AGP Executive Report

AI and the Entry-Level Pipeline: The IMF warns generative AI is reducing entry-level hiring in roles where tasks can be automated. HR leaders also worry that removing junior tasks will weaken future managers’ skills, even as roles requiring new skills command higher pay. Hiring Outlook: A new weekly index tracking retail and hospitality postings stood 1.3% higher over four weeks, with holiday jobs at 7.4% of openings; Tesco is among retailers planning a major seasonal recruitment drive. Fair Hiring: A company agreed to a $500,000 settlement after allegedly advertising jobs for men only, while the EEOC is seeking hiring data from Hyundai in a national-origin probe. Career Progression: New reporting finds women are promoted at higher rates than men, but senior roles remain harder to reach — a reminder that promotion numbers alone may not capture workplace equity.

Youth Employment: New hubs in Exeter and West Dunbartonshire will bring careers advice, skills training and employer links closer to young people, while a Bridgnorth opportunities fair helped attendees land job offers within minutes. Hiring Trends: India’s job postings fell 5% year over year in the second quarter, a milder drop than in many major economies, as demand for AI-related skills continued; TCS says 80% of its new hires will have digital and AI skills. Hospitality Jobs: Buyers plan to reopen 110 former Whitbread sites, with more than 700 jobs expected across the venues, following closures that cost about 3,800 roles. Labor Relations: Brigham nurses postponed a planned strike to vote on a contract offer, but the union says it lacks cost-of-living wage increases.

Nursing Labor: Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses have postponed a planned strike while 4,000 union members vote on the hospital’s latest contract offer. The union says it falls short on cost-of-living raises; a vote is expected within two weeks. Hiring Outlook: U.S. job gains have been revised down by more than 800,000, while employers are slowing hiring even as some roles remain hard to fill. Retailers’ holiday hiring push is also shaping up to be weaker than last year. Job Cuts: Amazon confirmed 1,000 corporate job cuts, mainly in retail, as workers face longer searches for new roles. Openings and Training: Indian Railways announced 3,548 graduate-level vacancies, while Philadelphia-area nursing schools are using loan repayment and accelerated training programs to attract talent amid shortages. Recruitment Rules: The UK plans to ban non-compete clauses that restrict startups from hiring talent, and Oman has set new requirements for expat recruitment agencies, including a 45-day hiring limit.

Healthcare Hiring: Malaysia is accelerating nurse recruitment and offering new hires permanent appointments, alongside pay incentives, training and more flexible placements to stem departures abroad. Doctors’ groups say plans to end contract appointments must also bring fairer pay, clearer training routes and greater career certainty. Seasonal Work: U.S. retailers are on track to add about 450,000 holiday jobs, the weakest seasonal hiring push in nearly 20 years, as major chains take a cautious approach. Job Search: Laid-off workers are taking longer to find new roles amid sluggish hiring; U.S. employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, leaving jobseekers facing intense competition. Recruitment Scams: AI is helping scammers create convincing, personalized job pitches using stolen recruiter identities. One jobseeker spotted a fake offer when asked to pay a “career consultant” to revise his résumé. Graduate Opportunities: Indian Railways has opened applications for 3,548 graduate-level roles, with applications due November 6.

Workforce Pipeline: Filipino agencies are linking education, skills training and employment through new flexible pathways, while job fairs in Eastern Visayas advertised more than 6,000 opportunities. Labor Market: U.S. layoffs remain low, with weekly claims at 197,000, but September payroll growth was just 29,000—leaving job seekers facing a low-hire, low-fire market. China reported 10.52 million urban jobs created through September and plans new measures to boost service-sector hiring. Youth Employment: New Zealand youth unemployment has climbed to 25.3% for ages 15–19 and 12% for ages 20–24, levels last seen around the global financial crisis. Flexible Careers: A UK physicians’ survey found about 30% trained part-time, with many recommending it for work-life balance; new consultants also value mentoring, but access remains uneven.

AI and HR: A Toshiba HR leader says AI résumé screening will reshape, not erase, junior recruiting roles, freeing recruiters to focus more on advising managers and improving interviews. Job Quality: About 7 million U.S. parents aged 16 to 30 are working or seeking work, yet parents aged 25 to 30 are 10 percentage points less likely than non-parents to hold high-quality jobs, an Urban Institute report found. Hiring Drive: Blackpool Transport plans to recruit around 80 bus drivers in October and November, including trainees, with pay reaching £29,000 once qualified. Jobs Access: A labor-market caravan in the Philippines offered more than 6,000 positions across three Eastern Visayas cities, with local and overseas employers taking part. Employer Challenges: Small businesses are slowing hiring even as they struggle to find qualified applicants.

