Major global company lays off 8,000 employees, with AI emerging as a key factor.

🎯 Impact Sentiment: Concerning

📋 Summary

• IBM is laying off around 8,000 employees (about 3% of its workforce), largely due to AI-driven restructuring.
• The Human Resources department is particularly affected, with AI now automating many previously human-administered tasks.
• LinkedIn announced 281 job cuts in California, mainly impacting senior and specialized software engineers, on top of recent Microsoft AI-linked layoffs.
• While both IBM and LinkedIn say they are hiring in new strategic areas, AI continues to replace roles focused on routine or repetitive tasks.

💡 JR Insights

• 💼 Implication: AI is moving from hype to real impact, displacing traditional and administrative roles faster than new "higher-value" positions are created. Even specialized technical jobs aren’t safe.
• 🚨 Risk: The promise of internal mobility or retraining can’t offset the speed of these cuts—most in-affected roles will face a tough job market unless they pivot skills quickly, and HR as a function could shrink dramatically.
• ✨ Takeaway: If your job relies on repetitive, process-driven tasks—even in fields like HR or software engineering—now’s the time to upskill, specialize, and seek out roles that AI can’t easily replicate: creative problem-solving, leadership, or customer-driven innovation.