#news

Title: Edward Jones begins layoffs, including at its headquarters
Link: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/aug/26/edward-jones-begins-layoffs-including-at-its-headq/
Source: The Spokesman-Review
Date: 2025-08-26
Time UTC: 18:53
Domain: www.spokesman.com

Summary: Edward Jones employees began receiving layoff notices on Monday as the company moves forward with a workforce reduction first announced in..."

Title: Edward Jones plans layoffs amid restructuring efforts
Link: https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/edward-jones-plans-layoffs-amid-restructuring-efforts/
Source: FOX 2
Date: 2025-08-19
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: fox2now.com

Summary: Edward Jones plans layoffs amid restructuring efforts ... ST. LOUIS – Edward Jones, the financial services firm headquartered in St. Louis County,..."

Title: Edward Jones layoffs about to hit employees, home office staff.
Link: https://www.investmentnews.com/wirehouses/edward-jones-layoffs-about-to-hit-employees-home-office-staff/261746
Source: InvestmentNews
Date: 2025-08-19
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: www.investmentnews.com

Summary: Edward Jones layoffs about to hit employees, home office staff ... It is not clear how many employees will be affected, but none of the private..."

Title: Edward Jones begins layoffs, including at its Des Peres headquarters
Link: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/business/article_66d99722-68e4-41b7-9b55-0cb0b864fe51.html
Source: STLtoday.com
Date: 2025-08-25
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: www.stltoday.com

Summary: The layoffs were announced in March but are taking place this week."

Title: Edward Jones planning layoffs before the end of August
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/edward-jones-planning-layoffs-before-the-end-of-august/ar-AA1KxJgY?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1
Source: MSN
Date: 2025-08-24
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: www.msn.com

Summary: Edward Jones will reduce the size of its home office that employs more than 9,000 people by the end of this month, but it's unclear how many will lose their..."

Title: Edward Jones Plans Home Office Layoffs This Month
Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2025/08/18/edward-jones-plans-home-office-layoffs-this-month/
Source: ThinkAdvisor
Date: 2025-08-19
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: www.thinkadvisor.com

Summary: Edward Jones Plans Home Office Layoffs This Month ... Edward Jones has issued an internal memo indicating it will unveil cuts to home office staff..."

Title: Edward Jones layoffs to hit before end of month
Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/08/14/layoffs-loooming-at-edward-jones-before-month-ends.html
Source: The Business Journals
Date: 2025-08-12
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: www.bizjournals.com

Summary: Story Highlights · Edward Jones will reduce home office staff by Aug. 26. · Layoff numbers and locations remain undisclosed by the company."

Title: Edward Jones confirms plans to carry out layoffs in its ‘home office’ – here's why - Hindustan Times
Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/edward-jones-confirms-plans-to-carry-out-layoffs-in-its-home-office-heres-why-101755419506334.html
Source: Hindustan Times
Date: 2025-08-19
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: www.hindustantimes.com

Summary: Louis County, has planned to carry out layoffs as part of a companywide restructuring effort. The company says on its website that it has “..."

Title: Edward Jones layoffs set to begin by end of the month
Link: https://citywire.com/pro-buyer/news/edward-jones-layoffs-set-to-begin-by-end-of-the-month/a2472224
Source: Citywire
Date: 2025-08-19
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: citywire.com

Summary: In March, Edward Jones announced it had started what the firm says will be a 'multi-year initiative' to restructure the business, which will..."

Title: Edward Jones’ “Enterprise Reimagined” Puts 9,000 Support Jobs at Risk
Link: https://stlawyers.ca/blog-news/edward-jones-reorganization-job-cuts-2025/
Source: Samfiru Tumarkin LLP
Date: 2025-08-20
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: stlawyers.ca

Summary: Edward Jones is moving ahead with a significant internal overhaul — and thousands of employees who support its 20,000 financial advisors..."

Title: Edward Jones to layoff local employees during restructuring
Link: https://www.firstalert4.com/2025/03/12/edward-jones-layoff-local-employees-during-restructuring/
Source: First Alert 4
Date: 2025-03-12
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.firstalert4.com

Summary: Edward Jones is restructuring, which will include laying off employees. Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Edward Jones sent First Alert 4 the below..."

