What will the labor market actually look like in 2026? We break down 10 trends reshaping jobs, pay, and hiring. From agentic AI running multi-step workflows to hybrid work settling in as the default, we show what’s changing, what’s sticking, and where the real career upside is.

AI is no longer just a tool. It’s starting to act like a teammate, connecting tasks into outcomes across recruiting, operations, and customer work. That shift comes with trade-offs: fewer entry-level white-collar roles, greater leverage for skilled trades, and quieter, ongoing headcount trims rather than splashy layoffs. Pay stabilizes as transparency grows, making negotiations clearer and expectations more realistic. The advantage moves to human skills, like judgment, empathy, and influence, because execution is easier to automate than trust.

We also explain why hybrid work keeps winning, how to use in-person time strategically, and what “slow-motion RTO” means for mentorship and visibility. We unpack skills-first hiring as degrees lose ground to certificates and proof of work, plus how automation is speeding up recruiting while raising the bar on fairness. You’ll hear what’s driving the “great stay,” and how to create optionality through visible wins and cross-functional impact. We close with visa shifts and the growing push to govern AI in hiring, with practical takeaways for leaders.

The takeaway is simple: pair AI fluency with power skills, prioritize visibility, and lead with proof over credentials. If this sparked a new way of thinking about 2026, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and tell us which trend you’re betting on.

Additional Resources:
1. Recruiting Trends for 2026: https://www.4cornerresources.com/blog/recruiting-trends-for-the-new-year/
2. Hiring and Salary Guide: https://www.4cornerresources.com/hiring-salary-guide/
3. Q4 2025 AI Perception and Threat in the Workplace Survey: https://www.4cornerresources.com/workplace-ai-perception-and-threat-survey-results/
4. Q4 2025 Employee Mindset Survey: https://www.4cornerresources.com/surveys/q4-2025-employee-mindset/

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🧠 WANT TO LEARN MORE? Be sure to subscribe and check out 4 Corner Resources at https://www.4cornerresources.com/

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

AI may not be killing jobs (yet), but it is changing who gets hired. While headlines focus on disruption, the real labor-market story is subtler: hiring has slowed, productivity is rising, and AI is quietly reshaping how work actually gets done.

In this episode of Breaking Job News, host Pete Newsome breaks down Vanguard’s 2026 economic outlook and the latest CompTIA Tech Jobs Report to explain what’s really happening in the job market. You’ll learn why unemployment is expected to stabilize, why tech hiring hasn’t collapsed, and how demand is shifting away from flashy AI job titles toward AI-enabled skills across everyday roles.

Pete also explains why mid-career professionals currently have the advantage, why entry-level workers are feeling the most pressure, and how skills-based hiring is opening doors in tech support, network administration, web development, and beyond. Plus, he covers the launch of the U.S. Tech Force, an ambitious federal initiative that could turn government tech roles into a serious career accelerator.

💬 What AI skill are you adding to your toolkit next?

News Articles:
1. Vanguard Economic & Market Outlook for 2026: https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/dam/corp/research/pdf/isg_vemo_2026.pdf
2. CompTIA Tech Jobs Report - December 2025: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/research/tech-jobs-report/
3. OPM U.S. Tech Force Announcement: https://www.opm.gov/news/news-releases/opm-launches-us-tech-force-to-implement-president-trumps-vision-for-technology-leadership/

Don’t miss out! Subscribe for weekly updates on the latest job news.

🧠 WANT TO LEARN MORE? Be sure to subscribe and check out 4 Corner Resources at https://www.4cornerresources.com/

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

The labor market looks fine, but the data underlying it tell a more complicated story. In today's job headlines, host Pete Newsome breaks down the November jobs report and what it really means for hiring, employees, and workplace strategy right now. Payroll growth was modest, unemployment ticked up to 4.6%, and short-term unemployment jumped, often an early warning sign of disruption. The biggest red flag? A sharp rise in involuntary part-time work reveals that many employers are cutting hours rather than adding full-time roles.

Pete also digs into where jobs are growing and where they are shrinking. Healthcare and construction continue to add jobs, while transportation and warehousing pull back as demand normalizes. Then he zooms out to employee sentiment. ADP data shows motivation and commitment falling for the fourth straight month, with most sectors weakening and knowledge workers feeling the strain. Manufacturing shows improvement, and healthcare and education remain resilient, but overall engagement is slipping rather than strengthening.

For leaders, this matters. Retention may look stable on paper, but many employees are staying because they have fewer options, not because they're energized. Pete wraps with an early, cautiously optimistic signal from ADP's weekly hiring data, suggesting momentum may be stabilizing, and why now is the moment to focus on trust, workload clarity, and growth paths.

News Articles:
1. BLS Employment Situation Summary: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
2. ADP NER Pulse: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adp-national-employment-report-preliminary-estimate-november-29-2025-302642779.html
3. ADP Employee Sentiment: https://www.adpresearch.com/employee-sentiment-fell-in-december/

Don’t miss out! Subscribe for weekly updates on the latest job news.

🧠 WANT TO LEARN MORE? Be sure to subscribe and check out 4 Corner Resources at https://www.4cornerresources.com/

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