The EBN Dispatch

Straight talk on talent, tech, and the future of work.

This week: AI layoffs, consulting chaos, performance reviews as layoff prep, and Gen Z opting out. Your employer brand’s next big test isn’t just retention, it’s relevance.

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🔗 SOURCES & LINKS

AI Ate My Job

Workday AI hiring discrimination lawsuit – CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/17/tech/workday-ai-hiring-lawsuit/index.html

Microsoft algorithmic layoff story – Economic Times

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/employee-of-25-years-let-go-by-microsofts-algorithmic-layoff-post-goes-viral/articleshow/109492380.cms

IBM replaces 8,000 with AI, then rehires – Indian Defence Review

https://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/ibm-fires-employees-replaces-them-with-ai-and-rehires-others/

JPMorgan urges managers to resist hiring – TOI

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/jpmorgan-urges-managers-to-resist-hiring-reports/articleshow/109435731.cms

TikTok layoffs by memo – Business Insider

https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-layoffs-done-by-email-employees-asked-not-to-return-2024-5

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Consulting Crisis + Bonus Cuts

Deloitte cuts bonuses, scales hiring – Telegraph

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/05/20/deloitte-bonus-cuts-job-freeze/

Big Four under AI threat – Business Insider

https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-disrupting-big-four-accounting-firms-deloitte-kpmg-2024-5

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Performance Reviews, Layoffs, and HR Irony

Meta increases “below expectations” ratings – Business Insider

https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-ramping-up-underperformer-ratings-performance-review-layoffs-2024-5

Meta HR manager laid off – Business Insider

https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-lays-off-hr-manager-performance-review-fears-2024-5

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Remote Wins, Gen Z Opts Out

Remote work beats office mandates – The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/may/19/remote-working-productivity-mental-health

Gen Z turning NEET – Fortune

https://fortune.com/2024/05/22/gen-z-dropouts-neets-labor-shortage-quit-culture/

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#employerbranding #futureofwork #talentstrategy #layoffs #aiworkplace #genzworkforce #paperCut

Silicon Valley wants to replace all human workers? That’s not a headline, it’s a business model.

This week on Paper Cut:

🤖 AI: Eliminate as Many Humans as Possible

🧱 Middle Management Gets the Axe

📉 Global Confidence Collapses

🚫 Gen Z Opts Out of Leadership

As tech elites pitch an AI-powered world with no humans required, the workforce is left wondering: where do we fit in? From sweeping layoffs to a quiet rebellion against the ladder, this week’s headlines are a masterclass in future-of-work disruption.

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🔗 Links From This Episode

🤖 AI: Eliminate as Many Humans as Possible

• The Guardian: Silicon Valley wants to replace all human labour

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/12/for-silicon-valley-ai-isnt-just-about-replacing-some-jobs-its-about-replacing-all-of-them

• GitHub CEO: Humans still matter (for now)

https://thenewstack.io/github-ceo-on-why-well-still-need-human-programmers/

• Amazon: New human jobs in an AI world

https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/11/amazon-offers-peek-at-new-human-jobs-in-an-ai-bot-world/

• Alibaba: AI will be the backbone of operations in 3–5 years

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3309905/ai-will-be-mainstay-alibabas-business-next-3-5-years-chairman-joe-tsai-says

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🧱 The Middle Cuts: Career Purgatory Gets the Axe

• Amazon CEO: Cut middle managers who “fingerprint everything”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/smallbusiness/amazon-ceo-lays-out-plans-to-cut-middle-managers-who-want-to-put-their-fingerprint-on-everything/ar-AA1D3JEd

• More middle managers facing layoffs

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/working-life/leadership/more-middle-managers-are-being-laid

• TD Magazine: Middling Returns—The middle manager dilemma

https://www.td.org/content/td-magazine/middling-returns

• Microsoft: Global 3% headcount reduction

https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/microsoft-to-cut-3-of-jobs-worldwide/

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📉 Global Layoffs & Confidence Collapse

