Most people hug because they feel affection for someone or something. But job hugging, a common trend among the American workforce, is on the uptick because of fear of the unknown in an uncertain economy. Holding on and staying put out of security instead of engagement are not the best motivations for the future of business, but a new study shows that job huggers are staying put for two more years at least through 2027.
Why Workers Are ‘Job Hugging’ For The Future
I have written for Forbes.com in the past about job hopping and job hugging. Since the labor market has cooled, job hugging has been gaining momentum, replacing job hopping. Job hoppers are no longer getting a big bump in salaries. Plus, job huggers are finding that staying put is a safer option for now.
The cooling labor market has created a new era of workplace caution, building in the American workforce. A story in Fortune Magazine, declares that “jobless growth” (low hiring and low firing) is the new normal, where comfort, pay and stability outweigh ambition and change.
Experts predict that the era of “job hugging” is here to stay for the long term. And Monster’s new 2025 Job Hugging Report corroborates that the trend shows no signs of slowing, revealing 75% of employees plan to stay put through 2027. And nearly half of workers (48%) say they’re staying in their current jobs out of fear and economic uncertainty.
The study surveyed 1,004 currently employed U.S. workers on October 9, 2025. Participants answered a variety of multiple-choice and scaled-based questions designed to explore employee motivations, attitudes and trends related to job retention, career satisfaction and risk tolerance in today’s evolving workplace.
Other Key Takeaways include:
- 59% say job hugging is more common this year than last.
- 63% expect it to rise even higher in 2026.
- 27% cite pay and 26% cite job security as the top reasons employees stay put.
- 55% say older workers are more likely to job hug than younger ones.
- 85% of workers admit they have job hugged at least once in their career.
- 55% say older workers (Gen X and Boomers) are more likely to job hug.
- 25% believe younger generations (Gen Z, Millennials) do it more.
- 20% think it’s the same across generations.
But staying put doesn’t mean workers are standing still. They’re exploring new opportunities passively and evaluating them carefully. The bar for making a move may be higher now, but it’s not closed. Workers are “side stacking”–working multiple side hustles for secondary income streams, stacking to optimize their time and income to pay their bills.
“Workers are holding on tighter than ever, but not because they’re complacent because they’re cautious,” according to Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster. “Job security and stability have become emotional safety nets. The new loyalty is about survival, not necessarily satisfaction.”
She understands that you might be unwilling to leave your current job, even if it’s less than rewarding. You might evaluate new roles and companies from fear of being downsized soon after joining a new organization. And, although job hugging is anchored in stability and survival mode, you might be reluctant to plan beyond comfort and security.
But if you’re job hugging, Salemi encourages you to search for new opportunities passively while staying in your current role. If you’re job hugging, even if you’re cautious as you evaluate new roles and companies, she recommends that you leverage your current role by learning new skills.
Dmitrii Anikin, co-founder of SalaryGuide, agrees that career growth doesn’t always mean leaving your employer or taking constant leaps. He believes that job huggers who stay put out of fear can capitalize on that same energy that drives job hugging and channel it into growth, such as developing new skills, building confidence and preparing for opportunities when they arise.
Anikin addresses critics who might vilify job huggers as complacent. “This isn’t simply a sign of complacency; it’s a reflection of how today’s workers are navigating an unpredictable landscape” he explains. “With economic uncertainty, many employees are choosing to stay where they feel secure, rather than a lack of ambition.”
He, too, acknowledges that job hugging is driven by doubt and fear of making the wrong move and a lack of confidence in the next career decision. Still, he insists you must take the right avenues like exploring internal mobility, secondments or new responsibilities within your organization to expand your expertise and value without sacrificing your comfort and security.
The Emotional Tradeoff Of ‘Job Hugging’
“The reality is, job hugging is more common than not; according to Monster data, 85% of workers have admitted to job hugging at one point during their careers,” Salemi points out. The Monster study underscores that job hugging signals, not just workforce stability but a cultural shift toward risk aversion, with comfort now competing directly with ambition.
Staying put is both a comfort and a constraint for employees (“jobless growth” as the Fortune story points out) with 27% of employees in the Monster survey feeling less satisfied and “stuck” in their role and 25% feeling more satisfied, citing feelings of security and value. Workers are similarly divided on its impact on career growth: 47% say it has little effect, while 27% see it as limiting and 26% believe it builds expertise.
Most of the employees (94%) recognize there are risks to job hugging such as missing out on higher pay (26%), burnout from lack of change (25%) and limited career advancement (25%) were the top risk factors. The majority of workers say higher pay and benefits (28%), better work-life balance (18%) and remote options (14%) would release them from job hugging.
In the workplace, 44% say job hugging is viewed neutrally, 49% say positively and only seven percent negatively, suggesting it’s more accepted than criticized. Workers also believe employers quietly value job huggers for their loyalty and commitment (26%), institutional knowledge (22%) and especially lower turnover costs (30%).
Anikin acknowledges that doubt is a natural part of any career decision. But the key is to recognize the doubt that underlies job hugging without letting it dictate your choices. “Employees can reduce doubt by being prepared,” he advises. “When you’re confident in your skills and clear about your direction, the fear of change fades and the decision to stay or move becomes an empowered one.”