Job Hugging Phenomenon, Why Do Gen Z And Millennials Prefer To Stay?

Illustration of women who like to work (Photo: Freepik/DC Studio)

JAKARTA - A new trend is starting to appear in workplaces in various parts of the world, including Australia, experts think this is quite worrying. We are certainly familiar with the term 'job hopping', namely the habit of often moving jobs to add experience, pursuing higher salaries, or accelerating careers.

But now there is the opposite trend called 'job hug'. This term refers to conditions when a person stays at work even if he is not happy or dissatisfied with his work. At first glance, staying in one job may look fine. But according to experts, this trend can have a serious impact that many people don't realize.

This phenomenon arises due to the uncertainty of the labor market. According to Rebecca Houghton, founder of BoldHR, the workers did not survive because they loved their work, but because they were afraid of the conditions out there that felt more risky.

"This is purely a matter of economic fear and anxiety. Starting from the impact of the pandemic, corporate restructuring, to AI concerns about taking over the job," Houghton said, quoted from the news.com.au page.

BoldHR's research shows 1 in 3 managers experiencing burnout. The combination of work fatigue and uncertain economic conditions makes many people choose to stay in the safe zone.

But Houghton reminded that workers who are 'job hopping' are not loyal employees. Once the job market improves, they will quickly leave the job. Therefore, leaders need to immediately create a work environment that makes people want to survive, not just trapped.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that the level of work mobility in Australia has decreased for two consecutive years and is now at 7.7%.

Around 1.1 million workers changed jobs in the February 2024 period February 2025. This figure is much lower than during the pandemic, when mobility had increased to 9.6%.

Rich Lewis-Jones, VP APAC of SmartRecruiters called this trend a sign of major changes in recruitment dynamics. According to him, economic instability, uncertainty due to AI, and slow job growth have made many young people, including Gen Z, prefer stability over new opportunities.

But there is a risk. If employees survive but are not fully involved, productivity and innovation can drop drastically.

Some time ago, the world of work was enlivened by trends such as Quiet quivers, acting your Wage, or the Mondays minimum bare. All these trends were born as a form of resistance to workloads that were considered unrealistic.

Unlike that, job hug is not a form of protest, but a form of resignation. People choose stability because they feel the outside world is too uncertain.

According to Houghton, although reasonable, this trend risks reducing employee engagement, slowing innovation, and stopping talent development.

This phenomenon can also harm the workers themselves. Clinical psychologist Dr Kaitlin Harkess stressed that although job hugs provide a sense of security in the short term, long-term effects can be worse.

Work that is not in line with ourselves can erode motivation and self-confidence. It can lead to burnouts, anxiety, and depression over time," he explained.

According to him, it is important to distinguish between survival and conscious choice (for example for the sake of family or free time) by staying for fear of changing. The first thing can give a sense of power, while the second actually makes people feel trapped.

Dr. Harkess said signs of someone being trapped in unhealthy job hugs, among others:

- Continuous boredom

- Easily frustrated or offended

- There are stress symptoms such as prolonged fatigue, difficulty sleeping or headaches

- Withdraw from colleagues

- Lack of involvement in the workplace.

If you think about it often, 'I want to go, but I can't', it's already a red flag that job hopping has turned into job trapping.