Sunday Nov 02, 2025

[02 NOV] PAPER CUT - The Freeze, The Bot, The Backlash

Starter jobs are turning into agent workflows while boards rediscover layoffs and RTO. We cut through noise and show what to fix now: rebuild the first rung, make hybrid a system, and narrate change like adults.

This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.

📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25

🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25

⸻

📌 Sources & Links:

The Freeze Cracks: From Hoarding to Cuts

Amazon, UPS layoffs show a labor market recalibration (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-ups-layoffs-labor-market-jobs-economy/

)

Amazon To Lay Off 15 Percent Of HR Employees After Jassy Said AI Will ‘Reduce Our Total Corporate Workforce:’ Report (https://www.crn.com/news/cloud/2025/amazon-to-lay-off-15-percent-of-hr-employees-after-jassy-said-ai-will-reduce-our-total-corporate-workforce-report

)

Laid-off Amazon workers turn to TikTok and LinkedIn (https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-amazon-workers-turn-to-tiktok-and-linkedin-2025-10

)

Applied Materials to lay off Bay Area workers after export rule (https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/applied-materials-bay-area-layoff-trump-admin-rule-21127552.php

)

Amazon to announce sweeping corporate job cuts starting Tuesday (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/27/amazon-to-announce-sweeping-corporate-job-cuts-starting-tuesday.html

)

Amazon Plans New Layoffs (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/technology/amazon-layoffs.html

)

AI Eats the First Rung

Vercel trained an AI agent on its best salesperson. Then it cut the 10-person team down to 1. (https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-agent-entry-level-sales-jobs-vercel-2025-10

)

Ex-McKinsey consultants are training AI models to replace them (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-30/ex-mckinsey-consultants-are-training-ai-models-to-replace-them

)

Goldman Sachs to employees in memo: Expect more rounds of job cuts (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/goldman-sachs-to-employees-in-memo-expect-more-rounds-of-ai-led-job-cuts-its-become-increasingly-clear-that/articleshow/124583565.cms

)

Chipmakers are slapping ‘golden handcuffs’ on workers to meet AI demand (https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-amd-broadcom-chipmakers-employee-retention-ai-boom-2025-10

)

AI won’t take our jobs. Silicon Valley’s automation theater has to end. (https://fortune.com/2025/10/27/ai-wont-take-our-jobs-silicon-valley-automation-theater-has-to-end/

)

JPMorgan and Goldman are hiring for AI (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/15/jpmorgan-chase-goldman-sachs-ai-hiring.html

)

RTO, Hybrid, and the Attendance Arms Race

Jamie Dimon renews push to get workers back to offices (https://qz.com/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-renews-return-to-office-push

)

Toptal CEO: Companies are getting hybrid wrong. Here’s the 80/20 model. (https://www.businessinsider.com/toptal-ceo-companies-getting-hybrid-wrong-80-20-model-2025-10

)

Why I worry about government meddling in WFH (https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/why-i-worry-about-government-meddling-in-wfh-20251030-p5n6fb

)

America’s New Normal for White-Collar Jobs (https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/americas-new-normal-for-white-collar-jobs-85440ca5

)

Morale, Burnout, and the Narrower Funnel

Employee Discontent Is on the Rise. Here’s What to Do About It. (https://hbr.org/2025/10/employee-discontent-is-on-the-rise-heres-what-to-do-about-it

)

We’ve Talked About Burnout for Decades. Here’s How to Finally Solve It. (https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/weve-talked-about-burnout-for-decades-heres-how-to-finally-solve-it/91257438

)

At least 4 in 5 tech talents could face limited opportunities as job market cools (https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/least-4-5-tech-talents-could-face-limited-opportunities-job-market-cools

)

Amazon makes cold move that raises nationwide workplace fears (https://www.thestreet.com/employment/amazon-makes-cold-move-that-raises-nationwide-workplace-fears

)

General Motors lays off hundreds of engineers on Microsoft Teams (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/general-motors-lays-off-hundreds-of-engineers-on-microsoft-teams-says-its-not-your-performance-its/articleshow/124824468.cms

)

Meet America’s Best Employers for Engineers 2026 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelpeachman/2025/10/28/meet-americas-best-employers-for-engineers-2026/