Workspan Daily News Bytes for Jan. 23, 2026

Conference Board: Uncertainty is U.S. CEOs’ Greatest Concern

More than 4 in 10 (42.9%) surveyed U.S. CEOs named uncertainty as the external factor expected to have the greatest negative impact on their business in 2026. That is according to the latest C-Suite Outlook survey by global think tank The Conference Board.

“Rather than viewing it as a short-term disruption, executives may instead be recognizing uncertainty as a persistent and even structural characteristic of the business environment,” Conference Board experts wrote in their report summary. “Instead of taking a wait-and-see approach or responding to new policies on the spot, many executives may choose to invest in contingency planning to ensure that their organizations are prepared to handle disruptions.”

Much of the uncertainty stems from ongoing concerns over tariffs and trade policies. Nearly 3 in 10 (29.8%) survey respondents specifically chose tariffs as among the top two external factors with a negative impact on their business.

More than a third (34.7%) expect that an economic downturn or recession would have a negative impact on their business. In addition, 13.9% cite inflation as a continued concern.

Meanwhile, environmental and sustainability goals are less of a priority for U.S. CEOs, as 38.4% of respondents identified it as “not a priority,” compared to 20.2% of global CEOs.

Senior Leaders Prioritizing Work-Life Balance

Many C-suite executives are quietly questioning their next move as they face a U.S. job market that feels increasingly challenging, according to a new report by career website TopResume.

The report found:

38% of surveyed executives and aspiring C-suite leaders have often considered leaving their role in the past 12 months.
27% have considered it sometimes.
19% admit they think about it very often.

The motivations behind these exit considerations are not solely driven by pay. For instance,

32% of senior professionals cited the desire for a better work-life balance as their primary reason for wanting to leave
28% said limited growth opportunities
25% said burnout, stress and the need for promotion

For many senior leaders, the challenge isn’t just deciding to leave, it’s navigating the barriers that follow. Among the biggest obstacles preventing executives from changing roles were:

Confidentiality restrictions (25%);
Golden handcuffs (24%); and,
Clawback clauses (20%).

These barriers all contribute to long job search timelines for executives: 31% of survey respondents believed it would take three to six months to secure a new role, while 9% expected the process to take more than a year.

Remote Work Is Shaking Up Healthcare Plan Considerations

As remote work reshapes the modern workforce, organizations have an opportunity to evolve their healthcare plans to better meet employee needs. A survey report from health network firm MagnaCare revealed a generational divide in healthcare access, with younger remote workers more often navigating out-of-network challenges, leading to dissatisfaction and higher personal costs — and ultimately, swaying them to switch jobs.

The survey of 600 remote workers who live outside their employer’s state found:

Coverage gaps hit younger remote workers hardest. 59% of millennials and Gen Z employees reported relying on out-of-network care due to their remote work location — significantly higher than the 46% average across all age groups.
Evolving healthcare needs are influencing job-switch considerations. 79% of younger remote workers have considered leaving their jobs due to healthcare coverage concerns. Among them, 36% said healthcare is a big factor in job decisions, with another 44% citing it as a contributor.
Remote-first networks should better meet key care needs. 63% of remote workers said their health plans haven’t adapted to remote work realities, especially when it comes to accessing specialists and mental healthcare — two of the most underserved areas reported.
Remote workers are open to change if it means better care. 76% of workers between the ages of 18 and 44 said they would consider switching to a remote-optimized health plan if it offered better provider access, even if it came with higher premiums.

Remote Job Postings Rose in Q4; Strategic Roles Drove Growth

In the fourth quarter of 2025, remote job postings increased by 3%, marking a shift away from the cooling remote job market earlier in the year. This is according to the new Remote Work Index report from job listings website FlexJobs.

Relatively unchanged from Q3 2025, the majority of remote job postings were for experienced jobs (67%). This was followed by manager (19%), senior manager (9%) and entry-level jobs (6%).

A handful of industries/roles (engineering, consulting, product, business development, project management) saw measurable growth in remote opportunities during Q4, underscoring areas where employers continue to invest in flexible work. These increases highlight key areas where remote work is evolving, with high demand for skilled professionals.

According to the FlexJobs report, “High-salary remote jobs paying more than $100,000 in tech, project management and account management play a key role in scaling operations and delivering customer value. Continued demand for these positions reflects a broader shift toward hiring strategic, high-impact remote talent.”

PNC Employees to Return to the Office Five Days a Week

Starting May 4, PNC employees must return to the office five days a week, according to a memo seen by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and confirmed by a spokesperson for the financial services company.

“PNC has always been an in-office company,” CEO Bill Demchak wrote in the memo. “It’s not just how we operate — it’s part of our culture. We are a relationship-driven organization, and our strength lies in the connection we build with each other, our clients and our communities.”

PNC and other banks such as JP Morgan Chase have gradually required employees to come back to the office for a greater share of the workweek following the COVID-19 pandemic. Other banks including Citi, BNY and U.S. Bank continue to allow employees one to two days per week of remote work.

Meta to Cut 10% of Employees in Metaverse Division

Tech giant Meta recently announced it would cut around 10% of employees in its Reality Labs Business. The cuts would affect almost 15,000 employees who work in the metaverse business unit on virtual reality (VR) headsets and a VR-based social network.

According to the New York Times, the company is shifting priorities to build next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) products.

The company also plans to reallocate some of the money from VR products to increase the budget for its wearables division, which builds smart glasses and wristband computing devices.

Figures and Facts of the Week

6.1: The percentage of jobs that will be lost in the U.S. by 2030 due to AI and automation, equating to 10.4 million jobs, according to a new analysis by research and advisory firm Forrester.
40: The percentage of time lost to AI rework, including correcting errors, rewriting content and verifying outputs from one-size-fits-all AI tools, according to a new report by HR software company Workday. Only 14% of surveyed workers consistently get clear, positive net outcomes from AI.
53: The percentage of surveyed U.S. workers who are looking for a new role in 2026, according to a report by skills verification platform Workera. Of those, 28% will explore opportunities outside their organization while 25% plan to pursue a new internal role. Less than half (48%) are content to stay with their current job.
72: The percentage of surveyed employers who say the linear career ladder is outdated, according to Randstad’s Workmonitor 2026 report. The HR services company also found only 41% of talent still want to follow a traditional path.
244,851: The number of technology industry jobs that were eliminated in 2025, according to a report by tech trading platform RationalFX, which identified economic uncertainty, elevated interest rates and accelerating automation adoption as central factors in the layoff trend.

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

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