Under the Radar

Under the Radar – November 14, 2025: The Layoff Accelerator

by

All Five Hold Strong As Layoff Crisis Hits 22-Year High

Under the Radar
Top 5 AI jobs, one to watch, and cautions paths this week

Bottom Line Up Front • Top 5 This Week • Movement & Analysis • One to Watch: AI SOC Orchestrator • ⚠️ CAUTION: The Layoff Accelerator • Job Market Reality Check • Free Resources • Methodology & Sources

Bottom Line Up Front

The numbers are staggering. October 2025 saw 153,074 job cuts. The highest October in 22 years and the worst single month of Q4 since 2008. Through October, 1,099,500 jobs eliminated in 2025. This is 65% higher than last year and the highest since the pandemic year of 2020.

Here’s what nobody’s saying clearly: While the government shutdown accounts for roughly 300,000 jobs (28%), over 70% of job losses are private sector companies using AI, cost-cutting, and “efficiency” to eliminate positions. In October alone, companies cited AI as the reason for 31,039 cuts. The second-highest factor after cost-cutting.

Meanwhile, all five opportunities in our Top 5 continue showing strong demand. Not because they’re immune to displacement, but because they’re positioned at the intersection of AI deployment and human coordination needs that automation can’t yet eliminate.

This week, we’re breaking down the full data. Government versus private sector, AI’s role, and why companies are no longer waiting until after the holidays to announce layoffs. The infrastructure spending we documented last week ($1+ trillion) is real. So are the job losses. And they’re accelerating.

Your choice isn’t whether this happens. Your choice is whether you’re positioned for what comes next.

Top 5 This Week

No Movement – All Five Holding Strong

  1. AI Agent Builders – $120K-$180K (↔️ Holding #1)
    • 5,033 jobs on Indeed, extensive freelance opportunities
    • LangChain framework adoption accelerating
    • Companies racing to deploy AI agents across operations
  2. Local Business AI Implementation – $80K-$150K+ (↔️ Holding #2)
    • 75% of SMBs investing in AI (up from 25% in 2024)
    • 71% planning to increase investment in next year
    • 33 million small businesses need implementation help
  3. Voice AI Implementation Specialist – $90K-$160K (↔️ Holding #3)
    • AI-related job postings at 16,000 in October 2025
    • Healthcare sector showing strong adoption
    • Voice AI market growing 34.8% annually
  4. Healthcare Patient Care Coordinator – $45K-$95K (↔️ Holding #4)
    • 52,000+ positions nationwide (Indeed)
    • 29% growth projected through 2033 (BLS)
    • HIPAA protection limits algorithmic management
    • AI creates MORE coordination need, not less
  5. Synthetic Data Creation – $130K-$200K+ (↔️ Holding #5)
    • Market growing 31.1% CAGR
    • $1.81 billion market size projected by end of 2024
    • Gartner: 60% of AI training data will be synthetic by 2025

Wonder why we rank the top 5 as we do? Click for full Top 5 Ranking Primer

Movement & Analysis

Why All Five Continue Holding

This marks the second consecutive week with no movement in our Top 5. This isn’t market stagnation, it’s validation that these opportunities are genuinely positioned where AI creates demand rather than eliminating it.

AI Agent Builders (#1) remains dominant as companies accelerate deployment. The Challenger data showing 31,039 AI-related job cuts in October alone proves companies are serious about AI implementation. Every company automating work needs people who can build and manage those AI systems. The 5,033 current job postings on Indeed represent sustained enterprise demand, not hype.

Local Business AI Implementation (#2) strengthens as adoption accelerates. The NFIB data showing 75% of SMBs now investing in AI (up from 25% just last year) represents 24.75 million businesses out of 33 million total. Most lack internal expertise and need consultants to bridge the gap between AI capability and their specific business needs. This is the “selling picks and shovels during the gold rush” opportunity.

Voice AI Implementation Specialist (#3) continues growing as voice AI deployment expands beyond customer service into healthcare, enterprise communications, and accessibility applications. The 16,000 AI-related job postings in October include significant demand for voice AI specialists who can bridge technical capability with practical business implementation. Healthcare’s adoption of voice AI for documentation, patient communication, and clinical workflows creates sustained demand for specialists who understand both the technology and healthcare compliance requirements.

