Breaking Job News: ADP Shows Hiring Collapse, AI Skills Surge, & Washington Post Cuts 300 Jobs - Cornering The Job Market

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Hiring didn’t just slow in January... it nearly stalled. In today’s episode of Cornering the Job Market, host Pete Newsome breaks down the new ADP employment report showing private employers added only 22,000 jobs last month, far below what’s needed to keep pace with population growth. Healthcare carried the report, while white-collar and manufacturing roles pulled back sharply and regional hiring looked wildly uneven. Next, Pete digs into Upwork’s 2026 in-demand skills report. Despite fears that AI is eliminating work, demand for AI-related skills on the platform jumped 109% year over year. Roles like AI video editing, AI integration, and data labeling are exploding in demand, suggesting AI isn’t replacing work yet; it’s being layered into it. He explains why workers who embrace these tools are gaining an edge while others risk falling behind. Finally, the episode covers major layoffs at The Washington Post, where 300 journalists (roughly a third of the newsroom) were let go as legacy media struggles to keep pace with digital and independent news platforms.

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