Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71–92.
Number of items
17 (UWES-17); 9 (UWES-9); 3 (UWES-3 ultra-short)
Response format
7-point frequency scale (0 = Never to 6 = Always / every day)
Dimensions & subscales
Vigor (6 items in UWES-17; 3 in UWES-9) — energy and mental resilience at work
Dedication (5 items; 3 in UWES-9) — enthusiasm, inspiration, pride
Absorption (6 items; 3 in UWES-9) — being fully engrossed in work
Reliability (commonly reported)
Total-score alphas are commonly reported around .90–.95; subscale alphas commonly in the .80s. The UWES-9 total commonly reaches about .90.
Validity evidence
The three-factor structure is supported by CFA in many countries, though the factors correlate highly, so a single total score is often recommended and used. Strong convergent validity with job resources and performance, and discriminant validity from burnout and workaholism; cross-national measurement-invariance evidence exists for the UWES-9.
Populations & contexts
Employees in dozens of countries and virtually all sectors; also adapted for students (UWES-S).
Origin, translations & adaptations
The Netherlands and Spain. Official translations exist in more than 30 languages via the authors' test manual.
Licensing & permission
Free for non-commercial scientific research (cite the source) The authors state in the test manual that the UWES may be used freely for non-commercial scientific research; commercial or consultancy use requires the authors' written permission.
How to cite (APA 7)
Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71–92. [UWES-9: Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Salanova, M. (2006). The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire: A cross-national study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(4), 701–716.]
Short versions & notable variants
UWES-9 (Schaufeli, Bakker, & Salanova, 2006) — the most used form
UWES-3 (Schaufeli et al., 2019) — one item per dimension