We are witnessing quite a change: job hugging is becoming the new normal. This shows a strong departure from the previous “job-hopping” mindset that allowed employees to frequently change jobs throughout their careers. As reported in U.S. Labor Department’s 2024 report, approximately 39.6 million job were quit, which was 11% lower than in 2023, and down 22% from 2022. That decline indicates job hugging is only going to continue to rise.
Why Workers Are Clinging Tight
A number of pressures add to the clinginess. Economic uncertainty is a big factor, with slow job growth, increasing disruption from AI, and employers feeling unable to take risks contributing to a fear-based decision-making process. Career coaches are saying this too. Lori Cole of iHire describes the phenomenon of job hugging as a form of clinging, “even if it’s not the job you really want.” While it may feel wise to stick with a job, she cautions that it may limit the ability to advance and grow you skills, even if there is not a clear career path.
What Job Hugging Means for You (and Your Organization)
For a worker, job hugging provides very short-term protection—but if you’re just sitting in a job with no growth trajectory, you are at risk of being stale and burned-out. Cole suggests that workers who are looking to make a career change should be “cautiously open” to new opportunities—continue looking (until you get an offer) but keep it discrete and use your current role as a litmus test for identifying a better job. For employers, this phenomenon may lead to lower turnover, but it will also make it harder to develop and recruit new talent. It’s a balancing act: you want to support your workers’ retention while also acknowledging that too much messaging on the side of not taking risks may limit innovation and opportunities to leverage the outside world.
