Half of workers are 'job hugging' - too scared to quit

"Nearly half of full-time US workers (45%) are staying in their current roles because switching jobs right now feels too risky, according to a new report. Among these "job huggers," 95% cite concerns about the job market as the main reason for staying put, according to a new survey by online resume creation site Resume Builder. Resume Builder surveyed 2,221 full-time US workers in August 2025 and found that nearly half (48%) describe the job market as not very good, and 19% believe it's terrible. About 34% believe it's just okay, and less than 1% think it's good."

"An evaluation of a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report also showed a significant cooling in technology worker hiring and other jobs. While employers are still hiring, they're doing so more selectively, focusing on key areas amid uncertainty, BLS data revealed. The 'wait and see' approach in past months has shifted to targeted growth: invest where it counts and hold elsewhere, according to Ger Doyle, North American regional president at global staffing firm ManpowerGroup. "Still, the broader labor market is cooling. Fewer job openings, softer wage growth, and longer job searches are signs of a slowdown," he said. "The hiring momentum that kicked off the year has been tempered by uncertainty.""

"In August, 247,000 new tech jobs were added across industries, but sector-specific tech firms cut 2,311 roles. The tech unemployment rate nudged up from 2.9% in July to 3%, with 6.9 million employed in core tech roles, according to the nonprofit trade association CompTIA. One problem with BLS data is that the federal agency has made significant downward revisions to its unemployment data over the past year. Last week, the BLS revealed it overstated hiring by 911,000 jobs for the year ending in March - the biggest preliminary revision since 2000."

Nearly half of full-time US workers (45%) report staying in current roles because switching jobs feels too risky. Among those workers, 95% cite concerns about the job market as the main reason for staying put. Resume Builder surveyed 2,221 full-time US workers in August 2025 and found 48% describe the job market as not very good, 19% call it terrible, 34% say it is just okay, and under 1% say it is good. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show cooling hiring and greater selectivity, especially in technology hiring, and the BLS later revised hiring estimates down by 911,000 jobs for the year ending in March.

Read at Computerworld