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 as development tools, but as signals they’re being pushed out. Pete explains why that perception may not always match reality, how forced ranking systems are resurfacing, and why understanding your company’s review process before review season starts could be the most important move you make this year.

The episode also covers new data from Gallup showing that staffing shortages and budget cuts are limiting companies’ ability to deliver on customer promises. Employees report taking on more responsibility while resources shrink, creating a tension between engagement, performance expectations, and organizational capacity.

The big takeaway: in a tighter labor market, standards are rising, headcounts are shrinking, and communication matters more than ever. So here’s the question: Are performance reviews becoming more demanding because expectations are rising or because employers hold more leverage right now?

Articles:
1. Glassdoor Data on Performance (Review) Anxiety: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/conversation-starter-performance-review-anxiety/
2. Gallup Poll on Staffing Eroding Customer Experience: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/702329/staffing-eroding-customer-experience.aspx

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A college degree used to be the safety net. Now it might be the risk.

Today’s episode breaks down a new warning about the future of white-collar work and why many professionals may be unprepared for what’s coming next. Host Pete Newsome unpacks a report showing college graduates now make up a record share of the unemployed and what happens if job loss becomes structural instead of cyclical.

Then Pete connects it to real-time hiring data. Job searches surged 31% in January, but postings barely moved. That leaves more candidates competing for the same roles in what economists call a low-hire, low-fire market. Layoffs remain historically low, yet workers who lose jobs are taking much longer to land another one.

Finally, he explains why the weekly unemployment claims report looks healthy on the surface but tells a different story underneath: companies aren’t cutting aggressively, they’re just not replacing people. Many teams are quietly asking the same question: Can AI handle the work instead?

The result is a slower, tighter job market where switching roles carries more risk than it used to.

Are we heading toward a true white-collar slowdown, or just a temporary pause before hiring rebounds? Let me know in the comments what you’re seeing where you work.

Articles:
1. Annie Lowrey Article: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/ai-white-collar-jobs/686031/
2. February 2026 US Labor Market Update: https://www.hiringlab.org/2026/02/19/february-2026-labor-market-update-new-year-same-resolutions/
3. Department of Labor Weekly UI Report: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases

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The economy looks strong on paper, but hiring data tell a different story.

A new analysis from Mohamed El-Erian explains why growth and employment are now moving in opposite directions, a pattern that rarely occurs outside recessions. Companies aren’t hiring because they expect AI to handle the work soon, and many are still correcting over-hiring from the post-pandemic boom.

At the same time, a new MetLife study shows “job hugging” is spreading. More than half of employees are staying put not because they’re happy, but because they feel they have no safer option. Retention appears healthy, yet engagement and productivity are quietly eroding beneath the surface.

Then CompTIA’s job seeker data adds another twist: millions are still searching anyway. Some are chasing opportunity, others security, and nearly half say entry-level roles are already being frozen due to AI expectations. Workers are responding by rushing to learn AI skills before the market shifts further.

We may be entering a rare environment where businesses can grow without adding workers, and employees remain even as they look for the exit.

Are you seeing hiring slow down at your company, or is your company still expanding?

Articles:
1. Mohamed El-Erian's Job Market Outlook: https://www.businessinsider.com/job-market-ai-outlook-hiring-us-economy-mohamed-el-erian-2026-2
2. 2026 Employee Benefit Trends Study: https://www.metlife.com/about-us/newsroom/2026/february/job-hugging-is-undermining-workplace-outcomes-new-metlife-study/
3. Job Seeker Trends 2026: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/research/job-seeker-trends/

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The job market just sent two contradictory signals simultaneously.

New data shows hiring indicators improving and pay for new hires rising, but confidence in finding a job just hit a five-year low. So which one should workers believe?

Host Pete Newsome breaks down fresh ADP numbers showing that the job-switching pay bump has shrunk dramatically, weekly hours are falling, and employers are relying on part-time flexibility rather than hiring. Then he unpacks a major recruiting benchmark report pointing to something bigger: a white-collar recession, where office workers face intense competition while frontline roles still struggle to find staff.

You’ll also learn why applications are flooding tech jobs, why hiring got more expensive even with more candidates, and what salary transparency is quietly doing to applicant quality.

Is the labor market stabilizing… or quietly freezing in place?

What are you seeing where you work right now?