Title: Edward Jones Laying Off Home Office Workers Amid Restructuring
Link: https://www.wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/edward-jones-laying-off-home-office-workers-amid-restructuring
Source: WealthManagement.com
Date: 2025-03-13
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.wealthmanagement.com

Summary: Edward Jones, one of the country's largest brokers/dealers, has started a multi-year restructuring of its home office team in St. Louis, which will lead to..."

Title: Edward Jones will cut 'home office structure' in multi-year move
Link: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/business-journal/edward-jones-will-cut-home-office-structure-multi-year-move/63-f1e93bac-4182-40d7-b42b-ba47204c5326
Source: KSDK
Date: 2025-03-12
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.ksdk.com

Summary: Edward Jones said Wednesday that it plans to reduce the size of its home office, but didn't provide details on whether that would trigger..."

Title: Edward Jones to layoff local employees during restructuring
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/edward-jones-to-layoff-local-employees-during-restructuring/ar-AA1ANz9q?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1
Source: MSN
Date: 2025-08-19
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: www.msn.com

Summary: ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4)—Edward Jones is restructuring, which will include laying off employees. Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Edward Jones..."

Title: Layoffs looming in wild 2025?
Link: https://www.investmentnews.com/ria-news/layoffs-looming-in-wild-2025/260152
Source: InvestmentNews
Date: 2025-04-16
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.investmentnews.com

Summary: Wealth management job cuts at Edward Jones and Morgan Stanley are linked to a sinking stock market, tariff battles and the unknown, say industry executives."

Title: 2024 income and assets up as layoffs loom at Edward Jones - Bizwomen
Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2025/03/2024-income-and-assets-up-as-layoffs-loom-at-jones.html
Source: The Business Journals
Date: 2025-03-19
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.bizjournals.com

Summary: The parent company of Edward Jones reported income before allocation to partners of $1.9 billion last year, a 23% increase over 2023. The result..."

Title: Why Edward Jones Is Shrinking Its Home Office
Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2025/03/13/why-edward-jones-is-shrinking-its-home-office/
Source: ThinkAdvisor
Date: 2025-03-13
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.thinkadvisor.com

Summary: While there's no headcount reduction target, reduced “overlap and bureaucracy” is expected, Managing Partner Penny Pennington tells..."

Title: Edward Jones Layoffs in Canada: August 2025 Update + Severance Rights
Link: https://stlawyers.ca/blog-news/edward-jones-severance-packages/
Source: Samfiru Tumarkin LLP
Date: 2025-08-20
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: stlawyers.ca

Summary: Severance Pay After an Edward Jones Layoff. If you're a non-unionized employee and Edward Jones ends your job — whether they call it a layoff,..."

Title: Edward Jones chief's compensation hits $29M as income increases, layoffs loom
Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/03/18/2024-income-and-assets-up-as-layoffs-loom-at-jones.html
Source: The Business Journals
Date: 2025-03-18
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.bizjournals.com

Summary: Edward Jones chief's compensation hits $29M as income increases, layoffs loom ... The parent company of Edward Jones reported income before..."

Title: Letter: Planned layoffs at Edward Jones betray its own company culture
Link: https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/letters/article_5de9fe5a-2115-4159-aea8-8f3597bb83d8.html
Source: STLtoday.com
Date: 2025-04-09
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.stltoday.com

Summary: Letter: Planned layoffs at Edward Jones betray its own company culture ... Financial giant Edward Jones announced that it will lay off potentially..."

Title: More layoffs to come at Cetera?
Link: https://www.investmentnews.com/ria-news/more-layoffs-to-come-at-cetera/260247
Source: InvestmentNews
Date: 2025-04-23
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.investmentnews.com

Summary: After cutting an unknown number of employees earlier this year, Cetera Financial Group, the broker-dealer and registered investment advisor..."

Title: 2024 income and assets up as layoffs loom at Edward Jones - Bizwomen
Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2025/03/2024-income-and-assets-up-as-layoffs-loom-at-jones.html?page=all
Source: The Business Journals
Date: 2025-03-19
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.bizjournals.com

Summary: The parent company of Edward Jones reported income before allocation to partners of $1.9 billion last year, a 23% increase over 2023."

