Monster

Monster Research Institute By , Career Advice Expert Monster Research Institute By , Career Advice Expert Monster Research Institute By , Career Advice Expert Monster Research Institute By , Career Advice Expert Monster Research Institute By , Career Advice Expert

Economic pressures are impacting how Americans spend, travel, and work this summer. A more expensive economic environment is reshaping how Americans approach summer. Recently released research from Monster reveals a growing “staycation summer” trend, where workers are scaling back travel, opting for lower-cost activities, and rethinking how they spend their time off in response to rising living costs. What is a staycation summer?

In a Monster survey, the majority of workers report that microshifting improves productivity, but over half do it without their manager knowing. The traditional 9-to-5 workday may no longer reflect how work actually gets done. New research from Monster reveals a growing pattern of “microshifting,” where employees break their workday into shorter segments rather than working a continuous eight-hour schedule.

Over the past few years, the workplace has undergone significant shifts, altering how employees and employers collaborate and adapt to new realities. Through our ongoing polls and the annual Future of Work study, Monster has gained valuable insights into the latest workplace dynamics. Together, these findings inform the latest edition of the Monster Work Watch Report, providing a comprehensive overview of key trends shaping the workforce.

The traditional nine-to-five is no longer the only way people earn a living. Today, many professionals are turning to polyworking—a work arrangement where individuals hold multiple jobs or roles at once instead of relying on a single employer for income. According to Monster's new data, 47% of workers report that they currently polywork, and for many, it’s not a choice but a necessity.

Laughter is alive and well at work. But according to new research from Monster, it is also carefully managed. In the Workplace Laughter Report, a national survey of more than 1,000 employed U.S. workers, most employees say they laugh regularly on the job. At the same time, many are recalibrating when and how they show humor, especially around senior leaders.

New survey data reveals how workplace culture, burnout, and blurred boundaries are redefining the 40-hour week. As conversations about burnout and work life balance continue, long hours remain common across the workforce. Monster’s Workaholics Report finds that for many full-time employees, working beyond 40 hours per week is not the exception but the norm. In fact, most workers now describe themselves as at least somewhat workaholic.

Monster’s 2026 Job Market Outlook, based on full-year 2025 job posting and job seeker data, shows that employer demand is holding firm in healthcare, essential services, infrastructure-related roles, and skill-based jobs, even as other parts of the market slow. Rather than broad-based growth or decline, the labor market is increasingly defined by concentration.

Compared to 2025 when workers were reacting to change with cautious optimism, 2026 shows a workforce that has largely accepted uncertainty as a constant. Rather than accelerating career moves, workers are prioritizing stability and income protection and are quietly adapting through side hustles, upskilling, and more selective job searching. This shift isn’t about disengagement; it’s about preservation and planning.

If you could have your own personal career coach, someone to bounce ideas off of and learn from on a regular basis, wouldn’t you jump at the chance? These days, more and more people are finding career mentors to do just that—and in fact, mentoring is so popular, many companies have created programs devoted to matching younger or less experienced workers with more senior-level pros. But if you don’t work for one of those companies and you still want a mentor, how do you find one?