After two months of strong hiring, the U.S. job market hit a slowdown in July.
The Labor Department reported that the economy added just 73,000 nonfarm jobs last month—well below the 115,000 analysts expected. Unemployment ticked up to 4.2%, and the outlook worsened further when May and June job gains were revised downward by a combined 258,000 positions.
The slowdown isn’t just about fewer new jobs. Employers are cutting staff at a faster pace than last year. According to career services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 806,000 jobs were eliminated in the first half of 2025, already surpassing all layoffs in 2024. Cuts have been driven by federal agency reductions, uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s tariffs, and even AI-driven automation.
The weak report shook both Wall Street and the White House. In response, Trump fired BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer, a Biden-era appointee—a move criticized by former Trump BLS chief William Beach.
For job seekers, opportunities still exist in health care and social assistance, but experts like Caroline Castrillon suggest being flexible: consider contract work, expand your skills, and grow your network to increase your chances at full-time employment.
The Social Media Job Hunt Dilemma
Today’s job search comes with a new challenge: your online presence can make or break your application.
For years, the advice to graduates and job seekers was simple—delete personal accounts or make them private and focus on LinkedIn. But now, that approach can backfire.
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International students face stricter scrutiny: the State Department requires public accounts, and even having no accounts at all can raise suspicion.
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U.S. job seekers aren’t exempt. Employers are fighting a surge of AI-generated fake applicants, some created in just 70 minutes, and are increasingly using social media checks to confirm authenticity.
The result? If you post, you risk scrutiny. If you don’t, you may seem like a ghost. Job seekers must strike a careful balance between maintaining a professional online presence and protecting their privacy.
Workplace Headlines
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Boeing strike: 3,200 unionized defense workers in Missouri and Illinois walked off the job for the first time since 1996 after rejecting a new contract. The strike affects the production of F-15 and F/A-18 aircraft and missile systems.
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Sports agents cash in: Scott Boras tops Forbes’ list of most powerful agents, earning $244 million in commissions from nearly $5 billion in active player contracts.
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AI talent wars: Meta reportedly offered a billion-dollar, multi-year compensation package to an employee at Thinking Machines Lab, though the company denies the exact figure.
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Shifting views on discrimination: A new AP poll finds fewer Americans believe Asian and Black communities face significant discrimination than in 2021, while skepticism toward DEI programs is rising.
Number to Know: 154,000
That’s how many federal employees accepted Trump’s deferred resignation program—about 6.7% of the civilian federal workforce.