Job hugging trend signals hidden workplace engagement crisis
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — A growing share of American workers are clinging to their current jobs out of fear rather than loyalty, according to a new Manpower report warning that the trend could quietly erode productivity and innovation across the United States workforce.
The report, “Job Hugging Isn’t Engagement: Reimagining Employee Retention,” released by Manpower, a division of ManpowerGroup, finds that economic uncertainty, slow wage growth and mounting layoff anxieties are pushing employees to stay put — even when they feel disengaged.
Why workers are hugging their jobs
Unlike the Great Resignation that defined the early 2020s labor market, today’s workforce is moving in the opposite direction. Employees are turning down stretch assignments, skipping internal job postings and settling into stagnant roles, according to the report.
Tara Marcelle, vice president of channel delivery at Manpower, said the behavior reflects deep anxiety rather than satisfaction.
In an interview with Staffing Industry Analysts, Marcelle said job hugging stems from “the fear of leaving or the fear of not having something to go to.”
The report identifies several warning signs, including declining internal applications despite open roles, reluctance to take on visible projects, and stagnant skill development in teams that were once fast-growing.
While the Great Resignation has faded, Manpower notes that American workers are not necessarily happy, with many citing slow wage growth, economic uncertainty and fear of layoffs as reasons to hold on to what they have.
What it means for the future of work
For employers navigating a rapidly evolving future of work — one shaped by automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and shifting talent needs — a workforce that stays only out of fear poses a serious strategic risk.
Disengaged employees tend to generate fewer ideas, resist change and still leave the moment a better offer appears, the report warns.
Marcelle said companies must build clearer internal pathways to keep employees genuinely invested, whether workers want to move laterally or climb upward. Leadership, she added, plays the most decisive role in turning passive retention into active engagement.
“It’s going to be important that there is clarity to the path internally,” Marcelle said.
Marcelle, who said she has experienced job hugging herself, noted that managers serve as the bridge between corporate strategy and employee confidence — a dynamic she suggested will become increasingly critical as reskilling, hybrid work and AI-driven transformation continue to reshape the workforce in the years ahead.
