Almost 600,000 jobs gone: A structural "efficiency era" has hit the 2026 labor market, with nearly 600,000 jobs cut in January alone. This surge reflects a 15% rise in layoff velocity as firms like Amazon and UPS trade human payroll for AI infrastructure. While tech giants report record profits, they are purging middle management to fund automation. This "talent remix" signals a permanent shift where entry-level white-collar roles are increasingly being replaced by AI agents.
