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Listen "[02 NOV] PAPER CUT - The Freeze, The Bot, The Backlash"
Episode Synopsis
Starter jobs are turning into agent workflows while boards rediscover layoffs and RTO. We cut through noise and show what to fix now: rebuild the first rung, make hybrid a system, and narrate change like adults.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
The Freeze Cracks: From Hoarding to Cuts
Amazon, UPS layoffs show a labor market recalibration (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-ups-layoffs-labor-market-jobs-economy/
)
Amazon To Lay Off 15 Percent Of HR Employees After Jassy Said AI Will ‘Reduce Our Total Corporate Workforce:’ Report (https://www.crn.com/news/cloud/2025/amazon-to-lay-off-15-percent-of-hr-employees-after-jassy-said-ai-will-reduce-our-total-corporate-workforce-report
)
Laid-off Amazon workers turn to TikTok and LinkedIn (https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-amazon-workers-turn-to-tiktok-and-linkedin-2025-10
)
Applied Materials to lay off Bay Area workers after export rule (https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/applied-materials-bay-area-layoff-trump-admin-rule-21127552.php
)
Amazon to announce sweeping corporate job cuts starting Tuesday (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/27/amazon-to-announce-sweeping-corporate-job-cuts-starting-tuesday.html
)
Amazon Plans New Layoffs (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/technology/amazon-layoffs.html
)
AI Eats the First Rung
Vercel trained an AI agent on its best salesperson. Then it cut the 10-person team down to 1. (https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-agent-entry-level-sales-jobs-vercel-2025-10
)
Ex-McKinsey consultants are training AI models to replace them (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-30/ex-mckinsey-consultants-are-training-ai-models-to-replace-them
)
Goldman Sachs to employees in memo: Expect more rounds of job cuts (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/goldman-sachs-to-employees-in-memo-expect-more-rounds-of-ai-led-job-cuts-its-become-increasingly-clear-that/articleshow/124583565.cms
)
Chipmakers are slapping ‘golden handcuffs’ on workers to meet AI demand (https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-amd-broadcom-chipmakers-employee-retention-ai-boom-2025-10
)
AI won’t take our jobs. Silicon Valley’s automation theater has to end. (https://fortune.com/2025/10/27/ai-wont-take-our-jobs-silicon-valley-automation-theater-has-to-end/
)
JPMorgan and Goldman are hiring for AI (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/15/jpmorgan-chase-goldman-sachs-ai-hiring.html
)
RTO, Hybrid, and the Attendance Arms Race
Jamie Dimon renews push to get workers back to offices (https://qz.com/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-renews-return-to-office-push
)
Toptal CEO: Companies are getting hybrid wrong. Here’s the 80/20 model. (https://www.businessinsider.com/toptal-ceo-companies-getting-hybrid-wrong-80-20-model-2025-10
)
Why I worry about government meddling in WFH (https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/why-i-worry-about-government-meddling-in-wfh-20251030-p5n6fb
)
America’s New Normal for White-Collar Jobs (https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/americas-new-normal-for-white-collar-jobs-85440ca5
)
Morale, Burnout, and the Narrower Funnel
Employee Discontent Is on the Rise. Here’s What to Do About It. (https://hbr.org/2025/10/employee-discontent-is-on-the-rise-heres-what-to-do-about-it
)
We’ve Talked About Burnout for Decades. Here’s How to Finally Solve It. (https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/weve-talked-about-burnout-for-decades-heres-how-to-finally-solve-it/91257438
)
At least 4 in 5 tech talents could face limited opportunities as job market cools (https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/least-4-5-tech-talents-could-face-limited-opportunities-job-market-cools
)
Amazon makes cold move that raises nationwide workplace fears (https://www.thestreet.com/employment/amazon-makes-cold-move-that-raises-nationwide-workplace-fears
)
General Motors lays off hundreds of engineers on Microsoft Teams (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/general-motors-lays-off-hundreds-of-engineers-on-microsoft-teams-says-its-not-your-performance-its/articleshow/124824468.cms
)
Meet America’s Best Employers for Engineers 2026 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelpeachman/2025/10/28/meet-americas-best-employers-for-engineers-2026/
)
⸻
