First the great migration, now the big hold: why workers are staying put

The tide has turned. The great migration, when the shift to remote work prompted people to quit their jobs in droves, is officially over. Now comes the big hold.

According to a new survey from consulting firm Robert Half, 73% of respondents, workers at companies, said they plan to stay in their current roles through 2025. They gave reasons like having « positive company culture » and « feeling professionally fulfilled » or « being well compensated » at their current job. But there’s also a fourth reason why so many are staying put: the job market isn’t great and people are worried.

Microsoft, AT&T, JP Morgan, Amazon and other companies are mandating their employees to return to their offices or lose their jobs. AI is already replacing workers at tech companies, Wall Street firms and retailers and some fear greater job losses in the not too distant future. Other cost cutting measures are leading big brands like Citi, Accenture, Tesla and Intel and other corporate giants to lay off tens of thousands of workers.

And what a great opportunity for small businesses! For example, there’s my friend in Illinois. He has over 100 employees in his office. For years, he’s been spending half his days just walking around and talking to them. Telling them how important they are. Checking in on their lives and families. Asking them what they’re doing and what problems they’re having. Imagine working for that guy. Someone who genuinely cares about his workers. His turnover is low. His retention is high.

In the midst of all this job chaos, small business hiring and employment has remained constant. The latest Small Business Employment Watch report from Paychex, the giant HR and payroll processing firm, found that in July hiring among those companies with less than 50 employees « remained steady » which, according to the company’s CEO « speaks to the resiliency of small businesses given the amount of uncertainty they faced so far this year ».

(Gene Marks, The Guardian, 31 August 2025)