Healthcare Patient Care Coordinator (#4) continues showing remarkable resilience. While Salesforce eliminated 4,000 customer service jobs this month and other sectors face AI displacement, healthcare coordination remains human-centric. The 52,000 active postings and 29% projected growth reflect a sector where AI augments rather than replaces human judgment in care coordination, insurance navigation, and patient advocacy.

Synthetic Data Creation (#5) benefits directly from the AI infrastructure buildout. As we documented in our bubble article this week, companies are deploying AI at scale—and every AI model needs training data. Synthetic data solves privacy, bias, and scarcity problems simultaneously. The 31.1% CAGR and $1.81B market size represent genuine technical demand, not speculation.

What Changed This Week

The scale and speed of job displacement became impossible to ignore. October’s 153,074 cuts shattered the decade-long pattern of companies avoiding Q4 layoffs to prevent bad holiday optics. As Challenger notes: “Over the last decade, companies have shied away from announcing layoffs in the fourth quarter… it’s surprising to see so many in October.”

Companies are no longer concerned about the optics. The “efficiency” justification—backed by real productivity gains from AI—gives them political cover. Record profit margins give them financial flexibility. And the lack of regulation gives them free rein.

One to Watch: AI SOC Orchestrator

Status: Innovation Trigger phase (1-5% adoption)
Salary: $150K-$200K+
Timeline: 6-12 month window before competition increases

No major announcements this week, but the underlying trend accelerates: traditional SOC analyst work is being automated by AI agents at scale. The opportunity isn’t “doing security work”—it’s “orchestrating AI that does security work.”

The job cuts data validates this shift. Technology sector announced 33,281 cuts in October alone (up from 5,639 in September), with many citing “AI restructuring” and “automation.” Security operations centers are part of this transformation.

Current Window: If you’re a SOC analyst now, you have 6-9 months of minimal competition for AI security orchestration roles. By mid-2026, expect 10-15% market adoption and significantly more candidates.

Free Resource: 30-Day Action Plan: AI SOC Orchestrator

⚠️ CAUTION: The Layoff Accelerator – When “Efficiency” Means Your Job

The Numbers Nobody’s Talking About Clearly

Let’s start with the data. Not projections or predictions. Actual announced job cuts through October 2025.

The Topline Numbers:

  • October 2025: 153,074 job cuts
    • Highest October since 2003 (22 years)
    • 183% increase from September 2025 (54,064)
    • 175% increase from October 2024 (55,597)
    • Highest single month in Q4 since 2008
  • Year-to-Date (Through October): 1,099,500 job cuts
    • 65% increase from first 10 months of 2024 (664,839)
    • 44% higher than all of 2024 combined (761,358)
    • Highest year-to-date total since pandemic year 2020 (2,304,755)

Translation: Companies are eliminating jobs faster than any time in the last 15 years except the COVID-19 pandemic.

Breaking Down What’s Actually Happening

The government shutdown is real. The federal job cuts are real. But they’re only part of the story—and not the biggest part.

Government Shutdown Impact (“DOGE Impact”):

  • Direct DOGE Impact: 293,753 jobs through October
    • Federal workforce reductions
    • Federal contractor layoffs
    • Government agencies eliminating positions
  • DOGE Downstream Impact: 20,976 jobs through October
    • Nonprofits losing federal funding
    • Universities losing research grants
    • Private entities losing federal procurement contracts
  • Nonprofits Hit Hard: 27,651 cuts year-to-date
    • Up 419% from 2024
    • Many dependent on federal grants now eliminated

Total Government-Related Job Losses: ~314,729 (28.6% of total)

Private Sector Job Cuts (The Bigger Story):

  • Total Private Sector Losses: ~785,000 jobs (71.4% of total)

By Industry Through October 2025:

