Does your job excite you?

For most American workers, the answer is a resounding "no."

A new Gallup poll finds that 52% of all full-time workers in America aren't involved in, enthusiastic about or committed to their work. Another 18% are "actively disengaged," meaning they have gone beyond just checking out mentally, and could even be undermining colleagues' accomplishments.

That leaves just 30% of American workers who feel excited about their jobs. While disheartening for managers, that finding marks an improvement over worker-engagement levels measured in the depths of the financial crisis and actually matches the highest engagement rate since Gallup started tracking in 2000.

Gallup used responses from surveys of thousands of U.S.-based workers, managers and companies in its annual State of the American Workplace report.

An employee's gender, geographic location and even job title can affect engagement. Women and managers tend to record higher levels of engagement, as do new hires and those in Louisiana. (Male service-workers in Rhode Island, ranked the lowest.) But one of the biggest predictors for a passionate workforce is the company and team size.

According to the Gallup poll, workers at firms with 10 or fewer employees, or those on teams with five to nine workers, reported higher engagement levels than those in larger groups. That may be because managers can personalize morale-boosting efforts in more intimate groups, Gallup says.

Gallup estimates that actively unhappy workers cost the U.S. $450 billion to $550 billion a year, due to high absenteeism and turnover, quality-control issues and lost productivity.

Employees at companies in growth mode tend to be more engaged than those at firms letting go of staff. It's a virtuous circle, researchers say, as companies with engaged employees tend to perform better financially, and thus can afford new hires. Growing companies often have a more positive work environment, further bolstering employee engagement.

—Melissa Korn

—At Work covers careers, management and office life. Visit