Editor’s Observe: This story initially appeared on MyPerfectResume.com.
A rising share of U.S. staff say they’re feeling left behind of their careers, not simply in comparison with their very own expectations, but in addition in comparison with others their age.
Based on a brand new nationwide Comparability Stress survey from MyPerfectResume, practically three in 4 staff (72%) say they’re not the place they anticipated to be professionally. On the similar time, 75% say they’re not forward of others of their age group.
Collectively, these findings level to a workforce that more and more measures profession success in opposition to each private timelines and exterior benchmarks.
This twin strain—inside expectations and peer comparability—is shaping how staff consider their progress and their confidence about what comes subsequent.
Key Findings
- Feeling behind friends is frequent. 75% say they’re not forward of others their age, together with 36% who say they really feel behind.
- Feeling behind private expectations can be widespread. 72% say they’re not the place they anticipated to be professionally, together with 34% who really feel behind.
- Comparability is routine. 53% examine their profession progress to buddies or friends at the least sometimes, together with 27% who achieve this typically or continually.
- Milestone strain is widespread. 53% really feel at the least some strain to hit profession milestones as a result of individuals round them are reaching them.
- Social media can distort the benchmark. 60% say on-line profession content material presents an unrealistic image of success.
Most Employees Aren’t Forward of Their Personal Expectations
For a lot of staff, a spot in profession expectations versus actuality is a key supply of dissatisfaction.
Almost three in 4 (72%) say they’re not forward of the place they anticipated to be of their careers. Inside that group, greater than one-third (34%) say they really feel behind their authentic expectations:
- 18% say they’re barely behind
- 16% say they’re far behind
One other 38% say they’re about the place they anticipated to be, suggesting that even assembly expectations doesn’t essentially translate into feeling forward.
A smaller share report exceeding their expectations:
- 16% say they’re barely forward
- 12% say they’re far forward
Most Employees Additionally Don’t Really feel Forward of Their Friends
Along with private expectations, many staff are additionally evaluating their progress in opposition to others of their age group.
Three in 4 (75%) say they’re not forward of their friends. Multiple-third (36%) report feeling behind:
- 20% say they’re barely behind
- 16% say they’re far behind
One other 39% say they really feel about on monitor in comparison with others their age.
Solely a minority really feel forward:
- 16% say they’re barely forward
- 10% say they’re far forward
These findings recommend that even when staff really feel steady and happy of their careers, they could nonetheless understand themselves as falling quick when in comparison with others.
Extra Than Half Evaluate Their Progress to Others
Profession comparability is a standard behavior amongst many staff, reinforcing perceptions of falling behind, which may result in office burnout and dissatisfaction.
Greater than half (53%) say they examine their profession progress to buddies or friends:
- 26% examine sometimes
- 18% examine typically
- 9% examine continually
On the similar time, a notable portion of staff have interaction compared much less continuously:
- 22% examine not often
- 25% by no means examine
Stress to Attain Milestones Varies
Past direct comparability, many staff additionally really feel strain to maintain tempo with others’ profession achievements.
Greater than half (53%) report feeling at the least some strain when individuals round them attain milestones akin to promotions, wage will increase, or new roles:
- 11% really feel lots of strain
- 18% really feel some strain
- 24% really feel a bit of strain
In the meantime, 47% report little to no strain:
- 19% say not a lot strain
- 28% say no strain
This cut up highlights that whereas comparability strain is widespread, its depth varies considerably throughout people.
Views on Social Media Are Blended
Social media performs an more and more necessary position in shaping how staff understand profession success, however many query the realism of these portrayals.
- 60% say social media presents an unrealistic view of profession success (34% say it’s considerably unrealistic, and 26% say it’s very unrealistic)
- 40% say social media presents a practical view (29% say it’s considerably real looking, and 11% say it’s very real looking)
On the similar time, 35% of staff say they don’t comply with career-related content material on social media in any respect.
These findings recommend that whereas social media can affect perceptions of success, many staff stay skeptical of the requirements it presents.
The Rising Affect of Comparability Stress
Taken collectively, the information factors to a workforce navigating a number of layers of comparability directly. Employees should not solely assessing their progress in opposition to their very own expectations, but in addition in opposition to friends, social norms, and extremely seen on-line benchmarks.
Even when staff are assembly their objectives or staying on monitor, comparability can create the notion of falling behind. Because of this, profession satisfaction is more and more formed not simply by particular person progress however by how that progress is perceived relative to others.
Methodology
The findings are primarily based on a nationally consultant survey performed by MyPerfectResume utilizing Pollfish in February 2025. The survey collected responses from 1,000 U.S. adults at present employed full-time.
The pattern included 56% girls and 44% males. Age distribution included 6% aged 18–24, 14% aged 25–34, 21% aged 35–44, 17% aged 45–54, 19% aged 55–64, and 23% aged 65–99.
