According to the report, 69% of Australians also noted that finding a job has become more difficult over the past year because of increased competition.
Another 81% also said they don’t feel ready for the job search in 2026, with 36% noting that they are unprepared for how AI is changing employers’ recruitment approaches.
Brendan Wong, LinkedIn career expert, said this behaviour is the “opposite” of what was observed during the Great Resignation.
“Australians are job hugging, staying in roles they might have otherwise left because the market feels uncertain and highly competitive,” Wong said. “When four in five people say they feel unprepared to job hunt, it’s not surprising many are choosing stability over risk.”
This behaviour is an extension of how employees behaved last year, after the ELMO Employee Sentiment Index found that just 18% of employees were considering a career move.