DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Recent job cuts have been concentrated mainly in just a few sectors: technology, finance and media. Relative to the U.S. labor force of 160 million people, layoffs so far have been dwarfed by consistently vigorous hiring — a monthly average of 248,000 jobs added over the past six months. THE LAYOFFS ARE SPREAD OVER TIMEHigh-profile job cuts typically involve many layoffs that aren't implemented immediately. So they weren't included in the January jobs data that was released Friday because the layoffs hadn't yet taken place. Jobs cuts are deeply distressing and disruptive for people who suffer them.

Persons: they've, —, They're, That's, binges, Todd McKinnon, ” Organizations: WASHINGTON, Blockbuster, eBay, UPS, Spotify, Manufacturers, Labor Department, Companies Locations: Federal, U.S

☆ January jobs report: Expect to see strong but slower hiring and an uptick in the unemployment rate
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —The first jobs report for 2024, set to be released at 8:30 am ET Friday, is expected to underscore the strength of the US economy despite 11 rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. That can make the January jobs report among the trickiest to forecast, said Sarah House, a senior economist with Wells Fargo. Friday’s jobs report also will include the final annual benchmark review of payroll data for the 12 months that ended in March 2023. However, excluding January 2023, last month’s job cuts were the highest seen in January since 2009, according to Challenger. US worker productivity grew 3.2% in the fourth quarter, according to a BLS report released Thursday.

Persons: Jerome Powell, he’s, Sarah House, Wells, “ We’re, ”, there’s, Boussour, EY, ” Boussour, Daniel Zhao, Zhao, haven’t, ” Andrew Challenger, people’s paychecks, ” Diane Swonk, “, —, Swonk Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Labor, Workers, Challenger, ”, BLS, KPMG, CNN Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, United States

☆ Tens of thousands of workers were laid off in January. If you were affected, here's how you may find work faster
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

New government data shows a surprisingly strong job market for the month of January. But there are signs of weakness in the labor market, based on tens of thousands of workers who have been laid off since 2024 started. At the same time, the latest data shows the U.S. job market is still strong, with the unemployment rate holding at 3.7%. "At the same time, we have to understand that certain sectors of the economy may be experiencing more disruption or innovation." With that innovation comes a higher risk that workers may suffer from an income loss as the economy adjusts, he said.

Persons: Mark Hamrick, Hamrick Organizations: Finance

☆ Fed Chair Powell says the job market is still strong. Here’s how the numbers break down
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

That can make the January jobs report among the trickiest to forecast, said Sarah House, a senior economist with Wells Fargo. Friday’s jobs report also will include the final annual benchmark review of payroll data for the 12 months that ended in March 2023. Fresh data on job cuts and productivityOn Thursday, the layoff picture became clearer. However, excluding January 2023, last month’s job cuts were the highest seen in January since 2009, according to Challenger. US worker productivity grew 3.2% in the fourth quarter, according to a BLS report released Thursday.

Persons: Jerome Powell, he’s, Sarah House, Wells, “ We’re, ”, there’s, Boussour, EY, ” Boussour, Daniel Zhao, Zhao, haven’t, ” Andrew Challenger, people’s paychecks, ” Diane Swonk, “, —, Swonk Organizations: New, New York CNN, of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Labor, Workers, Challenger, ”, BLS, KPMG, CNN Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, United States

☆ January hiring was the lowest for the month on record as layoffs surged
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The job outplacement firm said planned layoffs totaled 82,307 for the month, a jump of 136% from December though still down 20% from the same period a year ago. It was the second-highest layoff total and the lowest planned hiring level for the month of January in data going back to 2009. Amazon also said it would be cutting as did UPS in the biggest month for layoffs since March 2023. Tech layoffs totaled 15,806, the highest since May 2023. Additionally, climate change and immigration policies are influencing labor dynamics and operational challenges in this sector," Challenger said.