  • Technology: 141,159 cuts
    • Up 17% from 2024 (120,470)
    • October alone: 33,281 cuts (6x September’s 5,639)
    • Primary reason cited: “AI restructuring” and “automation”
  • Retail: 88,664 cuts
    • Up 145% from 2024 (36,136)
    • Store closures, shifting consumer habits, cost pressures
  • Warehousing: Major cuts including UPS’s 48,000 total
    • 14,000 management positions
    • 34,000 operational workforce
    • Automation reducing need for human labor
  • Consumer Products: Sharp increases
    • October: 3,409 cuts
    • Companies citing cost pressures and efficiency gains

October 2025 Specific Breakdown (By Reason Cited):

  1. Cost-Cutting: 50,437 cuts (top reason)
  2. Artificial Intelligence (AI): 31,039 cuts (second-most cited)
  3. Market and Economic Conditions: 21,104 cuts
  4. Closures (stores/units/plants): 16,739 cuts
  5. Restructuring: 7,588 cuts

What This Data Actually Means:

Over 70% of the 1.1 million jobs lost in 2025 are private companies making business decisions to eliminate positions. The government shutdown accounts for roughly 300K jobs, but the private sector is responsible for 800K+ cuts.

And in October specifically, AI was cited as the reason for 31,039 job eliminations—more than closures, restructuring, or market conditions.

The Pattern Breaking

For the past decade (2013-2023), companies avoided announcing layoffs during Q4 because of bad optics. Average monthly Q4 job cuts during this period: 42,927.

Between 2003-2013, before social media amplified worker experiences, the Q4 average was 74,733 monthly cuts.

October 2025: 153,074 cuts. More than triple the recent decade’s Q4 average.

What changed? Andy Challenger (Challenger, Gray & Christmas): “At a time when job creation is at its lowest point in years, the optics of announcing layoffs in the fourth quarter are particularly unfavorable… it’s surprising to see so many in October.”

Companies are no longer worried about the optics. Why?

The Justification That Makes It “Acceptable”

Companies have found the perfect excuse: efficiency.

When Salesforce eliminates 4,000 customer service jobs, CEO Marc Benioff doesn’t apologize—he touts AI agents as the solution. When Amazon cuts 14,000 corporate roles while posting record profits, they cite “organizational efficiency.” When UPS reduces 48,000 positions, they frame it as “strategic restructuring.”

The formula:

  1. Deploy AI to handle tasks previously done by humans
  2. Measure productivity gains (20-40% increases are common)
  3. Eliminate the positions AI now handles
  4. Frame it as “staying competitive” or “necessary efficiency”
  5. Report higher profit margins to shareholders
  6. Pay executives bonuses for successful “cost reduction”

This isn’t capitalism. This is wealth extraction with algorithmic justification.

The Hiring Freeze That Nobody’s Discussing

Job cuts are only half the story. Companies have stopped hiring.

Through October 2025:

  • Planned Hires Announced: 488,077
    • Down 35% from 2024 (750,333)
    • Lowest year-to-date total since 2011 (459,971)
  • Average Monthly Hiring: 48,808 new positions
    • Lowest monthly average since 2011 (44,798)
  • Seasonal Hiring (through October): 372,520 positions
    • Lowest number since tracking began in 2012

Translation: Not only are companies eliminating existing jobs at record rates, they’re also not creating new positions to replace them. The net result is a shrinking labor market with fewer opportunities.

The Companies Behind The Numbers

These aren’t abstract statistics. Here are the actual companies and their announced cuts:

Major Layoffs Announced Recently:

