The Recruitment Show with Lewis Maleh

AI-driven layoffs are accelerating in 2026. Some companies may have cut too deep.

At the same time:
- Graduate unemployment is rising
- Apprenticeships are increasing
- Work-from-home policies are tightening

The job market rules are shifting.

In this episode of Espresso, I break down:
- Whether AI layoffs are strategic — or premature
- Why some firms may need to rehire roles they automated
- What rising graduate unemployment means in the US and UK
- The return of apprenticeships and skilled trades
- Where the work-from-home debate is actually heading

I run a global executive search firm and speak to hiring leaders weekly. This is my front-line view of what’s changing in 2026.

If you're early in your career, leading teams, or navigating restructuring, this episode is relevant.

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👨🏻‍💼 Connect with Lewis Maleh
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmaleh

🌍 About Bentley Lewis
https://bentleylewis.com

➡️ Follow Us
🔗 All socials: https://linktr.ee/BentleyLewis

The 2026 job market just accelerated — fast. Over 600,000 jobs have been cut in the last 30 days alone.

From UPS cutting 30,000 roles, to Home Depot enforcing a five-day return to office while reducing headcount, to the UK Treasury offering six-figure exit packages, this is no longer just a tech story. Layoffs are spreading across logistics, retail, finance, and the public sector.

In this episode of Espresso, I break down what’s really happening beneath the headlines — and whether this is a recession, a correction, or a structural reinvention of corporate work in 2026.

If you work in a corporate, professional, or knowledge-based role, this episode matters.
Why 600,000 jobs disappeared in just 30 days

How Return-to-Office mandates are quietly being used as a layoff tool

Why UPS is cutting volume to protect margins — and what automation means for back-office roles

What the UK Treasury’s £100,000 buyouts signal about public-sector efficiency

What you can do now to protect and future-proof your career

This isn’t about panic — it’s about pattern recognition.
The hiring market is changing fast, leverage is shifting back to employers, and adaptability matters more than ever.

The takeaway:Don’t wait for a layoff. Audit your role, strengthen your human skills, use AI tools intensely, and take control of what you can control in 2026.

🔗 Sources referenced:
Business Insider – Home Depot layoffs & RTO mandate

Financial Times – UK Treasury exit packages

UPS corporate restructuring announcements

👨🏻‍💼 Connect with Lewis Maleh
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmaleh
🌍 About Bentley Lewis
https://bentleylewis.com/
➡️ Follow Us
🔗 All socials: https://linktr.ee/BentleyLewis

This week at Davos, the warning was clear: the AI tsunami is no longer coming — it’s here.

The IMF says 60% of jobs are now exposed to AI disruption. Amazon has just cut 16,000 corporate roles to “flatten” its organisation. And OpenAI CEO Sam Altman argues we’re not losing jobs — we’re moving to a higher level of abstraction.

In this episode, I break down the three biggest signals from this week that show the Great Flattening of work has begun — and what it actually means for your career in 2026.

Why the IMF is calling AI a “tsunami” for the global workforce

What Amazon’s latest layoffs reveal about the end of the manager layer

How Sam Altman’s vision of agent-driven work changes what skills matter

Practical ways to future-proof your career in the Agentic Age

Story 1: The Davos Reality Check – why 60% of jobs are in the blast zone
Story 2: Amazon’s “Project Dawn” – flattening bureaucracy at scale
Story 3: Sam Altman’s roadmap – from doing work to directing agents

The takeaway: How to stay relevant — and employed — as work is rewritten.

🔗 Sources mentioned:
WEF – Jobs of Tomorrow Report 2026

Amazon Layoff Memo (Jan 28, 2026)

Sam Altman – Davos Keynote

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👨🏻‍💼 Connect with Lewis Maleh
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmaleh

📌 About Bentley Lewis
🌍 https://bentleylewis.com/

➡️ Follow Us
🔗 All socials: https://linktr.ee/BentleyLewis

📧 Collaborations & Questions

Everyone talks about the private jets and parties at Davos — but the real story is in the data.

I went through the key reports released at the World Economic Forum so you don’t have to, and what’s emerging is a very different picture of the job market in 2026.

This isn’t about hype anymore.

It’s about flattened management, AI-driven job shifts, and a growing trust crisis inside organisations.

In this video, I break down four major signals from Davos 2026 that will directly impact your career, your team, and how companies operate over the next few years.

If you’re navigating your career, leading a team, or trying to understand where work is actually heading — this is essential context.
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Resources Mentioned:
WEF / LinkedIn Future of Work Report 2026: ttps://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/ai-has-already-added-1-3-million-new-jobs-according-to-linkedin-data/

Edelman Trust Barometer 2026:
https://www.edelman.com/trust/2026/trust-barometer:

Mercer Global Talent Trends:
https://www.businessinsider.com/middle-managers-have-more-direct-reports-after-great-flattening-2026-1
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👨🏻‍💼 Connect with Lewis Maleh
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmaleh

📌 About Bentley Lewis
🌍 https://bentleylewis.com/

➡️ Follow Us
🔗 All socials: https://linktr.ee/BentleyLewis
📧 Collaborations & Questions

Only 24% of global workers feel confident about their career future, and AI is widening that gap faster than ever.
This episode breaks down the real strategies that separate those left behind from those moving ahead: how to stay relevant as AI reshapes hiring, why visibility now outpaces performance, how to network authentically, what recruiters truly seek in 2026 and beyond, and why being better isn’t always enough to be chosen.
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👨🏻‍💼 Connect with Lewis Maleh
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmaleh

📌 About Bentley Lewis
🌍 https://bentleylewis.com/

➡️ Follow Us
🔗 All socials: https://linktr.ee/BentleyLewis

📧 Collaborations & Questions