Edelman’s 2026 Trust Barometer explores how economic uncertainty, unmitigated fears and pessimism are driving an insular trust mindset, finding that 70% of people globally are hesitant or unwilling to trust someone who has different values, information sources, approaches to societal problems or backgrounds to them.
The report warns that if left unaddressed, unmitigated differences will stall workplace productivity, undermine CEO leadership and harden resistance to innovation. Against this backdrop, employers emerge as the primary institution capable of brokering trust by promoting a shared identity and culture, uniting coworkers with different values and providing training in constructive dialogue.
