employee feedback
Many employees feel out of the loop in their organizations. 71% of employees say they are unsatisfied with the quality of news and information about their company that they currently receive. In other words, they do not think the internal communication they get is sufficient – they’re hungry for more updates on the business and their team.
Source: Staffbase
A startling sign of poor internal comms: Most companies communicate goals infrequently or only to upper management, which can contribute to that transparency gap. And despite recognizing the importance, 60% of companies admit they haven’t implemented a long-term internal communication strategy for keeping employees informed. This indicates that many organizations still handle internal communication on an ad-hoc basis.
Source: Oak Engage
Employees crave a more “human” approach from leadership. A vast 96% of professionals say they want workplace communication to have more empathy and human understanding behind it. Workers believe that if managers communicated with more empathy – listening to concerns, acknowledging feelings – it would improve morale and even retention. In the wake of the pandemic and social changes, the expectation is that leaders communicate with compassion, not just corporate-speak.
Source: Business Solver
Feedback is a two-way street – but many employees feel their voices aren’t heard. While 81% of leaders believe employees at their company have an easy way to provide feedback on internal matters, only 44% of employees agree that they actually have a voice. In fact, 36% of employees wish for more opportunities to give feedback to leadership. This disconnect shows that management might think they’re open to input (via surveys, town halls, etc.), but a large portion of staff still feel shut out. Bridging this gap may require proactively soliciting feedback and, importantly, acting on it.
Source: Axios HQ
Even when feedback is collected, acting on it is crucial. One study found that employees whose employers take meaningful action based on feedback are 75% more likely to trust leadership, compared to those whose employers collect feedback but do nothing with it. This reinforces that communication isn’t just about pushing out information – it’s also about closing the loop by responding to employee input. Organizations that prioritize open dialogue and continuous feedback tend to foster greater trust and engagement.
Source: Edelman
Stats on communication skills in hiring and careers
Communication skills are the #1 thing employers seek in new hires. 57% of global employers said communication is the most desirable skill in a prospective employee. This outranked other competencies in that survey. Similarly, a separate survey of U.S. hiring managers found that verbal communication skills were rated the most important of all skills for job candidates – even above technical skills in many cases.
Source: Graduate Management Admission Council
When asked to rank specific communication-related skills in candidates, 55% of employers prioritized strong verbal communication, 47% valued presentation skills, and 36% looked for active listening abilities. Writing skills and conflict resolution were also appreciated (around 24–25% of employers mentioned those). Notably, “soft skills” like teamwork (50%) and emotional intelligence (42%) go hand-in-hand with communication in employers’ eyes. The takeaway for job seekers: being an effective communicator – whether it’s articulating ideas clearly, listening, or presenting – greatly improves your hireability.
By contrast, some communication-related skills are considered less critical by recruiters. Only about 10% of employers value multilingualism in candidates, 9% value video conferencing skills, and 8% prioritize nonverbal communication skills highly. While these can be bonuses, they are not deal-breakers for most jobs. The emphasis is squarely on core interpersonal communication. (This could also reflect that things like “nonverbal skills” are harder to assess in hiring, whereas everyone can demonstrate verbal and listening skills in an interview.)
Source: Graduate Management Admission Council
Poor communication isn’t just a workplace nuisance – it can stall careers. In one survey, 41% of employees said that unclear directions from supervisors prevented them from getting work done, and 18% even said poor communication had led them to miss a promotion or career growth opportunity (because they weren’t aware of expectations or chances to excel). Conversely, professionals who actively develop their communication and collaboration skills tend to advance faster.
Source: Inc.
Once on the job, continuous learning in communication pays off. Companies are beginning to invest more in communication training: the idea is that improving how employees convey ideas, give feedback, or manage difficult conversations can “dramatically increase the bottom line” by avoiding mistakes and conflict. In short, from hiring to promotion, communication prowess is a key differentiator. As one expert noted, there’s really “nothing soft about good communication skills” – they are critical hard results drivers.
Source: Inc.
Stats on generational differences in workplace communication
Different generations have different communication style preferences. A whopping 90% of workers (across all ages) agree with the notion that Gen Z employees prefer instant messaging or texting over using the phone for work communication. Even 77% of Baby Boomers acknowledge this stereotype about Gen Z. Interestingly, though, when surveyed directly, about 47% of Gen Z workers said they felt confident using the phone at work – whereas older Millennials (around ages 30–40) were the least confident, with only ~36% feeling comfortable on phone calls. This suggests it’s not just the youngest generation avoiding phone calls; some older millennials are even more phone-shy, possibly preferring email or chat.
