Workspan Daily News Bytes for July 10, 2026

U.S. Employers Decreased Layoffs in June

U.S.-based employers announced 45,849 job cuts in June, down 53% from the 97,006 cuts announced in May, according to a report released Wednesday, July 1, from global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

June’s total was down 4% from the 47,999 cuts announced in the same month last year, and it marked the lowest monthly total since December 2025. It was the fourth time this year job cuts were lower than the corresponding month one year earlier.

Through June, employers announced 443,604 job cuts, down 40% from the 744,308 cuts announced in the first half of 2025.

In June, artificial intelligence (AI) led all reasons for job cuts, with 14,029 announced during the month, or 31%. So far this year, AI has been cited in 101,743 job cut announcements, approximately 23% of all cuts.

The most impacted industries in June were:

Technology (-15,503)
Services (-4,296)
Food producers and manufacturers (-3,955)
Healthcare (-2,761)

“The pace of layoffs cooled considerably in June, similar to plans last June, and as is typical for summer months. That said, the cuts we are seeing remain concentrated in technology, and artificial intelligence continues to reshape how companies think about headcount,” said Andy Challenger, the firm’s workplace expert and chief revenue officer.

Ghosting Leaves Lasting Impression with Job Candidates

Based on a survey of more than 1,000 American workers, 48% wouldn’t apply to a company again after being ghosted. This is according to a Ghosting Consequences Report from career website LiveCareer.

In addition, 45% of surveyed workers said they’ve been ghosted (the sudden act of cutting off all communication with someone) during the hiring process. When asked what stage this occurs, workers said:

After one or more interviews (22%)
After an initial communication, such as an email, text, or phone call (19%)
After completing a skills test or project (12%)
After being told an offer or next steps were coming (13%)

Candidates also stated employer ghosting was usually intentional for several reasons:

Employers stopped communicating after choosing another candidate (57%)
Employers decided a candidate isn’t the right fit but avoided formally rejecting them (33%)
The job opening was put on hold or canceled (21%)
The hiring process was disorganized (18%)
Employers were overwhelmed by the number of applicants (15%)
Employers relied too heavily on automation or AI (10%)

Scams Are Becoming a Routine Part of the Job Search

Ninety-five percent of U.S. job seekers have encountered a suspicious job offer, according to a 2026 Job Scam Report by employment website Monster.

According to the report, scammers are targeting candidates across multiple channels:

Email (65%)
Text messages (63%)
Unsolicited recruiter outreach (56%)
Job boards (51%)
Professional networking platforms (43%)
Social media (24%)
Messaging apps (20%)

Among surveyed job seekers who encountered scams:

63% said communication happened only through text or chat.
57% were offered a job without a real interview.
57% saw promises of high pay for minimal work.
51% noticed poor grammar or suspicious email addresses.
43% said recruiters couldn’t clearly identify the hiring company.

Even when job seekers avoided financial loss, scams still had consequences. For example:

33% said the survey respondents lost time applying, interviewing or following up on fake opportunities.
24% reported ongoing stress or anxiety.
23% said they shared personal information, like a phone number or address.

Most Hiring Managers See Little Plus in Master’s Degree Applicants

Sixty-four percent of U.S. hiring managers believe a master’s degree delivers no better performance than two years of work experience, according to a 2026 Education and Earnings Report by career website Resume Genius.

Out of the 1,500 survey respondents:

53% said the work performance between the two workforce segments is about the same.
11% said master’s degree holders perform worse than those with simply two years of experience.
23% said master’s holders perform at a slightly higher level.
13% said they perform at a considerably higher level.

The report stated a master’s degree “isn’t universally valuable” and is, instead, almost entirely dependent on industry (e.g., tech, education), career stage (e.g., mid-career) and individual worker goals (e.g., professional advancement).

California State Workers Return to the Office 4 Days a Week

After a yearlong delay, state workers in California were required to return to the office four days a week starting on Wednesday, July 1. The new policy impacts nearly 108,000 state workers, according to The Sacramento Bee. Since 2024, state employees only had been required to be in the office two days a week.

Gov. Gavin Newsom originally called state employees back to the office under this model in July 2025, but state workers and their labor representatives successfully negotiated a 12-month delay. Despite their continued vocal opposition, the policy change still held. Newsom has stated in-person collaboration, mentorship and building trust with the government are primary reasons for the change.

According to the Bee, only a handful of departments that report to other elected officials, including the Department of Justice and the California Department of Education, are not subject to the governor’s order and are not changing existing telework policies.

Figures and Facts of the Week

671 billion: The annual earnings gap between American men and women in 2025, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics by career website MyPerfectResume. This is up from approximately $327 billion in 2000.
4,800: The number of roles tech giant Microsoft recently eliminated — the equivalent of 2.1% of its global workforce. The layoffs impacted the video gaming brand Xbox and commercial sales the hardest, with Xbox losing 1,600 staffers.
94: The percentage of U.S. employers that said they are likely to adopt a prescription savings solution, according to a survey by healthcare technology company Buzz Health. Meanwhile, only 64% of surveyed brokers said they would recommend a solution to their employer clients.
79: The percentage of American workers who blamed their toxic work environments on unethical, unaccountable or unsupportive leadership, according to a 2026 Toxic Workplace Trends Report employment platform iHire.
65: The percentage of global chief executive officers (CEOs) who fear the business is missing out on opportunities because of lack of AI investment, according to a new report by multinational technology corporation Cisco.
6: The average number of paid time off (PTO) days U.S. workers left unused every year, according to a survey by financial consulting firm Clarify Capital. Fifteen percent of the respondents said guilt about being away kept them from taking time off, while 44% of workers were saving days “just in case.”

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