Articles:
1. ADP Research - Pay Trends to Watch in 2026: https://www.adpresearch.com/pay-trends-to-watch-in-2026/
2. ADP National Employment Report: https://mediacenter.adp.com/ADP-National-Employment-Report-Preliminary-Estimate-for-January-31,-2026
3. The Conference Board Employment Trends Index: https://www.conference-board.org/topics/employment-trends-index/
4. 2026 Recruitment Marketing Benchmark Report: https://info.appcast.io/whitepaper/2026-recruitment-marketing-benchmarks-report

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What happens when AI moves from assistant to operator while workers feel more pressure than ever?

Today’s headlines collide in a big way. Microsoft’s head of AI says many professional desk jobs could be automated within 12–18 months, pointing to software development as proof that the shift has already started. Roles are evolving toward oversight, strategy, and judgment instead of execution.

At the same time, a new Goodwill report shows younger workers facing a “generational recession.” Gen Z confidence is falling, many resist AI at work, and long job searches are becoming common. Career plans are being delayed as uncertainty grows.

Then there’s the day-to-day reality: a Monster survey finds most employees work past 40 hours each week, yet most say the extra time doesn’t improve performance and often harms health.

Taken together, the message is clear. Work is changing faster than people are adapting, and pressure is rising from both technology and expectations.

Are we preparing for a new era of productivity or heading into a burnout economy? What are you seeing in your workplace right now?

Articles:
1. Financial Times Interview: https://www.ft.com/video/2c428045-bf4f-45bd-ada2-8ba53983cd81
2. Goodwill Workforce Report: https://www.goodwill.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Workforce-in-Flux-PDF-for-GII-Web.pdf
3. Monster Workweek Report: https://www.monster.com/career-advice/job-search/news-and-insights/state-of-the-workweek

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You might not be getting rejected because of your resume... it could be your social media.

New hiring tools now use AI to scan public posts and generate personality scores before employers ever decide to interview you. Host Pete Newsome explains how automated screening works, what employers are actually looking for, and why a single post can quietly remove you from consideration.

Pete also breaks down the latest unemployment claims data and the much bigger story buried in the jobs report revisions; hundreds of thousands of jobs from last year were overstated, which helps explain why hiring felt far worse than the headlines suggested.

Between questionable labor data and AI-driven candidate screening, the hiring process is changing fast. Are job seekers adapting quickly enough, or are they being filtered out without realizing it?

What do you think matters more now, your resume or your online footprint?

Articles:
1. DOL's Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OPA/newsreleases/ui-claims/20260215.pdf
2. Employers Turn to AI to Screen Candidates' Socials: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/employers-turn-to-ai-to-screen-8193672/

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The January jobs report is finally here, and the headline number isn’t the real story.

Yes, 130,000 jobs were added and unemployment dipped to 4.3%. But buried inside the report was a massive revision: 2025 job growth was slashed from 584,000 to just 181,000. That means nearly 400,000 jobs we thought existed… didn’t.

In today’s episode, host Pete Newsome breaks down what this means for trust in the labor data, how it impacts Fed decisions and hiring plans, and why the so-called “strong labor market” may have been overstated for over a year.

Pete also digs into the Dice 2026 Tech Sentiment Report, which paints a defensive picture of today’s workforce. Tech postings are down below pre-COVID levels. Half of workers are applying for jobs they’re overqualified for. Meanwhile, AI engineer roles are exploding, up 208%.

And finally, more major employers announce cuts, including Heineken, raising the question: Are we restructuring, slowing, or quietly shifting into something bigger?

The January report looked strong. The details tell a very different story.

What do you think: Is the labor market stabilizing… or unraveling?

Articles:
1. BLS Employment Situation Summary: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
2. Dice 2026 Tech Sentiment Report: https://www.dice.com/recruiting/ebooks/tech-sentiment-report/
3. Heineken Job Cuts: https://www.reuters.com/business/heinekens-annual-profit-beat-expectations-brewer-sets-slower-2026-growth-2026-02-11/

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The job market is sending mixed signals, and the timing couldn’t be worse. With the delayed jobs report expected to show weaker growth, private hiring slowing sharply, and AI anxiety rising, workers are being forced to make tougher career decisions with less clarity than ever.

Host Pete Newsome starts with new Glassdoor data analyzing over 268,000 employee reviews to answer a question many people are quietly asking: Does switching jobs actually make things better? The findings are nuanced. Leaving a bad job often improves satisfaction, but workers who already rate their employer highly are far more likely to regret a move, especially during periods of layoffs, leadership changes, and burnout.

