Corporate layoffs are rising at the fastest pace since the Great Recession, and at the same time, Washington is quietly hiring back federal workers after cutting more than 387,000 jobs.

In today’s Breaking Job News, host Pete Newsome breaks down the Conference Board’s latest Employment Trends Index, where six of eight indicators turned negative, and workers say jobs are now as hard to get as they were in early 2021.

Pete also examines a Washington Post investigation into the federal workforce reversal, including the rehiring of 123,000 employees after sweeping DOGE-era cuts, and why agencies like the VA, IRS, and Social Security are struggling to fill critical roles.

Meanwhile, a new Business Insider report shows CEOs are considering layoffs at the fastest pace since 2009. Wall Street continues rewarding cost-cutting, and new Morgan Stanley data shows productivity rising while employment falls in AI-exposed industries.

Is this stagnation? Policy uncertainty? AI restructuring? Or all of the above?

Pete breaks down what the data actually says and what it means for workers right now.

Articles:
1. Conference Board ETI: https://www.conference-board.org/topics/employment-trends-index/
2. Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/09/trump-hiring-federal-workers/
3. Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/ceos-make-job-cuts-worries-about-economy-and-ai-impacts-2026-3

📽️ WATCH TODAY'S EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/KDB_9Cf-Fy0

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