• Nissan to cut 20,000 jobs globally

https://ciosea.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/corporate/nissan-to-cut-20000-jobs-globally-following-a-4-5b-annual-loss/121155018

• Reuters: 10,000+ job cuts at Nissan confirmed

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/nissan-cut-over-10000-more-jobs-globally-nhk-reports-2025-05-12/

• Panasonic to cut 10,000 roles globally

https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/panasonic-to-cut-10000-jobs-globally-to-streamline-workforce/535331

• Burberry announces 1,700 job cuts

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/consumer-healthcare/burberry-cut-1700-jobs-turnaround-bid

• S&P Global: Labour market risk outlook

https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/mi/research-analysis/global-labour-market-risks-tilt-to-the-downside-as-business-confidence-plunges-May25.html

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🚫 Gen Z to Leadership: “Hard Pass”

• Gen Z opts out of management to protect mental health

https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-consciously-unbossing-avoid-management-roles-preserve-mental-health-2025-4

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💼 Looking for jobs in employer branding, HR, or recruitment marketing?

Browse our job board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/

#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #Layoffs #AIJobs #GenZ #EVP #TalentStrategy #MiddleManagement #PaperCut

📉 Layoffs, AI Disruption & HR Disconnect – This Week in Work

From fresh layoffs to leadership trust slumps, the headlines are spinning—but we’re here to slice through the noise. In this week’s Paper Cut, we cover:

✂️ Job cuts rising across PwC, Panasonic, Telefónica and more

🤖 AI replaces HR teams, streamlines ops—and unsettles leadership

👩‍💻 Gender gaps emerge in GenAI adoption among HR leaders

🔥 Burnout spikes, trust dips, and remote workers fight for autonomy

If you work in HR, employer branding, or recruiting, this one’s essential viewing.

📰 Subscribe to the Paper Cut newsletter – it’s free: https://ebn.to/sub25

📍 Follow Employer Branding News on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25

⸻

🔗 Links From This Episode

✂️ Job Cuts & Economic Wobble

• Canada adds jobs but unemployment rises:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-09/canada-adds-7-400-jobs-unemployment-jumps-to-6-9

• Panasonic to cut 10,000 jobs:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Electronics/Panasonic-to-cut-10-000-jobs-in-major-restructuring

• Panasonic battery profit up 39%:

https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/panasonic-expects-battery-units-annual-profit-soar-39-2025-05-09/

• Telefónica could cut 5,000 roles:

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/telef%C3%B3nica-could-cut-up-to-5000-jobs-in-spain-report/

• PwC to slash 1,500 jobs:

https://www.internationalaccountingbulletin.com/news/pwc-slash-1500-jobs/

• US jobs outlook (JPMorgan):

https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/outlook/economic-outlook/jobs-report-april-2025

• Changing jobs is risky in 2025:

https://www.businessinsider.com/changing-jobs-risky-move-now-recession-economic-uncertainty-tariffs-2025-5

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🤖 AI: From Buzzword to Budget Line

• IBM replaces HR staff with AI:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/ibm-ceo-ai-replaced-hundreds-of-human-resources-staff/491341

• CrowdStrike cuts 500, cites AI efficiency:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/09/crowdstrike-to-cut-jobs-and-use-ai

• CEOs fear being replaced by AI:

https://fortune.com/2025/05/09/ceos-fear-losing-jobs-ai-survey/

• Alternate take on AI job impact:

https://www.thestreet.com/technology/legendary-tech-expert-has-unexpected-view-of-ai-impact-on-jobs

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👩‍💻 The GenAI Gaps & Gender Questions

• Gender gap in GenAI adoption (HR leaders):

https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/gender-gap-in-gen-ai-use-includes-hr-leaders-report/535156

• CHROs prepare for AI redeployment:

https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/hr-technology/chros-gearing-up-for-redeployment-reskilling-ahead-of-agentic-ai-adoption/534804

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🔥 Trust, Burnout & Remote Work Realities

• Burnout mentions on Glassdoor hit new high:

https://www.hrdive.com/news/burnout-mentions-on-glassdoor-soar-past-pre-pandemi/747592/