Hiring Trends: U.S. employers added just 29,000 jobs in September as hiring remained sluggish, while teen unemployment topped 25% amid shrinking entry-level opportunities. In contrast, UK permanent hiring reached a four-year high. Layoffs: Amazon announced about 1,000 corporate cuts, mainly in retail, while Stelco workers in Hamilton began receiving notices as the steelmaker expects 333 local layoffs and up to 500 across two sites. Recruiting: A new report warns that AI candidate assessments can appear unbiased without delivering fair results. Property Jobs: U.S. residential leasing led real-estate openings in Q3, with 423 of 660 listed roles; employers say these operational jobs have become easier to fill.

Hiring Pulse: UK permanent hiring reached a four-year high, but US hiring remains sluggish. Australian payrolls rose 0.8% in September after three nearly flat months, while quarterly momentum and wage growth cooled as employers focused on retention. Seasonal Jobs: Tesco is recruiting 28,000 temporary UK Christmas workers at up to £16.90 an hour; some may move into permanent roles. Workforce Shifts: Amazon cut about 1,000 corporate jobs, mainly in retail, while AI-related changes are slowing hiring at Indian multinational tech hubs. TCS says it still plans 15,000 US hires over five years despite PERM restrictions. Youth & Skills: New Zealand teen job starts fell 32.1% from 2023 to 2025, and youth underutilisation reached 53.8%. Scotland is funding training for up to 2,400 parents, with childcare and transport support. Recruitment Risks: UK authorities received more than 3,600 complaints about automated calls offering part-time work in September, warning that fake job pitches may lead to fraud.

U.S. Hiring: Employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, while weekly jobless claims stayed near historic lows — a low-hire, low-fire market that leaves fewer openings for jobseekers. Yet shortages persist: Rogue Valley employers reported 3,787 vacancies last year, nearly 69% difficult to fill. Workforce Cuts: Amazon is cutting about 1,000 corporate jobs, mainly in retail, even as UPS plans 100,000 seasonal hires. Hiring Fairness: El Dorado Furniture will pay $1.3 million to settle an EEOC hiring discrimination case; the agency said non-Hispanic applicants were unfairly rejected. Work Access: SNAP participation has fallen by more than five million since eligibility and work rules tightened. An HR consultant warns that losing food support can make it harder to manage transport, childcare and job searches. Talent Pipeline: Michigan awarded nearly $44.7 million to expand career and technical education, while a Janesville construction fair introduced about 400 students to trades and apprenticeships.

Layoffs and AI: Amazon cut another 1,000 jobs across the US, UK and India, after roughly 30,000 cuts since last year; HSBC is also reportedly planning UK wealth-job cuts as it expands AI use. Hiring amid automation: Goldman Sachs brought its largest-ever class of new private wealth advisers into training, betting that complex client relationships still need human skills. UOB says it plans to recruit 1,000 graduates as AI reshapes entry-level work. Graduate prospects: A Singapore commentary says graduates are taking longer to find full-time work and urges employers to leave GPA out of hiring decisions. Jobs outlook: Global payroll growth reached its strongest pace in more than three years, while permanent hiring in northern England rose for the first time in five months. Seasonal openings: Boots is recruiting about 6,000 festive workers across stores, warehouses and customer support.

Hiring: Care Plus NJ is recruiting clinicians, nurses, behavioral-health technicians and peer-support specialists for a 24/7 crisis center opening in Paramus; sign-on bonuses are available for some roles. Openings: American Airlines is accepting applications through Oct. 18 for 2027 flight-attendant classes, with Miami among its key bases. Worcester County’s Oct. 14 job fair will connect candidates with employers and training resources. Labor Market: U.S. hiring cooled in September, while health care supplied three-quarters of new jobs over the past year. UPS plans 100,000 seasonal hires, fewer than last year for the second year running. Recruiting Tech: Job descriptions are falling behind AI-driven changes at work, and a job seeker’s fear that an AI interview was collecting personal data underscores the trust challenge for employers using automated screening. Pay and Careers: Job-hopping’s pay boost has shrunk from 18% in 2022 to 8%, with Gen Z workers hit hardest; graduate vacancies are also down, though the available figures offer an incomplete picture.

