September 15, 2025
Job-hopping is out—today’s shaky market has workers “job-hugging,” clinging to roles they don’t necessarily want.
Amid an uncertain job market, “job hugging” is on the rise as employees hold onto positions out of necessity rather than passion.
A ResumeBuilder.com survey of more than 2,200 U.S. workers found that 46% qualify as “job huggers”—those who keep their jobs out of fear they won’t find new work. Of those, 95% cite concern about the job market as their main reason for holding back.
Industry experts say the post-COVID era of “job hopping” has ended, giving way to “job hugging,” as workers hold tight to their roles amid layoffs, slowed hiring, and the rise of AI.
“A few years ago, workers were quick to leave for sizable pay bumps,” Matt Bohn, senior client partner at the global consulting and talent management firm Korn Ferry, told Newsweek. “Now, with paychecks stretched by rising costs, many are clinging to stability even if they’re dissatisfied.”
“That instinct makes sense, but it has consequences: With fewer people chasing new opportunities, wage growth slows, and innovation can stall,” he added.
The latest Employee Retention Index from Eagle Hill reveals that most U.S. workers plan to stay in their current jobs for the next six months. Worker optimism, however, has taken a sharp hit to its lowest level since tracking began in 2023. At the same time, U.S. Department of Labor data show that quit rates remain near pandemic lows and well below the peaks of the 2021–2022 surge.
“It completely stands to reason that as the job market slows, and layoffs continue to make headlines, partly fueled by the potential for AI/robots to do parts or all of some jobs, we would squeeze our jobs even more tightly than normal,” said Anthony Klotz, professor of Organizational Behavior at UCL School of Management in London.
Multiple surveys show workers are increasingly disengaged on the job. Gallup’s latest employee engagement poll found levels have dropped from their pre-COVID peak, with many employees now “emotionally detached” from their workplaces. Experts say this mix of low enthusiasm and rising pessimism about new opportunities has fueled the trend of job hugging.
“When there are lots of alternative jobs available, these disengaged employees are better able to switch jobs in search of more engaging work,” Klotz said. “But when the job market is slow, these disengaged workers become what researchers call ‘reluctant stayers.’”
As “job hugging” gains momentum, the labor market is shifting from the era of the “Great Resignation” to the dawn of the “Great Stay.”
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