Glassdoor’s Employee Confidence Index found that the share of employees reporting a positive six-month business outlook hit 45.7% in July 2025, up from 43.9% in June, which was a new record low.

The latest figures are the best confidence figures since the implementation of tariffs by the US on global trading partners in April, albeit with confidence still very low by historical standards.

The index found that employee confidence improved in several sectors dependent on consumer spending, in particular restaurants and food service (up 3.5 percentage points) and arts, entertainment and recreation (rising three percentage points).

However, industries more exposed to tariffs were mixed in July, with manufacturing improving 0.7 percentage points from the prior month, but construction, repair and maintenance services falling 0.8 percentage points and energy, mining and utilities declining 0.9 percentage points.

Glassdoor said that 45% of entry level employees had a positive business outlook for their employers, up 0.5 percentage points but still down 1.9 percentage points from the previous year.

Mid-level employees similarly saw a 0.5 percentage point increase to 47.1% in July, but have seen the largest negative yearly impact at 3.8 percentage points.

Lastly, senior level employees saw a decline in confidence in July from 61.9% to 61%, but also have seen a similar 3.7 percentage point drop over the last year. 

In Glassdoor reviews that mentioned AI, just 27% of employees have a positive business outlook. 

The index is based on Glassdoor employee ratings of their employers’ six-month business outlook (rated as ‘positive’, ‘neutral’ or ‘negative’) each month, re-weighted to account for changes in the platform and to match a nationally representative mix of employee ratings by industry.

Data presented at the industry and seniority level are three-month trailing averages, while data for July 2025 is updated through to 27th July.

Glassdoor chief economist Daniel Zhao said: “The rebound is being led by consumer-facing industries like restaurants and entertainment, suggesting that Americans are still spending even as economic uncertainty lingers.

“While confidence remains historically low, modest gains among entry- and mid-level employees hint at a very cautious tinge of optimism as economic headwinds swirl around the job market.”