Episode Overview
Amazon plans to hire 300,000 seasonal workers this holiday season, and Pete and Peter call it good news worth passing along to anyone who needs work right now. Seasonal pay averages about $20 an hour, full-time operations roles start at $20 and average around $24, benefits start on day one with plans at $5 a month, and Amazon says it intends to convert as many seasonal hires as it can into permanent employees. Pete and Peter say the quality of those plans remains to be seen, but with healthcare costs climbing fast, they give Amazon credit for the effort.
Layoffs were back this week. American Express announced about 3,500 job cuts, roughly 5% of its headcount, as it reported earnings that beat expectations. eBay is cutting about 9% of its workforce, roughly 1,100 jobs, and Volvo is cutting about 6%, citing falling China revenue and tariff pressure on US sales. Electronic Arts is cutting about 400 jobs and closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect, and Volkswagen confirmed layoffs too. The biggest headline for the AI debate is Barclays, which announced a 5,000-job cut and tied it in part to AI, with about 60% of the roles in support functions. Pete and Peter say it is one of the first major layoffs in a while to name AI out loud, and they expect more.
A new Gallup poll finds only 41% of US workers have a “quality job,” measured across five dimensions: pay and benefits, workplace culture and safety, growth and development, agency and voice, and work structure and autonomy. Managers score higher than individual contributors (52% versus 36%), professional and business services lead at 57%, and warehousing and retail rank lowest. Pete and Peter question how much the dimensions overlap and how the results square with 4 Corner Resources’ own survey, where most workers report being satisfied.
ADP reports that employment for 22-to-25-year-olds in AI-exposed jobs fell 3.7% from a year earlier, and a SHRM survey shows HR leaders and young workers are not on the same page. 85% of workers ages 18 to 26 rate job security as very or extremely important, but only 27% of HR leaders think it matters that much to them. HR leaders also overestimated how much young workers care about remote work, and 84% say unrealistic expectations drive young workers’ pay demands. The survey also found only 49% of younger workers are willing to use AI tools at work, compared with 68% of older workers. Pete and Peter’s advice to young workers: you do not have to like AI, but a moral stand against it will cost you professionally. Their advice to HR leaders: ask young workers what they actually want.
The same disconnect shows up at the top. A Boston Consulting Group survey found 87% of CEOs are confident their employees trust their leadership, while only 46% of employees are confident in their CEO’s judgment and vision. Just 15% of CEOs worry their AI plans could hurt employee trust, yet 40% of employees say their CEO has not been transparent enough about how AI will affect their jobs. And nearly 60% of CEOs plan to replace a member of their senior team in the next six months. Pete and Peter put the gap down to poor communication more than bad intent, and they warn that when hiring picks back up, employees who feel unheard could trigger a wave of job switching.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon’s plan to hire 300,000 seasonal workers, with day-one benefits and a path to permanent roles
- Layoffs at American Express, eBay, Volvo, Electronic Arts, and Volkswagen
- Barclays cuts 5,000 jobs and ties it in part to AI
- Gallup: only 41% of US workers have a “quality job”
- ADP: employment for 22-to-25-year-olds in AI-exposed jobs down 3.7%
- SHRM: 85% of young workers rank job security as very important, but only 27% of HR leaders think so
- Only 49% of younger workers are willing to use AI at work, versus 68% of older workers
- BCG: 87% of CEOs think employees trust their leadership, but only 46% of employees do
34 minutes
