Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Tech Layoff Wave Hits TikTok Nashville, Apple, and AT&T Ahead of Fall
Three employers announced cuts or filed WARN notices in the days leading into September. TikTok shuttered its Nashville content moderation center, eliminating 250 positions. Apple filed a WARN notice covering 147 Bay Area employees. AT&T submitted a separate WARN filing for 138 workers, with an effective date of September 15, 2026. The three filings covered a combined 535 workers. Total U.S. tech sector job cuts tracked by Challenger, Gray and Christmas reached 155,126 through August 2026 as of the most recent monthly count; the September filings had not yet been added to that tally.
Sources: Financial Channel
August Jobs Report: U.S. Adds 162,000 Jobs as Information Sector Sheds 23,000
The U.S. economy added 162,000 nonfarm payrolls in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported September 5, exceeding economists' forecasts. The national unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 percent, with 7 million unemployed. Earlier months were revised upward: June rose by 11,000 and July improved by 44,000, adding a combined 55,000 net positions to prior estimates. The information industry shed 23,000 jobs in August. Food services led all sectors with 59,000 added; professional and business services gained 10,000, including 6,800 in temporary help. Construction added 22,000 and manufacturing gained 16,000.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Temp Staffing Posts 12-Month Winning Streak, Longest in Nearly Five Years
Temporary help employment rose for the twelfth consecutive month in August 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, marking the longest sustained positive run for the sector in nearly five years. Professional and business services added 10,000 positions overall, with temporary help services contributing 6,800 of those gains — 68 percent of all hiring in that category. The unemployment rate for college-degreed workers held at 2.7 percent in August, steady since May 2026 and well below the national 4.1 percent rate. Healthcare gained 13,000 jobs in August. The information sector shed 23,000 positions and financial activities lost 11,000.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics
August Wage Data Shows Worker Pay Still Trailing Inflation as Tech Sector Restructures
Average hourly earnings continued to lag inflation in August 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation report showed, and NBC News described the persistent wage-inflation gap as a defining feature of the current labor market. The information sector shed 23,000 jobs in August, including 8,000 losses in computing infrastructure, data processing, and web hosting, and 7,000 in publishing industries. Financial activities lost an additional 11,000 positions for the month. Despite 162,000 headline nonfarm payrolls added in August, nominal wage growth has not kept pace with price increases, the BLS data showed. June and July payroll counts were revised upward by a combined 55,000 jobs.
Zoox Expands U.S. Hiring Into Houston and San Diego Against Sector-Wide Layoff Current
Autonomous vehicle company Zoox announced plans to expand its U.S. hiring presence into Houston and San Diego, adding two new metropolitan markets to its recruiting footprint. The company, a subsidiary of Amazon, made the announcement on September 5, 2026, the same day detailed layoff filings from TikTok, Apple, and AT&T were reported. U.S. tech sector job cuts tracked by Challenger, Gray and Christmas stood at 155,126 through August 2026. Zoox's expansion into Houston and San Diego broadens its geographic reach for talent as the company continues development of its autonomous vehicle service.
Sources: Financial Channel
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency