The U.S. job market in late October 2026 is characterized by shifting white-collar payrolls, rising tech-sector layoffs, and increased hiring competition in non-tech industries. [1, 2]

Key Employment Headlines
Tech Layoffs & AI Shifts: U.S. tech companies announced 165,925 job cuts in the first nine months of 2026 (a 54% jump year-over-year).…[Read more]

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, October 21, 2026 USDL-26-1604

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 * cpsinfo@bls.gov * http://www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov

USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS
THIRD QUARTER 2026

Median weekly earnings of the nation’s 122.2 million full-time wage and salary…[Read more]

Yesterday, October 23, 2026, I had the pleasure of meeting my coworker and close friend, Michael Murphy, at Twisted Grounds Coffee on Madison’s East Side.

We discussed several interesting topics, but what stood out the most was our conversation about the future of the job market and the growing impact of artificial intelligence.

AI is t…[Read more]