  • Amazon: 14,000 corporate roles (October 2025)
    • Cited “AI efficiency gains” and “organizational restructuring”
    • Stock up 45% year-to-date
  • UPS: 48,000 total positions (2025)
    • 14,000 management roles
    • 34,000 operational workers
    • 66% of volume now through automated facilities (up from 63%)
  • Salesforce: 4,000 customer service jobs (September 2025)
    • Directly replaced by AI agents
    • CEO Marc Benioff: AI will handle customer support, humans still needed but “fewer of them”
  • Target: 1,800 corporate positions
    • “Streamlining decision-making”
    • 4% of workforce at Fort Worth headquarters
  • IBM: 2,700 jobs (1-2% of workforce)
    • “Low single-digit percentage reduction”
    • ~270,000 total employees
  • Accenture: 11,000+ roles over three months
    • Employees who can’t be “retrained” in AI being exited
    • CEO Julie Sweet: “We are exiting on a compressed timeline, people, where reskilling, based on our experience, is not a viable path”
    • Total headcount: 779,000 (down from 791,000 in May)
  • Intel: 15% of global workforce
    • Part of $500M operating expense reduction in 2025
    • Additional $1B reduction planned for 2026
  • Microsoft: 15,000 roles (2025 total)
    • 9,000 in July, 6,000 in May
    • CEO Satya Nadella: Success in AI industry has “no franchise value”
  • Lufthansa: 4,000 jobs by 2030
    • Cited AI efficiency gains
  • Meta: Cutting specific teams, exact numbers unreported
    • Despite $600B AI infrastructure investment through 2028

The New Normal: Profit + Layoffs

What’s particularly galling: Many of these companies are posting record profits while eliminating thousands of jobs.

The Math:

  • AMD: 55-58% gross margins on AI chips
  • NVIDIA: 74-75% gross margins
  • Tech sector: 15%+ revenue growth (highest of any sector)
  • S&P 500 companies: Record profit margins

Meanwhile:

  • 1.1 million jobs eliminated (through October)
  • 31,039 jobs specifically attributed to AI in October alone
  • 488,077 planned hires for entire year (down 35%)

The productivity gains are real. The profits are real. But none of that wealth is flowing to workers—it’s all going to shareholders.

Why This Time Feels Different

1. Speed: Companies are accelerating layoffs, not slowing them. October’s 153,074 cuts show the pace is increasing.

2. Justification: “AI efficiency” gives companies political cover. It sounds innovative, not cruel.

3. No Regulation: Unlike previous displacement cycles (manufacturing, outsourcing), there’s virtually no regulatory framework limiting how fast companies can automate or what they owe displaced workers.

4. Bipartisan Acknowledgment: The Warner-Hawley bill (AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act) introduced this week requires companies to report AI-related job impacts quarterly. Even politicians recognize this is a crisis.

5. The Hiring Freeze: It’s not just job cuts—companies aren’t creating new positions. Seasonal hiring at lowest since 2012 tracking began.

What The Experts Are Actually Saying

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell (October 2025): “The lack of government data is clouding the central bank’s view of economic activity. If you’re driving in the fog, you slow down.”

Translation: Even the Fed doesn’t know how bad it really is because of the data blackout from the shutdown.

Andy Challenger (Challenger, Gray & Christmas): “Some industries are correcting after the hiring boom of the pandemic, but this comes as AI adoption, softening consumer and corporate spending, and rising costs drive belt-tightening and hiring freezes. Those laid off now are finding it harder to quickly secure new roles, which could further loosen the labor market.”

Translation: The job market is deteriorating, and displaced workers can’t find new positions.

Usha Haley (Wichita State University, speaking to Fortune): “These layoffs, along with cutting federal grants, will have ripple economic effects affecting federal contractors, universities, hospitals, research institutes, and non-profits—which, in turn, will reduce available jobs, consumer purchases…”

Translation: The 314,729 government-related job losses will cascade through the economy, eliminating even more private sector positions indirectly.

The Questions You Should Be Asking

If you’re currently employed:

  1. Is AI being deployed in your department? If yes, start your exit plan now—don’t wait for the announcement.
  2. What tasks are being automated? If AI is handling the interesting parts of your job, leaving only the tedious work, that’s “silent firing” (see last week’s edition).
  3. Has your company mentioned “efficiency initiatives” or “AI transformation”? These are code words for workforce reduction.
  4. Are your skills transferable? If your entire skillset is tied to one company’s proprietary systems, you’re vulnerable.

If you’re job searching:

  1. Why are 488,077 planned hires the lowest since 2011? It’s not you—companies genuinely aren’t hiring at normal rates.
  2. Why aren’t seasonal positions being posted? If retailers aren’t hiring for the holidays, consumer spending is projected to be weak and companies are pessimistic.
  3. Which sectors are still hiring? Healthcare (52,000+ coordinator positions), AI implementation, specialized technical roles.

