Breaking Job News: CEOs Aren’t Hiring, Another AI Layoff, & Grads Can’t Find Work

The job market keeps sending mixed signals, and today’s headlines highlight just how disconnected the system has become.In today's episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down new data from Business Roundtable, where 169 of America’s largest CEOs shared their hiring plans for the next six months. While business confidence and spending are rising, hiring is flat: roughly one-third of CEOs plan to hire, one-third plan to cut, and one-third plan to do nothing. The result is an economy that looks healthy on paper but isn’t translating into new jobs.Next, Pete examines another wave of tech layoffs, following Atlassian's announcement of 1,600 job cuts as it shifts investment toward AI and enterprise sales. The move follows similar workforce reductions across the tech sector, reinforcing a pattern where companies invest heavily in AI while reducing headcount.Finally, a new report from the Society for Human Resource Management reveals a troubling education-to-employment gap. More than half of college graduates are underemployed within a year of finishing school, and nearly half remain underemployed even a decade later. Employers say they can’t find the right skills, while workers say the jobs simply aren’t there.The takeaway: Companies are growing, investing, and spending, but the link between economic growth and job creation is weakening.So here’s the question: If more than half of college grads are underemployed, is the problem education, employer expectations, or something deeper happening in the labor market?Articles:1. CEO Economic Outlook Index Q1 2026: https://www.businessroundtable.org/media/ceo-economic-outlook-index/ceo-economic-outlook-index-q1-20262. Reuters Coverage on Atlassian Layoffs: https://www.reuters.com/technology/atlassian-lay-off-about-1600-people-pivot-ai-2026-03-11/3. From Education to Employment SHRM Report: https://www.shrm.org/about/press-room/shrm-releases-white-paper-on-strengthening-the-path-from-educati📽️ WATCH TODAY'S EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/RogpqneYizo🧠 WANT TO LEARN MORE? Be sure to subscribe and check out 4 Corner Resources at https://www.4cornerresources.com/👋 FOLLOW PETE NEWSOME ONLINE:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petenewsome/Blog Articles: https://www.4cornerresources.com/blog/