Title: Layoffs coming to Edward Jones in St. Louis
Link: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/business/article_9edd5e4a-ff7b-11ef-a1c3-4f43fbdc4ddd.html
Source: STLtoday.com
Date: 2025-03-13
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.stltoday.com

Summary: Behind the layoffs: Edward Jones looking to invest in new tech, analysts say. Edward Jones is looking to catch up with its competitors by..."

Title: Edward Jones confirms layoffs will hit St. Louis-area home office
Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/03/13/edward-jones-says-layoffs-will-hit-st-louis-area.html
Source: The Business Journals
Date: 2025-03-13
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.bizjournals.com

Summary: Edward Jones confirms layoffs will hit St. Louis-area home office ... Edward Jones will lay off some administrators of its home office team in the..."

Title: Penny Pennington leads Edward Jones at time of rapid change - Bizwomen
Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2025/04/penny-pennington-leads-edward-jones-change.html
Source: The Business Journals
Date: 2025-04-16
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.bizjournals.com

Summary: Edward Jones is “evolving at a very rapid pace” to meet the needs of its clients as demand increases for a one-stop shop for financial services and planning."

Title: Behind the layoffs: Edward Jones looking to invest in new tech, analysts say
Link: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/business/article_edc0d724-004a-11f0-a8cb-f3ebb5f87f82.html
Source: STLtoday.com
Date: 2025-03-16
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.stltoday.com

Summary: Layoffs coming to Edward Jones in St. Louis. Company spokesperson Catherine Stengel said these cuts will \"strengthen our collaborative, client-..."

Title: Edward Jones will cut 'home office structure' in multi-year move
Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/03/12/edward-jones-will-change-home-office-structure.html
Source: The Business Journals
Date: 2025-03-12
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.bizjournals.com

Summary: Edward Jones said Wednesday that it plans to reduce the size of its home office, but didn't provide details on whether that would trigger layoffs."

Title: Edward Jones shuffles leadership, expands into alternative investments
Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/05/02/edward-jones-shuffles-leadership-alternative.html
Source: The Business Journals
Date: 2025-05-02
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.bizjournals.com

Summary: Des Peres-based Edward Jones has shuffled its leadership team, citing its “multi-year journey to serve clients and branch teams more..."

Title: IRS layoffs in Kansas City leave workers scrambling for financial security
Link: https://www.kmbc.com/article/irs-layoffs-kansas-city-workers-scrambling-financial-security/63922376
Source: KMBC
Date: 2025-02-25
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.kmbc.com

Summary: The IRS layoffs of more than 100 workers in the metro area were part of President Donald Trump's recent executive order to trim the federal..."

Title: Edward Jones aims to quadruple SMA offerings
Link: https://citywire.com/pro-buyer/news/edward-jones-aims-to-quadruple-sma-offerings/a2451409
Source: Citywire
Date: 2024-10-03
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: citywire.com

Summary: Edward Jones is hoping to expand its SMA lineup from 70 to 300 by the end of 2025 as it aims to give its advisors more discretion over which funds they can..."

Title: Edward Jones Makes Leadership Changes in Financial Planning Push
Link: https://www.wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/edward-jones-shuffles-leadership-amid-push-toward-financial-planning
Source: WealthManagement.com
Date: 2025-04-25
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.wealthmanagement.com

Summary: David Chubak to become wealth and field management head as Edward Jones continues to bolster its financial planning capabilities."

Title: Penny Pennington of investment advice firm Edward Jones: ‘We’re a wealth and wellbeing company’
Link: https://fortune.com/2025/07/18/penny-pennington-edward-jones-health-and-wellbeing/
Source: Fortune
Date: 2025-07-26
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: fortune.com

Summary: Edward Jones Managing Partner Penny Pennington recently at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Her concern was, “how do we help future generations build wealth in this..."

Title: Asset managers paid Edward Jones $315m in revenue-sharing fees in 2024
Link: https://citywire.com/pro-buyer/news/asset-managers-paid-edward-jones-315m-in-revenue-sharing-fees-in-2024/a2460665
Source: Citywire
Date: 2025-02-27
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: citywire.com

Summary: American Funds was once again Edward Jones' biggest payer in revenue-sharing fees, according to an updated disclosure from the..."

Title: Edward Jones Hit With Reverse Discrimination Suit Over DEI Policies
Link: https://www.advisorhub.com/edward-jones-hit-with-reverse-discrimination-suit-over-dei-policies/
Source: AdvisorHub
Date: 2025-03-11
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.advisorhub.com

Summary: An ex-Edward Jones broker filed Monday a proposed discrimination class action against his former employer claiming it engages in “explicit, intentional,..."

