Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Sunday, October 4, 2026
SHRM Urges DHS to Weigh Alternatives to Proposed $103,265 H-1B Lottery Fee
SHRM has urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to consider alternatives to a proposed $103,265 fee for employers seeking H-1B workers through the annual visa lottery. The fee would apply to all petitions subject to the 85,000-visa cap, including the 20,000 visas reserved for foreign workers with qualifying U.S. master’s degrees or higher, and would be paid in addition to existing filing fees. SHRM cited a government analysis estimating a significant economic impact on more than 11,000 small organizations, about 76% of small employers that filed cap-subject petitions in fiscal 2025. SHRM research this year found nearly 68% of organizations had difficulty recruiting for full-time positions.
BLS: 3.3 Million Long-Tenured Workers Displaced Over Three Years, with No Clear AI Link
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 3.3 million workers were displaced from long-tenured jobs between January 2023 and December 2025, up 746,000 from the prior survey period. Total displacement, including shorter-tenured workers, reached 7.4 million. Manufacturing was the largest source, with 642,000 long-tenured workers displaced. By January 2026, 66.1% of the long-tenured group had found new jobs, and the reemployment rate for workers displaced from the information sector rose to 76.8%. Indeed Hiring Lab economist Cory Stahle said, “There was not a clear conclusion that AI is displacing jobs,” adding that technology jobs had a higher reemployment rate than in the 2021-2023 period.
Nike Plans More Layoffs From 2027 Under New $2.5 Billion Cost-Savings Program
Nike said Thursday it will lay off more staff starting in 2027 as part of a new operating model called Pace, which it expects to deliver $2.5 billion in cost savings by 2031. President and CEO Elliott Hill said the work “will result in fewer roles across Nike,” with decisions on affected roles beginning in calendar year 2027 and beyond. The announcement came with fiscal first-quarter revenue that fell 4% to $11.2 billion. Nike has already cut jobs twice this year, including 775 at U.S. distribution centers in January and 1,400 employees, primarily in its tech division, in April. Shares fell for a second straight day on Friday.
Basic-Level Cyber Command Soldiers Face Incentive Pay Cuts of Up to $1,000 a Month
US soldiers tasked with hacking American adversaries and defending the nation’s computers are set to see their incentive pay cut by as much as $12,000 a year as part of an overhaul that has drawn ire from the ranks, Bloomberg reported, citing documents it reviewed and people familiar with the situation. According to US Army documents, Cyber Command analysts, developers and operators with a basic-level proficiency are set to see their incentive pay drop by as much as $1,000 a month. A small group of “masters”-level soldiers who are highly trained and certified will get raises of as much as $3,500 a month, the documents show.
Meta Veteran Justin Osofsky Joins AI Infrastructure Firm Nscale as COO Ahead of IPO
Nscale, the artificial intelligence infrastructure company, hired longtime Meta Platforms executive Justin Osofsky as its chief operating officer to accelerate a rapid expansion connected to its upcoming initial public offering, Bloomberg’s Sarah Frier reported on October 2, citing a person familiar with the matter. Osofsky worked at Meta for 18 years in various executive roles and was most recently its chief partnerships officer. He will report to Chief Executive Officer Josh Payne and oversee the company’s global operations, said the person, who declined to be named while discussing non-public information.
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency