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AAP
AAP
Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson

Forget quiet quitting: job-hugging tipped as top trend

Fewer workers plan to look for a new role in 2026, with AI playing a role in their reluctance. (Dan Peled/AAP PHOTOS)

Australian workers are growing nervous about the impact of artificial intelligence technology on recruitment, leading many to throw their arms around an emerging employment trend: job-hugging. 

The growing movement, unlike job-hopping and quiet-quitting, could affect the number of roles employers advertise in 2026 as more people stay in their jobs to avoid economic uncertainty. 

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