Breaking Job News: 60% of Companies Plan Layoffs by 2026 and California’s “No Robo Bosses Act”

New data from Resume.org shows that 60% of companies plan layoffs in 2026. Even more shocking, 30% of jobs were already replaced by AI this year, and 37% of companies plan to cut even more roles next year.

Who’s at risk? High earners, entry-level staff, and anyone without AI skills. Companies are chasing a “perfect middle” worker, cheap enough, skilled enough, but that strategy could backfire in a big way.

Meanwhile, California is looking to pass the “No Robo Bosses Act” to stop algorithms from making hiring and firing decisions. But can lawmakers really slow down AI? And while all this is happening, “new-collar jobs” careers built on skills, boot camps, and apprenticeships are opening new paths to success.

In this episode, Pete Newsome breaks it all down:
1. Layoffs + AI adoption are reshaping the workforce
2. What the "No Robo Bosses Act" entails
3. The rise of new-collar jobs and what it means for your future
4. If "office-frogging" is a Gen Z or multi-generational problem

News Articles: 
1. Gen Z and Office Frogging: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2025/09/18/office-frogging-gen-zs-career-trend-disrupts-employer-expectations/
2. What Are New Collar Jobs: https://www.thehrdigest.com/what-are-new-collar-jobs-the-rise-of-skill-based-hiring-has-a-lot-to-teach-hr/
3. California's "No Robo Bosses Act": https://www.forbes.com/sites/alonzomartinez/2025/09/19/californias-no-robo-bosses-act-could-reshape-workplace-ai-rules/
4. 6 in 10 Companies Plan To Lay Off Employees in 2026 Amid Economic Uncertainty: https://www.resume.org/6-in-10-companies-plan-to-lay-off-employees-in-2026-amid-economic-uncertainty/

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Episode Transcript

Pete Newsome (00:03):
Today's job market headlines include a potential
new no robo bosses law and twonew trending office terms you
probably haven't heard and weprobably don't need.
But first there's a new surveyavailable from resumeorg and
it's cause for concern.
It shows that six in 10companies are planning layoffs
in 2026.
They cite economic uncertainty,new trade policies and, not

(00:27):
surprisingly, ai adoption.
The high salary employees aregetting hit the hardest, or
those who don't have AI skills,and entry-level staff too.
So this is bad for the high end.
It's bad for the low end.
Kara Denison from resumeorg saysthat high salary roles are
often targeted first becausecompanies see immediate savings
in payroll and employees lackingAI skills are vulnerable

(00:51):
because organizations areaccelerating automation.
Everyone is looking for thatsweet spot in the middle
employees who have just enoughexperience, but not too much,
and aren't too expensive.
But here's the problem withthat You're excluding those who

(01:12):
are most experienced in theworkforce.
That ageism is something everyorganization should be aware of
and fight at all costs.
And then you're also excludingour future.
The most important part of theworkforce is young professionals
, who are going to be replacingthe retiring baby boomers.
They were going to have a badimbalance and it's already

(01:34):
starting to take place.
So, yes, there's a lot ofworkers who don't have
experience, but they have to getit somehow.
So companies should fightwhat's happening and this is
survey data that I really don'tlike to see, for obvious reasons
and it also showed that nearly30% of companies have already
replaced jobs with AI so farthis year and that next year,

(01:55):
37% expect to replace roles withAI outright.
So companies are signaling thatAI is way more than hype and
it's really reshaping workforceplanning in a real and painful
way, unfortunately.
So that's what we have to lookforward to, going into 2026,
according to this new survey.
In other news, california is onthe verge of passing Senate Bill

(02:16):
7, which is referred to as theno Robo Bosses Act.
It would become one of the mostfar-reaching workplace AI laws
in the country if it's signed bythe governor.
The bill's already cleared bothchambers of legislature and so,
if it's signed, it'll takeeffect on January 1st.
Now here's what it does itrequires employers to inform
workers and applicants whenautomated decision systems, like

(02:38):
through AI algorithms, machinelearning tools, are used in
employment decisions.
Notices must explain what datais collected, how it's used and
what it affects.
The second thing it does is itprevents companies from relying
solely on AI to discipline,terminate or deactivate workers.
Human review and additionalevidence, like personnel files

(02:59):
and evaluations, are required.
Third thing it does is it makessure that job postings or
application acknowledgementsclearly state if AI will be used
in making the evaluation.
And then, fourth, it givesworkers the ability to request
copies of their personal datawhen it's used in automated
decisions involving disciplineor termination.