Persons: Amazon, Andrew Challenger Organizations: Challenger, Technology, Microsoft, PayPal, Tech, Food, Labor Department

☆ Remote workers and middle managers are most likely to get let go during layoff season, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Remote workers and middle managers are often more vulnerable to layoffs, experts say. Remote workers who are anxious about job security should return to the office, one expert said. Still, there's likely to be more cuts on the way, experts say, and remote workers and middle managers may be prime targets. Middle managers are also vulnerable, experts say. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in 2023: "I don't think you want a management structure that's just managers managing managers, managing managers, managing managers, managing the people who are doing the work."

Persons: —, It's, there's, Ariel Schur, Andy Challenger, Mark Zuckerberg, Daniel Zhao, they're, Daniel Keum Organizations: Service, PayPal, ABS Staffing Solutions, Bloomberg, Wall Street, Meta, Columbia Business School

☆ Workers are sour on the job market — but it may not be warranted
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Maskot | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesWorkers are sour on the job market — but that pessimism may be somewhat misplaced. So far in 2024, for example, big technology firms including Amazon, eBay, Google and Microsoft have announced job cuts. U.S.-based companies planned about 722,000 job cuts in 2023, almost double those announced in 2022, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement and executive coaching firm. watch nowHowever, those recent headlines mask strength in the overall job market, economists said. "It's still a very robust and resilient labor market overall," Pollak said.

Persons: Daniel Zhao, Zhao, it's, Mark Zandi, Zandi, they've, Julia Pollak, " Pollak Organizations: Digitalvision, Getty Images Workers, Amazon, eBay, Google, Microsoft, Citigroup, Universal Music Group, U.S, Challenger, Moody's, Federal Reserve Locations: BlackRock, U.S

☆ Remote employees are more likely to be laid off than in-office peers — but they quit more, too
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Remote workers are 35% more likely to be fired than their peers, The Wall Street Journal reported. At the same time, those who work from home are also more likely to quit their jobs, per The Journal. The analysis, conducted by employment data provider Live Data Technologies, found fully remote employees are laid off 35% more often than their peers who work in-office or hybrid roles, The Wall Street Journal reported. AdvertisementThough more likely to be laid off, remote employees — who see flexible work as equivalent to an 8% raise — are also more likely to quit. The analysis cited by The Journal found that 12% of remote workers quit their jobs in 2023 and began a new role within two months, compared to 9% of hybrid and in-office employees.

Persons: —, Andy Challenger, Danielle Organizations: Street Journal, Service, Technologies, University of Pittsburgh, Challenger, The

☆ Retail CEO turnover soars, and fewer women hold top jobs in the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Courtney Reagan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Last year, U.S. companies announced 55% more CEO changes than in 2022, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Boards didn't want to make changes, CEOs themselves didn't want to leave. The retail industry in 2023 saw 52 CEO departures, its second-highest number since Challenger, Gray & Christmas started tracking them, and more than double the 21 CEO turnovers in 2022, according to the firm's data. It was below 2019's record 63 CEO departures in the industry. In Korn Ferry's separate analysis of retail CEO turnover in 2023, the executive recruitment firm found 57% of new chief executives named in the industry last year were already working for the company they will lead.

Persons: Michelle Gass, Levi Strauss, Macy's, Andy Challenger, Challenger, Korn Organizations: Kohls Corp, National Retail Federation Inc, Challenger Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Tech startup Jellysmack laid off staffers in the US and France last month. Read the memo its CEO sent to employees about the restructuring, which includes a focus on AI.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The creator economy startup Jellysmack laid off staffers in the US and France last month, Business Insider has learned. Jellysmack works with creators on distributing their content across platforms like Facebook and Snapchat to earn additional ad revenue, among other initiatives. We have to realign our resources around areas of the business where Jellysmack is seeing the most success. We encourage everyone to support impacted employees by reaching out to your networks to help our colleagues find their next opportunities. Jellysmack Technologies - Led by Robin (interim), this unit will continue to develop self-serve tech solutions that solve the pain points of creators.

