Global Trust Erodes Unprecedentedly, Yet Business Stands as the Most Trusted Institution Despite Low Employer Scores!

📉 "My employer" still holds the title of the most trusted institution, but it has seen the most significant decline in trust, dropping three points from 79% in 2024 to 76% in 2025.

🚩 Businesses are now facing increased scrutiny from those challenging their role as leaders of societal change.

❗️ Economic fears have now evolved into widespread grievance, with six in ten respondents expressing moderate to high levels of dissatisfaction.

⚠️ This growing discontent also fuels heightened suspicion towards AI.

In this climate, businesses must step up, not step back. As the most trusted institution, they have the unique opportunity and responsibility to lead the way in reversing this trend and rebuilding trust, according to a new interesting research published by Edelman using data 📊 from more than 33,000 respondents across 28 countries. 

✅Global decline of Employer Trust

Researchers discovered that it's the first year since 2018 that trust of employer has declined and this year this decline is 3%.

Fears of job insecurity due to the impacts of globalization all increased in the last year, including causes such as international trade conflicts, foreign competitors, offshoring; a looming recession; automation; and out of date skills.

✅ People fear that leaders are lying high everytime

Researchers revealed that people leaders purposely mislead people by saying they know are false or gross exaggerations.

In fact, it's concerning to see that the fear towards business leaders has increase by more than +12 points since 2021.

✅ Fear and distrust about AI

Researchers have observed a significant erosion of trust in AI as employee grievances increase.

As dissatisfaction grows, employees are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the use of AI in business, leading to a notable decline in their confidence in this technology.

✅ Business only most trusted institution

Researchers observed that only business remains the most trusted institution with both competent and ethical.

✅ Business: Moving Beyond the Culture of Grievance

According to researchers, the majority of people believe that businesses should focus on empowering individuals with well-paying jobs, as well as providing reskilling and training opportunities to ensure their competitiveness in the future.

📍 Finally, researchers offer the following recommendations for leaders to restore trust and foster optimism amidst the growing crisis of grievances:

✔️ Grievances must be addressed

The institutional failures of the last 25 years have produced grievances around the world, stifling growth and innovation in turn. To lead through this crisis, understand the economic realities of your stakeholders, champion shared interests, and create opportunities for optimism.

✔️ Business has a license to act

Those with a higher sense of grievance are more likely to believe that business is not doing enough to address societal issues. To navigate these expectations, understand where you have obligations, act on behalf of your stakeholders, and advocate for your organization

✔️ Business can’t act alone

Business, government, media, and NGOs must work together to address the root causes of grievance and enable trust, growth, and prosperity. Invest in local communities, quality information, and job skills. Deliver results that benefit everyone fairly.

✔️ With trust, optimism overpowers grievance

When institutions can’t be trusted to do what is right, grievances fester and outlooks darken. To dissipate grievance and increase optimism, prioritize and rebuild trust across your organization and local communities.

☝️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, marking the firm's 25th annual survey, reveals troubling insights about trust erosion. From a future-of-work perspective, it is alarming to observe such a significant decline in employer trust this year. Experts must identify the primary causes of this distrust between employees and employers. In my view, factors such as the return-to-office (RTO) mandate, which failed to convince employees, and the rapid evolution of AI in the workplace, leading to fears of job displacement, could be contributing to this issue.

It is evident that all institutions must strive to rebuild trust, but if business leaders implement a well-crafted roadmap, they can maintain their position as the most trusted entities in this journey.

Thank you 🙏 Edelman researchers team for these insightful findings:

Richard Edelman

Dave Ulrich

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