Fear of Change Drives Job Hugging Among Mexican Workers: OCC

More than half of Mexican workers have rejected job offers despite feeling dissatisfied with their current roles, citing fear of change and uncertainty as the main reasons, according to new data from recruitment platform OCC. The findings highlight how job hugging and related behaviors are reshaping workforce dynamics in Mexico amid economic volatility and slower labor mobility.

“Remaining in a job that no longer generates satisfaction, but that is difficult to leave due to fear of change, has become a reality of today’s labor market,” said OCC, in its Termómetro Laboral, referring to the phenomenon known as job hugging.

OCC’s Termómetro Laboral survey found that 54% of workers in Mexico have declined at least one job offer because of fear associated with changing jobs. The survey, conducted between Dec. 2 and Dec. 8 among 1,657 workers nationwide, measured how uncertainty influences employment decisions. Among those who rejected offers, 31% cited uncertainty tied directly to change, 18% pointed to various unspecified reasons and 5% said stress related to the transition process influenced their decision. By contrast, 45% said fear does not prevent them from accepting a new opportunity.

The data suggest a labor market increasingly shaped by caution rather than mobility. While job switching accelerated in the years following the pandemic, recent conditions have altered worker behavior. Slower hiring, inflationary pressures and concerns over job stability have led many employees to prioritize continuity over advancement. In this environment, job hugging, defined as staying in a role that no longer provides satisfaction due to perceived risks of leaving, has become more prevalent.

Structural characteristics of the Mexican labor market may reinforce this trend. Trial periods of up to three months are common when workers join a new employer, allowing companies to terminate employment before offering a permanent contract. For employees, this shifts much of the risk to the early stages of a job change. Talent management firm Kelly estimates that it can take between three and eight months for a new hire to fully adapt to a role, a timeline that many workers view as uncertain amid economic volatility.

OCC’s findings show that job hugging has implications beyond individual career decisions. The survey explored how dissatisfaction affects productivity and workplace outcomes. Forty-six percent of respondents said dissatisfaction reduces the quality of their work, while 34% said it affects their ability to meet objectives. Another 11% linked dissatisfaction to increased absenteeism and tardiness, and 9% said it leads to more errors in daily tasks. OCC warned that prolonged dissatisfaction can limit professional development and affect company performance if not addressed.

The Mexican data align with broader trends observed in other markets. In the United States, Monster’s 2025 Job Hugging Report found that 75% of employees plan to stay in their current roles through 2027. Nearly half said fear and economic uncertainty were the main reasons behind that decision. The report, based on a survey of 1,004 employed US workers conducted in October 2025, found that voluntary resignation rates have fallen to their lowest levels since 2019, signaling a shift away from job hopping.

Experts say job hugging is often accompanied by other forms of hidden disengagement. Joseph Zumaeta, Country Manager, Pandapé, said job hugging is part of a broader set of emerging behaviors that also includes task masking and what he describes as “silent cracking.” According to Zumaeta, these behaviors reveal a paradox in the modern workplace: employees seek security and emotional balance, while organizations struggle to detect signals of exhaustion, disengagement or fear of change.

Task masking refers to appearing productive without generating meaningful impact. It often manifests through visible but low-value activities such as attending redundant meetings, sending emails outside regular hours or filling calendars to signal busyness. Zumaeta noted that this behavior has expanded in hybrid work environments, where physical presence has regained symbolic value and visibility is still frequently equated with commitment. Research cited by Zumaeta indicates that roughly one in three employees admits to engaging in task masking behaviors.

Silent cracking, by contrast, describes a gradual form of emotional burnout. Workers continue to meet expectations and remain present, but motivation, creativity and engagement erode over time. According to data cited by Zumaeta from the World Health Organization, global employee engagement declined from 23% to 21% over the past year, while stress levels continued to rise. In Latin America, heavy workloads and limited resources have intensified the psychological toll.

Labor statistics in Mexico provide further context. According to the National Survey of Occupation and Employment, 675,052 people voluntarily left their jobs in the first quarter of 2025. More than 10,500 cited an inability to meet job demands, representing a 57% increase from the same period in 2024. Nearly 120,000 resigned due to deteriorating working conditions or health and safety risks, an increase of 7.5% year over year. These figures suggest that while many workers remain in place out of caution, others eventually exit when pressure becomes unsustainable.

For employers, these dynamics complicate traditional approaches to measuring commitment and performance. Zumaeta said productivity can no longer be assessed solely through visible effort or hours worked. He noted that some organizations, particularly in technology and financial services, are shifting toward outcome-based metrics, internal mobility programs and continuous learning initiatives to maintain engagement without increasing turnover.

OCC echoed the need for proactive management. The firm recommended that companies identify job hugging early and create spaces for open discussion around expectations, well-being and career growth. Human resources teams, OCC said, play a central role in addressing disengagement by implementing employee surveys, strengthening leadership communication and designing clear development paths.

As 2025 comes to a close, the convergence of job hugging, task masking and silent cracking underscores the challenges facing employers in an uncertain labor market. While workers prioritize stability, organizations must balance retention with engagement, ensuring that fear-driven decisions do not translate into long-term declines in productivity, innovation and workplace health.