The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (WBI), the nation's largest and most comprehensive measure of how Americans are faring physically, emotionally, socially, financially and professionally, resumed its upward climb in August 2009, up nearly one percent to close the month at 67.0, tying the record high set in February 2008.

The WBI Composite Score has trended steadily upward since February of this year, indicating that Well-Being in America is returning to pre-recession levels.

By far the biggest driver of the increase in overall well-being in August was a 3.3 percent rise in the WBI's Work Environment Sub-Index, which measures the satisfaction of individuals in their places of employment.

The WBI's Life Evaluation Sub-Index (LEI), which asks Americans to rate their current life and outlook for the future, also resumed a positive trajectory in August, rising 1.0 percentage point, off-setting July's 1.0 percentage point decline, the only decline experienced by this sub-index since February. For the fourth straight month, more Americans, 51.1 percent, are considered "Thriving" rather than "Struggling" under the LEI's classification system. The number of "Suffering" Americans dropped to just 3.3 percent in August, 1.1 points less than previous year levels, equating to a better quality of life for nearly 2.5 million Americans.

To download the August report, please click here.

For more on the science and methodology behind the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, please visit www.well-beingindex.com. To view in-depth well-being reports for all 50 U.S. states, 435 congressional districts and the District of Columbia, please visit www.ahip.org.

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