Every Major AI Company is Building Workforce Training Pipelines

UNDER THE RADAR – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2026

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT

The gap between official statistics and worker reality widened this week. Fed officials claim “AI is not displacing workers” while corporate partnerships train 1 million students for jobs with 2-5 year windows. Thursday’s employment data shows the pattern continuing: initial claims down (fewer new layoffs) but continuing claims up (people staying unemployed longer, harder to find new jobs).

This week’s Top 4 opportunities: Down from 5 last week. Construction Tech/BIM dropped entirely as employment data shows sector contracting despite infrastructure spending boom. We won’t recommend fields where jobs are disappearing even as investment increases. Cybersecurity remains but with critical revision: entry-level SOC analyst roles automating NOW, pivot to IAM/Cloud/Governance instead.

The educational debt trap: Every major AI company (OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic) is building workforce pipelines targeting 1 million students by 2027. Training duration: 2 years. Job viability: 2-5 years maximum. Cost: $5K-$10K annual debt for community college students, often more. By graduation, the technology will have evolved through 4-8 generations.

The acceleration is real. You literally cannot retrain faster than technology evolves.

THE JOBS REALITY CHECK

Thursday’s Numbers (February 19, 2026):

Initial jobless claims: 206,000 (week ending Feb 14)
- Down 23,000 from previous week
- Beat forecast of 223,000
- Lowest since November 2025
Continuing claims: 1,869,000 (week ending Feb 7)
- Up 17,000 from previous week
- People staying unemployed longer
4-week average: 219,000

What this means:

Fewer people filing for unemployment initially (companies slowing layoffs). But more people staying unemployed week after week. The labor market isn’t absorbing displaced workers.

Translation: It’s getting harder to find a new job after losing one.

This pattern validates what we’ve been documenting for months: automation displacement is accelerating while replacement opportunities shrink. Not a temporary blip. Structural transformation.

THE GAP: FED SAYS NO DISPLACEMENT, WORKERS DISAGREE

Friday, February 20, 12:52 PM:

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lorie Logan: “On labor side, it does not look like AI is displacing workers.”

Meanwhile, Friday early morning (12:03 AM):

Amazon AI coding bot crashed a production service. Financial Times reports the automated system created code that took down live systems.

The reality Fed officials aren’t seeing:

From our Feb 13 tracking:

WARN Act notices: 852 job losses per day (up 51% from 2025)
Year-to-date layoffs: 37,478 workers (60 events)
Roles explicitly cut for “AI and automation”: Data entry, customer support, content creation, basic coding

Continuing claims rising to 1,869,000 = workers displaced and can’t find new jobs.

But Fed says “it does not look like AI is displacing workers.”

The disconnect isn’t just frustrating. It’s dangerous. When policymakers deny the displacement happening in front of workers’ eyes, they don’t build the support systems workers need. No transition programs. No retraining funding. No worker protections.

Just reassurance that the problem doesn’t exist.

THE EDUCATIONAL DEBT TRAP: ALL OF THEM

Every major AI company is building workforce training pipelines.

OpenAI:

35 US universities, 700,000+ licenses sold
California State University: $15 million/year, 500,000 students
India expansion: 100,000+ students at top institutions (IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad, AIIMS)
ChatGPT Edu deployed nationwide in Estonia (30,000+ students)

Google:

California Community Colleges: 2+ million students (largest US higher ed AI partnership)
Free Gemini access to 1,000+ colleges
Highest AI tool usage globally in India

Microsoft:

Cal State partnership (with OpenAI, Google)
AFT partnership: 400,000 teachers, free CoPilot to Washington state schools
India Elevate program: training teachers across schools, vocational institutes, higher ed

NAAIC (National Applied AI Consortium):

Funded by: NSF ($2.8M), Google ($2M), Microsoft, Intel, AWS, OpenAI, Lenovo

Current (Feb 2026): 320 colleges, 46 states, 1,900+ faculty trained, 50,000+ students reached
Target by 2027: 10,000 faculty trained, 1 MILLION students
Programs: New AI certificates, associate degrees, workforce development

What they’re training for:

Machine learning specialists
Data annotators (already automating – see WARN data)
AI model auditors (being automated)
Prompt engineers (being built into tools)
Entry-level coders (GitHub Copilot replacing)

The timeline problem:

Training duration: 2 years (compressed from 4)
AI model generations: Every 6-12 months
Student starting 2026 → Graduates 2028 → 4-8 AI generations later

By the time students complete training, the technology they learned will have evolved multiple times.