The Disconnect Between Rhetoric and Reality

What Companies Say:

  • “AI will augment workers, not replace them”
  • “We’re investing in reskilling programs”
  • “These are strategic realignments”
  • “We remain committed to our people”

What The Data Shows:

  • 31,039 jobs explicitly cut due to AI in October alone
  • Accenture: “Reskilling is not a viable path” for workers being exited
  • Hiring at lowest levels since 2011
  • Companies posting record profits while eliminating positions

The Reality: When productivity increases 20-40% from AI deployment, companies could:

  • Share gains through wage increases
  • Reduce hours while maintaining pay
  • Invest in training and development
  • Create new positions in emerging areas

What they’re actually doing:

  • Eliminating positions
  • Freezing hiring
  • Paying executives record bonuses
  • Rewarding shareholders with stock buybacks

This is a choice, not economic inevitability.

Which Opportunities Provide Protection?

Not all career paths face equal risk. Our Top 5 are specifically selected for positioning that provides relative protection:

✅ Higher Protection:

  • Healthcare Patient Care Coordinator (#4): Human judgment required for insurance navigation, care coordination, complex case management; HIPAA limits algorithmic monitoring; 52,000+ active positions despite displacement elsewhere
  • AI Agent Builders (#1): You’re building the systems, not being replaced by them; companies racing to deploy AI need people who can implement it; 5,033 active positions
  • Local Business AI Implementation (#2): Self-employed or consulting means you control terms; 33M small businesses need help; you’re selling AI services, not being displaced by them

⚠️ Moderate Protection:

  • Voice AI Implementation Specialist (#3): Growing demand in healthcare and enterprise; but monitor for commoditization as tools become more user-friendly; requires understanding both technology and domain expertise
  • Synthetic Data Creation (#5): Specialized technical skill creates leverage; but watch for AI generating synthetic data (meta-automation)

🚨 Higher Risk:

  • Customer service (Salesforce: 4,000 cuts)
  • Data entry and processing (being automated rapidly)
  • Basic content creation (AI writing tools deployed widely)
  • Tier 1/2 technical support (AI chatbots replacing)
  • Entry-level analysis (AI handling routine analysis)
  • Middle management coordination (AI workflow tools eliminating need)

The Warner-Hawley Bill: Politicians Finally Notice

AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act (Introduced November 5, 2025)

Bipartisan bill by Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) would require:

  • Publicly traded companies to submit quarterly reports to Department of Labor
  • Detail: layoffs, hires, retraining, reduced hiring due to AI
  • Same requirement for certain private companies and federal agencies
  • Goal: “Clear picture” of AI’s workforce impact

What This Tells You:

Even politicians recognize this is a crisis. When Democrats and Republicans agree on anything, especially labor issues, the problem is undeniable.

But notice: The bill requires reporting, not regulation. Companies will have to disclose AI-related job impacts, but there’s no requirement to:

  • Provide severance
  • Fund retraining
  • Slow automation
  • Share productivity gains with workers

It’s transparency without teeth.

What You Can Do

If Currently Employed:

  1. Document everything: Track your productivity, accomplishments, projects completed. When AI eliminates your role, you’ll need evidence of your value for your next position.
  2. Build transferable skills now: Don’t wait for your company to offer retraining. Take evening courses, get certifications, build a portfolio in adjacent fields.
  3. Create multiple income streams: Side businesses, consulting, freelance work. Don’t depend entirely on one employer in this environment.
  4. Network aggressively: 71% of jobs are found through networking, not applications. The 488,077 planned hires means competition is fierce—relationships matter more than ever.
  5. Save aggressively: Build 6-12 months emergency fund if possible. Displaced workers are finding it “harder to quickly secure new roles” (Challenger).

If Job Searching:

  1. Target growing sectors: Healthcare (still hiring), AI implementation, specialized technical roles. Avoid sectors with high automation deployment.
  2. Position yourself strategically: Frame your experience around skills that complement AI, not compete with it. “AI-assisted analysis” sounds better than “data analyst.”
  3. Be realistic about timeline: With hiring at 2011 levels, finding the right position takes longer. Budget accordingly.
  4. Consider bridge income: Gig work, contract roles, part-time consulting while searching for long-term position.

