Half of workers are ‘job hugging’ — too scared to quit

Nearly half of full-time US workers (45%) are staying in their current roles because switching jobs right now feels too risky, according to a new report.

Among these “job huggers,” 95% cite concerns about the job market as the main reason for staying put, according to a new survey by online resume creation site Resume Builder.

Resume Builder surveyed 2,221 full-time US workers in August 2025 and found that nearly half (48%) describe the job market as not very good, and 19% believe it’s terrible. About 34% believe it’s just okay, and less than 1% think it’s good.

An evaluation of a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report also showed a significant cooling in technology worker hiring and other jobs. While employers are still hiring, they’re doing so more selectively, focusing on key areas amid uncertainty, BLS data revealed.

The ‘wait and see’ approach in past months has shifted to targeted growth: invest where it counts and hold elsewhere, according to Ger Doyle, North American regional president at global staffing firm ManpowerGroup.

“Still, the broader labor market is cooling. Fewer job openings, softer wage growth, and longer job searches are signs of a slowdown,” he said. “The hiring momentum that kicked off the year has been tempered by uncertainty.”

In August, 247,000 new tech jobs were added across industries, but sector-specific tech firms cut 2,311 roles. The tech unemployment rate nudged up from 2.9% in July to 3%, with 6.9 million employed in core tech roles, according to the nonprofit trade association CompTIA.

One problem with BLS data is that the federal agency has made significant downward revisions to its unemployment data over the past year. Last week, the BLS revealed it overstated hiring by 911,000 jobs for the year ending in March — the biggest preliminary revision since 2000.

Victor Janulaitis, CEO of IT management consulting firm Janco Associates, called into question the validity of BLS data, saying it is “suspect.”

“Adjustments at those levels of magnitude are not acceptable from any organization. It can only be due to poor data capture, poor infrastructure, incompetence, or political gerrymandering,” he said.

Slow hiring and and fear of AI fuel job hugging

A fear of AI is also influencing workers’ decisions to stay put, according to Resume Builder’s study. Seventy-seven percent of job huggers are either very (30%) or somewhat concerned (47%) that AI will make it harder to get a job in the future.

“The combination of a soft job market, economic uncertainty, and the impact of tariffs has slowed hiring, leaving many workers reluctant to make a move,” said Resume Builder’s Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller. “Added to this is the growing fear that AI could displace jobs.”

Online job search platform Indeed performed its own survey of job seekers and found that 52% indicated tech talent had been reassigned due to AI adoption and only 17% are actively looking for work, down 17% from last year.

Indeed’s survey also found:

26% report tech talent was let go or laid off because of AI.

33% feel they’re not receiving enough training on AI.

35% are concerned that AI may be able to take over their role (that jumps to 38% among Gen Z respondents).

28% believe AI will increase workplace stress.

“Hiring has largely stalled as the labor market remains stagnant. The quits rate — often a signal of workers’ confidence in finding new jobs—has been flat for months. Together, these trends point to a sluggish market despite low unemployment. Employers appear to be holding onto current staff amid uncertainty, but they are not adding new positions. In turn, employees have taken the hint, staying put rather than seeking new opportunities,” said Indeed economist Allison Shrivastava.

Still, it’s hard to pin the slowdown directly on AI, but its impact is clear: coding jobs are shrinking while demand grows for engineers focused on advanced tech and AI innovation, according to Shrivastava. Fading confidence is slowing the labor market: fewer workers are switching jobs, wage growth is weaker, and the post-pandemic boost in worker power has mostly disappeared, according to Shrivastava.

“For most other industries, however, AI has yet to make a significant impact. Fears of replacement are real, but the quits rate was already falling before ChatGPT’s release, and job growth has been weak across most sectors outside healthcare,” Shrivastava said. “In short, even if workers wanted to move, there are fewer opportunities to move to.”

Chris Graham, executive vice president of Workforce and Community Education at National University in San Diego, agreed that AI isn’t eliminating most jobs—”it’s transforming them. While some roles may disappear, many will evolve or emerge. Success depends on how AI is implemented and how well workers adapt through upskilling and continuous learning, he said.

Employees are embracing job security and predictability in light of the current economic uncertainty. Many are asking themselves, “why change the course if everything is okay right now?” Graham said.

“Job hugging is reducing career mobility in the labor market and is encouraging companies to focus on internal development and retention strategies,” Graham said. “As organizations experience higher retention numbers, they are seeing greater value in investing in upskilling and employee engagement to keep their existing employees satisfied.

If conditions were to improve, many would seek out better opportunities, Haller said. More than eight in 10 (84%) of those surveyed said they’d look for better pay, 60% better benefits, and 57% growth opportunities. Additionally, 47% would seek out remote or flexible work, 38% better management, and 23% an improved office culture.

But “in this environment, the need for stability outweighs the desire for higher pay, better benefits, or long-term growth,” Haller said. “For many, it has become less about pursuing opportunities and more about protecting the job they have.”

Despite this caution, over half of workers still browse job listings, and some are applying or interviewing. But most won’t feel ready to switch jobs for at least a year — often longer, according to the survey data.

Korn Ferry, a global firm that helps companies find and recruit top-level executives, also said “job hugging” has increased at “an alarming rate.”

Most employees plan to stay in their jobs for the next six months, according to the Eagle Hill Retention Index, and perceive the job market as treacherous. Their sense of outside opportunities available to them has plummeted to its lowest level since the index began in 2023, according to Korn Ferry. And employees staying put is not necessarily good news.

“Firms run the risk of becoming comfortable perches from which workers can jump when the time’s right,” Matt Bohn, senior client partner at Korn Ferry, said in a blog post.

However, experts say employees staying put isn’t all bad — it can actually help the bottom line. Less pressure to raise salaries and lower turnover means big savings on hiring and training, according to Korn Ferry senior client partner Tom McMullen.

With fewer people jumping ship, companies can invest in growing talent from within and can have a long-tenured workforce and build capacities within it, Korn Ferry said.

 “It’s great to have a long-tenured workforce and build capacities within it,” Korn Ferry said.Half of workers are ‘job hugging’ — too scared to quit – ComputerworldRead More