The headlines say the job market is “cooling,” but the real story is far more revealing. Behind the flat JOLTS numbers, steady openings, steady hires, and another drop in quits, is a labor market that has stopped accelerating and started stabilizing. Workers are switching jobs less, competing offers are thinning, and employers are quietly regaining leverage. Host Pete Newsome breaks down what this shift means for pay and power, and how both candidates and hiring managers should adjust their strategies.

He also zooms out to the path after high school. Parents still favor college, but confidence is fading fast as career and technical education gains legitimacy. With rising costs and clearer outcomes from alternatives, families are reassessing what success actually requires and where non-degree routes outperform the traditional four-year path.

On the hiring front, employers are rewriting the rulebook. Degrees still matter, but experience now rivals them, certificates are becoming trusted proof of skills, and nearly half of employers plan to expand skills-based hiring. Add the rise of AI fluency, from practical use cases to formal credentials, and the new standard is clear: show what you can do, and back it with evidence.

Whether you're building your career or shaping a team, the takeaway is the same: focus on outcomes, stack skills that map to real roles, and use assessments that mirror actual work.

💬What part of this shift do you think will reshape the workforce the most?

News Articles:
1. BLS JOLTS Release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
2. ASA Youth Career Readiness Outlook: https://www.asa.org/research/youth-career-readiness-outlook-parent-views-2025/
3. WGU Workforce Decoded Report: https://www.wgu.edu/content/dam/wgu-65-assets/web-sites/impact/wgus-workforce-decoded-report.pdf

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👋 FOLLOW PETE NEWSOME ONLINE:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petenewsome/
Blog Articles: https://www.4cornerresources.com/blog