A soft landing doesn’t look like a victory lap; it looks like a tug-of-war. December added 50,000 jobs versus a 70,000 forecast, unemployment ticked down to 4.4, yet long-term joblessness and involuntary part-time work continue to weigh on households and hiring plans. Host Pete Newsome breaks down why the trend matters more than the miss, and how slower growth in 2025 stacks up against a much stronger 2024.

Beneath the headline rate, friction is building: more workers stuck unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, and a persistent gap in part-time work for economic reasons points to tighter screening and cautious employers. One bright spot stands out: wages rose 3.8% year over year while inflation sits near 2.7, creating real gains that smart teams can turn into retention by simplifying job requirements, hiring for potential, and accelerating onboarding and mobility.

On the ground, staffing pipelines are warming. We’re seeing more requisitions and faster movement, often an early signal before payroll data turns. If that momentum holds, the first half of 2026 could bring a modest pickup, especially for employers focused on measurable ROI and reskilling. For job seekers, the play is scarce skills and documented impact. For employers, it’s reducing friction and building pathways from part-time to full-time.

So what’s your read on the next quarter, cautious or confident?

Article:
1. BLS: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

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Hiring looked better in December, but don’t let the headlines fool you.

Layoffs eased, and jobs ticked up, yet the labor market is still stuck in neutral. Fewer job postings, softer starting pay, and cautious employer demand signal a slowdown beneath the surface. Host Pete Newsome unpacks why 2025 delivered historic layoffs, why the government led the cuts, and why policy, not AI, was the real driver behind most downsizing.

He also breaks down the signals that matter most right now: initial jobless claims hit their lowest level since April 2024, but continuing claims climbed, showing that job searches are taking longer. That tension is playing out across hiring funnels, with greater selectivity, slower decision-making, and a growing premium on proven, measurable impact. Whether you’re hiring or job hunting, we share practical strategies to navigate a market that rewards precision over volume.

Finally, Pete gets into worker confidence. Glassdoor’s Employee Confidence Index ended the year flat, but only after collapsing to a record low mid-year. Government employees were hit hardest, and mid-level workers saw the largest drop in confidence, challenging the idea that “safe” roles still exist.

With momentum fragile heading into the new year, is this a pause before recovery, or the new normal for hiring?

Articles:
1. Challenger, Gray & Christmas Year-End Report: https://www.challengergray.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Challenger-Report-December-2025.pdf
2. Glassdoor Employee Confidence Index: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/glassdoor-employee-confidence-index-december-2025/
3. U.S. Department of Labor Claims Report: https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf
4. Revelio Public Labor Statistics: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/revelio-public-labor-statistics-reports-71-000-us-jobs-added-in-december-302656478.html

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The headlines say hiring is back, but the data tells a more cautious story. December job numbers show a labor market that’s still moving, just not accelerating. ADP points to modest hiring gains, while the latest JOLTS report confirms fewer job openings and steady quits. Translation: the market isn’t collapsing, but momentum is fragile, especially in white-collar and discretionary roles.

In today's Breaking Job News, host Pete Newsome breaks down what’s actually holding firm right now. Education, healthcare, and leisure continue to carry job growth, while professional and business services pull back. Pay trends show job changers still earning more than stayers, though the gap is stabilizing. Regionally, the West cools while the South and Northeast add jobs, reshaping where opportunity lives.

Then he zooms out to LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise 2026, which reveals where hiring is accelerating despite the slowdown. AI dominates the list, from engineers and consultants to data and machine learning roles, but growth isn’t limited to tech. Healthcare operations, real estate and construction, sales, consulting, and founder-led roles are gaining traction, signaling demand for revenue, infrastructure, and flexibility.

Pete connects the dots on what this means for job seekers right now, from building AI literacy and proof-of-work portfolios to sharpening sales and value messaging in a tighter market.

So here’s the question: in a job market that’s cooling overall but heating up in specific roles, where should you be focusing your next move?

Articles:
1. ADP® National Employment Report: https://adpemploymentreport.com/
2. BLS JOLTS Report: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
3. LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise 2026: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-jobs-rise-2026-25-fastest-growing-roles-us-linkedin-news-dlb1c/

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The headlines say the job market is fragile. The data explains why.

Host Pete Newsome breaks down fresh 2026 labor market reports from ZipRecruiter, Monster, and Paychex to reveal what’s really happening with hiring, wages, and workforce confidence. Hiring is improving modestly, but wage growth is trailing inflation, workers are choosing stability over job hopping, and small businesses are holding headcount steady while stretching existing teams further.

This episode unpacks the forces shaping the year ahead: rising pay pressure, the shift to skills-based hiring, healthcare leading job growth despite training bottlenecks, and AI reshaping productivity while fueling job anxiety. Pete also tackles the “entry-level” contradiction, shrinking labor supply, and why fewer workers plan to job search in 2026.

You’ll hear a clear take on remote work tradeoffs, how to run a passive job search without burnout, what small business payroll data signals about the pace of change, and how both employers and candidates can adapt. Whether you’re hiring or job searching, this episode offers practical strategies to stay competitive as the market slowly shifts.

Do you think 2026 rewards playing it safe or taking a calculated risk?

Articles:
1. ZipRecruiter Economic Research: https://www.ziprecruiter-research.org/commentary/2026-labor-market-predictions
2. Monster WorkWatch Report: https://www.monster.com/career-advice/job-search/news-and-insights/2026-workwatch-report
3. Paychex Small Business Employment Watch: https://www.paychex.com/employment-watch/#!/

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Hiring in 2026 is off to a rough start. Entry-level jobs still demand experience, ghost postings keep candidates in limbo, and AI is widening the gap between workers moving faster and those getting left behind.