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRStrategy #AIatWork #HybridWork #Layoffs #EVP
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
The Freeze Cracks: From Hoarding to Cuts
Amazon, UPS layoffs show a labor market recalibration (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-ups-layoffs-labor-market-jobs-economy/
)
Amazon To Lay Off 15 Percent Of HR Employees After Jassy Said AI Will ‘Reduce Our Total Corporate Workforce:’ Report (https://www.crn.com/news/cloud/2025/amazon-to-lay-off-15-percent-of-hr-employees-after-jassy-said-ai-will-reduce-our-total-corporate-workforce-report
)
Laid-off Amazon workers turn to TikTok and LinkedIn (https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-amazon-workers-turn-to-tiktok-and-linkedin-2025-10
)
Applied Materials to lay off Bay Area workers after export rule (https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/applied-materials-bay-area-layoff-trump-admin-rule-21127552.php
)
Amazon to announce sweeping corporate job cuts starting Tuesday (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/27/amazon-to-announce-sweeping-corporate-job-cuts-starting-tuesday.html
)
Amazon Plans New Layoffs (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/technology/amazon-layoffs.html
)
AI Eats the First Rung
Vercel trained an AI agent on its best salesperson. Then it cut the 10-person team down to 1. (https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-agent-entry-level-sales-jobs-vercel-2025-10
)
Ex-McKinsey consultants are training AI models to replace them (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-30/ex-mckinsey-consultants-are-training-ai-models-to-replace-them
)
Goldman Sachs to employees in memo: Expect more rounds of job cuts (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/goldman-sachs-to-employees-in-memo-expect-more-rounds-of-ai-led-job-cuts-its-become-increasingly-clear-that/articleshow/124583565.cms
)
Chipmakers are slapping ‘golden handcuffs’ on workers to meet AI demand (https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-amd-broadcom-chipmakers-employee-retention-ai-boom-2025-10
)
AI won’t take our jobs. Silicon Valley’s automation theater has to end. (https://fortune.com/2025/10/27/ai-wont-take-our-jobs-silicon-valley-automation-theater-has-to-end/
)
JPMorgan and Goldman are hiring for AI (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/15/jpmorgan-chase-goldman-sachs-ai-hiring.html
)
RTO, Hybrid, and the Attendance Arms Race
Jamie Dimon renews push to get workers back to offices (https://qz.com/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-renews-return-to-office-push
)
Toptal CEO: Companies are getting hybrid wrong. Here’s the 80/20 model. (https://www.businessinsider.com/toptal-ceo-companies-getting-hybrid-wrong-80-20-model-2025-10
)
Why I worry about government meddling in WFH (https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/why-i-worry-about-government-meddling-in-wfh-20251030-p5n6fb
)
America’s New Normal for White-Collar Jobs (https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/americas-new-normal-for-white-collar-jobs-85440ca5
)
Morale, Burnout, and the Narrower Funnel
Employee Discontent Is on the Rise. Here’s What to Do About It. (https://hbr.org/2025/10/employee-discontent-is-on-the-rise-heres-what-to-do-about-it
)
We’ve Talked About Burnout for Decades. Here’s How to Finally Solve It. (https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/weve-talked-about-burnout-for-decades-heres-how-to-finally-solve-it/91257438
)
At least 4 in 5 tech talents could face limited opportunities as job market cools (https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/least-4-5-tech-talents-could-face-limited-opportunities-job-market-cools
)
Amazon makes cold move that raises nationwide workplace fears (https://www.thestreet.com/employment/amazon-makes-cold-move-that-raises-nationwide-workplace-fears
)
General Motors lays off hundreds of engineers on Microsoft Teams (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/general-motors-lays-off-hundreds-of-engineers-on-microsoft-teams-says-its-not-your-performance-its/articleshow/124824468.cms
)
Meet America’s Best Employers for Engineers 2026 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelpeachman/2025/10/28/meet-americas-best-employers-for-engineers-2026/
)
⸻
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRStrategy #AIatWork #HybridWork #Layoffs #EVP
More episodes of the podcast The EBN Dispatch
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07/09/2025
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