The ‘Great Stay’: Experts Reveal Why Workers Are Staying Put
▼ Summary
– Tech professionals are less concerned about layoffs, with only 31% currently worried compared to 39% a year ago.
– Fewer tech workers are job hunting, with a significant drop in those considering leaving after company layoffs from 70% to 41%.
– AI is impacting tech careers, with 26% reporting AI-related layoffs and 35% concerned AI could replace their roles.
– Market uncertainty and economic factors are major reasons professionals stay in current jobs rather than AI threats.
– There is high demand for specific tech skills like machine learning and distributed computing that candidates often lack on resumes.
A notable shift is underway in the technology sector, with many professionals opting to remain in their current roles rather than pursue new opportunities. This emerging pattern, often referred to as the “Great Stay,” marks a significant departure from the widespread job-hopping seen during the “Great Resignation.” Recent survey data highlights that worries about layoffs have diminished, and far fewer employees are considering a job change even when their company conducts layoffs that don’t affect them directly.
According to a recent Indeed survey, only 31% of tech workers now express concern about potential layoffs at their company, a drop from 39% a year earlier. Even more striking, the portion who would consider job hunting after layoffs at their firm fell dramatically from 70% to just 41%. While these numbers suggest growing stability, the data also reveals a troubling undercurrent: more than a quarter of respondents reported that tech talent had been let go due to AI, and 35% are concerned that artificial intelligence could eventually take over their role.
The survey, which gathered responses from 1,000 technology professionals and analyzed job posting trends, also found steep declines in management and non-management tech job postings. Despite this, certain specialized skills remain in high demand. Expertise in distributed computing, machine learning frameworks, model deployment, and site reliability engineering is highly sought after but often missing from candidate resumes.
Steve Morris, founder and CEO of NewMedia.com, argues that AI itself isn’t the main reason professionals are staying put. “The threat from AI is not what’s causing tech people to stay put,” he notes. “It’s the riskiness of the job market.” Morris points out that while anxiety about AI as an existential threat has eased, the primary deterrent to changing jobs is the perceived instability in the employment landscape. Tech workers with influence over how AI is implemented in their teams tend to be more satisfied, while junior employees often handle routine tasks, making them especially cautious about leaving a role where they have established expertise.
Caroline Stokes, a workplace author and coach, describes the current climate as “a cacophony of unstable environments,” citing factors like tariffs, AI, and geopolitical tensions. She believes professionals are staying in their roles for the wrong reasons, often due to unreliable leadership and insufficient investment in critical areas like AI. At the same time, the rush to adopt AI has motivated some tech workers to stay and help build new systems rather than flee.
Stokes also highlights what she calls the “better-the-devil-you-know” syndrome. With financial obligations and daily responsibilities, many professionals find the stress and uncertainty of a job change too great, especially when high-profile companies are shutting down projects or studios. To attract talent, organizations may need to offer stronger safety nets, such as contract clauses that protect employees in case of project or company closure.
Phil Willburn, Vice President of People Analytics, Insights, and Experiences at Workday, agrees that market and economic uncertainty, more than AI, are suppressing job mobility. “This is especially true in the technology sector, where the story is one of significant internal career stagnation, not stability,” he explains. Workday’s internal data shows that although hiring demand in tech remains strong, the market is slow and hyper-competitive. More than half of open roles take over 30 days to fill, and each job posting attracts around 40 applicants, making it difficult for even motivated employees to secure new positions.
Despite these trends, AI continues to influence career decisions in the background. Thalia-Maria Tourikis, a certified health coach at the Headway app, observes that the decline in tech job openings stems from a mix of over-hiring, macroeconomic pressures, and the partial impact of AI. She notes a redistribution of roles, increased demand for AI-related positions like machine learning, alongside reduced demand for traditional software jobs. “Employment rates remain relatively high, but opportunities for transitions and entry into the industry have decreased, which makes job searches more emotionally challenging, often followed by stress and burnout,” she says. For many, staying put is a strategic career move, not a sign of comfort.
In response, tech professionals are increasingly focused on building versatile skill sets and exploring new income streams. Roei Samuel, founder and CEO of Connectd, explains that workers are “creating options rather than waiting for the market to thaw or betting everything on one employer.” He adds that while awareness of AI’s potential impact remains high, the most driven individuals are channeling that awareness into productive adaptation rather than panic. This proactive approach allows them to maintain agency and build resilience in a rapidly changing industry.
(Source: ZDNET)