AI in Hiring: Adecco research says only 36% of C-suite leaders believe AI will create opportunities, not replace people, as recruiters increasingly rely on AI to source and screen candidates. Workplace Fraud & Scams: South African police warn job seekers about WhatsApp “SAPS recruitment” scams using senior officers’ photos and asking for a R7,500 deposit—plus a separate municipal job scam. HR Risk Controls: New research finds 30% of HR chiefs continuously monitor staff and 52% rescreen periodically, driven by falsified employment histories, identity fraud, and deepfakes. Teacher Retention: A new push argues schools should study why teachers stay, including support for new and alternatively certified educators. Job Market Signals: U.S. hiring cooled in September (about 29,000 jobs added) while unemployment ticked up, adding pressure on employers’ hiring plans. Public Sector Hiring Access: Fayette Police leaders cite burnout and staffing shortages while asking to expand officer positions to improve 24/7 coverage. Talent Pipeline for Veterans: A review of 100 military-heavy job postings found military experience is rarely named in qualification language, even when “in-lieu” pathways exist.

Workplace & HR: A U.S. appeals court ruling in Dieng v. Orkin spotlights the ADA “interactive process,” warning employers to meaningfully engage employees seeking lighter-duty work and ensure accommodations are effective—not vague or ignored. Age-diverse hiring: A Singapore legal analysis urges companies to base hiring, promotion, training, and redundancy on merit and business needs, not generational stereotypes. AI & jobs: A new report finds young workers in the most AI-exposed roles are pulling back, while interest is rising in trades, teaching, and health care; registered apprenticeships are also growing. Hiring & training pipelines: RIT students are seeing a supply-chain hiring boom tied to co-op placements and job offers before graduation, while a defense digital hiring push seeks civilian talent for command-and-control modernization. Career pathways locally: Pasadena Unified’s free College & Career Fair expects 100+ colleges, and Missouri’s Algoa Correctional Center added barbering and tattooing programs to build post-release employability. Job market signals: Bulgaria’s job ads stayed flat in September, with some sector shifts (notably trade/sales up, hotels/restaurants down).

Care & Hiring: Wirral’s Mariners’ Park Care Home in Egremont, Wirral, is shortlisted for multiple Great British Care Awards categories, with eight staff named finalists—while the home is also recruiting care staff. Workforce Policy: Bahrain MPs propose “My Opportunity Before I Graduate,” aiming to assess students, match them to vacancies, and offer job-linked training or placements before graduation. Public Services & Access: New Orleans library branches face months-long closures due to HVAC failures, disrupting internet access and training for patrons; one branch reopened after nearly four months. AI at Work: UK research finds many leaders are bluffing about AI skills, and a large share fear career harm without faster training—while “shadow AI” use is widespread. Labor Dispute: Loganair cabin crew in Scotland and beyond will be balloted on strike action after Unite rejected a “final” pay offer made before negotiations. Job Fraud: Delhi Police busted two fake job-placement call centres near Shadipur Metro, arresting 11. Skills & Careers: Hack The Box rolls out AI Range Enterprise Edition to help security teams test whether AI agents can actually perform assigned cybersecurity roles.

Disability Employment: A Bethpage job fair drew about 500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, pairing employers with resume help, headshots, and one-on-one training through programs like Next Level. Workforce Development: Michigan highlighted Manufacturing Week, stressing how training pipelines feed high-wage factory roles and support economic growth. Career Pathways: Kansas launched Apply Free Days (Oct. 5–9) letting students apply to public and private colleges without an application fee. Inclusive Hiring: Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith promoted IAble, its disability savings plan, including an “ABLE to Work” feature for employed account holders. Skilled Trades & Training: South Carolina colleges/trade schools still haven’t widely adopted newly expanded Workforce Pell options for short, in-demand programs, even as federal approvals roll out. Public Safety Jobs: Box Elder, South Dakota hosted a first responder career fair with agencies and local training schools, aiming to fill police and emergency roles. Higher Ed Cost Cuts: Saint Leo University plans a reduced-credit, three-year bachelor’s option to help students finish faster and spend less. Labor Market Signals: Reports point to weaker seasonal hiring plans for the U.S. holiday period, with fewer retailers committing to seasonal roles.

Public-Sector Hiring Reform: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is launching a task force to overhaul the city’s civil service hiring system, aiming to cut delays and confusing exam processes that feed vacancies. Workforce Support for Low-Income Parents: Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney announced an extra £1m for the Transport to Employment programme, covering costs like travel to interviews, childcare, and training. Job Scams Warning: Nigeria’s Revenue Service (NRS) says a “FIRS job vacancy” circulating online is fake and urges people not to pay or share details. Career Growth Reality Check: A founder argues that starting on a low salary can become a “benchmark” that percentage raises never truly fix, keeping people under market value. AI & Hiring Pressure: Reports highlight growing concern that AI interviews and hiring tools can leave job seekers in the dark, while other coverage points to continued hiring in tech-adjacent areas. Talent Pipeline in Sports Coaching: Former England striker Emile Heskey backs a UK coaching programme offering funded entry routes and bursaries for low-income candidates.