Presidential Impact: Workers Share Concerns About Election’s Effect on Their Careers

As the Nov. 5^th presidential election inches nearer, most employees are growing weary of talking politics.

As Public Eye recently reported, a poll conducted earlier this year found 77% of 1,000 professionals saying they would prefer to avoid political debates at work.

Another 2024 survey saw more than 70% of Americans reporting increased stress during this election season. More than 50% said politics negatively affects their mental health.

At least some of these same workers also have concerns about how this upcoming election could impact their professional lives as well.

A new FlexJobs survey polled more than 3,000 U.S.-based professionals, in an effort to gain insight how the current political climate and the upcoming election are affecting the workplace, according to a statement from the Boulder, Colo.-based flexible and remote job search site.

Overall, more than half (68%) of respondents said they don’t anticipate the outcome of the election having any influence on their careers. Nearly a third (32%) said they believe the election will ultimately have a “significant impact” on their careers. Among this group, 19% expect that impact to be positive, with 13% saying they feel it will have a negative effect on them, professionally speaking.

When asked to identify the ways in which the tumultuous political climate has most affected their careers, respondents cited a number of factors. The largest number (31%) said they have seen expenses increase due to inflation or economic instability, followed by job- and financial-related stress and anxiety (30%), difficulty finding new employment or opportunities (27%) and higher stress levels at work (22%).

“With the November election only weeks away and political discussions continuing to heat up, the political climate is understandably top of mind for most professionals,” said Toni Frana, lead career expert at FlexJobs, in a statement.

“And even though the majority of people do not believe the election will have an impact on their job directly, challenges like inflation and economic instability have heightened workers’ concerns related to career security and financial goals.”