All those AI Layoffs Were for Nothing

Gartner studied 350 executives at billion-dollar companies. Eighty percent had cut staff for AI. None of it correlated with higher returns. Goldman Sachs found the stock bounce is gone. Forrester predicted half of all AI-attributed layoffs would be reversed by 2027. The data is in, and it says the same thing from every angle: the cuts were theater. This episode breaks down who knew, who stayed quiet, and what the companies actually winning at AI did instead. Plus, what HR leaders, recruiters, and job seekers can do with the receipts now that they're public. Brought to you by my newsletters: The Recruiting Life - Clarity on what's happening now and next in the world of work. Career Intelligence Weekly - Tracking the invisible job market for smarter career decisions. Subscribe to both at https://newsletter.jimstroud.com Research related to this podcast is cited in the Sunday, May 17, 2026 issue of The Recruiting Life Newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices