The Great Stay Isn't Over. What's Next For The U.S. Workforce In 2025?

Forbes

23-04-2025

Job insecurity is at its peak since the aftermath of COVID-19
After the mass resignations of 2021, leading to the trend dubbed The Great Resignation, millions of professionals are doing the exact opposite of what we saw a few years ago. Not because they love their jobs, but because they're too afraid and worried about the economy and threats to their job security to leave.
This most recent workforce trend has been called The Great Stay, and it kicked off in late 2023 to early 2024. Recent data from MyPerfectResume's State Of The Labor Market report notes that the trend is continuing, and employees have valid reason to be worried. The report notes that four in five workers are anxious about losing their jobs this year, and the numbers reveal the extent to which professionals are losing faith in the job market, painting a stark picture of the U.S. workforce today.
The survey, which polled more than 1,100 U.S. workers revealed that about 76% of workers anticipate more layoffs this year, with 63% expecting more businesses to close compared to last year. More than half predict burnout rates to worsen. And job insecurity has been cited as the leading cause by 43% of respondents.
Indeed, 2025 has had its fair share of labor market turbulence. February saw the highest number of layoffs since the pandemic, and ongoing negotiations in the trade war between the Trump administration and other countries has set off tariffs and counter-tariffs, meaning more factories and plants are forced to shut down and lay off their workers.
So of course U.S. professionals in the traditional workforce have cause for concern. But with this backdrop, what can workers expect or prepare for during the rest of the year?
With more workers staying put in their jobs--even in roles they hate or at employers that are toxic--the side effects of taking such a course could worsen. The Great Stay can result in skill atrophy, especially if your role does not provide room or space for you to grow and expand. You end up settling for less-than-ideal rather than quitting your job because you have nothing else to fall back on, and since your skills are under-utilized, you lose enjoyment, fulfilment, and satisfaction in your career. This inadvertently impacts your mental health and overall wellbeing.
Staying in a job that is not healthy for you can also lead to other disastrous consequences such as missed income potential, and losing any drive or self-motivation for your life.
Perhaps this is why, simultaneously, many U.S. workers are opting for freelancing and taking up side hustles as a means of not only boosting their income (relieving over-reliance on their primary job) but also as a way of exploring their interests and skills and enjoying their work, outside the confines of their jobs. Instead of staying idle, many are exploring ways to make money online and build passive income streams.
Professionals who continue to stay in their jobs this year, even when they would have moved otherwise, intend to use their spare time to upskill so they can not only retain their roles but so they can also be of use elsewhere and increase their value in the job market. The MyPerfectResume report states that '61% of workers plan to upskill in 2025 to remain competitive.,' which is certainly a positive upside to this labor market trend.
Overall, while staying in a job because of fear may feel secure, it's not the safest route, as far as your mental and physical wellbeing are concerned. Neither is it a smart move if you don't have a back-up plan, because the past few months have shown us that your job is still at risk of being eliminated regardless of your role's hierarchy level.
True job security in 2025 comes from positioning yourself for opportunities before they're needed; learning on the go; creating additional income streams; and strategically protecting your mental health and refusing to succumb to burnout. This means taking a break when you feel you need it, standing your ground for your rights at work, listening to your body, setting clear boundaries at work, and allocating time for upskilling each week.
If a job does not offer you room to grow, you've got to provide your own options
Who knows, 2025 might pave the way for a new workplace trend: one where employees are empowered to take back control of their careers and create opportunities for themselves independent of employers?