The cost:

Tuition alone: ~$10,000 for 2-year community college program
Full cost of attendance (tuition + books + living expenses): ~$40,000 for 2 years
Average student debt at graduation: $5,000-$10,000
For jobs lasting: 2-5 years maximum

Even $5,000 debt for a 2-year job window is extraction.

Who profits:

AI companies (platform lock-in – students trained on their specific tools)
Colleges (enrollment revenue)
Employers (cheap labor during the 2-5 year transition window)

Who pays:

Students (debt for obsolete skills)
Taxpayers (NSF grants, public college subsidies funding corporate workforce pipelines)
Workers (wage suppression from massive oversupply)

1 million students by 2027 flooding the market for jobs with 2-5 year windows.

The compression: Training takes longer than jobs last. You cannot retrain faster than the technology evolves. This is the fundamental math problem workers face.

WHY CONSTRUCTION TECH/BIM DROPPED FROM TOP 5 THIS WEEK

Last week (Feb 13), Construction Technology/BIM Specialists was #5 on our list with a 3-5 year viability window. We called it “the most vulnerable position” and warned it was a timing play, not a career.

This week, it doesn’t make the list at all.

What changed:

Employment reality contradicts infrastructure narrative:

US construction market: $1.27 trillion in 2026 (5.6% growth projected)
CHIPS Act + Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act driving spending
Industry says it needs 499,000 additional workers

But actual hiring:

Construction employment FELL 11,000 in December 2025
Industry added only 14,000 jobs total in 2025
Fewest jobs added in any year since 2011 (excluding pandemic 2020)

The disconnect: Billions in infrastructure spending ≠ construction jobs. Why?

1. CHIPS Act megaprojects completing, not starting:

“CHIPS Act-enabled megaprojects coming to their conclusion” (Construction Executive, Jan 2026). The semiconductor fab boom is ending, not beginning. Manufacturing construction spending already declining.

2. Automation + modular construction replacing labor:

Robotics addressing labor shortages (robotic bricklayers 400% faster than humans)
Modular/prefab cutting construction timelines by 60%
“Workforce requirements shifting from traditional craft roles toward factory-based technicians”

Companies aren’t hiring more people. They’re buying robots and building in factories.

3. Infrastructure boom timeline compressed:

We said 3-5 years. The data shows it’s already peaking. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act hitting “peak disbursement phase in 2026.” After peak comes decline.

4. Data center construction ≠ BIM jobs:

Yes, data centers are booming. But:

Data center work requires specialized electricians, HVAC technicians, controls specialists
NOT BIM coordinators at scale
Premium pay going to trades, not technology coordinators
Comfort Systems (major data center contractor): winning contracts because they have “large internal workforce” of electricians and pipefitters

The math doesn’t work:

BIM specialists: “hired first and promoted fast,” salaries up 25-30%
BUT total construction employment declining
Niche role getting more competitive as overall sector contracts

If you’re already in BIM/construction tech:

Exit strategies (prioritize by 2027-2028):

Digital Twin/Facilities Management: Building operations, long-term asset management ($75K-$115K) – moves you OUT of construction cycle into permanent facility operations
Smart City Infrastructure: Urban planning, IoT integration ($80K-$125K) – government/public sector work, more stable
Real Estate Technology (PropTech): Building analytics, management systems ($75K-$120K) – software side, less dependent on construction activity
Project Management (general): Take BIM/tech skills and pivot to other industries entirely ($85K-$130K)

Don’t enter this field now. The window we said was 3-5 years is closing faster than expected. Construction employment contracting while infrastructure spending peaks = bad combination for job seekers.

The infrastructure boom is real. The jobs aren’t following.

Why we’re honest about this:

We could have kept Construction Tech at #5 and pointed to the “$1.27 trillion construction market” and “499,000 worker shortage” headlines. It would look good.

But our job isn’t to make you feel good. It’s to tell you what the employment DATA shows, not what the SPENDING data promises.

Spending ≠ jobs. Not anymore.

When construction employment falls 11,000 in a single month during an “infrastructure boom,” something fundamental has changed. Automation and modular construction are filling the gap that workers used to fill.

We won’t recommend a field where employment is contracting even as spending increases. That’s a trap.

TOP 4 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES – FEBRUARY 20, 2026

This week: Top 4 positions only. Because that’s what the market supports.