(03:20):
So to me, this sounds like acompliance nightmare, both for
employers and anyone who triesto enforce it.
I mean, it's good in theory, Iguess I mean we need some
oversight with AI, but myimpression of this and my strong
belief is that the AI genie isalready out of the bottle.

(03:42):
I don't see a state governmentbeing able to keep up with the
evolution and speed of AIadvancement.
So, california it looks likethey're going to try and, as the
author of the article in Forbesput it, the bots aren't taking
over, but regulators certainlyare.
So good luck with that,california.
We'll see how it goes.

(04:02):
Shifting gears you've heard ofblue-collar and white-collar
jobs, of course, but now thereare new-collar jobs that
prioritize skills over degrees.
It's a term that was coined byformer IBM CEO, ginni Rommedy,
and it reflects a rise of rolesthat don't require a traditional
four-year college degree, butinstead value technical and soft
skills that can be gainedthrough certifications, boot

(04:23):
camps, apprenticeships and evenself-taught learning.
An HR Digest article says thatcompanies are dropping their
degree requirements to expandtheir hiring pools and address
persistent skill gaps.
Now this creates an opportunityfor employers to tap into a
broader and historicallyoverlooked segment of the
workforce.
It's a trend that I've seengrowing for more than a decade,

(04:45):
first in IT it's been prevalentthere for a while but now in
other areas like marketing andhealthcare, and I can see it
continue to expand.
It's great for workers whodon't have a degree.
But don't get me wrong thereare countless reasons to still
go to college, but it's nolonger the gate to entering the
professional world that it usedto be.
I see practical experiencetrumping a generic bachelor

(05:07):
degree nearly every time.
So for students and theirparents, who tend to go down
that college path by default,it's important for them to be
aware of what's going to be onthe other side of that four-year
degree and a lot of money spent.
So, before deciding, considerall your options and know that
many alternate and equallyattractive options exist.

(05:29):
And finally, for today, there isyet another new career term
office frogging.
It refers to Gen Z's tendencyto jump from one job to another
in search of better pay and newskills.
Okay, this is not a new thingand it's certainly not specific
to Gen Z.
People always have and alwayswill change jobs for more money
and a better opportunity, basedon however they define it.

(05:51):
Now, this comes from a Forbesarticle where the author
recommends considering threethings before office frogging
and I vow to never say thatphrase out loud again after this
.
But here's what he recommends.
First, be mindful of how jobhopping might look.
I agree with this for tworeasons.
If you move frequently andconsistently, a prospective new

(06:12):
employer will assume you'll dothe same if they hire you and
they will absolutely considerthat if they're intending to
invest in you for the long term.
Now we know there's nocommitment that really is long
term, but companies know thatthey're going to have to put
typically a lot of money andtime and effort into bringing a
new hire up to speed, and ifthey don't think you're going to

(06:32):
be there, that will weigh intotheir decision for sure.
And second, employers want toknow that candidates are able
and willing to persist andsucceed during challenging times
, and a candidate who hasn'tgone through that cycle of more
than two years really hasn'tdemonstrated that they can.
So there are many reasons tomake a move, but it's as the

(06:53):
author says, it's important tobe aware of how it's going to
look, perception being reality.
The second thing he recommendsis to make sure that each role
is worth the move, and I thinkthat goes without saying.
Third, don't speak badly ofyour old employers.
It happens a surprising amountof time.
I have many, many stories ofcandidates who otherwise would
have been hired blowing theirchances because they had bad

(07:15):
things to say about their formeremployer.
So just keep it to yourself,even if you think it.
As someone who's worked withhundreds of hiring managers over
the years, my overall advicewhen considering a career move
is to think about what itrepresents for your overall
career trajectory.
So look beyond today ortomorrow and determine whether
that move is going to take youcloser to where you ultimately

(07:35):
want to land.
And if it does, great, you areprobably making the right
decision.
And as the old saying goes,don't run from something, run to
something.
I mean, if you let that be yourguide, chances are you're going
to end up making the rightchoice.
And then, when you do make thatdecision to go forward, do it
full speed and don't look back.
And before we go, our fun factfor the day in ancient rome,

(07:59):
actors were considered to be thelowest social class, while in
ancient Greece they were highlyrespected.
So, depending on yourperspective of actors, are they
highest, are they lowest on thesocial scale?
I don't know.
I watched the Amuse the othernight.
We all have our opinions on howthey come across, but they
certainly see themselves at thetop of the ladder.

(08:19):
So there we are.
Thanks for listening.
Please like and subscribe,share with anyone you think
might be interested and Iwelcome any comments.
I'll see you next week.