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By Hugh Cameron
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Nearly half of U.S. workers are “job hugging” and staying in their roles for reasons of security and stability, according to a recent study, amid precarity in the job market and widespread financial concerns.
The employment website Monster.com found that 48 percent of workers could fall into the category of “job huggers” and were sticking with their current roles longer than they might otherwise.
“Workers are holding on tighter than ever, but not because they’re complacent because they’re cautious,” said Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster.com. “Job security and stability have become emotional safety nets. The new loyalty is about survival, not necessarily satisfaction.”
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Why It Matters
A number of recent surveys have noted an uptick in so-called job hugging, a loose term denoting a more risk-averse form of job market, which experts believe serves as a signal of both labor market weaknesses and the economic anxieties harbored by many Americans.
Recent jobs reports have been weak, with unemployment ticking up and openings remaining below historic averages. Meanwhile, polls have found that consumer confidence continues to hover at low levels, and that Americans’ overall outlook on the economy is pessimistic.
What To Know
Monster.com conducted its survey on October 9 among 1,004 U.S. employees and found that the phenomenon of job hugging was expected to persist for the foreseeable future.
Three in four workers said they planned to remain in their current role for at least two more years, 59 percent said they thought job hugging was more common than in 2024, and 63 percent expected it to increase in 2026.
Monster said the figures pointed “to a new era where comfort, pay, and stability outweigh ambition and change,” adding that 94 percent of workers were cognizant of the potential risks of hugging their roles rather than braving the current job market.
The survey found that 26 percent recognized missing out on potentially higher paying roles as a danger, with 25 percent citing burnout and “limited career advancement” as risks.
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This preference for security also showed up in a ZipRecruiter survey released on Tuesday, which found that employee turnover had fallen from 177 percent in 2023—businesses effectively replacing their entire staff almost twice annually—to 50 percent in 2025.
A September survey from TopResume—titled “Overqualified and Undervalued”—found that 70 percent of U.S. professionals were willing to drop down in seniority to ensure they kept their jobs. Additionally, 75 percent said they would take a pay cut in the interests of job security, with 34 percent willing to accept a salary reduction of 11 percent or more.
Amanda Augustine, the resident career expert at TopResume, told Newsweek: “In the short term, I expect job hugging to hold or even possibly intensify. Many companies are still wary of large-scale hiring, and professionals will continue to value certainty and security.”
However, a rebound could be on the horizon, she said, “if macroeconomic conditions improve and growth returns.”
What People Are Saying
Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster.com, said: “Staying put doesn’t mean standing still. Workers can continue to explore new opportunities passively and evaluate them carefully. The bar for making a move may be higher right now, but it’s not closed.”
ZipRecruiter wrote in its report: “Macroeconomic uncertainty from persistent inflation, newly imposed tariffs, and recession fears have turned job hoppers into job huggers and hiring sprees into hiring freezes. In a period where stability seems to outweigh risk, many businesses are turning inward. Layoffs and terminations remain near historic lows as fluctuations in the workforce introduce unnecessary risk. The labor market has entered what could be called ‘The Great Freeze’: a stagnant chapter characterized by employers and workers remaining frozen in place.”
What Happens Next
As the surveys and experts noted, the labor market is expected to remain characterized by “job hugging” for the foreseeable future.
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