In this episode of Breaking Job News, host Pete Newsome breaks down fresh data from Forbes, Indeed’s Hiring Lab, and UKG to explain what’s actually happening in the job market and what to do about it. He covers why entry-level hiring remains broken, how AI adoption is splitting the workforce, and why encouragement and training matter more than age or job title. You’ll also hear why people-first AI, flexible talent models, and real enablement, not engagement theater, are shaping retention and performance in 2026.

Whether you’re a job seeker trying to stand out or a leader rethinking hiring and workforce strategy, this episode offers a practical roadmap for turning uncertainty into momentum.

Additional Resources:
1. Introducing the 2026 UKG Megatrends: https://www.ukg.com/blog/executive-leaders/introducing-2026-ukg-megatrends-what-leaders-need-know-about-year-ahead
2. A Tale of Two Workforces: Who’s Using AI and Who’s Getting Left Behind: https://www.hiringlab.org/2025/12/29/two-workforces-whos-using-ai-and-whos-getting-left-behind/
3. The Entry-Level Hiring Crisis: https://www.forbes.com/sites/colleenbatchelder/2026/01/05/the-entry-level-hiring-crisis-is-getting-worse-in-2026/

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What will the labor market actually look like in 2026? We break down 10 trends reshaping jobs, pay, and hiring. From agentic AI running multi-step workflows to hybrid work settling in as the default, we show what’s changing, what’s sticking, and where the real career upside is.

AI is no longer just a tool. It’s starting to act like a teammate, connecting tasks into outcomes across recruiting, operations, and customer work. That shift comes with trade-offs: fewer entry-level white-collar roles, greater leverage for skilled trades, and quieter, ongoing headcount trims rather than splashy layoffs. Pay stabilizes as transparency grows, making negotiations clearer and expectations more realistic. The advantage moves to human skills, like judgment, empathy, and influence, because execution is easier to automate than trust.

We also explain why hybrid work keeps winning, how to use in-person time strategically, and what “slow-motion RTO” means for mentorship and visibility. We unpack skills-first hiring as degrees lose ground to certificates and proof of work, plus how automation is speeding up recruiting while raising the bar on fairness. You’ll hear what’s driving the “great stay,” and how to create optionality through visible wins and cross-functional impact. We close with visa shifts and the growing push to govern AI in hiring, with practical takeaways for leaders.

The takeaway is simple: pair AI fluency with power skills, prioritize visibility, and lead with proof over credentials. If this sparked a new way of thinking about 2026, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and tell us which trend you’re betting on.

Additional Resources:
1. Recruiting Trends for 2026: https://www.4cornerresources.com/blog/recruiting-trends-for-the-new-year/
2. Hiring and Salary Guide: https://www.4cornerresources.com/hiring-salary-guide/
3. Q4 2025 AI Perception and Threat in the Workplace Survey: https://www.4cornerresources.com/workplace-ai-perception-and-threat-survey-results/
4. Q4 2025 Employee Mindset Survey: https://www.4cornerresources.com/surveys/q4-2025-employee-mindset/

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AI may not be killing jobs (yet), but it is changing who gets hired. While headlines focus on disruption, the real labor-market story is subtler: hiring has slowed, productivity is rising, and AI is quietly reshaping how work actually gets done.

In this episode of Breaking Job News, host Pete Newsome breaks down Vanguard’s 2026 economic outlook and the latest CompTIA Tech Jobs Report to explain what’s really happening in the job market. You’ll learn why unemployment is expected to stabilize, why tech hiring hasn’t collapsed, and how demand is shifting away from flashy AI job titles toward AI-enabled skills across everyday roles.

Pete also explains why mid-career professionals currently have the advantage, why entry-level workers are feeling the most pressure, and how skills-based hiring is opening doors in tech support, network administration, web development, and beyond. Plus, he covers the launch of the U.S. Tech Force, an ambitious federal initiative that could turn government tech roles into a serious career accelerator.

💬 What AI skill are you adding to your toolkit next?

News Articles:
1. Vanguard Economic & Market Outlook for 2026: https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/dam/corp/research/pdf/isg_vemo_2026.pdf
2. CompTIA Tech Jobs Report - December 2025: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/research/tech-jobs-report/
3. OPM U.S. Tech Force Announcement: https://www.opm.gov/news/news-releases/opm-launches-us-tech-force-to-implement-president-trumps-vision-for-technology-leadership/

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The labor market looks fine, but the data underlying it tell a more complicated story. In today's job headlines, host Pete Newsome breaks down the November jobs report and what it really means for hiring, employees, and workplace strategy right now. Payroll growth was modest, unemployment ticked up to 4.6%, and short-term unemployment jumped, often an early warning sign of disruption. The biggest red flag? A sharp rise in involuntary part-time work reveals that many employers are cutting hours rather than adding full-time roles.

Pete also digs into where jobs are growing and where they are shrinking. Healthcare and construction continue to add jobs, while transportation and warehousing pull back as demand normalizes. Then he zooms out to employee sentiment. ADP data shows motivation and commitment falling for the fourth straight month, with most sectors weakening and knowledge workers feeling the strain. Manufacturing shows improvement, and healthcare and education remain resilient, but overall engagement is slipping rather than strengthening.

For leaders, this matters. Retention may look stable on paper, but many employees are staying because they have fewer options, not because they're energized. Pete wraps with an early, cautiously optimistic signal from ADP's weekly hiring data, suggesting momentum may be stabilizing, and why now is the moment to focus on trust, workload clarity, and growth paths.

News Articles:
1. BLS Employment Situation Summary: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
2. ADP NER Pulse: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adp-national-employment-report-preliminary-estimate-november-29-2025-302642779.html
3. ADP Employee Sentiment: https://www.adpresearch.com/employee-sentiment-fell-in-december/

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Blog Articles: https://www.4cornerresources.com/blog