Chief executives turned more pessimistic heading into the end of 2026, and slightly more of them now expect to shrink their workforces than a quarter ago.
Hiring activity at small businesses cooled in September, and owners who did try to fill jobs kept running into the same problem: a shortage of qualified candidates. In its monthly Small Business Economic Trends survey, released Oct.
U.S.-based employers announced 43,281 job cuts in September, down 18% from August and 20% from a year earlier, Challenger, Gray & Christmas said. Technology cuts rose 77% from August, and announced seasonal hiring was the weakest for a September since 2011.
