Workers are ‘job hugging’ in a stagnant labor market, but growing resentment means they could bail as soon as the next Great Resignation comes

Success·JobsWorkers are ‘job hugging’ in a stagnant labor market, but growing resentment means they could bail as soon as the next Great Resignation comesBy Sasha RogelbergBy Sasha RogelbergReporterSasha RogelbergReporterSasha Rogelberg is a reporter and former editorial fellow on the news desk at Fortune, covering retail and the intersection of and culture.SEE FULL BIO More employees may be “job hugging,” but it could increase feelings of resentment toward their workplaces.Getty ImagesMore employees are planning to stay at their current jobs as a stagnant labor market shakes workers’ confidence they’ll be able to find work elsewhere

This act of “job hugging,” however, can exacerbate employees feeling stuck, stoking resentment toward their employers

One workplace expert said this growing discontent will lead to another Great Resignation once market conditions imve

A stagnating labor market is leading workers to hold tightly on to their jobs, even as growing workplace uncertainty stokes resentment and concern among employees, consultants warn

But while employees are staying put to weather the storm, this act of “job hugging” may only be temporary as they prepare to flee as soon as market conditions imve

They’re concerned that should they quit, they wouldn’t be able to find options elsewhere, according to consulting firm Korn Ferry

This act of “job hugging” has workers hanging on to their positions “for dear life.” “Given just all the activity that happened post-COVID and then some of these constant layoffs, people are waiting and sitting in seats and hoping that they have more stability,” Korn Ferry managing consultant Stacy DeCesaro told Fortune

The consultancy also saw a 4.4-point drop in its Market Opportunity Indicator last quarter, indicating a steep decline in employee perceptions of the job market

U.S. payrolls grew by just 73,000 in July, and have expanded by an average of only 35,000 in the past three months. “No one is wanting to leave unless they’re very unhappy or miserable in their job or just feel so unsettled by the company,” DeCesaro said

Growing employee frustration Just because more employees are sticking around doesn’t mean they are happy it

A November 2024 report from Glassdoor found that 65% of employees reported feeling “stuck” in their current positions, including 73% of those in roles

With fewer alternatives, sitting tight at one’s job has, for many, resulted in cabin fever. “It’s no accident that trends ‘quiet quitting’ are resonating now,” Daniel Zhao, lead economist at Glassdoor, wrote in the report. “As workers feel stuck, pent-up resentment boils under the surface and employee disengagement rises.” On top of bleak job spects elsewhere, employees are also grappling with a rotating door of company management, which has exacerbated feelings of discomfort and disconnect from a firm’s vision, DeCesaro said

Some of her clients said they’ve worked under three different company presidents in the past 18 months

CEO turnover rates have reached their highest in decades, with departures jumping 12% from June 2024 to June 2025, according to data from executive placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, reaching the highest levels since the company began tracking turnover in 2002

In other cases, DeCesaro said, new management has vided hope for employees, incentivizing them to stick around that much longer, even if their workplace culture ultimately doesn’t end up changing for the better

Taken together, these factors have led to the rise of “quiet cracking,” employees reaching a point and mentally checking out

The ductivity dip as a result of employee disengagement cost the world economy $438 billion in 2024, according to Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report. ‘Great Resignation’ redux Employees may have few other career options now, but once market conditions imve, this quiet discontent will no doubt mean déjà vu for employers, DeCesaro said: Another Great Resignation is coming. “Once the market imves, I think it’s going to be super active because there’s a lot of pent-up demand of , ‘I’ve been miserable here for a while, but I’ve just been waiting for a better opportunity or a better market to move,’” DeCesaro said

If employers want to ensure their workers don’t leave as soon as they see other career options, they should focus on looking for opportunities to open doors of communication between management and rank-and-file workers, as well as take the time to gather and listen to workers’ back, according to DeCesaro

With some jobs remaining entirely remote, there should be a continued effort to gather once a year or quarter to create a cohesive company culture. “It’s going to be a fruit basket turnover of talent,” DeCesaro said. “But if you’ve invested in your people between now and when that happens, people are going to be reticent to leave.” Introducing the 2025 Fortune Global 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in the world

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