The rate at which workers are voluntarily leaving jobs has hovered around 2% since the start of 2025, according to recent U.S. Labor Department data. Outside of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic, levels haven’t been that consistently low since early 2016—a reality giving rise to the new term “job hugging.”
What is job hugging?
The trend spotlights how employees are clinging to their roles not out of loyalty but rather out of economic uncertainty, says Amanda Czepiel, an HR legal expert at Brightmine.
“On the surface, low turnover looks like stability to HR leaders,” she explains.
Yet, Czepiel says, as inflation drives up everyday costs—and employees read constant headlines about mass layoffs—many feel the security of a steady paycheck and reliable benefits outweigh the potential risk of switching jobs.
Job hugging is a serious contrast to the job-hopping mindset that not too long ago defined career ambition and growth.
“Frequent career changes once highlighted adaptability and a path to advancement,” Czepiel says. But today, “more employees are drawn to the reassurance that comes with consistency and stability.”
Additionally, recent research from the Bank of America Institute shows that job hoppers are not receiving a significant pay increase compared to previous years. The data reveals that employees who stay in their current role earn the same pay increase (4.3%) as those who switch employers (4.3%).
“Changing jobs used to be a reliable way to receive a pay raise; now, it does not always lead to that result,” Czepiel says.
Employees are in ‘survival’ mode
Instead of celebrating low turnover, Czepiel says, job hugging should actually be an HR wake-up call. While employees may still be “working” for their employers, she says, they may not truly be engaged and productive.
Jamie Aitken, vice president of HR transformation at employee review platform Betterworks, agrees that job hugging is a red flag for employers. It suggests that employees are clinging to stability because they no longer trust the market to reward them for taking risks.
“It’s actually survival, and survival mode is bad for performance,” she says.
If talent is job hugging, it’s because the employer hasn’t “given them a reason to stretch,” Aitken says. “If companies don’t create momentum internally, employees stagnate—and that hurts performance, morale and retention when the market does heat up again.”
Key steps to re-engage employees
Apart from providing growth opportunities, to counter the risk for job hugging, Czepiel says, HR should double-down on transparency, clarity and authentic communication. This can be critical as employees navigate organizational changes, including policy updates, pay and layoffs. In addition, benefits that extend beyond compensation will be key to ensuring employees actually want to remain in their roles.
“It’s critical for HR teams to look beyond turnover rates and prioritize engagement metrics to gain a clearer picture of employee sentiment,” Czepiel adds. Employers can also strengthen succession planning to better support internal talent development, cultivating future leadership opportunities from within.
“By re-engaging employees, organizations can ensure employees aren’t just holding onto their jobs out of fear, but that they are thriving in their roles and contributing to a company that can stay agile through difficult times,” Czepiel says.
According to Aitken, employees need a sense of forward motion, which HR and business leaders can provide through transparent goals, real-time feedback, “check-in” conversations and clarity on performance year-round.
“That way, even if people ‘hug’ their jobs longer, they’re likely still building skills, staying motivated and seeing progress, in sync with company objectives,” she says.
Source – https://hrexecutive.com/job-hugging-why-all-hr-leaders-should-worry-about-this-trend/