Research library
The evidence behind getting people together.
23 findings from public-health agencies, universities and workplace researchers on loneliness, belonging at work, and why shared plans stick. Every one links to its source.
Primary sources first
Government advisories, peer-reviewed journals and large published surveys, linked to the original page or paper.
Quoted as published
Each figure is worded as narrowly as its source supports, with the year it was published.
Nothing about Pasaq
These are findings about people and workplaces, not claims about our results. We'll publish those when pilots finish.
Findings
Showing 23 of 23 findings
Loneliness and health
1 in 2: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
About one in two adults in America reported experiencing loneliness in recent years.
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and IsolationU.S. Surgeon General's Advisory, HHS, 2023(opens the source in a new tab)Loneliness and health
15 a day: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
Lacking social connection can increase the risk of premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and IsolationU.S. Surgeon General's Advisory, HHS, 2023(opens the source in a new tab)Loneliness and health
+29%: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
Poor social relationships were associated with a 29% higher risk of heart disease and a 32% higher risk of stroke, across 16 longitudinal studies.
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and IsolationU.S. Surgeon General's Advisory, HHS, 2023(opens the source in a new tab)Loneliness and health
+26%: Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality
Loneliness was associated with a 26% higher likelihood of death, social isolation with 29%, and living alone with 32%, in a meta-analysis.
Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for MortalityHolt-Lunstad et al., Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2015(opens the source in a new tab)Loneliness and health
50%: Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review
Across 148 studies and 308,849 people, those with stronger social relationships had 50% greater odds of survival.
Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic ReviewHolt-Lunstad, Smith & Layton, PLOS Medicine, 2010(opens the source in a new tab)Loneliness and health
50 → 80: Harvard Study of Adult Development (Robert Waldinger)
In the Harvard Study of Adult Development, running since 1938, the people most satisfied in their relationships at 50 were the healthiest at 80.
Harvard Study of Adult Development (Robert Waldinger)Harvard Gazette, 2017(opens the source in a new tab)Time together
60 → 20 min: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
Time Americans spent in person with friends fell from 60 minutes a day in 2003 to 20 minutes a day in 2020, per American Time Use Survey data.
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and IsolationU.S. Surgeon General's Advisory, HHS, 2023(opens the source in a new tab)Time together
−70%: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
For people aged 15 to 24, time in person with friends fell by nearly 70%, from about 150 minutes a day in 2003 to 40 in 2020.
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and IsolationU.S. Surgeon General's Advisory, HHS, 2023(opens the source in a new tab)Work and belonging
22%: State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report
22% of employees worldwide said they felt lonely a lot of the previous day, in 2025 data.
State of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportGallup, 2026(opens the source in a new tab)Work and belonging
2 in 10: Why We Need Best Friends at Work
Only two in 10 U.S. employees strongly agree they have a best friend at work. Gallup projects that six in 10 could mean 36% fewer safety incidents and 12% higher profit.
Why We Need Best Friends at WorkGallup, 2018(opens the source in a new tab)Work and belonging
+56%: The Value of Belonging at Work
High workplace belonging was linked to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk and 75% fewer sick days.
The Value of Belonging at WorkHarvard Business Review (BetterUp research), 2019(opens the source in a new tab)Work and belonging
36% vs 20%: Loneliness in America 2025
Lonely U.S. workers were more likely than others to say they'd likely look for a new job (36% vs 20%) and to miss a day of work a month (35% vs 22%).
Loneliness in America 2025The Cigna Group, 2025(opens the source in a new tab)Remote and hybrid
24% vs 18%: State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report
24% of fully remote and 24% of hybrid employees felt lonely a lot of the previous day, compared with 18% of on-site employees whose jobs could be done remotely.
State of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportGallup, 2026(opens the source in a new tab)Remote and hybrid
59%: Work Trend Index: Great Expectations
59% of hybrid and 56% of fully remote employees said they have fewer work friendships since going hybrid or remote (31,102 workers, 31 markets).
Work Trend Index: Great ExpectationsMicrosoft, 2022(opens the source in a new tab)Cost to business
$154B: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
Stress-related absenteeism attributed to loneliness costs U.S. employers an estimated $154 billion a year.
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and IsolationU.S. Surgeon General's Advisory, HHS, 2023(opens the source in a new tab)Cost to business
$10T: State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report
Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2025; low engagement cost the world economy about $10 trillion in lost productivity, 9% of global GDP.
State of the Global Workplace: 2026 ReportGallup, 2026(opens the source in a new tab)Cost to business
0.5–2×: This Fixable Problem Costs U.S. Businesses $1 Trillion
Replacing an employee can cost one-half to two times their annual salary, a conservative estimate; voluntary turnover costs U.S. businesses $1 trillion a year.
This Fixable Problem Costs U.S. Businesses $1 TrillionGallup, 2019(opens the source in a new tab)Cost to business
52%: This Fixable Problem Costs U.S. Businesses $1 Trillion
52% of employees who left voluntarily said their manager or organization could have done something to keep them.
This Fixable Problem Costs U.S. Businesses $1 TrillionGallup, 2019(opens the source in a new tab)Follow-through
95% vs 76%: Benefits of Recruiting Participants With Friends and Increasing Social Support
In a randomized weight-loss trial, 95% of people recruited with friends and given social support completed the program, compared with 76% of those recruited alone with standard treatment; 66% vs 24% kept their weight loss in full.
Benefits of Recruiting Participants With Friends and Increasing Social SupportWing & Jeffery, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1999(opens the source in a new tab)Follow-through
3.6×: Financial Incentive-Based Approaches for Weight Loss
In a 16-week randomized trial, people who put down a deposit of their own money, returned with a match only if they hit their goals, lost a mean of 14.0 lb, compared with 3.9 lb in the control group.
Financial Incentive-Based Approaches for Weight LossVolpp et al., JAMA, 2008(opens the source in a new tab)Shared experiences
57% vs 34%: To Do or to Have? That Is the Question
In a national survey of 1,279 Americans, 57% said an experience they bought made them happier, compared with 34% for a material purchase.
To Do or to Have? That Is the QuestionVan Boven & Gilovich, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2003(opens the source in a new tab)Shared experiences
Amplified: Shared Experiences Are Amplified
Sharing an experience with another person, even without talking, made it more intense: chocolate tasted at the same time as someone else was rated more likeable.
Shared Experiences Are AmplifiedBoothby, Clark & Bargh, Psychological Science, 2014(opens the source in a new tab)Shared experiences
$5: Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness
People randomly assigned to spend a small windfall ($5 or $20) on others were happier than those who spent it on themselves; the amount didn't matter.
Spending Money on Others Promotes HappinessDunn, Aknin & Norton, Science, 2008(opens the source in a new tab)See what it looks like when the plan actually happens.
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