CRITICAL CONTEXT:

No career is automation-proof forever. The question isn’t IF change comes, but WHEN, and how well you can pivot.

Scoring Criteria:

Market Demand (30%)
Entry Speed (25%)
Income Potential (25%)
Future Viability (15%)
Scam/Risk Factor (5%)

Threshold: 70/100 minimum

#1. Healthcare Direct Patient Care (RN, Medical Assistant, Physical Therapy)

Score: 87/100 | Viability: 7-10 years ✅

January 2026 Data (just released):

Healthcare added 82,000 jobs – representing 63% of ALL U.S. jobs added that month
Only 130,000 total jobs added nationwide – healthcare was nearly two-thirds
Washington Post (Feb 14): “Healthcare accounted for 95% of jobs added in January”
Ambulatory care: +50,000 jobs
Hospitals: +18,000 jobs
Nursing/residential care: +13,000 jobs

Monster 2025 Healthcare Report:

RN remains #1 in hiring volume
Advanced practice (NP, CRNA, CNM): 35% growth projected 2024-2034
Median RN wage: $93,600
Advanced practice median: $132,050

Emerging high-demand roles:

Nurse Informaticists: 52% demand increase
Care Coordinators: 50% demand increase
Telehealth RNs: 47% demand increase

Why Protected (For Now):

Physical presence legally required (HIPAA, licensing, liability)
Human touch + clinical judgment irreplaceable
Aging demographics = structural demand growth (not cyclical like construction)
Protected by regulation + malpractice liability
AI assists but can’t replace hands-on care

When Change Comes:

Administrative parts automate first (scheduling, billing, documentation already happening). Direct patient care shifts to higher acuity work – sicker patients, more complex cases, shorter interactions.

Pivot Paths:

Clinical + Tech Hybrid: Telehealth coordination, remote patient monitoring specialist ($75K-$95K)
Healthcare Informatics: Bridge clinical knowledge + data systems ($85K-$110K)
Medical Device Training: Train others on new AI-augmented tools ($70K-$90K)
Patient Advocacy/Navigation: Help patients navigate increasingly complex AI-driven systems ($60K-$85K)
Specialized Care: Geriatrics, palliative care (human touch irreplaceable) ($80K-$120K)

Why This Pivots Well:

Healthcare credentials transfer across settings. Clinical judgment remains valuable even as tools change. Aging demographics = structural demand that isn’t going away. You’re not betting on one technology stack – you’re betting on humans continuing to get sick and need care.

Honest Warning:

Administrative healthcare roles (medical secretaries, billing specialists, basic coordinators) are automating now. The protection is in direct patient care – hands-on work that requires physical presence and clinical judgment.

Entry Paths:

Medical Assistant: Certification in months, $38K-$48K entry
LPN: 12-18 months, immediate employment, $48K-$58K
RN (ADN): 2 years, $65K-$95K starting
Physical Therapy Assistant: 2 years, $75K+ starting

#2. Skilled Trades with Clean Energy (Electricians, HVAC, Solar)

Score: 85/100 | Viability: 7-10 years ⚠️

February 2026 Data:

BLS Projections:

Electricians: 9% growth through 2034, 81,000 openings/year
HVAC: 8% growth through 2034, 40,100 openings/year
Industrial maintenance: 13% growth (fastest of mechanical trades)

Industry Staffing Report (Feb 2026):

Construction needs 500,000 additional workers in 2026
Manufacturing added 5,000 jobs in January
Skilled trades turnover exceeding 70%
40% of construction workforce retiring by 2031

Wages:

Electricians: $80K-$90K median, top 10% earn $110K-$160K
HVAC: $85K-$95K median, top earners $120K-$200K
Apprenticeships: $18.50-$26/hour while learning (paid training, no student debt)

Why Protected (For Now):

Physical work in unstructured environments (every job site different)
Problem-solving required (can’t be templated or automated easily)
Safety-critical work (liability requires human oversight)
Union protections in many markets
Clean energy expansion legislated (policy support creates structural demand)

When Change Comes:

Diagnostic AI gets smarter. Robotics advancing faster than expected – bricklaying robots (3,000 bricks/day vs 500 for humans), 3D-printed structures, automated framing already deployed. Humanoid robots (Figure, Tesla Bot, Boston Dynamics) reaching human-level dexterity.

The timeline compression: What took 5 years between robotics generations now takes 18 months.

