Why Workers (including Salespeople) Are Staying Put

Not long ago, job hopping was the norm. The “Great Resignation” saw workers leaving their companies at record pace, convinced that the grass was greener, and more lucrative, elsewhere. From 2020 through 2022, employees felt emboldened by a red-hot labor market, soaring demand for talent, and companies willing to pay top dollar to fill gaps.

Fast forward to today, and the pendulum has swung hard in the opposite direction. Instead of job hopping, we’re now seeing job hugging: workers clinging tightly to their current positions, hesitant to make a move in a far more uncertain market.

The Shift From Job Hopping to Job Hugging

The numbers tell the story:

• At the peak of the Great Resignation, nearly 20% of workers were in job-to-job transitions — voluntarily leaving for higher pay, better benefits, or more flexibility.
• Today, that number has fallen to roughly 7%, nearly three times less mobility.
• Surveys show that 60% of workers believe job opportunities have flatlined or are decreasing, eroding confidence in their ability to land something better.

This loss of confidence is fueling risk aversion. Instead of jumping to a new employer for a bigger paycheck, many employees are asking: What if I leave, and things don’t work out? What if I can’t find another job at all?

The result is a workforce sitting tight, prioritizing security over ambition.

Why Confidence Has Collapsed

Several forces have contributed to the rise of job hugging:

1. Economic Uncertainty
   Higher interest rates, slower growth, and tariff-driven instability have made workers wary of rocking the boat. If companies are cutting costs, workers assume hiring is slowing too.
2. Layoff Headlines
   Even in sectors still hiring, the drumbeat of layoffs in tech, finance, and retail has amplified fear. Workers see friends let go and conclude it’s safer to hold onto what they have.
3. Shifts in Employer Leverage
   During the Great Resignation, the labor market strongly favored workers. Now, with hiring cooling, power has shifted back toward employers, reducing bargaining confidence.
4. Pipeline Risk in Sales
   For sales professionals in particular, the concern is concrete: starting over in a new role often means building a book of business or pipeline from scratch. In a more challenging economy, that’s a daunting proposition.

The Impact on Sales Professionals

Sales is uniquely affected by the shift toward job hugging.

• Negative Side: Many salespeople hesitate to jump because they worry they won’t hit quota in a new environment. Starting fresh, without existing accounts, internal allies, or pipeline momentum, feels riskier when buyers are tightening budgets. A misstep could mean missed commissions or even job loss.
• Positive Side: Some see opportunity. For sales pros in stagnating or declining industries, moving to growth sectors like energy, AI, or advanced manufacturing offers the promise of greater stability and long-term success. Those willing to take calculated risks may future-proof their careers.

This tension leaves many salespeople torn: stay put and ride out the storm, or leap into new sectors where the runway might be longer.

The Organizational Ripple Effect

Job hugging doesn’t just affect workers. It impacts employers, too:

• Lower Attrition: Companies benefit from greater stability and reduced turnover costs. Fewer people leaving means less disruption.
• Talent Stagnation: But stability comes at a cost. When fewer employees seek new challenges, skill development slows, and fresh perspectives become scarce.
• Harder External Recruiting: With fewer workers open to change, recruiting top talent, especially in sales, becomes more difficult. Even strong offers can be met with, “Now’s not the right time.”
• Pay Pressures Easing: Employers may feel less pressure to inflate salaries to lure candidates, since fewer are shopping around.

The result is a quieter labor market, with less churn but also less dynamism.

How Sales Leaders Should Respond

If you manage a sales team in this era of job hugging, here’s what to consider:

1. Re-Engage Current Talent
   Your people may be staying put, but don’t assume that means they’re engaged. Double down on career development, mentorship, and recognition to keep morale high.
2. Offer Growth Without Leaving
   Create pathways for internal advancement. If reps can take on new accounts, industries, or leadership tracks without changing employers, you reduce the temptation to look elsewhere when confidence eventually rebounds.
3. Rethink Recruiting Strategy
   In a market with less mobility, hiring becomes harder. You’ll need to lean into proactive recruiting, emphasizing stability, culture, and long-term opportunity to coax risk-averse candidates into considering a move.
4. Build Bridges to Growth Industries
   If your industry is slowing, consider repositioning your company, or even your reps, toward growth sectors. Salespeople want to feel they’re on the right side of history, not fighting uphill battles in shrinking markets.

For Salespeople: Navigating the Job Hugging Dilemma

If you’re a salesperson weighing whether to hug your job or make a move, here are three lenses to apply:

• Evaluate Your Industry: Is your sector growing, flat, or shrinking? If shrinking, job hugging may protect you now but hurt your long-term trajectory.
• Assess Your Pipeline Potential: Could you realistically build a pipeline in a new role? Are your skills transferable to a different sector? If yes, the move may be worth it.
• Check Your Confidence Gap: Are you staying put out of strategy or fear? Confidence is cyclical. The market will turn again; don’t let today’s anxiety dictate your entire career path.

The Bigger Picture: Cycles of Confidence

The labor market is cyclical. Just as job hopping surged during the Great Resignation, job hugging now dominates the landscape. Both are products of worker confidence. When confidence is high, mobility increases; when confidence is low, workers cling to stability.

What we’re seeing today is not permanent, but it is profound. A labor market with only 7% job-to-job transition is sluggish, almost static compared to recent years. For sales leaders and recruiters, it means adapting tactics to meet workers where they are: anxious, cautious, but still ambitious deep down.

Final Thought

Job hugging is the mirror opposite of job hopping. Where one was fueled by optimism and opportunity, the other is fueled by caution and insecurity. Neither is “good” or “bad” in isolation,  they’re simply reflections of the broader economy and workforce sentiment.

For workers, especially sales professionals, the key is balance: don’t jump recklessly, but don’t let fear trap you either. For employers, the challenge is to retain engaged, motivated teams while finding creative ways to attract cautious candidates.

The era of job hugging may last until confidence returns. The smart move is to treat it not as a constraint, but as a context, one that demands adaptability, empathy, and long-term vision from both sides of the hiring table.