During the COVID-19 crisis of 2020, an army of heroes held the whole world together. In the process, we all briefly gained a clearer view of the people who keep modern life from breaking down.
They were the workers who showed up when everyone else was told to stay home. They staffed hospitals and ambulances. They kept water flowing, power on, roads open, supply chains moving, and communities protected. They worked in public safety, healthcare, utilities, manufacturing, construction, transportation, and government services—the sectors that do not get to pause when the world is under strain.
However, a new Endeavor Business Intelligence pulse survey conducted ahead of World Essential Workers Day, professionals across these industries revealed something troubling: the attention essential workers received during the pandemic has not lasted. In many cases, it has receded back into the background, even as the work itself remains as critical.
And that matters.
Because the people who maintain infrastructure, protect communities, respond to emergencies, and keep essential systems operating should not have to wait for a crisis to be seen.
Still respected, less recognized.
Endeavor Business Intelligence surveyed 507 professionals between February 20 and March 10, 2026, drawing respondents from EndeavorB2B’s professional communities across 14 brands. The audience included a broad mix of essential-work sectors, led by public safety, healthcare, manufacturing, public sector/government, utilities and energy, transportation and logistics, construction, and infrastructure-related operations.
The topline findings are hard to ignore:
- 51% feel national awareness and appreciation for essential workers has declined since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Just 28% say the contributions of essential workers are very visible within their organizations today.
- Only 20% feel essential workers are well supported or very well supported.
- 61% say both the level and consistency of appreciation need improvement.
That paints a clear picture: essential workers are still respected but not consistently recognized—and too often not sufficiently supported.
The decline is especially notable at the national level. During the pandemic, essential workers were widely praised in public rhetoric. Today, a majority of respondents say that broader awareness and appreciation have fallen off.
Inside organizations, the picture is a little better, but hardly strong. The largest share of respondents, 38%, feel internal appreciation has stayed about the same since the pandemic, and 24% say it has increased. But that stability should not be confused with success. A meaningful share of respondents still report declines, and the overall data suggests many organizations have settled into a pattern of intermittent recognition rather than sustained support.
Essential does not always mean visible
One of the most revealing findings in the survey is not about whether the work matters (of course it does—essential workers are…. well, essential). The point is whether that work is actually seen.
Only a little more than a quarter of respondents say essential workers’ contributions are very visible inside their organizations. Meanwhile, nearly a third describe that visibility as low.
That gap makes sense when you consider the kinds of industries represented here.
Much of the labor that holds together infrastructure and public services is designed to be invisible when it is done well. Roads stay open. Power stays on. Water systems function. Emergency response works. Buildings operate. Fleets move. Communities remain secure. When everything is working, the effort behind it tends to disappear from view.
As one respondent put it: “Most people only see the final result—clean facilities, working systems, stocked supplies. What they don’t see are the hours of preparation, inspection, and attention to detail that happen before anyone ever uses those things.”
Another added, “When everything is running smoothly, no one notices.”
That is the paradox of essential work: the more reliably it is done, the easier it is for others to overlook.
Where do we go from here?
The survey also makes an important distinction between appreciation and actual support.
Ceremonial recognition has its place. But respondents were clear that meaningful appreciation is tied far more closely to investment than symbolism.
When asked what matters most, 41% chose financial compensation or bonuses as the most meaningful form of appreciation. 24% pointed to better staffing and resources. Only 10% selected public recognition, tying with additional time off or flexibility.
That is a powerful insight.
If leaders want to honor essential workers in a way that really matters, the answer is not performative gratitude. Not the parades and lawn signs of 2020, but far more tangible: better pay, better staffing, better tools, more sustainable workloads, and more consistent acknowledgment over time.
That aligns with another core finding: 61% of respondents said both the level and consistency of support need improvement, while another 30% said appreciation tends to appear only at certain times.
In other words, the problem is not simply that support is too low. It is that appreciation is too episodic.
What World Essential Workers Day should really mean
World Essential Workers Day should not just be a moment for thank-you language. It should be a reminder of who keeps society functioning the other 364 days of the year.
That includes the firefighters, police officers, EMS professionals, utility crews, transit workers, public works teams, healthcare staff, plant operators, construction professionals, and government workers whose jobs rarely generate headlines unless something goes wrong. It includes the people working across the infrastructure and public-service ecosystems that EndeavorB2B covers every day—professionals responsible for protecting communities, maintaining critical systems, and keeping cities and industries operational.
The lesson from this research is straightforward: recognition has slipped, visibility remains uneven, and support is not yet where it needs to be.
But the path forward is also clear:
- See the work.
- Acknowledge it consistently.
- And back that appreciation with real investment.
Because essential workers do not need to be rediscovered in the next emergency. They need to be valued now, while they are doing the work that keeps everything else possible.