Pete then breaks down why the White House is already lowering expectations for tomorrow’s jobs report, how ADP data points to a sharp slowdown in hiring momentum, and why smaller job gains matter more than headlines suggest. The numbers paint a picture of a market losing speed at the same time confidence is weakening.

Finally, he digs into a major new Atlantic feature on AI and employment, where CEOs warn about job losses but many workers remain deeply skeptical. With younger workers already seeing measurable employment declines in AI-exposed roles, the disconnect between reassurance and reality is growing fast.

Is this a moment to stay put, skill up, and wait, or a warning sign to rethink your path entirely? Drop a comment and tell us: Are you holding tight, or getting ready to move?

Articles:
1. When Switching Employers Is the Right Move: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/lovers-and-leavers-when-to-switch-jobs/
2. White House Sets Lower Job Growth Expectations: https://www.reuters.com/business/white-house-adviser-hassett-expects-smaller-jobs-numbers-2026-02-09/
3. ADP Preliminary National Employment Report Estimate:  https://mediacenter.adp.com/ADP-National-Employment-Report-Preliminary-Estimate-for-January-24,-2026
4. America Isn't Ready for What AI Will Do to Jobs: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/03/ai-economy-labor-market-transformation/685731/

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Job seekers are getting so desperate that they’re paying recruiters to find them a job, and that should be a red flag for where the market is heading. Host Pete Newsome explains why “reverse recruiting” is unnecessary, how it preys on anxiety, and why targeted outreach beats mass, AI-generated messaging every time.

Then he shifts to 4 Corner Resources’ new Q1 Employee Mindset Survey of employed workers earning $50K+. The headline is a contradiction that makes perfect sense: job satisfaction is high, but anxiety about the future is even higher. Heavy AI users are the most worried about AI displacement, financial runways are thin for nearly half of workers, and Gen Z is the most anxious generation in the data. Pete also breaks down the “triple crisis” facing entry-level employees (low confidence, low savings, and low AI exposure) at the exact moment they need AI fluency the most.

Finally, new research challenges the popular promise that AI will lighten workloads. An eight-month study of generative AI inside a tech company found that AI often intensifies work by expanding tasks, blurring work-life boundaries, and accelerating multitasking. Pete shares why the “genie isn’t going back in the bottle,” and what workers can do right now to stay competitive without letting AI turn every hour into work time.

Articles:
1. Job Hunters Are So Desperate That They’re Paying to Get Recruited: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/job-hunters-are-so-desperate-that-theyre-paying-to-get-recruited-44891ac2
2. Q1 2026 Employee Mindset Survey: https://www.4cornerresources.com/employee-mindset-survey/
3. AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It: https://hbr.org/2026/02/ai-doesnt-reduce-work-it-intensifies-it

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AI is supposed to boost productivity, but new data shows it may be doing the opposite. In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down a troubling new survey on AI errors at work, alongside fresh signals that employee confidence is slipping and small business hiring is grinding to a near standstill.

Pete starts with a report from Resume.org that highlights what it calls the “AI slop” problem. A majority of managers say employees are submitting AI-generated work with factual errors, missing context, and even compliance risks. In some cases, those mistakes are reaching clients and costing companies tens of thousands of dollars, forcing managers to step in and fix the work themselves.

Next, he looks at the latest Glassdoor Employee Confidence Index. Confidence dipped heading into 2026, but the biggest decline isn’t among entry-level workers... It’s senior leadership. Pete explains why that matters, what it says about decision-making at the top, and how rising mentions of layoffs in employee reviews reflect growing unease across the workforce.

Finally, he unpacks new hiring data from NFIB, which shows small business hiring has fallen to its lowest level since May 2020. Even so, many owners still report unfilled roles and a lack of qualified applicants, especially in construction and the skilled trades. Pete explains where the contradiction lies, why construction remains a long-term opportunity, and what job seekers and employers should take away from these trends.

So here’s the question: Is AI making work better, or are companies and workers moving faster than they’re prepared for right now?

Articles:
1. Resume.org Survey on AI Slop Crisis: https://www.resume.org/ai-slop-crisis/
2: Glassdoor Employee Confidence Index: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/glassdoor-employee-confidence-index-january-2026/
3: NFIB Small Businesses Jobs Report: https://www.nfib.com/news/press-release/nfib-jobs-report-new-small-business-employment-index-shows-balanced-job-market/

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