"Fatigue" has been declared as the word of the year by Glassdoor.

The job search platform said in an announcement that the term dominated workplace conversations after logging a 41% increase in mentions across its community.

"This year, workers spent a lot of time on edge — worried about the next headline, technology shift, or economic surprise coming around the corner," it said on a blog post.

"Politics dominated, layoff fears lingered, economic concerns mounted, and AI disruption accelerated. The result? A workforce running on empty."

Drivers of fatigue

The platform attributed fatigue to three main factors, namely politics, economic uncertainty, and AI disruption.

According to Glassdoor, politics was inescapable in workplaces throughout the year, even dragging employees who avoided the topic at work.

"Gone are the days of leaving politics at the office door," it said.

Mentions of the word "inauguration" increased by 875% year-over-year. It comes after US President Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term in January.

Trump's rise to his second term came with debates in workplaces. His subsequent actions on DEI and federal workforce cuts also made headlines throughout the year.

Economic uncertainty also emerged as another driver of fatigue in workplaces. Glassdoor said mentions of the word "stagflation" went up more than threefold compared to 2024.

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