Persons: Jellysmack, Snapchat, Michael Philippe, Philippe, Michael Philippe ,, What's, Sean, Axel, , Robin, Michael, Swann Organizations: Business, Facebook, BI, CSE, Works, Our, Jellysmack, Network Media Locations: France, French

☆ Jobless claims fall to lowest level since 2022, while CEO exits hit new high
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The number of Americans making first-time claims for jobless benefits dropped last week to a level not seen since the fall of 2022, while CEO exits set a new high last year, according to fresh economic data released Thursday. There were an estimated 187,000 initial claims for unemployment insurance during the week that ended January 13, according to Department of Labor data released Thursday. That’s down by 16,000 claims from the week before and marked the lowest level of first-time claims — considered a proxy for layoffs — since September 24, 2022. Weekly claims data can be quite volatile and are frequently revised, and economists caution that some one-off influences — in this case, harsh weather and a new year — could be at play. “Historically, we’ve seen large economic shifts preceded by a surge in CEO exits,” Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in a statement.

Persons: —, ” Andrew Challenger, Challenger, ”, “, ” Matthew Martin, Ian Shepherdson, ” Shepherdson Organizations: New, New York CNN, of Labor, Challenger, ”, Oxford Economics, ’, ” Thursday’s Labor Department Locations: New York, US

☆ There will be record CEO turnover this year, says top PwC boss
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | Cadie Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Expect to see a record rate of CEO turnover this year, PwC's Tim Ryan said at Davos. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "We will see more turnover in the C-Suite in the next 12 months than we have ever," Tim Ryan, PwC senior partner, told Business Insider at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland this week. CEO turnover is already high. AdvertisementCorrection: Thursday, January 18, 2024 — This article has been updated to reflect Tim Ryan's current title, which is senior partner at PwC.

Persons: PwC's Tim Ryan, —, Tim Ryan, PwC, Ryan, you've, You've, isn't, Gray, Chris Licht, GameStop's Matthew Furlong, Jeff Shell, Ron Shaich, Tim Ryan's Organizations: Davos, Service, Economic, NBC, Economic Policy Institute, East Locations: Davos, Switzerland, PwC

☆ Spotify to lay off 17% of employees — read the full memo CEO Daniel Ek sent to staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Spotify raised prices of its subscription plans earlier this year and has been expanding into podcasts and audio books. Spotify cut 6% of its workforce, or about 600 employees, at the start of the year. For the team that will remain at Spotify, I know this decision will be difficult for many. Looking AheadThe decision to reduce our team size is a hard but crucial step towards forging a stronger, more efficient Spotify for the future. As we've grown, we've moved too far away from this core principle of resourcefulness.

Persons: Ek, we've, I've, we're, Katarina, Severance, We're, – Daniel Organizations: Spotify

☆ Read the full memo Spotify's CEO sent employees announcing it would cut 17% of its staff: 'Being lean is not just an option but a necessity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

CEO Daniel Ek told employees in a memo they would get an email from HR in two hours. The music streaming giant said in a blog post Monday announcing the cuts that "being lean is not just an option but a necessity." CEO Daniel Ek sent an email to his employees Monday with the same memo shared in the blog post. Two Spotify employees, who did not wish to be identified, told BI that some employees expected the further layoffs were looming. AdvertisementThe company shared a blog post in September titled "Unlocking Internal Mobility", which said that internal mobility would be "taking a higher priority."

Persons: Daniel Ek, —, Ek, Katarina Berg, we've, I've, we're, Katarina, Severance, We're, – Daniel Organizations: Spotify, Business, Service, BI Locations: Stockholm, Sweden, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Israel, India

The Tesla (TSLA.O) CEO told advertisers who have fled his social media platform X over antisemitic content to "Go fuck yourself!" Several business communications analysts said they couldn't remember a similar case of an executive publicly cursing at their customers. Musk, Tesla and X did not respond to requests for comment. Musk apologized for it and then cursed and dismissed the concerns of the advertisers fleeing the platform. Cappelli said Musk wishes to see himself as a rock star, not a business leader who needs to take account of many constituencies.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, It's, Andy Challenger, Challenger, Michael O'Leary, Jim Hagedorn, Sam Zell, Musk, Yehuda Baruch, Baruch, Peter Cappelli, Cappelli, Ross Kerber, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Ryanair, Boeing, Scotts Miracle, University of Southampton, University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Thomson Locations: Paris, France

☆ It’s holiday season. That means layoffs for some
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But they bring an extra bite when they are carried out during the holiday season. How does your employer’s severance policy compare? US employers are under no legal requirement to provide severance unless you are under a contract that provides for it. Check your employer’s severance policy: See if your employer has posted its severance policy on the company’s internal site. That’s a big jump from the average that employees pay today for workplace health coverage: 28% of the total cost for family coverage and 17% for single coverage.

