Advantage Canada: US Worker Burnout 20% Higher Than Northern Neighbors

The Great Return to Office experiment isn’t going so well. As companies continue pushing employees back to their cubicles, new data reveals a growing burnout crisis; particularly in major US cities where workers face long commutes, high living costs, and workplace cultures that seem designed to squeeze every last drop of productivity from their workforce.

A new survey, by our digital marketing agency, examining worker burnout across the US and Canada paints a stark picture of how different work environments and geographic locations impact employee wellbeing. The findings? Remote workers are handling stress better, US workers are burning out faster than their Canadian counterparts, and some cities are reaching a breaking point.

Key Findings

• US workers report 20% higher burnout rates than their Canadian counterparts, driven by workplace culture and a lower social safety net
• Canadian workers report a 20% lower burnout rate than their US counterparts
• An overwhelming 68% of in-office workers believe their burnout would decrease if allowed to work remotely
• 62% of remote workers would rather quit than return to the office full-time
• Workers in the trades experience a burnout rate 25% higher than all white-collar workers, regardless of workplace setting
• Remote workers report regularly experiencing burnout at lower rates (24%) compared to hybrid (29%) and in-person workers (31%)
• Phoenix tops the list of most burned-out cities with a Burnout Index score of 82, while Canada’s most burned-out city, Vancouver, sits at 68

The Office vs. Home Office: Where’s the Breaking Point?

When it comes to workplace burnout, data shows where you work matters as much, or more, as how you work. Remote workers consistently report lower levels of burnout across all frequency categories, with only 24% saying they experience burnout “often” or “always.” Meanwhile, workers in the trades face the highest rates of frequent burnout at 35%, followed closely by in-person office workers at 31%.

State of Burnout: A Tale of Two Countries

To better illustrate the distribution of workplace burnout, we developed a Worker Burnout Index to display burnout levels on a 0-100 scale. The index combines self-reported burnout levels, workplace environment factors such as average working hours and paid time off utilization, and work-life balance indicators including commute times and access to quality healthcare services.

The geographic distribution of worker burnout reveals a concerning pattern across the United States, with burnout scores significantly higher than those in Canada. Arizona (78), North Carolina (78), and Massachusetts (77) lead the pack in worker exhaustion, while 60% of Canadian provinces maintain scores in the mid-50s.

North of the border, British Columbia shows the highest burnout levels among Canadian provinces with a score of 63 – still notably lower than most US states. Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador all maintain scores below 55, suggesting their workers are faring better than their American counterparts.

The American Burnout Machine

Many factors indicate the United States has created a perfect storm for worker burnout. While Canadian workers benefit from universal healthcare, mandated paid time off, and stronger labor protections, American workers often face an all-or-nothing proposition: maintain a grinding pace or risk losing not just income, but health insurance and other critical benefits.

The impact of differing social support systems is clear; Canadian cities consistently report lower stress levels than their American counterparts, even in their most demanding urban centers. Vancouver, the most burned-out Canadian city, records a Burnout Index of 68 far below Phoenix’s list-topping 82 or Sacramento’s 80.

The Remote Work Revolution: Show Me the Money

When asked about returning to the office, remote workers drew a crystal clear line in the sand: they’ll need serious compensation to give up the comfort of their home offices. A striking 32% of remote workers say they’d need more than double their current salary to return to full-time office work, while another 30% say no amount of money would convince them to return.

On the flip side, in-office workers are willing to make significant sacrifices for remote work freedom. While 26% wouldn’t take any pay cut, a substantial 41% would accept a 1-15% reduction in salary to work from home, and another 18% would take an even steeper cut of 16-30%.

The Great Office Showdown

The data shows a clear disconnect between worker preferences and many companies’ return-to-office mandates. A solid 66% of remote workers say they’d start job hunting if required to return to the office, while 68% of current in-office workers believe remote work would reduce their burnout levels.

Worker sentiments suggest companies mandating full-time office returns face a double risk: losing valuable talent while increasing burnout among those who stay.

Gone are the days when workplace flexibility was considered a luxury perk. Workers are no longer willing to trade their own well-being to satisfy the whims of their bosses. Organizations face a pivotal choice: embrace worker autonomy and retain valuable talent, or maintain rigid control and watch their highest performers walk away.

As a law firm marketing agency, we deeply respect work-life balance and champion a flexible work environment, encouraging our team to blend travel with work, pursue personal growth, and stay inspired while delivering their best.

Methodology

The Worker Burnout Index combines self-reported burnout levels (40%), workplace environment factors such as average working hours and paid time off utilization (30%), and work-life balance indicators including commute times and access to quality healthcare services (30%). Data was collected through a March 2025 survey of 2,040 US adult workers and 800 Canadian adult workers across various industries.