--- title: More Than Half of Workers Fantasize About Quitting. The Economy Is Keeping Them Put description: More than half of workers fantasize about quitting, but most plan to stay. Here’s why workers feel disengaged — and what could help. authors: - name: Liliana Hall role: Reporter url: https://money.com/author/liliana-hall/ bio: Liliana Hall joined Money in 2025. She is an Austin-based reporter for Money, where she covers a range of topics, including financial news, policy, banking, investing, passive income, financial planning and student loan debt. education: University of Texas at Austin at_money_since: 2025 articles: 141 covers: - Career Advice - Banking - Business - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes social: - https://x.com/lilihallllllll - https://www.linkedin.com/in/liliana-hall/ editors: - name: Katherine Peach role: Associate Editor url: https://money.com/author/katherine-peach/ bio: Katherine Peach is an associate editor with a focus on news and email at Money. She didn’t always intend to write about money. She’s a classically trained pianist who dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. However, in 2007 Katherine began working in financial publishing as an editor for Agora Inc. (Apparently, unearthing ideas about improving your personal finances isn’t such a bad career alternative!) Katherine’s writing and editing work has been featured in Investing Daily, Clever, Investor Junkie, The Palm Beach Letter, Truth & Plenty, Independence Monthly, NICHE, AmericanStyle, AntiqueWeek, Millennial Money, Money Done Right, TheStreet, Sure Dividend and many others. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient Studies with concentrations in Archaeology and Ancient Languages and a minor in Literature from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. education: University of Maryland, Baltimore County at_money_since: 2025 articles: 14 covers: - Career Advice - Banking - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Federal Reserve Rate Cuts - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes published: '2026-10-15T12:30:14.000Z' section: Career Advice tags: - Careers - News word_count: 606 canonical: https://money.com/workers-want-to-quit-but-stay/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Person's hand holding firing box](https://img.money.com/2026/10/News-Workers-quit-jobs.jpg) More than half of workers fantasize about quitting their jobs, but most aren't planing to go anywhere. This disconnect suggests that feeling fed up with work and being ready to leave it are two very different things. Nearly 6 in 10 workers (59%) say they often feel checked out on the job, while 55% report fantasizing about quitting, according to the latest [Workplace Wellness Survey](https://www.ebri.org/publications/research-publications/issue-briefs/content/2026-workplace-wellness-survey) from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, or EBRI. Yet 60% report being satisfied with their jobs, and 90% say they plan to stay with their current employer for at least two more years. A steady paycheck, [benefits](https://money.com/employees-want-financial-help-at-work/) and uncertainty about [finding another job](https://money.com/get-new-job-2026-tips/) may help explain the disconnect. Workers can appreciate what a job provides without feeling particularly invested in the work itself — or be ready to give up the security that comes with it. ## Why workers are staying in jobs they don’t love For some workers, a consistent paycheck and a sense of security may matter more than passion or career growth. That's the idea behind "job hugging," a term for workers who stick with their current jobs rather than pursue other opportunities, even if they're not particularly fulfilled by the work. In a recent [survey](https://www.monster.com/career-advice/research/job-hugging-statistics-2026) by job-search platform Monster, 48% of workers said they’re currently job hugging. Pay and benefits were among the biggest reasons for staying, cited by 66% of respondents, followed closely by job security or stability (64%). Meanwhile, 33% said they weren’t confident they could quickly find another job if they left. “For most people, the daydream is an escape valve, the way we daydream about a trip,” says Lena McDearmid, founder and CEO of [Wryver](https://wryver.com/), a workplace culture and leadership consulting firm. “It's a release, not a plan, and the economy blocks the plan.” The result may be a workforce that sticks around for the security of a job without feeling genuinely connected to the work. McDearmid says job satisfaction and engagement measure different things. Satisfaction often depends on whether a job meets practical needs, such as providing a paycheck and stability. Engagement reflects a worker’s connection to their work, team and employer. “People don't see their connection to the outcome,” McDearmid says. “They know what they do, but not why it matters or where they fit.” The EBRI survey findings suggest that feeling disconnected may be part of the problem. Just 24% reported often or always feeling valued for their contributions at work. More than half (52%) said they frequently perform below their capabilities, while 50% reported they did just enough to get by with the same frequency. But while workers may not be ready to walk away, there are changes that could help improve their experience on the job. ## What would make workers feel more engaged? A [bigger paycheck](https://money.com/salary-increase-raises-budgets-2027/) might not solve all workers’ problems, but it’s a pretty good place to start. Among workers who often feel disengaged at work, 52% said higher wages would improve their experience at work. More time off could help, too. About a third of those workers (32%) said additional time off would make a difference, while 29% pointed to better work-life balance. A more supportive supervisor (26%) and better benefits (25%) also made the list. But pay isn’t the only thing workers care about. Nearly half (49%) ranked work-life balance among their top three priorities beyond compensation, ahead of schedule flexibility and more paid time off. McDearmid says improving engagement also requires employers to understand what their workers actually want. “If you want to raise engagement, start by asking your people what they want,” she says. “Then make it safe to tell you the truth.” ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/workers-want-to-quit-but-stay/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Career Advice", "item": "https://money.com/career-advice/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jobs", "item": "https://money.com/jobs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "More Than Half of Workers Fantasize About Quitting. 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