Few things are scarier than losing a steady stream of income, and this is precisely why the job market currently has everyone in a chokehold. Everywhere you look, workers are being nudged into accepting or staying in roles that don’t match their skills, experience, or worth, simply because they’ve been conditioned to believe they have no other options. It’s a pattern that’s been quietly building for quite some time, and Glassdoor has finally given it a name: the “Great Settling.”
According to Glassdoor’s Layoff Recovery Roadmap report, 57 percent of workers felt pressured to accept a job with lower pay following a layoff, with women feeling this pressure more acutely at 63 percent compared to 52 percent of men. Similarly, 57 percent of respondents for a ResumeBuilder survey self-identified as “job huggers”—employees who knowingly cling to their current positions out of fear rather than loyalty, satisfaction, or happiness—up from 45 percent just six months earlier.
Clearly, settling has become the standard for professionals across all industries. But how did we get here? And why do so many feel compelled to accept jobs that underpay them or don’t fully utilize their skills and expertise? I tapped two career experts to get to the bottom of this. Read on for a full breakdown of the Great Settling trend (including how it’s affecting the market!) plus our best tips for landing a new role that doesn’t force you to settle.
Catherine Fisher
Catherine Fisher is LinkedIn’s Career Expert and Vice President of Integrated Consumer Communications with over 20 years’ experience working in marketing and communications. In her current role, Catherine leads consumer communications strategy for LinkedIn and serves as the company spokeswoman, educating and inspiring people on how to grow their careers.
Daniel Zhao
Daniel Zhao is Chief Economist at Glassdoor. On Glassdoor’s Economic Research team, he has conducted research using Glassdoor’s unique data on a variety of topics affecting job seekers and employers ranging from the health of the job market to pay transparency to employee engagement & retention. His work has been cited in publications like the New York Times, the Harvard Business Review and more.
What is the Great Settling?
The Great Settling is a workplace trend in which professionals accept jobs that offer less pay, flexibility, or career growth than they want because they’re eager to get back to work. While the term in Glassdoor’s research was initially applied to laid-off workers, Glassdoor’s Chief Economist Daniel Zhao says the phenomenon is an extension of the Big Stay—a late-2023 trend where workers stopped job hopping and began prioritizing job security—that’s affecting the entire market.
We’re currently in what’s called a “softer” job market, meaning workers have less leverage and fewer opportunities. Consequently, Zhao says professionals “are increasingly being forced to settle for less.” They are either accepting roles or staying in roles below their pay grade, skill set, and expertise not because they want to, but because they feel like they have no other choice.
Why is the Great Settling gaining traction?
On the surface, the job market appears somewhat stable. LinkedIn VP and Career Expert Catherine Fisher says this is because unemployment is “relatively low and companies are still hiring.” The catch? Hiring isn’t happening at the rate it once was. According to Fisher, hiring is down 8 percent year over year, and employers are being more selective than ever with candidates. To pour salt in the wound, Zhao says, “the average unemployed worker is unemployed for almost half a year.”
“Professionals are increasingly being forced to settle for less… not because they want to, but because they feel like they have no other choice.”
Watching hiring happen at a snail’s pace has created legitimate, widespread anxiety amongst professionals looking to get back to work. “Laid-off workers are scared that the difficulty they’re facing getting back into a job will stretch on even longer,” Zhao explained. As a result, he says the fear of “being frozen out of the job market” far outweighs whatever offer is on the table. Fisher seconds this, saying: “When job searches take longer, and competition remains high, more people are willing to compromise on salary, title, or responsibilities in exchange for the certainty of getting back into the workforce.”
Furthermore, changing jobs also feels too risky. “With hiring down and job searches taking longer, many professionals don’t feel like they have the options they did just a few years ago,” Fisher said. When the market is volatile, inflation is sky-high, and healthcare costs are rising, Fisher says “people often prioritize predictability over ambition.”
How is the Great Settling impacting the job market?
“The Great Settling reflects a job market where confidence has weakened more than ambition,” Fisher said. “People still want growth, but they’re making more cautious decisions about how they pursue it.” While it’s easy to understand why someone would accept lower pay to get back to work or stay in a job they’re overqualified for, these decisions have ripple effects that impact the workforce as a whole. Here’s how the Great Settling is impacting the job market:
Underemployment is becoming more common
When workers start settling—either by taking lower-quality jobs post-layoff or staying in roles they’re overqualified for—it creates a phenomenon called “underemployment.” This is when workers are employed but underutilized; they may earn less than they need or deserve, work fewer hours than desired, or accept a position that’s far below their qualifications.
When underemployment becomes widespread, settling becomes structural rather than temporary because the market adapts to this underutilization. Consequently, the economy settles into a long-term pattern of suboptimal employment, which then widens pay inequality, shrinks job openings, reduces opportunities for upward mobility, and stalls economic growth and productivity.
