The Great Job Hug: Why South Africans Are Staying in Their Jobs, But Quietly Checking Out

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[Johannesburg, SA – 29 January 2026]: ManpowerGroup’s new 2026 Global Talent Barometer has identified a powerful shift in worker behaviour: the rise of ‘Job Hugging’. This global report reveals that employees are increasingly choosing safety over satisfaction, holding tightly to the security of their current job while quietly searching for something better.

 

According to the Global Talent Barometer, 64% of workers worldwide plan to stay in their current roles, yet 60% are actively job hunting. Nearly one‑third (31%) expect possible job loss in the near future, creating a climate of caution, stress, and silent disengagement.

 

Manpower South Africa says this behaviour is even more pronounced locally. “In South Africa, people are clinging to their jobs not out of loyalty, but out of necessity,” says Lyndy Van Den Barselaar, Managing Director of Manpower South Africa. “With unemployment above 32% and more than 8.4 million people struggling to find work, employees are understandably risk‑averse. They stay because they feel they cannot afford to leave, but that doesn’t mean they’re fulfilled, committed, or engaged.”

 

Why Job Hugging is Surging in South Africa

South Africa’s labour market creates the perfect conditions for Job Hugging:

  • Unemployment sits at 32.2% (Stats SA, Q2 2025)
  • More than 8.4 million people are actively looking for work
  • Youth unemployment remains above 45%
  • Economic volatility and rising living costs make job moves feel risky
  • Job creation is slow, and competition for skilled roles is intense
  • Long tenure without progression
  • Declining participation in development programmes
  • Reduced willingness to take on stretch assignments
  • A rise in ‘minimum effort’ performance
  • Employees expressing fear of change rather than ambition for growth
  • Quiet job‑searching behaviour (e.g., browsing online recruitment platforms during breaks)

 

In this environment, employees increasingly opt for security over satisfaction. Many remain in roles they have outgrown simply because the risk of unemployment feels greater than the discomfort of stagnation, a hallmark of Job Hugging behaviour.

 

Van Den Barselaar warns that this creates a dangerous illusion of stability. “Employers may see low turnover and assume people are happy. But Job Hugging is not loyalty, it’s survival. And survival mode is not where innovation, creativity, or leadership growth happens.”

 

How Job Hugging Affects Organisations

Job Hugging has a measurable impact on organisational performance:

  1. Innovation slows down - Employees who feel stuck rarely take risks or propose new ideas
  2. Leadership pipelines stall - High‑potential employees avoid internal moves because they fear instability, leaving succession plans underdeveloped
  3. Productivity quietly erodes - Job huggers stay physically but disengage mentally, a form of ‘silent stagnation’
  4. Culture becomes risk‑averse - When people feel unsafe, they prioritise self‑preservation over collaboration and growth
  5. Future turnover spikes - Once economic conditions improve, job huggers often leave in waves, creating sudden talent gaps

 

How to Spot Job Hugging in Your Workforce

Manpower South Africa highlights several early indicators:

 

What Executive and Leadership Teams Can Do to Reduce Job Hugging

Van Den Barselaar says the solution is not to push people to move, but to create the psychological safety that makes movement feel possible.

  1. Build a culture of internal mobility - Employees need to see clear, transparent pathways for growth inside the organisation
  2. Invest in skills development - When people feel capable, they feel confident enough to take on new roles
  3. Strengthen manager‑employee trust - Regular career conversations reduce fear and increase engagement
  4. Address burnout and workload pressure - A workforce in survival mode cannot innovate
  5. Communicate openly about organisational stability - Uncertainty fuels Job Hugging; clarity reduces it
  6. Reward contribution, not just tenure - This shifts the culture from “stay safe” to “grow boldly”

 

“Skills confidence is now the new currency of retention,” says Van Den Barselaar. “When employees feel supported, developed, and safe to take risks, Job Hugging disappears, and genuine engagement returns.”

 

A Workforce on Pause and a Warning for Employers

Manpower South Africa says Job Hugging will remain a defining workforce trend into 2026. The real challenge for employers is not turnover. It’s stagnation, as workers remain in their roles but disengage emotionally. To stay competitive, organisations will need to create the conditions that give employees the confidence to grow, move, and contribute fully, rather than simply holding on out of fear.