How do workers cope with job stress? Drink, drugs and sometimes tears.

Stress in the workplace is down from COVID-19 pandemic levels, but it’s climbing again, thanks to an increasingly uncertain job market in which some employees are coping with alcohol or drugs – and maybe even breaking down in tears at work.

About 53% of employees are stressed at work, according to a Gallup tracking poll in February, which asked respondents whether they experienced it during “a lot of the day yesterday.” Nearly a fourth said they also felt sadness over the same time period.

Why? There are a number of reasons, says Nellie Brown, director of Workplace Health and Safety Programs at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

A lot has changed in the workplace since the pandemic, Brown says.

"I'm seeing a lot more issues with understaffing," Brown says. "In a lot of jobs, people are working either longer hours or more unusual hours."

Half of workers say they're stressed

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Job insecurity significantly affects the stress levels of 54% of U.S. employees, according to a 2025 survey by the American Psychological Association. Economic uncertainty and changes in government policy were cited as two major factors.

"We're seeing increases in work overload, poor work-life balance, and job insecurity," says Joseph Mazzola, professor of psychology and director of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology MA Program at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. "I think that dovetails with the job market being worse, so employers don't have to make themselves as attractive for applicants and employees in the way they did previously."

"We're seeing a lot more shift work, a lot more overtime, especially if places are understaffed," Brown says.

A lot of places have mandatory overtime, Brown says. "Many have gone to longer days, moving from an eight-hour day to a 10- or 12-hour day. And many people have to work more than one job to make ends meet. It's really taking a toll on our abilities and our resilience."

What's making workers worry so much?

America's unemployment rate may be low, but so is job growth. The slow pace of hiring, the slowest labor market in years, has left many workers feeling out of sorts, USA TODAY has reported.

The number of Americans who worry about job losses is starting to rise, other data shows. Usually about 14% of employees – the post-pandemic average – say they expect to lose their jobs in the coming year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations.

Recent survey results on job losses have ticked above that percentage in the past year. The Fed polls about 1,300 U.S. households each month on economic issues.

What substances do Americans use for stress?

How are workers coping? About 50% are using substances – alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and others – after work to recover from the workday, says a Drug Rehab USA survey released March 18. About 30% reported using substances before they start work.

Drug Rehab cites "a never-ending news cycle and global stress" as the reason more Americans are using alcohol and drugs to alleviate stress. About 84% of those surveyed said money problems affect their decisions on substance use. 

When do workers use substances to ease stress?

Financial struggles aren't the only reasons for personal stress, Drug Rehab says. Other areas of concern include fear of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement actions and lack of affordable health care.

Families are also a factor.

"There are lot of work-family balance concerns of how people are managing child care and taking care of elderly parents," Brown says. "They're what we call the sandwich generation – they're taking care of elderly parents' health issues and dealing with their own children.

"So they're stretched a lot."

How many workers cry at work?

At least 39% of employees said they’ve cried at work at least once during their careers. That’s according to Quiet Cry Report, an online poll by Resume Now in December.

One-fifth of workers say they haven't actually broken down but have felt close to doing so at times.

Why? Nearly half of those who said they've cried worry about losing their jobs. Nearly one-fourth said they worry constantly or at least once a week. About 27% of respondents said they feel confident about their jobs.

SURVEY INFORMATION Resume Now Quiet Cry Report online survey of 1,018 full- and part-time employed U.S. adults was conducted by Pollfish in December 2025; Drug Rehab USA online survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who were screened for using substances to manage daily stress was conducted Jan. 31, 2026; American Psychological Association online survey of 2,017 U.S. adults was conducted by the Harris Poll from March 26 to April 4, 2025.

CONTRIBUTING Jessica Guynn

SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Gallup; Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Drug Rehab USA; Resume Now