World of HR: Workers are holding on to jobs amid a tough labor market

As the global economy wanes, workers in Ireland appear to be holding on to jobs harder than 1800s-era Waterford, Irish Tech News recently reported.

Where in the world? Job openings at employers in Ireland received fewer applications in October compared to the same period in 2024, LinkedIn found. The application to applicant ratio decreased by -3.9%, while the rest of EMEA-LATAM fell by -1.5%, year over year.

“We are seeing a trend where more workers are opting to stay in their current roles rather than actively seeking new opportunities,” Cara O’Leary, Ireland country manager at LinkedIn, said, adding that the job market is more competitive and employers are advertising roles less.

Workers in Ireland may have another reason to hug their roles: 37.3% of employers in the country offer hybrid work options, tying it with the UK for the highest in EMEA, LinkedIn found.

“Ireland continues to stand out as a leader in flexible work, with hybrid roles now accounting for more than one-third of all job postings,” O’Leary said. “Irish workers applying to them at even higher rates than the European average. Flexibility continues to be a key differentiator for companies seeking to attract and retain the best talent.”

Satellite view. Roughly half (48%) of workers in the US admit to holding on to their jobs for stability or security as unemployment slowly ticks up, according to a recent report from Monster. The trend is expected to continue, as three-quarters of workers also said they will likely remain at their current job for the next two years.

“Staying put doesn’t mean standing still. Workers can continue to explore new opportunities passively and evaluate them carefully,” Vicky Salemi, a career expert at Monster, wrote. “The bar for making a move may be higher right now, but it’s not closed.”

However, employers should ensure that job hugging doesn’t lead to complacency, Claudia Cohen, director of the academy at tech recruitment agency La Fosse, told OnRec. “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,” she said.

“For leadership teams, this tends to show up as declining performance, unfulfilled talent pipelines, and frustration across the business.”

HR leaders could get a better understanding of how job hugging may be impacting their business by examining metrics such as engagement rates and ensuring employees continue contributing to the company, HR Executive reported.