What is job hugging and are your employees doing it?

In today’s uncertain job market, more employees are choosing job security over progression, new research suggests.

According to data from tech talent specialist La Fosse, many workers in the UK are holding onto roles they may have already outgrown, a trend known as ‘job hugging’.

It’s the latest in a string of employment shifts triggered by the tougher hiring climate, rising living costs, and ongoing uncertainty around the effects of AI on jobs.

Similar to the “quiet quitting” wave, job hugging can quietly undermine company culture long before bosses even notice something’s up.

What is job hugging?

Job hugging is when employees cling to their current roles despite having the skills, ambition or potential to move onto pastures new. It’s driven by a desire for security or fear of change – something that employees have buckets of in today’s harsh jobs landscape.

La Fosse found that 55% of workers are holding onto roles they may have outgrown. The younger generation are clinging to their roles even tighter, with job hugging prevalence rising to 65% in 18 to 34-year-olds.

Claudia Cohen, Director of the Academy at La Fosse, says the phenomenon is less about apathy and more a knock-on effect of “broader insecurity”.

“Job hugging isn’t just about people being cautious. It’s about comfort over career,” she adds. “When someone stays in a role they’ve outgrown, it can hold back the rest of the team, block internal opportunities, and slow down innovation.”

Cohen notes that job hugging can lead to teams feeling stagnated, stuck, and negatively affect the company’s ability to adapt to changes.

Why are employees hugging their jobs?

La Fosse notes that rising economic pressure is the biggest factor behind job hugging. With living costs still high, many employees simply can’t risk a move or probation period that isn’t guaranteed to turn into a permanent role. Many feel safer sticking with roles they’ve long outgrown.

There’s also a growing generational divide. Younger workers have fewer entry-level positions to choose from and much slower progression than their predecessors.

With this in mind, it’s perhaps unsurprising that 65% of 18–34s now choose security over taking the next leap in their career.

Another bleak reality is that AI adds another layer of uncertainty. As automation flips roles upside down, career paths feel harder to predict, so employees cling to what they know.

The issue might feel the most pronounced in industries with existing job shortages, like hospitality. With a tight job market, job hugging can compound the pressures hospitality professionals are already facing.

How can employers respond?

Job hugging requires intervention, as when left ignored, it can stall productivity, delay projects, and drain momentum. Claudia Cohen stresses that bosses shouldn’t push loyal people out, but create an environment where growth feels safe and even expected.

Regular career conversations will allow leaders to spot who might be feeling stuck and why. Purposeful upskilling helps experienced employees confidently move into new roles, leaving space for new talent to join the ranks.

Likewise, refreshing team structures, by making new hires, clear lateral moves or defined progression routes can also reignite stagnated energy.

Retaining high-quality talent is still important, but leaders need to balance loyalty with innovation. If a role or team structure is blocking an opportunity, it may need a rethink.

In an innovative company, mobility should be central to the culture, not optional. Even with financial pressures highlighted by last week’s Autumn Budget, organisations that proactively address job hugging will stand a better chance of keeping their teams motivated.