Source: EmailToolTester, EmailToolTester
Use of emojis and GIFs in workplace communication has become almost standard, especially for younger employees. About 80% of workers overall say they regularly use emojis, GIFs, or memes when communicating with co-workers. By generation, Gen Z (18–26) leads the pack with 92.7% using these casual visuals at work, followed by Gen X (~81%) and others. Even a majority of Boomers use them to some extent. This informality is broadly accepted now – 75% of people do not consider using emojis or abbreviations (like “LOL”) to be unprofessional in work communications.
Source: EmailToolTester, HULT
That said, not everyone is fluent in emoji language: 26% of employees believe there is a risk of misunderstandings when interpreting emojis or chat abbreviations at work. For instance, a thumbs-up or a period “.” in a message might be read differently by a Gen Z employee versus a Gen X manager. This highlights the need for teams to be aware of tone and context, especially in text-based communications, to avoid cross-generational miscommunications.
Source: HULT
Stereotypes about tech adoption also persist. About 87.6% of surveyed workers think that Baby Boomers don’t readily embrace new technology at work. Younger people were most likely to agree with this (over 90% of Gen Z concurred), while Boomers themselves were least likely (though even 68% of Boomers acknowledged their generation’s hesitance with new tech). This perception can itself affect communication – e.g., younger colleagues might send an email instead of a chat to a Boomer coworker, assuming they prefer it, whether or not that’s true for the individual. The key for organizations is to encourage multigenerational communication training, so that everyone finds common ground (and perhaps bust some myths – for example, many Boomers are quite tech-savvy, and many Gen Z are perfectly capable of a phone call when needed).
Source: EmailToolTester
Stats on future workplace communication trends (AI and beyond)
AI-powered communication is emerging as a major trend. As of 2024, 53% of knowledge workers and 89% of business leaders report that they already use generative AI tools at work in some capacity. These can include AI writing assistants, chatbots for customer communication, automated meeting transcribers, etc. The rapid adoption of tools like ChatGPT in the workplace shows that many see potential for AI to enhance communication efficiency.
Source: Grammarly
Early results are promising: 73% of employees who use generative AI say that it has helped them avoid miscommunication at work. For example, AI writing assistants can help clarify wording in an email or catch tone issues before you hit send.
Source: Grammarly
Additionally, 80% of workers say that using AI improves the quality of their work, and many cite efficiency gains – one analysis suggests AI assistance can save professionals nearly a full workday per week in time. For a company of 1,000 employees, that productivity boost could equate to about $16.5 million in savings per year.
Source: Grammarly
However, there are obstacles to fully leveraging AI in workplace communication. 52% of workers admit they don’t know how to use AI tools effectively yet. There’s a learning curve and a need for training so employees can make the most of AI for emails, documentation, etc.
Source: Grammarly
Moreover, 65% of business leaders worry about security and privacy issues with generative AI – for instance, concerns about sensitive data being input into AI tools. Companies in 2025 are working on guidelines to ensure AI is used responsibly and securely in communications.
Source: Grammarly
Beyond AI, the push for asynchronous communication is likely to grow. With distributed teams, more organizations are embracing async updates (recorded video messages, project dashboards, collaborative docs) to cut down on real-time meetings. In 2024, 67% of companies had introduced new async communication or project management tools to improve information flow. The trend is expected to continue in 2025 as businesses seek to accommodate flexible schedules and global teams.
Source: Project.co
The bottom line: The future of workplace communication will blend human skills with tech tools. Companies that succeed will be those that harness AI and modern platforms to reduce drudgery (like sorting emails or scheduling meetings) while fostering a culture of clear, empathetic human communication. All signs indicate that communication will remain a top priority – and a key challenge – for businesses in 2025 and beyond.
Key takeaways
Now you’re up to date on the latest workplace communication statistics for 2024–2025. Communication in the workplace is evolving rapidly, but these statistics make one thing clear: companies that communicate well have a significant advantage. By understanding these trends and data points, HR professionals, executives, and employees alike can take steps to improve communication in their organizations – leading to higher productivity, better morale, and greater success all around. Here’s to clearer conversations and a connected workplace!
FAQ
What are the statistics on communication in the workplace?
Employees spend 88% of their workweek on communication tasks, with the average worker handling 121 emails daily. Still, 74% want more company updates and 63% waste time due to poor communication. Strong communication makes teams 20–25% more productive and helps companies outperform competitors.
How effective is communication in the workplace?
Communication boosts performance: 64% of leaders and 55% of employees say better communication improves productivity. Companies with transparent communication see 51% lower turnover. Yet only 31% of U.S. employees are fully satisfied, and 96% want more empathetic communication.
Do 86% of employees cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures?
Yes, 86% of employees and executives link workplace failures to poor communication or collaboration. This costs businesses $10k–$55k per employee each year in wasted time, errors, and missed deadlines.
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