• Leadership trust tied to company health:

https://www.hrdive.com/news/leadership-trust-barometer-company-health/747654/

• Spotify’s HR chief on WFH autonomy:

https://fortune.com/europe/2025/04/29/spotifys-hr-chief-remote-staff-arent-children-work-from-anywhere/

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🧠 For jobs in employer branding and recruitment marketing:

https://jobs.employerbranding.news/

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#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #Layoffs #AIinHR #Burnout #GenAI #RemoteWork #PaperCut #TalentAttraction

TRUST IS TANKING

RTO resentment, AI anxiety, and DEI dysfunction: welcome back to Paper Cut after a two-week Easter hiatus. This week, we’re diving into a volatile talent landscape where managers are getting squeezed, middle-aged employees are targeted, and tech workers are being paid to do nothing (sometimes literally).

✂️ Layoffs hit older workers hardest and severance packages keep headlines juicy

🤖 AI replaces jobs, rewrites roles, and reshapes education

🏢 RTO continues to divide leadership and staff

📉 Employer trust is crumbling under hypocrisy and hollow platitudes

🧠 DEI takes another public hit

Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly analysis on the headlines shaping HR, employer branding, and the future of work.

📰 Subscribe to the Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25

🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25

⸻

🔗 Links From This Episode

✂️ Layoffs, Severance & Ageism

• Goldman Sachs offers $80K severance amid layoffs:

https://www.efinancialcareers.com/news/goldman-sachs-plans-severance-pay-of-80k-per-person-as-it-cuts-staff

• Americans brace for more job cuts:

https://www.newsweek.com/americans-brace-layoffs-jobs-market-2057975

• Employees in their 40s top layoff list, CEO warns:

https://m.economictimes.com/magazines/panache/employees-in-40s-are-now-no-1-layoff-targets-ceo-warns-he-suggest-3-survival-tips/articleshow/120118428.cms

• Middle managers under fire at big tech firms:

https://www.peoplematters.in/article/talent-management/middle-managers-under-fire-layoffs-at-google-amazon-and-other-big-firms-45112

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🤖 AI Job Disruption & Future of Work

• AI replacing contract workers at Duolingo:

https://www.theverge.com/news/657594/duolingo-ai-first-replace-contract-workers

• AI’s impact on job security:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2025/04/25/the-jobs-that-will-fall-first-as-ai-takes-over-the-workplace/

• How AI is redefining education and employment:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/science-technology/how-ai-is-redefining-education-and-the-future-of-work/489575

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🏢 Return to Office Drama

• WFH workers seen as less promotable:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/558382/employee-survey-finds-majority-believe-those-who-wfh-are-less-likely-to-be-promoted

• Companies that ended remote work now struggling to hire:

https://glassalmanac.com/companies-that-ended-remote-work-are-struggling-to-fill-vacancies/

• Google sends harsh message post-layoffs:

https://www.thestreet.com/employment/google-sends-a-harsh-message-to-employees-after-layoffs

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🏆 Employer Branding vs Reality

• Apple tops list of Singapore’s best employers:

https://www.straitstimes.com/business/apple-retains-top-ranking-of-singapores-best-employers-with-asia-pacific-breweries-at-no-2

• LVMH quietly cuts workforce amid growth:

https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/luxury/lvmh-moet-hennessy-workforce-cuts/

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📉 DEI Under Fire (Again)

• Trump touts new “system of merit” to replace DEI:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/05/01/trump-dei-system-of-merit/83394689007/

• “Deport Every Illegal” DEI tweet from the White House:

https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1918336139200741381

⸻

💼 Looking for jobs in employer branding, HR, or recruitment marketing?

Browse our job board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/

⸻

#EmployerBranding #FutureOfWork #HRNews #AIJobs #WorkplaceTrends #DEI #Layoffs #RTO #PaperCut #HRTech #Leadership

This week on Paper Cut:

Google tops LinkedIn’s “Best Employers” list… while laying off staff. Microsoft’s doing the same. So is LinkedIn just measuring vibes now? Meanwhile, a Gen Z challenger emerges, AI continues its desk-clearing spree, and a wave of job market weirdness rolls through the US, UK, and China.

📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter – it’s free: https://ebn.to/sub25

🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25

⸻

🔗 Links From This Episode

🏆 Top Employers? Really?

• LinkedIn’s top employers list 2025:

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/10/linkedins-best-companies-to-work-for-in-2025.html

• Google lays off hundreds in Pixel and Android teams:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/google-lays-hundreds-employees-android-pixel-group-information-reports-5059236

• Microsoft mulls more job cuts targeting non-coders:

https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-mulls-more-job-cuts-managers-non-coders-2025-4

• Microsoft fires engineers protesting layoffs:

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/07/microsoft-fires-engineers-who-protested-during-anniversary-celebration.html

• Google allegedly pays AI hires to “do nothing”:

https://wccftech.com/google-paying-ai-workers-a-year-salary-for-doing-nothing/

⸻

📱 A Gen Z Challenger to LinkedIn

• Students launch AI-driven LinkedIn rival:

https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-series-gen-z-professional-network-ai-texting-2025-4

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🤖 AI Is Still Coming for Jobs

• Shopify CEO: Prove AI can’t do your job:

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/07/shopify-ceo-prove-ai-cant-do-jobs-before-asking-for-more-headcount.html

• AI likely to replace these 3 professions:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/ai-is-most-likely-to-replace-these-3-professions-ai-experts/489655

• Jobs most at risk over next 20 years:

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/07/these-jobs-are-at-risk-of-disappearing-in-the-next-20-years-ai-experts-say.html

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🇨🇳 The China Slowdown Begins?

• Some Chinese companies quietly reducing workloads:

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/in-china-whispers-of-change-as-some-companies-tell-staff-to-work-less

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💼 Signals From the Global Talent Market

• “People-first” HR gaining traction:

https://www.hrdive.com/news/people-first-hr-2025/744922/

• US employee confidence creeps upward (barely):

https://www.hrdive.com/news/employee-confidence-inches-upward-but-remains-low-amid-worries-about-tariff/744680/

• UK sees biggest rise in job seekers since 2020 (Business Times):

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/uk-recruiters-report-sharpest-rise-job-seekers-covid-19

• UK labour market cooling (Economic Times):

https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/business/uk-jobs-market-sees-biggest-jump-in-people-looking-for-work-since-2020/articleshow/120192219.cms

⸻

🧠 For jobs in employer branding and recruitment marketing:

https://jobs.employerbranding.news/

⸻

#EmployerBranding #FutureOfWork #AIJobs #LinkedInLogic #GenZ #PaperCut #HRTrends #WorkCulture

Revenge quitting. AI reshaping roles. DEI rebrands, not retreats.

This week on Paper Cut, we unpack the chaos with sharp insights on where talent, trust, and tech collide:

✂️ Job cuts spike again—yes, again

⚡ Revenge quitting is rising (and it’s personal)

🤖 AI isn’t just evolving roles—it’s erasing them

📉 Strategy is shifting from hire-hire-hire to retain-and-survive

📣 DEI gets a makeover, but not a burial

Stay informed. Stay sharp. Stay subscribed.

📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter – it’s free: https://ebn.to/sub25

🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25

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🔗 Links From This Episode

✂️ Layoffs + Strategy Pivots

• March layoffs surged as ‘DOGE’ budget cuts take hold:

https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-announced-job-cuts-surge-march-doge-hit-recruitment-firm-challenger-says-2025-04-03/

• Canada sheds 33,000 jobs as global trade jitters intensify:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-canada-sheds-33000-jobs-in-march-as-trade-war-rattles-labour-market/

• Japan hikes starting salaries to compete for talent:

https://www.hcamag.com/asia/specialisation/payroll/japan-employers-to-hike-starting-salaries-reports/531067

• Why your employer brand needs to get agile:

https://recruitingheadlines.com/building-an-agile-employer-brand-strategy-in-times-of-uncertainty/