If Planning Career Change:

  1. Move toward opportunities in our Top 5: These aren’t immune to displacement, but they’re positioned better than most.
  2. Consider healthcare coordination: True entry-level ($45K-$95K), 52,000+ positions available, 29% growth projected, HIPAA protection, AI creates more need for human coordination.
  3. Develop AI implementation skills: Every company needs help deploying AI. Position yourself as the bridge between technology and business needs.

The Uncomfortable Truth

The 1,099,500 jobs eliminated through October aren’t coming back. The 488,077 planned hires won’t replace them. And the companies posting record profits while citing “efficiency” aren’t going to voluntarily share productivity gains with workers.

This is the new normal.

You can be angry about it. You should be angry about it. The wealth extraction while workers lose livelihoods is unconscionable.

But anger without strategy leaves you unprepared.

Our Top 5 aren’t a solution to this crisis. They’re strategic positions that provide relative protection while the displacement accelerates. Think of them as lifeboats, not life rafts—they’ll keep you afloat for a while, but you still need to reach shore (sustainable long-term positioning).

The real solution requires systemic change: regulation, wealth redistribution, retraining programs, and workers demanding their share of productivity gains. But that takes time, organizing, and political will.

In the meantime, you need to survive. And survival means positioning yourself strategically in opportunities that AI creates demand for rather than eliminates.

Bottom Line

  • 1,099,500 jobs eliminated through October 2025
  • 153,074 cuts in October alone (22-year high)
  • 70%+ are private sector decisions, not government shutdown
  • AI cited in 31,039 October cuts (second-highest reason)
  • Hiring frozen: 488,077 planned hires (down 35%, lowest since 2011)
  • Companies posting record profits while eliminating positions
  • No meaningful regulation preventing any of this

This isn’t coming. This is here.

The question is whether you’re positioned for what happens next.

Job Market Reality Check

Current Data Situation (November 2025):

  • Official BLS Reports: STILL SUSPENDED due to government shutdown (began October 1, 2025)
  • Most Recent Official Data: August 2025 – 22,000 jobs added, 4.3% unemployment
  • Alternative Data:
    • ADP Private Sector (October 2025): 42,000 jobs added
    • Challenger Layoff Data: 153,074 announced cuts in October
    • Chicago Fed Labor Market Index: Unemployment 4.36% (slight uptick)

The Data Vacuum:

We’re now missing September and October 2025 official employment reports. The government shutdown has created a critical information blackout precisely when the economy needs visibility most.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s assessment: “The lack of government data is clouding the central bank’s view of economic activity. If you’re driving in the fog, you slow down.”

What Alternative Data Shows:

The ADP report showing 42,000 private jobs added looks decent until you realize:

  • This is down 82% from October 2024 ADP report
  • Job gains concentrated in large companies (500+ employees): +73,000
  • Small and medium businesses shed jobs: -31,000 combined
  • Leisure and hospitality lost 6,000 jobs (consumer weakness signal)

Meanwhile, Challenger data shows 153,074 announced cuts. Not all will be implemented, but the gap between hiring and cutting is alarming.

What This Means:

The labor market is deteriorating, but we don’t have official data to quantify exactly how bad. The alternative data points uniformly negative:

  • Layoffs at 22-year highs
  • Hiring at 14-year lows
  • Small business shedding workers
  • Consumer sectors showing weakness

When the government reopens and BLS releases backlogged reports, expect the numbers to shock people who weren’t paying attention to alternative data.

For Our Top 5:

Healthcare continues showing resilience with 52,000+ active coordinator positions—one of few sectors hiring consistently. AI-adjacent roles (Agent Builders, Implementation, Synthetic Data) continue growing because companies need people who can deploy the automation that’s eliminating other jobs.

The irony: The positions eliminating jobs are the positions in demand.

