In an era of economic uncertainty, a new workplace trend is quietly taking root across the United States. It is not about ambition, innovation, or climbing the corporate ladder, it is all about holding on.
Experts are calling it “job hugging,” when employees, gripped by job market anxiety, they just stay in their current roles not because they love them, but because they fear what is outside.
HR professionals and workplace consultants claim that a growing number of workers are clinging to their jobs for stability, even when they are bored, burnt out, or no longer challenged.
It is starting to show up everywhere, from open-plan tech offices to corporate towers and small businesses alike.
What is job hugging?
The rise of job hugging did not come out of nowhere. According to revised data from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, the economy added 911,000 fewer jobs than initially reported in the 12 months leading up to March 2025.
This drop has left many workers wary of testing the job market. In fact, the average time spent looking for a job has increased to 10 weeks, up from eight just a few years ago.
“There is a lot of sitting still right now,” said Stacy DeCesaro, a managing consultant at Korn Ferry to The Week. “Given all the layoffs post-COVID and the general uncertainty, people are waiting and sitting in seats and hoping for stability.”
This mindset is visible in the data. A July 2025 report found that a majority of US employees plan to remain in their current jobs for at least the next six months.
That might sound like a win for employers: lower attrition, reduced hiring costs, and steadier teams. But beneath the surface, it tells a more complicated story.
Job hugging is not about loyalty
Job hugging does not just reflect loyalty or commitment. It often signals disengagement, people who aren’t happy, aren’t growing, but won’t leave. This stagnation is not limited to underperformers.
Jamie Aitken, VP of HR transformation at Betterworks, sees it as a warning sign. “It’s actually survival, and survival mode is bad for performance,” she told HR Executive.
“If companies don’t create momentum internally, employees stagnate and that hurts performance, morale, and retention when the market does heat up again,” Ariken told HR Executive.
Job hugging reveals something deeper about today’s workforce: a shift from risk-taking to risk-aversion. Once, professionals changed jobs every few years to chase growth, passion, or purpose. Now, many see staying put as the safer bet, even if it means giving up on their goals.
But the cost of playing it safe adds up. Innovation slows down. Engagement fades. Company culture becomes cautious and tired. Businesses that were once agile and forward-thinking risk becoming stagnant, what some experts call “museums of mediocrity.”
Employers who want to break the cycle need to rethink how they support their teams. It is not just about offering job security. It is about offering a reason to stay. Growth opportunities, meaningful work, internal mobility, these are the antidotes to job hugging. If people feel they can grow where they are, they won’t feel the need to cling out of fear.
In a time when survival feels like enough, the real opportunity lies in helping employees thrive. Because while job hugging may seem harmless, it could quietly be holding your company, and your people back.