Are you a ‘job hugger’? 60% of workers report clinging on

In a striking reversal from the “job-hopping” fervor that defined the early 2020s, a growing share of American workers are now exhibiting what career analysts call “job hugging” — staying in their current roles less from loyalty than fear.

According to a February 2026 survey by ResumeBuilder.com, 57% of workers now identify as job huggers, up from 45% in August 2025, marking a rapid shift toward risk aversion in career decision-making.

The term — coined in 2025 to describe employees who stick with their roles amid uncertainty — reflects a labor market that many feel is shaky, even as headline employment data shows tentative signs of stabilization. January job data from the Labor Department was the strongest in months, pushing the unemployment rate down to 4.3%. Yet underlying metrics show a slower overall pace of hiring and a continued slump in voluntary quits — a common indicator of reduced worker confidence.

Denting confidence may be the recent flurry of seemingly never-ending lay-offs at major corporations. Amazon laid off 16,000 employees in its latest round of job cuts at the end of January. Last year, 1.17 million people lost their jobs, the highest total the U.S. has seen since the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020, according to a report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

At the heart of the job-hugging surge are fears that switching jobs now could backfire. In the ResumeBuilder survey, 70% of self-identified huggers say they worry that artificial intelligence will affect their jobs in the next six months, and 63% fear layoffs in that period.

More than two-thirds of respondents expect to continue job hugging through much of 2026, and a substantial minority say they’ll cling to their current positions for more than two years.

Unlike the talent flight of the Great Resignation — when, in early 2021, employees left in search of higher pay, flexibility, or purpose — today’s stayers are often hardly content. Many report trading career momentum for perceived stability: over half of job huggers say they’re working longer hours, and significant shares report missed promotions or raises.

For employers, low turnover may appear superficially beneficial. But analysts warn that “hugged” jobs can mask deep disengagement. Workers who stay out of fear may be less open to innovation, professional development, or organizational change. Some studies suggest this can dampen productivity and stifle growth — especially in smaller companies where employee morale often underpins performance.

Economists, speaking to Axios Wednesday, point to broader structural forces behind the shift. After years of pandemic-era hiring frenzies and generous counteroffers, recent labor data reveals a cooling job market, softened wage growth, and fewer openings relative to job seekers In such an environment, the rational choice for many isn’t chasing greener pastures but staying planted where they are.

At the same time, the specter of automation continues to loom. A recent national survey by Resume Now, an online platform offering AI-powered CV tools, found a majority of workers believe AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates in 2026, intensifying anxiety about career mobility.