Persons: Charles Schwab, “ We’ve, ”, Andrew Challenger, Challenger, Randstad, let’s, Tiffany Aliche, Aliche, “, Ann Minnium, You’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, Citigroup, Vice Media, Continental, Challenger, National Labor Relations Board Locations: New York

☆ Even CEOs are joining the 'Great Resignation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CEOs are quitting at record rates this year with 1,425 exits in the first nine months of 2023 alone. That's according to a new report by Challenger, Gray, and Christmas about the number of CEO exits in 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementCEOs are the latest to bow under the pressure of a challenging economic environment and are joining the "Great Resignation," at record rates, a new report by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas' report, 164 CEOs quit in September 2023, up from the 74 CEOs who left their jobs in the same period last year. CEO exits in the government and non-profit sector were also up sharply from last year, climbing from 190 to 353.

Persons: Gray, There's, CNN's Chris Licht, —, Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Chris Licht Organizations: Challenger, Service, SEC, Twitter, CNN

☆ Google cuts dozens of jobs in news division
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Google cut dozens of jobs in its news division this week, CNBC has learned, downsizing at a particularly sensitive time for online platforms and publishers. An estimated 40 to 45 workers in Google News have lost their jobs, according to an Alphabet Workers Union spokesperson, who didn't know the exact number. A Google spokesperson confirmed the cuts but didn't provide a number, and said there are still hundreds of people working on the news product. The cuts in Google News follow widespread layoffs across many parts of the company this year. In January, Google announced it was cutting 12,000 jobs, affecting roughly 6% of the full-time workforce.

Persons: We're, We've, Sen, Michael Bennet, TikTok, Thierry Breton, Breton, Sundar Pichai, Neal Mohan, Google's, they've Organizations: Google, CNBC, Google News, Alphabet Workers Union, Union, YouTube, EU's Digital Services, LinkedIn Locations: Israel, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, Canada

☆ Assistants at companies like Netflix and Disney are 'waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel' as their careers stall and they can't get promoted: 'I don't see a way up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Trying to maintain a career in Hollywood was "not something that was feasible for me to continue," this person told Insider. Insider spoke with eight current and former assistants at Hollywood companies, plus a former creative executive at a midsize film studio. Many hopefuls can't find jobs in an industry that's been wracked with head count reductions and budget cuts. Netflix's website lists just one open assistant job — a role in a non-creative vertical. At Paramount, which cut 25% of staff from its US cable networks earlier this year, there appear to be no open executive assistant jobs in entertainment capacities .

Persons: —, strivers, that's, David Heger, Edward Jones, Heger, Bob Iger —, there's, WBD, they've, they'd, I'm, Reed Alexander Organizations: Hollywood, Netflix, Paramount Global, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, Media, Writers Guild of America, Challenger, Warner Bros, Discovery, Entertainment Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles and New York

☆ Low weekly jobless claims, shrinking trade deficit boost US economic picture
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Trade balanceExports of goods and services increased 1.6% to $256.0 billion. Goods imports dropped 0.9% to $256.0 billion amid declines in imports of consumer and capital goods, potentially flagging softening domestic demand amid higher borrowing costs. Cell phones and other household goods accounted for the drop in consumer goods imports. The decrease in capital goods imports reflected declines in semiconductors and electric apparatus. Services imports increased $0.1 billion to $58.4 billion, supported by travel and other business services.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Christopher Rupkey, Unadjusted, nonfarm payrolls, Oscar Munoz, Goldman Sachs, Veronica Clark, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Nomiyama, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Labor Department, Reuters, Employers, Institute for Supply Management, United Auto Workers, UAW, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Treasury, Challenger, Labor, Securities, Commerce Department, Goods, Services, Citigroup, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City , New York, U.S, WASHINGTON, New York, Ohio, California

