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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