Pivot Paths:

Renewable Energy Specialist: Wind turbine tech, solar installation – BEST BET ($55K-$85K, structural policy-driven demand)
EV Charging Infrastructure: Growing market, electrical skills transfer directly ($60K-$90K)
Building Automation Specialist: Smart building systems, IoT integration ($70K-$95K, but watch for automation)
Industrial Maintenance: Complex equipment repair in manufacturing ($65K-$95K, problem-solving focus)
Emergency/Service Calls: Unpredictable problems, customer-facing ($55K-$85K, harder to template)
Energy Management Systems: Optimize building/facility energy use ($75K-$105K)

Why This Pivots Well:

Core skills (electrical, mechanical systems, HVAC) apply across multiple industries. Physical work + problem-solving in variable environments = harder to automate than office work. Multiple exit strategies (renewable energy, industrial, building automation, EV infrastructure).

Honest Warning:

Construction robotics accelerating – routine work (framing, bricklaying) being automated
Humanoid robots closing dexterity gap – what seemed impossible 5 years ago is happening now
Your timeline: 7-10 years, NOT 10+ as previously estimated
After that: Only most complex/unpredictable work remains human
Data center jobs = myth – billions in investment ≠ meaningful employment (Meta: $50B = 500 jobs by 2034)

Strategy:

Learn the trade NOW (4-year apprenticeship = 2030 completion, right before compression hits hard)
Focus on service/repair over new construction (more variable, harder to automate)
Specialize in renewable energy (policy mandates = structural demand)
Avoid routine repetitive work (that’s what robots do best)

Entry Paths:

Electrician apprenticeships: IBEW, IEC, ABC (apply in Feb, May, Oct enrollment periods)
HVAC programs: Community colleges, 6-18 months
Solar certifications: NABCEP, add to electrical skills

#3. Edge Computing / Local AI Infrastructure

Score: 81/100 | Viability: 5-7 years ⚠️

February 2026 Signals:

Technology trend validated:

Dell: “75% of enterprise data now processed outside traditional data centers”
Edge computing growing 30-35% annually
Hybrid cloud-edge becoming standard architecture
Smart cities, autonomous vehicles, manufacturing driving demand

Salaries confirmed:

Edge Computing Engineers: $95K-$170K mid-level, $180K-$220K senior
AI Engineers (edge-focused): $180K median

The Concept:

Edge AI = distributed AI processing – running intelligence locally (devices, factories, vehicles) rather than sending everything to centralized cloud data centers.

Recent Signal: Rivian announced in-house AI chip (4x Nvidia performance). Following Tesla and Apple’s vertical integration strategy – bringing AI compute to the edge (vehicles, devices) rather than relying on centralized cloud.

Why This Opportunity Exists:

Technical Drivers:

Low-latency requirements: Autonomous vehicles, healthcare, manufacturing can’t wait for cloud
5G deployment enabling edge infrastructure
AI at the edge: Processing data locally vs. sending to distant data centers
Data sovereignty: Regulations requiring local processing (EU, China, others)

Counter to Hyperscale:

Automotive (Rivian, Tesla, Apple) building in-house edge AI
Industrial IoT needs local processing
Smart cities require distributed compute
Healthcare edge devices (remote monitoring, diagnostic tools)

The Acceleration Problem:

AI model generations: Every 6-12 months. Edge computing architecture could fundamentally change 5-10 times before 2030. What you learn in 2026 may be obsolete by 2028.

When Change Comes:

Either:

Hyperscale wins → Edge consolidates into AWS/Azure/Google services
Edge wins → Hyperscale shrinks (your bet pays off)
Hybrid persists but platforms consolidate (most likely) → AWS IoT Edge, Azure IoT Edge absorb independents

Pivot Paths:

Automotive AI Systems: Vehicle-based compute (Rivian/Tesla model) – BEST BET ($110K-$180K, structural need)
5G Infrastructure Specialist: Telecom engineering ($95K-$150K, structural deployment)
IoT Solutions Architect: Industrial IoT, smart cities ($105K-$165K, if distributed model wins)
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer: If centralization wins, skills transfer ($100K-$160K)
Platform Engineering: Kubernetes, distributed systems ($115K-$175K, transfers across architectures)
DevOps/SRE: Operating distributed systems ($110K-$170K, architecture-agnostic)

Why This Pivots Well:

Distributed systems knowledge valuable regardless of who wins. Automotive/IoT need engineers EITHER WAY (edge vs. cloud question doesn’t eliminate need). Multiple competing models = opportunity in transition. Skills transfer better than platform-specific knowledge.

