job cuts

Some of the decline in employment is down to elevated interest rates.

Local government roles were down 57,000, leisure and hospitality positions decreased by 40,000, finance jobs declined 14,000, and the retail sector lost more than 19,000.

Companies are banking on AI to make their customer service more efficient and less costly. But customers are easily frustrated when they can’t talk to a human.

Without more detailed data from the federal government, it’s hard to know.

Companies making the biggest investments in AI are spending less elsewhere.

Job cut announcements rose 29% in July from the previous month, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Private-sector hiring slowed down in February and small businesses cut jobs. Plus, new unemployment claims were up last week.

Adam Grant of The Wharton School describes evidence-based strategies for getting the best out of employees.

In Valley County, Idaho, for example, data show that the Forest Service is the area’s third largest employer — ahead of a school district, the local hospital and a major ski resort.

Employees who lose their jobs at the end of they year may vent on social media. That can hurt a company’s reputation, experts say.