☆ US employers announce fewer layoffs in September, report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Amina Niasse | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Announced job cuts by U.S.-based employers totaled 47,457 last month, down about 37% from 75,151 in August, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said in the report. The announced layoffs were the largest since 2020, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, on a year-to-date basis, the report said. Employers most frequently cited market uncertainty as a reason for the layoffs last month, followed by the closure of businesses, units or stores. In September, employers announced plans to add 590,353 jobs, up from the 380,014 announced hires in September 2022. The majority of these positions fill seasonal hiring needs, the Challenger report said.

Persons: Elizabeth Frantz, Andrew Challenger, Amina Niasse, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Employers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor, Survey, Challenger, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S

☆ Christmas is on hold: Stores’ holiday hiring plans are the lowest since 2008
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

That would mark the industry’s lowest seasonal hiring total since 2008. Late to the partyWhile most big names have ordinarily announced their hiring plans by this time of year, the majority have not yet done so, according to Challenger. Amazon is looking for full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees to stow, pick, pack, sort and ship customer orders in centers across the country. Target said it is keeping its holiday hiring plans at 100,000, while Macy’s said it plans to hire 3,000 fewer people, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. UPS, which has hired 100,000 seasonal workers in years prior, has not announced its hiring plans after narrowly avoiding a strike with Teamsters.

Persons: They’re, Macy’s, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Target, Depot, Challenger, Amazon, Employees, UPS, Teamsters, Kroger Locations: New York, stow

☆ US retailer holiday hiring to drop to levels last seen in 2008
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A "Now Hiring" sign hangs on the door to the Urban Outfitters store at Quincy Market in Boston, Massachusetts September 5, 2014. That is just slightly above the 324,900 workers they added during the last quarter of the financial recession of 2008. "Seasonal employers have a few issues to grapple with in the coming months. Another is one that has been fairly constant since the pandemic: can they attract workers?," Challenger said. Signs are already emerging that the labor market is starting to cool and employers are hiring at a slower clip.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Andrew Challenger, Siddharth Cavale, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Urban Outfitters, Quincy Market, REUTERS, Labor, Challenger, Reuters . Retailers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Department, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, New York

☆ Google cuts more jobs in its recruiting division
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The company on Wednesday announced it would cut hundreds of roles in its recruitment division, people familiar with the matter said. The company laid off 12,000 employees in January, the biggest cuts in the history of the internet giant. The latest round of cuts affects only recruiters but includes hundreds of full-time positions at the company. "We're supporting everyone impacted with a transition period, outplacement services, and severance as they look for new opportunities here at Google and beyond." "Google Recruiting has been impacted by layoffs, again," another employee wrote.

Persons: we've, Courtenay Mencini Organizations: Google, Wednesday, LinkedIn

☆ Insider Today: Automating away CEOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Today is always a difficult day, particularly here in New York, as we remember the innocent lives lost 22 years ago. But the group that seems immune to those concerns — CEOs — is primed for being usurped by robots, writes Ed Zitron. Ed's argument is straightforward: CEOs get paid a lot despite not providing much value for their companies. For all the talk of CEOs being transformational leaders full of business ingenuity, many are nothing more than figureheads. The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor and anchor, in New York City.

Persons: Rick Rescorla, Morgan Stanley, Rescorla, — Dan DeFrancesco, Arantza Pena Popo, —, Ed Zitron, Ed, they're, STAN HONDA, Bill Ackman, foresees, Elon Musk's, Sam Altman, Kevin Dietsch, Ryan Petersen, Flexport's, Apple's, Microsoft's, Chris Williams, he's, Joe Biden, Damar Hamlin, Joe's, Wilson, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Tech, TED, LinkedIn, nab, Bank, America, Wynn Resorts, Broadcom, Sun, Pentagon, & Museum, The New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Bills, Oracle, Bovis Homes Locations: Wall, Silicon, New York, China, Alaska, Savanna, New York City, San Diego, London

Search resuls for: "outplacement"

25 mentions found