Honest Warning:

Specialized niche, not mass employment (no job volume data like healthcare’s 82,000/month)
Technology stack changes faster than you can retrain
Platform consolidation likely (AWS/Azure/Google absorbing independent edge providers)
Your timeline: 5-7 years MAX before major consolidation
Entry-level positions may saturate quickly as bootcamps flood market
Still hybrid with hyperscale (edge handles inference, hyperscale handles training)

Strategy:

Specialize in automotive edge AI (Rivian signal = real trend, structural demand)
Focus on distributed systems fundamentals (transfers better than specific platforms)
Stay platform-agnostic (don’t lock into one vendor’s tools)
Plan your exit by 2030 (before consolidation complete)

Entry Paths:

Distributed systems fundamentals: Cloud platforms (AWS IoT, Azure IoT Edge)
Container technologies: Docker, Kubernetes certifications
IoT protocols: MQTT, CoAP practical experience
Programming: Python, Go, Rust for system-level work

#4. AI/Cybersecurity Specialists – REVISED

Score: 76/100 | Viability: 5-7 years ⚠️⚠️

CRITICAL REVISION THIS WEEK:

February 2026 industry warnings:

“Traditional on-premise SOC analyst is becoming obsolete”
“If you build a career only around manual, repetitive tasks, you’re stepping into a race against machines”
Cloud SOC migration happening NOW – must know cloud-native tools

Strong demand confirmed:

BLS: 29% growth through 2034, 16,000 openings/year
514,000+ open positions in US
0% unemployment (hit multiple times past 5 years)
Median salary: $124,910

BUT – Entry path has changed:

What’s automating NOW:

❌ Entry-level SOC analyst (alert triage, log monitoring)
❌ Manual vulnerability scanning
❌ Routine compliance checks

What’s growing:

✅ IAM Analyst – Identity and Access Management, called “secret gem entry role,” less crowded than SOC ($75K-$90K)
✅ Cloud Security – AWS, Azure, Google Cloud (essential, not optional) ($108K average)
✅ Governance/Compliance – regulatory moat protects these roles ($85K-$130K)
✅ AI Security – emerging specialty, securing AI systems ($95K-$145K)

Why Demand Exists:

AI creates NEW attack vectors:

Model poisoning/theft
Prompt injection attacks
Data poisoning in training
Adversarial attacks on AI systems
Every new AI deployment = new security surface

When Change Comes (Already Starting):

ServiceNow + OpenAI partnership (announced Dec 2025) already targeting IT support. Cybersecurity is adjacent. SOC analyst work partially automated NOW, not “someday.”

Entry-level SOC analyst jobs shrinking NOW. The protection is moving up the stack to governance/architecture/strategic roles.

Pivot Paths:

AI Security Specialist: Secure AI systems, prevent model theft/poisoning – BEST BET ($95K-$145K, growing field)
Compliance/Governance: Regulatory oversight (EU AI Act, sector-specific rules) ($85K-$130K, regulatory moat)
Security Architecture: Design secure systems (higher-level strategic work) ($110K-$165K)
Policy Consulting: Navigate regulation for enterprises ($95K-$150K, judgment-heavy)
Incident Response Leadership: Crisis management, coordination ($100K-$155K, can’t template)
Privacy Engineering: GDPR/CCPA compliance ($90K-$140K, regulatory requirement)

Why This Pivots Well:

Security expertise applies across industries. Compliance/governance harder to automate than technical monitoring. Regulation driving demand for human oversight. Can shift from technical → managerial → policy as automation advances.

Honest Warning:

SOC analyst jobs shrinking NOW (entry-level positions vanishing)
AI handling 60%+ of security operations work already
Your timeline: 5-7 years before senior roles feel pressure
Must shift from technical → governance/strategic FAST
ServiceNow/OpenAI targeting IT operations = warning signal for adjacent security roles

Strategy – REVISED:

❌ Don’t enter as SOC analyst (that’s the automated role – don’t start there)
✅ Start with IAM Analyst (less crowded, better entry point in 2026)
✅ Go straight for governance/architecture if you can (skip the soon-automated tier)
✅ Specialize in AI security (new field, growing need)
✅ Build compliance expertise (regulatory moat provides protection)
✅ Plan transition to management/strategy by 2028 (before technical roles compress further)

Entry Paths – UPDATED:

IAM focus: Okta, Azure AD, AWS IAM certifications (better entry than SOC in 2026)
Cloud security: AWS Security, Azure Security certifications (essential, not optional)
AI governance: Emerging field, no standard certification yet (build expertise through projects)
Compliance first: CompTIA Security+, then straight to governance frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001)

NOT MAKING TOP 4 THIS WEEK

Construction Technology/BIM Specialists:

Dropped entirely. See section above for full explanation. Construction employment fell 11,000 in December despite infrastructure spending boom. Automation + modular construction replacing labor. CHIPS Act megaprojects completing, not starting. Infrastructure boom peaks 2026-2028, then declines.