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😤 Revenge Quitting & Workforce Fallout

• Revenge quitting is on the rise—yes, it’s a thing:

https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/revenge-quitting-is-a-rising-threat-to-employers-despite-tightening-job-market/91170534

• Fed employees being targeted by foreign governments:

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/28/politics/us-intel-russia-china-attempt-recruit-disgruntled-federal-employees/index.html

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🤖 AI + Tech Talent Tectonics

• LinkedIn launches new AI-powered recruiting tools:

https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-acquisition/linkedin-ai-powered-tools

• AI reshapes hiring strategies across APAC:

https://www.hcamag.com/asia/specialisation/hr-technology/as-ai-reshapes-talent-strategies-apac-employers-must-adapt-or-be-left-behind-expert/530909

• The end of programming jobs as we know them?:

https://fortune.com/2025/03/17/computer-programming-jobs-lowest-1980-ai/

• Pentagon ditches HR software overhaul project:

https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/24/pentagon_abandons_hr_software_overhaul/

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🛡️ Cybersecurity, DEI & Cultural Crossroads

• UK firms scramble to fill cybersecurity roles:

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news-features/uk-firms-cybersecurity-recruitment/

• In the Trump era, companies rebrand DEI—not kill it:

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/30/in-trump-era-companies-are-rebranding-dei-efforts-not-giving-up.html

• US gov bans romantic/sexual relationships with Chinese nationals:

https://www.hcamag.com/asia/specialisation/employee-engagement/us-government-staff-banned-from-romantic-sexual-relations-with-chinese-citizens-reports/531054

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🎯 Perspective + Trends

• Work-life balance? LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman says: “Laptop after dinner”:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/when-linkedin-co-founder-told-employees-go-home-have-dinner-with-family-and-then-open-laptops-to-/articleshow/119933491.cms

• Work-life balance “isn’t for startups”—Reid Hoffman on hustle culture:

https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/work-life-balance-is-not-the-start-up-game-linkedin-founder-reid-hoffman-on-real-time-scenario-470782-2025-04-04

• Why HR’s future looks like marketing’s past:

https://www.fastcompany.com/91300902/why-hrs-future-looks-like-marketings-past

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🧠 Jobs in employer branding + recruitment marketing:

https://jobs.employerbranding.news/

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#EmployerBranding #FutureOfWork #RevengeQuitting #AIJobs #TalentTrends #DEI #HRStrategy #PaperCut #Layoffs2025 #WorkCulture #Newsletter

Layoffs. AI disruption. RTO tug-of-war. Gen Z may finally be slowing down the job-hopping. This week on Paper Cut, we dig into:

✂️ Massive restructures at Mercedes, EY, and IBM

🤖 Bill Gates warns most jobs won’t survive AI—but some might

🏢 RTO mandates ramp back up, but talent isn’t biting

🚪 Gen Z shifts gears—less hopping, more holding

📊 JPMorgan tweaks DEI language, and the UK Spring Statement drops

Don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly updates on the trends shaping the future of work.

📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25

🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25

⸻

🔗 Links From This Episode

✂️ Restructures & Layoffs: The Quiet, the Loud, and the Generous

• Mercedes-Benz offers severance to 30,000 employees:

https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/mercedes-benz-offers-generous-severance-packages-to-30000-employees-as-cost-cutting-initiative-intensifies/

• EY plans massive restructure post-split:

https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/ey-proposes-massive-restructure-cutting-divisions-to-find-growth-20250326-p5lmq6

• IBM quietly lays off thousands:

https://www.peoplematters.in/news/talent-management/ibm-quietly-cuts-thousands-of-employeesreport-uncovers-team-hit-the-hardest-44841

⸻

🤖 Agentic AI & Gates’ “AI-Proof” Jobs

• Bill Gates on AI replacing most jobs:

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/26/bill-gates-on-ai-humans-wont-be-needed-for-most-things.html

• Gates says coding, clean energy, and biology are AI-proof:

https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/artificial-intelligence/bill-gates-ai-proof-future-jobs-coding-energy-expert-biologists-9907512/

• Deloitte and EY launch agentic AI platforms:

https://www.businessinsider.com/deloitte-ey-launch-agentic-ai-platforms-big-four-competition2025-3

⸻

🏢 RTO Round 873 – Still a Fight

• RTO push intensifies 5 years after WFH boom:

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/23/5-years-into-the-remote-work-boom-the-return-to-office-push-is-stronger-than-everheres-why.html

• London firms struggle with vacancies, blame WFH expectations:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14518475/London-firms-struggling-vacancies-picky-job-applicants-demand-WFH-employers-bemoan-lack-Maths-English-skills-workers.html

⸻

🚪 Gen Z – From Hopping to Holding?

• Gen Z job-hoppers shift toward stability:

https://fortune.com/2025/03/20/gen-z-job-hopping-salary-difference-low-loyalty-career-strategy/

• 2 in 5 tech workers have still quit recently:

https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/24/2_in_5_techies_quit/

⸻

📊 DEI Gets Tweaked, Policy Gets Practical

• JPMorgan modifies DEI strategy under pressure:

https://www.hrdive.com/news/jp-morgan-doi-dei-changes/743707/

• UK Spring Statement 2025 – Employer reactions:

https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/spring-statement-2025-hr-and-employers-react

⸻

🧠 For jobs in employer branding and recruitment marketing:

https://jobs.employerbranding.news/

⸻

#EmployerBranding #FutureOfWork #GenZ #Layoffs #AIJobs #DEI #RTO #PaperCut #HRTrends

Welcome to Paper Cut, your weekly source for sharp insights in employer branding, talent attraction, and HR.

This week, we’re diving into:

✂️ Mass layoffs across EY, Siemens, and Morgan Stanley—but workers aren’t buying the usual narrative

🔒 Reports of tech industry blocklists that quietly blacklist laid-off employees

🧠 HR is finally getting strategic, shifting from firefighting to future-proofing

⚡ The return of ‘hardcore’ culture in tech—is burnout making a comeback?

Don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly updates on the trends shaping the future of work.

📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25

🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25

🔗 Articles Mentioned in This Episode:

✂️ Layoffs Everywhere, But the Vibe Is Different

• Morgan Stanley Layoffs – Channel News Asia: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/morgan-stanley-layoffs-improve-operational-efficiency-us-trump-tariffs-5009636

• Siemens Cuts 6,000 Jobs – The Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/germanys-siemens-to-cut-over-6000-jobs-worldwide

• EY Layoffs & Consulting Sector Tension – City A.M.: https://www.cityam.com/as-ey-plots-mass-layoffs-are-kpmg-deloitte-and-pwc-next/

• Layoff Narrative Shift – CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/16/a-vibe-shift-around-layoffs-is-happening-across-the-workforce.html

🔒 Blacklisted by the Algorithm?

• Blocklists at Major Tech Companies – Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-employees-block-lists-widespread-job-seekers-2025-3

🧠 HR Gets a Strategy Upgrade

• HR’s Strategic Pivot – HR Dive: https://www.hrdive.com/news/hr-strategic-role/742912/

• SHRM: HR Focuses on Existing Talent – HR Dive: https://www.hrdive.com/news/hr-shifts-focus-from-recruiting-to-existing-talent-shrm/742935/

⚡ Tech’s Toxic Comeback?

• ‘Hardcore’ Culture Returns to Tech – Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-industry-amazon-microsoft-meta-google-companies-intensity-hardcore-2025-3

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#EmployerBranding #HRTrends #FutureOfWork #PaperCut #Layoffs #WorkCulture

Welcome to Paper Cut, your weekly dose of sharp insights in employer branding, talent attraction, and HR.

This week, we’re diving into:

🚨 Mass layoffs hit their highest level since 2020—who’s next?

📊 The job market is starting to look like the 1990s dot-com bubble—should we be worried?

🤖 AI is officially replacing civil servants—governments are automating jobs

🌍 China’s workforce is shrinking for the first time in years—how will it impact global hiring?

