According to the CIPD, average UK employee turnover (moving to a different employer) is 27%. According to LinkedIn, just 12% of people have moved employer in the last 12 months. Sometimes statistics can be hard to believe, but these figures feel real.
In the post covid years we had the ‘great resignation’. Now everyone is talking about ‘job hugging’.
People staying doesn’t always mean people are happy though.
And employers saving time and money on recruitment may not be happy in the long run either.
“Job hugging” describes staying in a role for security, rather than because it’s where you want to be. There’s nothing wrong with valuing a steady income, but it raises an important point for employers: retention and commitment aren’t the same thing. At a time of profound change, is having so few new ideas coming into a business really a good thing?
If someone stays because leaving feels too risky, a low staff turnover figure won’t tell you whether they feel valued, challenged or able to progress.
Staying put isn't automatically good or bad. It can be a smart, deliberate move that gives stability for an individual and their employer. Alternatively, it can be a slow drift into stagnation, for both parties. The difference can come down to why.
Why so many people are hugging their jobs
Most people aren't lazy or unambitious. They're reacting rationally to uncertainty.
- Fewer openings, more competition. Hiring has cooled in many sectors.
- Layoff anxiety. High-profile redundancy rounds make "last in, first out" feel like a real threat.
- AI uncertainty. Many workers aren't sure which roles will look the same in five years, so they stay where they're known.
- Cost-of-living pressure. When budgets are tight at home, moving feels like a gamble.
- Hard-won perks. Flexible hours, remote days, accrued leave and a manager who trusts you are not easy to rebuild elsewhere, especially remotely.
All of the above can have real benefits to an individual. Financial stability, deeper expertise, stronger relationship, lower stress and great benefits. But there are drawbacks too, to both individuals and to a business.
- Slower pay growth. Internal raises often lag behind what a new employer would offer.
- Skills that go stale. If your role isn't evolving, your CV isn't either.
- Disengagement and burnout. Staying in a job you've outgrown or dislike can drain you.
- A false sense of security. Loyalty doesn't guarantee protection.
- Missed opportunities. The perfect role rarely appears when you're ready.
- A shrinking network. Your connections can become concentrated within a organisation
How to hug your job the smart way
If you're staying, make it a strategy rather than a default.
- Name your reason. Write down why you're staying. "I'm saving for a deposit" is a plan; "I'm scared to leave" is a signal to look more closely at your situation.
- Keep growing where you are. Ask for new projects, cross-team work or training. Make your current role build your next one.
- Benchmark your pay. Check salary data once a year so you know what the market would pay you, and use it in your next salary review.
- Keep your CV and LinkedIn profile current. Update them every few months while achievements are still fresh.
- Stay visible outside your company. Have the occasional coffee with old colleagues, attend an event, or take a recruiter call. Keeping a foot in the market costs little.
- Build a financial buffer if you can. An emergency fund turns a forced move into a manageable one, and gives you freedom to leave if you choose to.
- Set a review date. Revisit the decision in six or twelve months. Circumstances change, and so do markets.
The bottom line
Job hugging is a sensible response to an uncertain world, but it works best with open eyes. Staying because it serves your goals is a strength. Staying only because you're afraid to move is worth questioning.
So hold on if it makes sense. Just make sure you're hugging your job rather than letting it hold you back.
Please do share your thoughts in the comments, anonymously if you prefer.