If you’re already in this field, prioritize exit to Digital Twin/Facilities Management, Smart City Infrastructure, or PropTech by 2027-2028.

WHAT THIS WEEK’S DATA TELLS YOU

Healthcare dominates: 82,000 jobs in January = 63% of all US employment. While other sectors contract, healthcare grows. Structural demand (aging population) vs. cyclical patterns (construction, tech).

Infrastructure spending ≠ jobs: Construction market $1.27 trillion, but employment fell 11,000 in December. Spending going to automation and modular construction, not workers.

Entry paths closing: Entry-level SOC analyst, basic construction labor, data entry, customer support all automating. Protection moving up the skill stack to governance, architecture, strategic work.

Educational pipelines flooding: 1 million students targeted by 2027 for AI jobs with 2-5 year windows. Wage suppression from oversupply + debt trap for students.

Fed denial continues: Officials say “AI not displacing workers” while WARN notices show 852 job losses/day explicitly for “AI and automation.”

The pattern: Technology evolves every 6-12 months. Training takes 12-36 months. You cannot retrain faster than technology changes. Adaptation is the only strategy.

BOTTOM LINE

The jobs data doesn’t lie:

Continuing claims: 1,869,000 (people staying unemployed longer)
Healthcare: 82,000 jobs/month (63% of total US employment)
Construction: FELL 11,000 despite infrastructure boom
WARN notices: 852 job losses/day (up 51% from 2025)

The education trap expands:

Every major AI company training 1 million students for jobs with 2-5 year windows. By graduation, technology evolved 4-8 times. Debt for obsolete skills.

The Top 4 we’re providing:

Down from 5. Because that’s what honest assessment supports. These positions offer:

Current demand (verified employment data, not just spending projections)
Better runway (5-10 years vs. immediate automation)
Pivot options (transferable skills, adjacent roles)
Resistance factors (physical presence, human judgment, regulatory protection, or distributed systems knowledge)

What these positions are NOT:

Lifetime careers
Automation-proof
Guaranteed for 30 years

What these positions ARE:

Transition opportunities to build savings and skills
Better options than positions already automating (retail, customer service, data entry, basic IT, entry-level SOC, construction labor)
Platforms for adaptation when the next wave hits

Your responsibility:

Don’t coast – even in these roles, stay current, build adjacent skills
Watch signals – WARN notices, industry announcements, automation patterns
Build runway – Emergency fund because timing your exit matters
Plan pivots NOW – Don’t wait until layoff announcement

Check WARN Notices: WARNTracker.com provides 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs. If your company filed, you have 60 days to act. If they haven’t, start positioning anyway.

The “stable 30-year career” is dead. The question isn’t whether change is coming – it’s whether you’ll be ready when it does.

Use these four positions to build savings, develop adjacent skills, and plan your next move. Adaptation is the only strategy.

SOURCES:

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Initial/Continuing Jobless Claims (Feb 19, 2026)
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Situation January 2026
Nurse.org: Healthcare Jobs January 2026 Analysis
Washington Post: Healthcare Employment Analysis (Feb 14, 2026)
Monster 2025 Healthcare Market Report
WARNTracker.com: Layoff data compilation (Feb 2026)
Construction Executive: Construction Futures January 2026
Globe Newswire: US Construction Industry Report 2026
Dell Technologies: Edge AI Predictions for 2026
Motion Recruitment: 2026 Cybersecurity Careers Report
IronCircle: Cybersecurity Career Paths 2026
Inside Higher Ed: AI Educational Partnerships 2026
TechCrunch: OpenAI India Education Expansion
Financial Times: Amazon AI Bot Incident (Feb 20, 2026)
Federal Reserve: Vice Chair Logan Remarks (Feb 20, 2026)

Under the Radar publishes every Friday at 5pm ET. Career intelligence for workers navigating AI transformation.

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