Wage growth is doing something odd these days.

Typically, wages grow at a faster clip each year for workers who switch jobs, compared to those who stay in their current role .

That makes sense: Workers generally leave a job when they find something better for them, which often includes a higher salary, according to labor economists.

But in 2025, the roles have reversed as workers, faced with a souring job market, shift from job-hopping to " job hugging " — that is, clinging to their current roles.

Annual wage growth for so-called "job stayers" has eclipsed that of "job switchers" for the past six months, since February, according to data tracked by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

The margins aren't huge: For example, in July, job stayers saw wages grow at a 4.1% annual pa

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