In 2021, the Great Quit marked the pulse of the labor market: millions of professionals left their jobs in search of better salaries, greater flexibility, or a related corporate purpose. Five years later, the movement has turned 180 degrees. The new trend now seems to be to hold on.
The phenomenon has been named in the United States as job hugging. According to a survey conducted by Resume Builder, in February 2026, 57% of American workers identified themselves as “job huggers”, that is, those who remain in their position out of fear of the economic context rather than out of commitment or satisfaction. In August 2025 they were 45%. In just five months, behavior has grown 12 percentage points as a result of risk aversion.
In 2025, 1.17 million people lost their jobs in the US, the highest number since the start of the pandemic
And in January 2026, the unemployment rate in the US fell to 4.3%, its best figure in months. However, hiring has slowed and voluntary resignations – one of the main indicators of job confidence – remain at low levels. In parallel, rounds of layoffs in large companies have eroded the perception of security. Amazon alone announced that it would lay off 16,000 people at the end of January. In 2025, 1.17 million people lost their jobs in the US, the highest number since the start of the pandemic in 2020, according to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Fear of AI and layoffs
Among those who identify themselves as “job huggers,” it should be noted that 70% fear that artificial intelligence will affect their position in the next six months. 63% fear being fired in the same period and more than 80% believe that changing companies would make them victims of a policy of “last in, first out.”
Hence, 71% of those surveyed affirm that they will continue to hold on to their position for at least the next six months. 34% plan to stay this way between one and two years, and 10% for more than two.
Regarding the strategy that is followed, 66% claim to be delivering the best possible work to protect their position. 44% try to improve response times and availability. And 42% strengthen their relationship with their company leaders. On the other hand, 32% are trained in AI or automation tools.
However, the negative consequences are beginning to have an impact:
- 52% work more hours than usual
- 45% take on additional responsibilities
- 35% reduce their rest time
- 22% did not receive a salary increase
- 20% did not obtain promotion despite being in the process
Thus, although 53% report being very involved in their work, almost 75% experience moderate or high levels of work stress and 45% rate their mental health as “fair” or worse.
From a business perspective, low turnover may seem like good news. But analysts warn of a hidden effect: staying out of fear is not the same as being committed. Stacie Haller, Chief Career Advisor at ResumeBuilder, notes: “Companies must recognize that some of their workforce does not stay out of loyalty or satisfaction, but out of need and fear. This environment can cause stagnation of skills and ideas if not managed properly.”
The report is based on a survey conducted in February 2026 of 2,188 American workers through the Pollfish platform. Of them, 1,250 identified themselves as “job huggers” and completed the full questionnaire.