READ: The “Ghost Growth” Workplace Trend Will Steal Your Time, Your Energy, and Your Raise
Opportunities are disappearing
Similarly, settling leaves workers with fewer opportunities across the board. “More experienced workers who are laid off might reenter on a lower rung, outcompeting their less experienced peers,” Zhao explained. In other words, when top-tier talent moves downward, it compresses the entire career ladder: Hiring pipelines slow, making it harder for displayed workers to find good job matches.
Conversely, Zhao says workers who previously would’ve moved up and subsequently opened their job up to someone new are now “hunkering down and staying in place.” When put together, lower mobility and slower turnover create a disjointed labor market that further erodes leverage for job seekers; they’re forced to negotiate from a place of desperation rather than strength because potential employers essentially hold all the cards.
Wage and career growth are stalling
Lastly, Zhao says “lower career growth and lower wage growth” is the “end result” of the Great Settling. “As workers are forced to settle for less, their wages stagnate.” Zhao explained that a job change is “the point of maximum leverage for workers” because it’s when their pay gets recalibrated to current market rates rather than their old or current employer’s pay scale. But the Great Settling steals this leverage.
Limited hiring makes accessing this negotiation window harder, fewer quits reduce internal pressure to dole out wages and promotions, and employers don’t have to offer market-rate pay to attract prospective employees because they know they’ll come regardless. Consequently, there’s less movement upward. It’s a vicious cycle that further reinforces settling in both unemployed and employed professionals.
How to land or transition into a new role that doesn’t force you to settle
Regardless of qualifications and compensation, it’s easy to see how someone would fall victim to settling in today’s economic climate. But while Zhao says, “Settling can be OK as a temporary strategy,” it’s important to take steps that will reduce your likelihood of moving into a role that doesn’t recognize your experience, background, and skill set.
Whether you’re actively looking for a new job or biding your time until the right opportunity comes along, here’s how to land or transition into a new role that doesn’t force you to settle:
Conduct a 3-part market scan
Despite its apparent stagnation, the job market is constantly evolving, and roles are being reimagined right along with it. This is why conducting a three-part market scan at the start of your job search can be so beneficial. First, look at industry demand to determine which sectors are expanding, like healthcare and fintech. Next, look at the role demand in those sectors and other ones as well to determine which types of jobs have more openings. Finally, determine which skills are highly coveted that employers are willing to pay more for, like Generative SEO, AI-assisted content workflows, and so forth.
“The Great Settling reflects a job market where confidence has weakened more than ambition.”
Understanding all of this will show you where to set your sights during your job search, how to best tailor your application, and the compensation range you should target based on what the market is actively paying other candidates like you. Beyond that, having this clear picture will build your confidence because you’ll know what you’re worth and what you bring to the table. This, in turn, will grant you more bargaining power with potential employers because you’ll be negotiating job offers from a place of value, not desperation.
Get clear on your “non-settling” criteria
When you’re navigating a layoff or itching to get away from your current employer, it’s easy to job hunt reactively rather than selectively. The problem with this is that it drives your search forward with no real direction and can inadvertently lead you into grabbing whatever comes your way. For this reason, it’s a good idea to get clear on what your “non-settling” criteria are. This includes the type of job you want, your compensation floor (AKA the minimum you’ll accept), the 3-5 skills you must use, and what you refuse to tolerate. Doing this will strategically narrow your scope and make it easier to weed through irrelevant job listings and target the right ones.
READ: Job Search Anxiety Has Given Rise to “Doomjobbing”—Here’s What It Means
Build a transition plan
If you feel stuck in your current role, building a transition plan can help build your confidence, sharpen your skills and overall value, and get you more prepared for a future job search. Zhao suggests using this time to gain new skills, “certifications that raise your worth,” or using internal opportunities to build experience, like shadowing another team or collaborating on a cross-functional project. Similarly, he also says developing a side hustle can diversify your options and make you a more well-rounded candidate. If you’re unsure of which skills to build, Fisher suggests learning AI-related skills as well as “people-centered skills like leadership and communication.”
Additionally, Fisher emphasizes investing in your network proactively. “One of the biggest mistakes people make is only networking when they’re actually searching for a job,” she said. The kicker, according to Fisher, is that “your network can actually accelerate job placement.” So, stay connected to current and former coworkers, regularly mingle with colleagues, and attend industry events to meet new professionals.
Is settling for a less-than-perfect job really that bad?
Sometimes, you have to make the most of a bad situation. And if that means settling for a job because it’s your only reasonable option, then so be it. “For workers who are settling, it’s important to remember that much of [the job market] is outside of their control,” Zhao emphasized. Whether you feel stuck in your current role or compelled to take one that doesn’t offer everything you want, keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be permanent.
Not to mention, jobs that seem less-than-perfect on paper can still be beneficial to your success and career growth. When it comes down to it, settling can be temporary, so long as you take actionable steps to keep moving forward in your professional life.
Arianna Reardon, Contributing Writer
Arianna is a freelance writer and journalist, and the self-proclaimed hot and dirty martini queen. At The Everygirl, Arianna uses her authenticity and relatability to empower, inspire, and motivate women everywhere. Whether she’s writing about sex and relationships, career and finance, beauty and fashion, wellness, or home and living, Arianna’s passion shines through in all her work.
