ANN ARBOR – Michigan workers are entering 2026 with a clear and sobering priority: hold on.
Across factories, hospitals, offices, and government buildings, employees are increasingly reluctant to change jobs — even when workloads are rising or pay is stagnating. A new national workforce survey shows that fear of layoffs, economic uncertainty, and burnout are reshaping how Americans think about work. In Michigan, where employment has long moved in cycles tied to manufacturing and innovation, the trend feels especially familiar.
The shift has a name: the Great Stay.
Nationally, nearly one-third of workers say they fear losing their job in 2026, while almost two-thirds say they do not plan to look for a new one. In Michigan, those numbers intersect with ongoing transitions in automotive manufacturing, mobility technology, healthcare staffing, and professional services — reinforcing a culture of caution rather than confidence.
A Workforce Acting on Fear, Not Optimism
Unlike the Great Resignation of the early 2020s, today’s labor market is defined less by opportunity and more by uncertainty. Workers are not staying because conditions are ideal. They are staying because leaving feels risky.
Nearly half of surveyed workers believe the labor market will worsen in 2026, and a majority expect layoffs to increase nationwide. For Michigan workers, those fears are amplified by recent restructuring announcements, delayed capital investments, and uneven hiring across key industries.
Economists at the University of Michigan have echoed that cautious outlook.
Gabe Ehrlich, director of the university’s Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics, has warned that Michigan’s job growth is likely to slow as cyclical industries adjust. Structural changes — particularly in automotive manufacturing — are forcing workers to think defensively.
In short, Michigan workers are not betting on a strong rebound. They are betting on survival.
Automotive and Mobility: The Epicenter of the Great Stay
Nowhere is the Great Stay more visible than in Michigan’s automotive and mobility sector.
The industry remains the backbone of the state’s economy, but it is undergoing one of the most disruptive transitions in decades. Electric vehicle adoption has moved more slowly than expected, software and battery development are reshaping job requirements, and global competition continues to pressure suppliers.
Recent layoffs at automakers and Tier 1 suppliers have sent a clear message to workers: even highly skilled roles are not immune.
“Structural forces in the automotive sector — from electrification to global competition — are making workers far more cautious,” Ehrlich has said in recent economic briefings. “Stability feels more valuable than chasing uncertain opportunities.”
As a result, engineers, technicians, and production workers are choosing to stay put rather than risk moving into equally uncertain roles elsewhere.
Manufacturing Beyond Autos: Seniority Matters More Than Mobility
Outside of automotive, Michigan’s broader manufacturing base — including machinery, metals, plastics, and food processing — reflects the same pattern.
Employment growth has slowed, and companies are prioritizing efficiency over expansion. Rising costs, trade volatility, and automation investments have made workers more risk-averse.
University of Michigan economist Don Grimes has noted that when growth is modest and uncertainty is high, workers place a premium on seniority, benefits, and predictability. That reality helps explain why voluntary quits have declined even as dissatisfaction remains elevated.
For many factory workers, a slightly higher wage elsewhere is not worth the risk of being first out during the next downturn.
Healthcare and Education: Stable Jobs, Rising Burnout
Healthcare and education remain among Michigan’s strongest employment sectors, driven by demographic demand and institutional stability. Hospitals, clinics, universities, and school systems continue to hire.
But stability does not mean comfort.
Burnout is widespread, fueled by staffing shortages, administrative demands, and rising workloads. Even so, many workers are reluctant to leave established positions for roles that may offer little improvement in work-life balance.
Eric Lupher, CEO of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, has pointed out that quality-of-life concerns are now shaping career decisions as much as wages. Workers may feel secure, but they are exhausted — and unwilling to gamble on change.
Professional and Business Services: White-Collar Caution Sets In
Michigan’s professional and business services sector once fueled job mobility, especially in tech, engineering, and consulting. That dynamic has cooled.
Hiring is more selective, venture funding tighter, and corporate budgets more cautious. While job openings remain, workers are increasingly hesitant to jump without clear guarantees.
University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers has described the shift bluntly: in uncertain markets, people prefer “the devil they know.”
Hybrid work arrangements have stabilized, reducing one source of anxiety. But professionals are prioritizing benefits, flexibility, and organizational stability over pay increases that come with risk.
Retail, Hospitality, and Service Jobs: Staying Because the Margins Are Thin
In retail, hospitality, and service sectors, the Great Stay looks less like strategy and more like necessity.
These workers often have limited financial buffers and inconsistent schedules. Inflation has hit hard, and job changes can mean gaps in income or health coverage. Even when hours fluctuate, many are holding on rather than risking instability.
State labor data show that while job openings exist, voluntary quits have softened — a sign that workers are choosing predictability over possibility.
Government and Public Sector: Stability Becomes a Selling Point
Public sector employment has quietly become one of Michigan’s strongest anchors.
State and local government jobs offer predictable pay, strong benefits, and long-term security — qualities that loom larger when private-sector volatility rises. Turnover remains low, and current employees show little appetite to leave.
Officials at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity have emphasized that retention and reskilling, not rapid hiring, will define workforce strategy in the years ahead.
What the Great Stay Means for Michigan’s Economy
The Great Stay is more than a labor trend. It is a signal about confidence.
It reflects a workforce that feels economically exposed, cautious about risk, and unconvinced that job switching guarantees improvement. While lower turnover may reduce short-term hiring costs, it raises longer-term concerns about burnout, disengagement, and stalled innovation.
For Michigan employers, the message is clear:
Workers may not be leaving — but that does not mean they are thriving.
Companies that invest in transparent communication, internal mobility, reskilling, and workload management will be better positioned to maintain productivity and trust as uncertainty persists.
As Michigan moves into 2026, the Great Stay captures the mood of its workforce: choosing stability over ambition — not because it wants to, but because it feels it has to.
