In economics, a recession describes a period when growth slows and investments are put on hold. A similar slowdown is now showing up in careers, and it has been called the ambition recession.

The younger generation popularized a term for a certain kind of romantic relationship. A “situationship” describes a relationship where neither side leaves, but neither side commits.

When an employee leaves a job, pay is often the first reason that comes to mind. But today, more workers are changing roles to gain a specific experience or skill instead of prioritizing a bigger paycheck.

Managers are expected to keep teams steady, but they have become one of the most overburdened layers in today’s organizations. Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report shows that the pressure point in many organizations has shifted from employees to middle managers, who are caught between transformation and cost pressure from above and rising expectations from their teams below.

In recent years, companies have been in a near constant state of change. Organizations are restructuring, new systems are being introduced, and priorities continue to shift.

By the time an employee in the Netherlands closes their laptop on Friday afternoon, their counterpart in Türkiye has worked an additional 10.5 hours that week. Over the course of a year, that adds up to roughly three extra months of work.