Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Friday, October 9, 2026
Labor Department Suspends Microsoft, Adobe and IT Outsourcers From Green Card Program
The Department of Labor on Thursday suspended Microsoft and Adobe, along with IT outsourcing firms Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini, from the Permanent Labor Certification Program, Channel Dive reported. Department of Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the department will not accept new or process pending applications involving these companies, citing multiple active federal investigations as the reason for suspending Microsoft and Adobe. Vice President J.D. Vance said Microsoft laid off 6,000 workers last year while gaining approval for 6,000 H-1B visas. Microsoft said 80% of its roughly 6,000 H-1B applications in its last fiscal year were to extend or change the status of existing employees.
Sources: Channel Dive
Oracle Expands Voluntary Separation Program for Eligible U.S. Employees
Oracle is expanding its voluntary separation program for eligible U.S. employees as it continues to reduce its workforce while pouring billions into data centers and AI infrastructure, The American Bazaar reported. Eligible employees can receive six weeks of severance if they leave voluntarily, and the program could serve as an alternative to Performance Improvement Plans. Oracle has already eliminated more than 21,000 jobs globally, about 13% of its workforce, ending fiscal 2026 with roughly 141,000 employees. The company spent about $1.84 billion on restructuring and severance in fiscal 2026 and in September raised its projected restructuring costs to approximately $2.8 billion. It also plans to eliminate 70 positions in Ireland.
Sources: The American Bazaar
Most Managers Offer Higher-Than-Planned Pay for Specialized Skills, Robert Half Finds
Fifty-seven percent of U.S.-based managers say they are offering higher-than-planned salaries to attract new hires, citing specialized skills as the main reason, according to Robert Half’s new 2027 Salary Guide, HR Dive reported. AI expertise is behind some of the most notable increases: 72% of managers are raising pay for relevant AI skills, and 42% offer more for AI-related expertise than for other technical skills. Tech hubs such as San Francisco, Denver and Seattle reported the highest share of managers making higher-than-expected offers. In-demand tech roles include business intelligence developer, data scientist and cybersecurity engineer. Average salaries for new hires are projected to rise 1.9% in 2027.
Most Managers Use AI for Employee Feedback, but Few Employees Are Told
Nearly eight in 10 U.S. people managers, 78%, said they have used AI tools in the past 12 months to handle employee feedback or a performance review, according to a report from Highwire, a performance conditioning coaching program by Knopman Marks, HR Dive reported. Only 16% of the more than 700 individual contributors surveyed said they were told AI played a role in their most recent review. While 54% of employees found AI-generated feedback more specific and actionable, 34% said it had become more generic and 32% less useful. Two-thirds said they change their behavior to protect themselves, such as avoiding a reasonable risk or delaying asking for help.
Jobless Claims Fall to 197,000 as Low-Hire, Low-Fire Labor Market Persists
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 197,000 for the week ended October 3, the Labor Department said Thursday, according to Reuters. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 200,000. Claims have held below 200,000 since the second week of September. Continuing claims, a proxy for hiring, rose 17,000 to 1.716 million. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 29,000 jobs in September, and the unemployment rate was 4.2%. “It’s still a ‘low-hire, low-fire’ job market,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. The median duration of unemployment was 11.5 weeks in September, near a 4-1/2-year high.
Sources: The Spokesman-Review (Reuters)
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