The Week in Jobs

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 schedule.

The report estimates that $4.5 trillion in U.S. labor value could potentially shift from humans to AI. Financial managers, software developers, legal roles, administrative support, and even C-suite executives rank among the most exposed. Meanwhile, construction, repair, healthcare support, and other hands-on roles remain the least affected, at least for now.

Pete explains what “exposure” really means (not elimination, but task automation), why efficiency gains may reduce overall headcount needs, and how AI is increasingly handling planning, forecasting, coding, documentation, and customer support.

On the broader labor market front, weekly jobless claims remain low, and unemployment is forecast at around 4.28%. However, unemployed workers are having a harder time finding jobs compared to last year. It’s a low-hire, low-fire environment; stable on the surface, but subtly weakening underneath.

The big takeaway: AI acceleration is outpacing labor market momentum. Companies are preparing for a more automated future, even if the headline employment numbers haven’t fully reflected it yet.

So here’s the question: If 93% of jobs have tasks AI can already handle, where does your role fall on that spectrum, and are you adapting fast enough?

Articles:
1. Cognizant Report: https://www.cognizant.com/us/en/aem-i/ai-and-the-future-of-work-report
2. Department of Labor Report: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OPA/newsreleases/ui-claims/20260322.pdf
3. Chicago Fed Release: https://www.chicagofed.org/research/data/chicago-fed-labor-market-indicators/latest-release

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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 waiting for formal education to catch up. Two-thirds of Gen Z are teaching themselves job skills online, and most hiring managers say self-taught skills are credible if candidates can prove they’ve actually used them. Listing a skill isn’t enough anymore. Demonstration is everything.

But here’s the contradiction. The latest compensation data from PayScale shows base pay increases are slowing, nine-to-five schedules are fading, and most companies updating roles with AI responsibilities are not offering additional compensation. Organizations want AI skills, but many aren’t paying meaningfully more for them, at least not yet.

The message is clear: build AI capability, demonstrate real-world application, and don’t rely on traditional pay structures to reward you automatically. The market is shifting fast, and those who adapt early will have leverage.

So here’s the question: If AI skills are becoming mandatory, should companies be paying a clear premium for them, or is this just the new cost of staying employable?

Articles:
1. Zapier AI Job Market Report: https://zapier.com/blog/ai-job-market-report/
2. Express Employment Professionals Report: https://www.expresspros.com/newsroom/news-releases/news-releases/2026/02/gen-z-leads-a-66-percent-surge-in-self-taught-job-skills-creating-a-verification-headache
3. Payscale 2026 Compensation Best Practices Report: https://www.payscale.com/press-releases/2026-compensation-best-practices-report

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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 as employment declined.

The pattern is clear: AI is substituting entry-level work while amplifying experienced workers. Economists call it the “experience premium.” In simple terms, AI can replicate codifiable knowledge, but it still struggles with judgment and tacit expertise. That makes seasoned professionals more valuable, and makes the climb harder for young workers trying to break in.

At the same time, new data from ADP shows U.S. worker turnover has fallen to its lowest level in nearly a decade. Hiring has slowed, quitting has slowed, and the pay bump from switching jobs is now the weakest since 2017. The labor market isn’t collapsing... It’s stagnating.

Then Pete turns to a policy paper from the Brookings Institution, which highlights a major gap in the U.S. tax code: labor is taxed at five to six times the effective rate of automation equipment. In other words, the system may be quietly incentivizing companies to replace workers rather than augment them.

The big question isn’t whether AI will affect jobs; it already is. The real question is whether companies will use it to enhance workers or eliminate them.

So here’s the question: If AI keeps boosting productivity while shrinking entry-level pathways, what happens to the next generation of workers?

Articles:
1. AI Is Simultaneously Aiding & Replacing Workers: https://www.dallasfed.org/research/economics/2026/0224
2. What Happened to Labor Market Dynamism: https://www.adpresearch.com/what-happened-to-labor-market-dynamism/
3. Building Pro-Worker AI: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/building-pro-worker-ai/

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Most people are still using AI like it's a Magic 8-Ball. Ask a question, get an answer, shake and repeat.

But there's a new category of AI that goes way beyond chat. They're called AI agents - and they don't just answer questions, they actually DO work.

AI agents can:

• Browse the web and research topics
• Write and execute code
• Create documents and files
• Complete multi-step projects autonomously

In today's episode, host Pete Newsome will explain what AI agents are, show you tools you can use TODAY (like Claude), and give you 3 ways to start working with them immediately. 73% more productive. That's not a small edge - that's a different league.

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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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Law school applications are up 44% in two years—the highest level since the early 2000s.

At the same time, Goldman Sachs estimates 44% of legal work could be automated by AI. 

Same percentage. Opposite directions.  Harvey AI is already inside 42% of the biggest law firms in America. And the CEO of Anthropic is warning that half of all entry-level white-collar jobs could disappear within five years.

And tens of thousands of students are about to borrow $200,000, betting that the job market in 2029 looks exactly like it does today.

Host Pete Newsome breaks down what's actually happening and what prospective law students deserve to know before they sign on the dotted line.

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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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