Good morning. At a current CEO dinner in New York, dialog turned to the subject of jobs. 2025 was an underwhelming 12 months for U.S. job progress—including 584,000 jobs in comparison with 2 million in 2024—and this 12 months is prone to be extra of the identical. (Strip out well being care and social help industries, and the U.S. misplaced jobs final 12 months.)
However the query being debated was tips on how to speak about potential job cuts in relation to AI. “I’d rather focus on AI than falling demand,” one attendee mentioned. “At least you look ahead of the curve instead of behind it.”
Final 12 months, U.S. employers explicitly blamed AI for 55,000 of the 1.17 million job cuts, in keeping with Challenger, Grey & Christmas. That’s fewer than 5% of layoffs. AI isn’t but the bête noire nor the magic elixir that folks have made it out to be. (Forgive the combined metaphors there; proof of a human on the helm.) In August, MIT launched a examine that discovered 95% of generative AI pilots fail to generate significant return.
And but we’re all listening to predictions about how AI goes to affect jobs, from gutting information work to creating a military of AI-enhanced people who will obtain extra in 5 hours than most of us do in 5 days. If my dinner dialog is something to go by, leaders are fairly blissful to stoke that debate. Right here’s why:
It motivates staff. The prospect of AI can spark each worry and fascination. In both case, speaking about it externally and internally is a good way to get folks motivated to find out about it. The productiveness increase, particularly in areas like coding, could be vital. Tying it to job cuts is code for telling everybody to be taught it.
It will probably excite buyers. UPS inventory jumped 8% the day that CEO Carol Tomé introduced 48,000 jobs had been reduce in “the most significant strategic shift” in firm historical past. Analysis from the IMF, Deloitte and others verify that public corporations are faster to resort to layoffs than their non-public counterparts. “I think it’s too early to quantify,” one dinner attendee advised me, “but AI impacts how we think about hiring and firing.”
High information
Powell below investigation
The U.S. legal professional’s workplace in D.C. has opened a prison investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell over renovations to the Fed’s headquarters and whether or not he lied to Congress in regards to the scope of the work. In a response, Powell acknowledged that the Fed had been served subpoenas, questioned the motive, and vowed to proceed his job “without political fear or favor.” Federal Housing Finance Company Director Invoice Pulte is reportedly behind the probe; he’s used the often staid company to analyze foes of President Donald Trump for mortgage fraud.
Doable U.S. motion towards Iran
Protests in Iran continued over the weekend, as did the federal government’s crackdown on demonstrators, with human rights teams reporting that lots of have been killed within the unrest. The Trump administration is contemplating tips on how to reply; army, cyber, and financial measures are all on the desk. President Trump says Tehran has proposed talks because the administration weighs its choices.
Trump targets Exxon
President Trump has threatened to sideline Exxon Mobil on future Venezuela oil tasks for “playing too cute.” In a Friday assembly between Trump and oil firm executives, Exxon CEO Darren Woods known as the Venezuelan market “uninvestable” in its present state, a remark that appeared to attract Trump’s ire.
CEO who laid off staff that rejected AI would do it once more
IgniteTech CEO Eric Vaughan laid off nearly 80% of his staff two years in the past as a result of they wouldn’t undertake AI. He advised Fortune it was “extremely difficult” however would do it once more.
Tariff elimination might increase jobs
In a social media put up over the weekend, Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi argued that the elimination of President Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs could be “the fastest way to boost the job market.” A call from the Supreme Courtroom on the legality of the tariffs is anticipated any day now.
How a cap on bank card charges would play out
President Trump indicated his assist for a one-year 10% cap on bank card rates of interest late final week. Some consultants say doing so would soften bank card rewards applications and make accessing credit score onerous for these with decrease credit score scores.
The markets
S&P 500 futures have been down 0.7% this morning. The final session closed up 0.65%. STOXX Europe 600 was down 0.23% in early buying and selling. The U.Okay.’s FTSE 100 was down o.o9% in early buying and selling. Japan markets have been closed. China’s CSI 300 was up o.65%. The South Korea KOSPI was up 0.84% to achieve a report excessive. India’s NIFTY 50 was up 0.42%. Bitcoin was at $90K.
Across the watercooler
CEO coach to the Fortune 500: Probably the most highly effective strategy to sort out 2026 is assuming you’ll dwell until 130 by Invoice Hoogterp
As U.S. debt soars previous $38 trillion, the flood of company bonds is a rising risk to the Treasury provide by Jason Ma
AI adoption isn’t a simple strategy to reduce jobs—or simple in any respect, Wharton professor says: ‘The key thing … is just how much work is involved in doing it’ by Nick Lichtenberg
L’Oreal exec tells Gen Z to be that one who grabs their supervisor’s espresso—as an alternative of creating you look junior, she says it may possibly get you seen by Orianna Rosa Royle
Netflix’s $82.7 billion rags-to-riches story: How the a DVD-by-mail firm swallowed Hollywood by Natalie Jarvey
CEO Each day is compiled and edited by Joey Abrams, Claire Zillman and Lee Clifford.
