Cornering The Job Market

One of the job market's longest-standing assumptions just got flipped. A new Randstad analysis of more than 150 million job postings found that skilled trades roles now take longer to fill than software developer positions, and the demand gap is accelerating. Robotics technicians, HVAC engineers, and industrial automation specialists are among the fastest-growing roles in the entire labor market, driven largely by the physical...

Today's headlines cover three stories that together paint a clear picture of exactly where the workforce stands right now.

Host Pete Newsome starts with a new ADP Research report, the largest of its kind, surveying more than 39,000 workers across 36 countries. Only 22% strongly believe their job is safe from elimination. Despite near-historic low unemployment worldwide, the workforce is operating from a place of genuine fear. P...

Gallup just released findings that should have every employer paying close attention. For the first time on record, more American workers say they're struggling than thriving, and the reasons go deeper than job dissatisfaction. Host Pete Newsome breaks down why 30% of workers feel stuck, why engagement has hit a ten-year low, and what employers need to do before the market shifts and their people run.

He also unpacks a striking...

Today's headlines all tell the same story from different angles: AI is reshaping the workforce faster than most people are prepared for, and the workers feeling it first are the ones just getting started.

Host Pete Newsome breaks down new data showing a measurable employment decline for workers aged 22 to 25 in AI-exposed roles, why vocational enrollment is surging, and what it means that nearly half of Americans under 34 are r...

New data reveals where AI is actually taking over inside corporate America, and it's happening faster than most workers realize. In this episode, host Pete Newsome breaks down a major new Gallup survey showing why accountability is the one leadership skill driving a 3x difference in employee engagement, plus findings from the CHRO Association that show 91% of top HR leaders say AI and workplace digitization are their number on...

AI is already changing how careers begin, and the data is starting to prove it. In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down new research from a panel of economists at Stanford University showing that hiring for entry-level professional roles is declining in areas with heavy AI exposure.

Software developer hiring for workers ages 22–26 is already down 20%, and call center hiring has dropped...

The job market keeps sending mixed signals, and today’s headlines highlight just how disconnected the system has become.

In today's episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down new data from Business Roundtable, where 169 of America’s largest CEOs shared their hiring plans for the next six months. While business confidence and spending are rising, hiring is flat: roughly one-third of CEOs plan to...

A $100 million bet on the skilled trades. A global automaker cutting 50,000 jobs. And new hiring data that suggests employers may be more optimistic than the headlines imply.

In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down three major stories shaping the future of work.

First, BlackRock announced a $100 million initiative called Future Builders, aimed at expanding training for electri...

AI isn’t theoretical anymore... It’s profitable.

A new global Snowflake survey of 3,400+ companies reveals that 92% of early AI adopters are seeing positive returns, with average ROI hitting 49%. Companies are making money. Real money.

But here’s the part that should get your attention: 63% of respondents report job losses at the entry level. Operations, customer service, and data analytics teams are seeing the bi...

Corporate layoffs are rising at the fastest pace since the Great Recession, and at the same time, Washington is quietly hiring back federal workers after cutting more than 387,000 jobs.

In today’s Breaking Job News, host Pete Newsome breaks down the Conference Board’s latest Employment Trends Index, where six of eight indicators turned negative, and workers say jobs are now as hard to get as they were in early 2021.

The February jobs report just dropped, and the headline is rough. U.S. payrolls fell by 92,000 in February, reversing much of January’s already revised gains. Unemployment ticked up to 4.4%, long-term unemployment jumped 27% year over year, and prior months were quietly revised downward, wiping out tens of thousands of jobs we thought existed.

In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down wh...

Layoffs are down, but hiring is falling even faster. In today’s Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down a wave of new labor market data that reveals a troubling pattern: companies aren’t cutting aggressively anymore, but they’re not adding jobs either.

We start with the February Challenger Job Cut Report, which shows layoffs dropped sharply month over month. Sounds like good news... until you see hiring pla...

A new employment report suggests the job market is improving, but the details tell a very different story.

In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down the latest private payroll data from ADP, which shows the strongest hiring month in seven months. Private employers added 63,000 jobs in February, a headline that sounds encouraging at first glance.

A closer look reveals that nearly...

If AI replaces your job, can the Federal Reserve help? According to a new Reuters report, the answer may be no. In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down why Fed officials are openly questioning whether traditional tools like interest rate cuts will work in an AI-driven displacement cycle and why that admission matters more than most people realize.

Pete starts with Block’s decision to c...

One company just cut 40% of its workforce... and Wall Street rewarded it.

In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down Block’s decision to eliminate more than 4,000 roles despite strong revenue and profit growth. CEO Jack Dorsey made it clear: AI has made teams productive enough to operate with far fewer people. Investors responded by sending Block’s stock up 25% overnight, signaling a powe...

The labor market may be stuck in neutral, but AI is accelerating fast.

In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down a major new study from Cognizant that analyzed more than 18,000 tasks across 1,000 jobs and found that 93% of U.S. jobs are now exposed to AI in some capacity. Even more striking: the level of disruption researchers expected by 2032 has already arrived... six years ahead of sc...

AI skills are no longer optional. According to new data from Zapier, 98% of executives say they want employees who can use AI, and many are investing heavily in training, hiring, and building AI-focused roles. Pay premiums are emerging for top AI talent, and the C-suite is making it clear: AI capability is the new baseline.

At the same time, a new survey from Express Employment Professionals shows job seekers aren’t waitin...

The labor market just sent a mixed signal, and it’s one we can’t ignore.

In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas showing that while AI-exposed industries are seeing fewer jobs overall, wages for experienced professionals are rising sharply. In computer systems design, pay has jumped more than double the national rate since 2022, even...

Performance review season is here, and the data suggests workers aren’t happy about it. In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down new findings from Glassdoor showing that 88% of performance review mentions in 2026 are negative, up from 83% just a few years ago.

Mentions of performance improvement plans (PIPs) have surged eightfold since 2021, and employees increasingly describe them not ...