💼 An HR manager pulls off an insane $2.2M fraud scheme—and gets away with it for 8 years

Don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly updates on the trends shaping the future of work.

📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25

🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25

🔗 Articles Mentioned in This Episode:

🚨 Layoffs Are Back—And They’re Big

Job Cuts Hit Highest Level Since 2020 – NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/doge-onslaught-pushed-layoff-announcements-highest-point-2020-rcna195082

Big Four Employees Fear Job Cuts – SightsInPlus: https://sightsinplus.com/news/layoffs/pwc-kpmg-ey-and-deloitte-employees-fear-job-cuts/

📊 Job Market Déjà Vu: A Dot-Com Boom Repeat?

Is the Job Market on the Edge of a 1990s-Style Crash? – MarketWatch: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/americas-job-market-is-eerily-similar-to-the-1990s-dot-com-boom-should-we-be-worried-604d5d6c

🤖 AI Is Coming for Civil Service Jobs

AI Set to Replace Civil Servants Under New Government Plan – The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/12/ai-should-replace-some-work-of-civil-servants-under-new-rules-keir-starmer-to-announce?utm_source=chatgpt.com

🌍 Global Employment Shifts—Winners & Losers

China’s Workforce Declines for the First Time Since 2020 – Staffing Industry News: https://www.staffingindustry.com/news/global-daily-news/employment-in-china-forecast-to-fall-for-first-time-since-2020-report

Australia Pushes for Reproductive Leave in National Reform – News.com.au: https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/unions-nsw-pushes-for-reproductive-leave-in-national-employment-standard-reform/news-story/b3f57926e91d65dc1b8b1297b9fba386

🎭 HR Fraud of the Decade?

HR Manager Fakes 22 Employees for 8 Years—And Gets Paid – Hindustan Times: https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/hr-manager-creates-22-fake-employees-logs-perfect-attendance-for-over-8-years-to-steal-18-crore-101741759765550.html

💼 Looking for a Job in Employer Branding?

EB Jobs Board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/

👍 Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more insights every week!

#EmployerBranding #HRTrends #FutureOfWork #PaperCut

Welcome to Paper Cut, your weekly dose of sharp insights in employer branding, talent attraction, and HR.

📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25

🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25

This week, we’re diving into:

🚨 New York is hiring laid-off federal workers in an aggressive recruitment push

📊 The February jobs report shows steady employment but signs of a hiring slowdown

💰 AI salaries are skyrocketing, but can companies afford to keep paying these premiums?

🏢 Return-to-office mandates aren’t really about collaboration—so what’s the real reason?

🔥 A recruitment campaign goes viral for telling people not to apply

Don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly updates on the trends shaping the future of work.

🔗 Articles Mentioned in This Episode:

🚨 New York’s Unexpected Hiring Spree

NYC Tries to Hire Laid-Off Federal Workers – CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-trying-to-hire-federal-workers-cut-by-doge/

New York State Campaigns to Recruit Terminated Federal Workers – Brooklyn Eagle: https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2025/03/03/new-york-state-campaigns-to-recruit-terminated-federal-workers/

📊 The Job Market: Strong, but Shifting

February Jobs Report Preview – CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/06/economy/us-jobs-report-february-preview/index.html

💰 AI Talent Is Getting Expensive

Employers Paying Premiums for AI Skills – HR Dive: https://www.hrdive.com/news/employers-pay-premiums-for-ai-skills/741556/

The Rising Cost of AI Talent – ScienceDirect: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162525000733

🏢 Return-to-Office: The Real Story

The Real Reasons Companies Are Forcing Workers Back – Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspremuzic/2025/02/28/the-real-reasons-companies-are-forcing-you-back-to-the-office/

🔥 Viral Employer Branding Moment

‘Don’t Work Here’ Campaign Goes Viral – Entrepreneur: https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/dont-work-at-anduril-recruitment-campaign-goes-viral/487992

💼 Looking for a Job in Employer Branding?

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#EmployerBranding #HRTrends #FutureOfWork #PaperCut