Overview

• Consulting firm Korn Ferry says employees are clinging to current roles at an alarming rate as fears about AI and broader uncertainty mount.
• Recent months delivered some of the weakest U.S. job creation since 2010 outside the pandemic, including just 965 private‑sector jobs added in New York City in the first half of the year.
• The Eagle Hill Retention Index finds most workers intend to stay with their employer for the next six months, with the firm reporting dwindling confidence in outside opportunities.
• Employers are using the softer market to push return‑to‑office mandates, longer hours and benefit rollbacks, with an AT&T CEO memo telling staff not to expect loyalty.
• White‑collar workers describe feeling trapped and less productive, as July payrolls rose by just 73,000 and competition intensifies in sectors hit by cuts and federal layoffs.