📚 Free Resources

30-Day Action Plans & Free Career Tools:

Current Opportunities:

One to Watch:

Related Reading:

All Previous Editions: Under the Radar Archive

Methodology & Sources

Research Approach:

This analysis combines official employment data (when available), private sector reports, and real-time job market intelligence to track career opportunities created by AI disruption. We prioritize documented job demand over speculation.

October 2025 Layoff Crisis Data

Primary Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas

Government Shutdown Context:

AI-Related Layoffs:

Specific Company Layoffs:

Warner-Hawley Bill:

Alternative Labor Market Data:

  • ADP National Employment Report: October 2025
  • Chicago Fed Labor Market Indicators (October 2025)
  • Federal Reserve statements on data challenges during shutdown

Top 5 Career Opportunities Data

AI Agent Builders (#1):

  • Indeed: 5,033 AI agent engineer jobs (November 2025 search)
  • ZipRecruiter: AI agent developer postings and salary data
  • Freelancer.com: AI agent project listings (November 2025)

Local Business AI Implementation (#2):

  • NFIB Small Business and Technology Survey (June 25, 2025): 24% current AI adoption, 76% not using
  • Salesforce Small and Medium Business Trends Report (2025): 75% of SMBs investing in AI
  • BizTech Magazine: AI tools for small business (May 8, 2025)
  • SBA: AI for small business guidance

Voice AI Implementation Specialist (#3):

  • AI-related job postings: 16,000 in October 2025 (from last week’s research)
  • Voice AI market growth rate: 34.8% CAGR
  • Healthcare sector adoption trends
  • Enterprise voice AI deployment data

Healthcare Patient Care Coordinator (#4):

  • Indeed: 52,691 active patient care coordinator postings (November 2025)
  • LinkedIn: 60,000+ patient care coordinator positions
  • Zippia: 139,431 active openings
  • ZipRecruiter: Average salary $20.50/hour, range $16.83-$22.12
  • Salary.com: Alternative salary data $96,820 annually (likely for higher-level roles)
  • Nurse.org: BLS 29% growth projection through 2033

Synthetic Data Creation (#5):

  • Indeed: Synthetic data jobs search results
  • Fortune Business Insights: Market size $288.5M (2022), projected $2,339.8M (2030), 31.1% CAGR
  • Emergen Research: Market analysis and top companies (2025)
  • StartUs Insights: 10 synthetic data companies to watch (June 12, 2025)
  • K2View: Best synthetic data generation tools for 2025 (September 16, 2025)

Limitations & Transparency

Challenger Data Caveats:

  • Tracks publicly announced cuts only; may not capture smaller layoffs
  • Some announced cuts may not be fully implemented
  • Multinational companies may include international positions in U.S. totals
  • Achieves through attrition may not be counted
  • More reliable for trends than precise counts

Government Shutdown Impact:

  • Official BLS data unavailable since October 1, 2025
  • Relying on private sector data (ADP, Challenger) that uses different methodologies
  • True employment picture won’t be clear until BLS releases backlogged reports

Job Posting Counts:

  • Fluctuate daily/weekly
  • We report figures at time of research (November 11-13, 2025)
  • Some postings may be duplicates across platforms
  • Active postings don’t guarantee all will be filled

DOGE Impact Calculations:

  • Based on Challenger categorization of cuts
  • “Downstream impact” is estimated and may undercount ripple effects
  • Full economic impact likely larger than direct job cut numbers

Human + AI Collaboration

This analysis uses AI (Claude, Anthropic) for:

  • Web search execution across news sources, job platforms, industry reports
  • Data synthesis from 80+ sources
  • Citation tracking and fact-checking
  • Salary range analysis and market projections
  • Organizing complex data into accessible formats

All strategic decisions—which data to prioritize, how to interpret trends, what constitutes “under the radar,” editorial framing, and ranking methodology—are human-made. AI assists research; humans determine what matters and how to communicate it effectively.

Under the Radar is published weekly, tracking emerging career opportunities created by AI disruption while documenting the displacement crisis.

Next week: Will the government reopen and release backlogged employment data? We’ll be watching for the official numbers and comparing them to alternative data sources.

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