While the trend of "quiet quitting" gained traction on social media earlier this year, there is another workforce trend being discussed recently: "career cushioning," according to Bloomberg News.
The trend refers to employees looking for "plan B" jobs and taking actions like networking and job board scanning to prepare for the possibility of layoffs. "Cushioning" comes from the dating world, where individuals keep their romantic options open to "cushion" an unexpected breakup, according to Bloomberg News, which reported on the topic in November and recently discussed it on CBS News. And it has gained more traction in the workforce as companies like Twitter and Amazon have recently conducted layoffs.
A September survey from Bluecrew found that two-thirds of employees plan to look for a new job to combat inflation in the coming year, according to a Korn Ferry report.
Diane Gilley, a partner at recruiting firm Odgers Berndtson's tech practice, explained it to Bloomberg News this way: "You're still committed to your current job, but you're thinking about what's important to you and where your passions lie, and where your network and experiences could take you."
In healthcare, hospitals and health systems have cut jobs amid financial and operational challenges. Some efforts to trim labor costs have included reducing administrative staff, leaving vacant jobs open and reorganizing or shrinking executive teams.
Overall, healthcare employment so far this year has risen by an average of 47,000 each month, compared with a monthly average of 9,000 in 2021, according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.