Title: Edward Jones Hikes CEO Pennington’s Pay Almost 16% to $29 Million
Link: https://www.advisorhub.com/edward-jones-hikes-ceo-penningtons-pay-almost-16-to-29-million/
Source: AdvisorHub
Date: 2025-03-17
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.advisorhub.com

Summary: Edward Jones & Co. Chief Executive Penny Pennington's pay climbed by more than 15% for the second year in a row in 2024."

Title: America's fallen tech giant Intel is facing a crossroads
Link: https://www.businessinsider.com/intel-qualcomm-takeover-bid-layoffs-foundry-spin-off-2024-9
Source: Business Insider
Date: 2024-09-20
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.businessinsider.com

Summary: Qualcomm approached Intel about a takeover deal, the WSJ reported. Meanwhile, Intel is planning a separate foundry subsidiary and staff..."

Title: Chevron staffers absorb long-awaited layoffs as CEO pledges accountability
Link: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chevron-staffers-absorb-long-awaited-layoffs-ceo-pledges-accountability-2025-02-18/
Source: Reuters
Date: 2025-02-19
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.reuters.com

Summary: During an internal town hall meeting last week, roughly 40000 Chevron employees were shown a video touting the oil giant's success in..."

Title: Edward Jones reshuffles leadership, expands into alternative investments for high-net-worth clients
Link: https://www.mixvale.com.br/2025/05/05/edward-jones-reshuffles-leadership-expands-into-alternative-investments-for-high-net-worth-clients/
Source: Mix Vale
Date: 2025-05-05
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.mixvale.com.br

Summary: Edward Jones, one of the largest investment brokerages in the United States, is undergoing a strategic overhaul that signals a pivotal..."

Title: Boeing supplier starts St. Louis layoffs, but union leader doubts facility will close next year
Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2023/08/25/boeing-parts-supplier-lays-off-workers-plant-2024.html
Source: The Business Journals
Date: 2023-08-25
Time UTC: 00:00
Domain: www.bizjournals.com

Summary: GKN Aerospace St. Louis, which plans to shut down its Hazelwood plant in late 2024, on Friday laid off at least 35 employees who make fighter jet parts for The..."

Title: Edward Jones Set to Streamline Operations with Major Home Office Layoffs
Link: https://opentools.ai/news/edward-jones-set-to-streamline-operations-with-major-home-office-layoffs
Source: OpenTools
Date: 2025-08-19
Time UTC: 21:53
Domain: opentools.ai
Summary: Edward Jones, a financial services giant, has announced plans to lay off employees at its home office in St. Louis County."

Day 2 of the Reimagining. Share any stories or updates regarding your day.

Shocked and saddened to hear of demotions and pay reductions while ELT continues to rake in record profits for "Needs Improvement" results. Shame.

ISPs, Demotions still happening today?

Hello, I'm a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch covering the layoffs. I can be reached at jsuntrup@post-dispatch.com and can also speak over the phone at 314 825 0735. Thanks,
Jack Suntrup

"Ford’s dividends might sound like a matter only of concern for the company’s shareholders, but U.S. taxpayers should care. Over the years, Ford has mooched some $8 billion from federal and state public troughs. And just before leaving office, former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in late December finalized a controversial $9.63 billion below-market loan to cover most of Ford’s $11.4 billion EV projects in Tennessee and Kentucky.

Ford uses what it calls “adjusted free cash flow” to justify these rich payouts. Weil prefers to call it “cash flow before bad stuff.” The technical Wall Street term for Ford’s financial window dressing: putting lipstick on a pig.

And what have taxpayers gotten so far? Broken promises. Ford’s Super Duty EV plant in Tennessee, once scheduled to open this year, is now pushed back to 2028. Its Tennessee battery plant, originally planned for 2025, won’t open until 2027. One of two promised Kentucky battery plants has been delayed indefinitely.

The only major firm commitment Ford has delivered on is its dividend.

At the very top sits William Clay Ford Jr. He controls nearly 19 million Class B shares, which at 2024’s dividend rate would have delivered around $11 million in cash — on top of the $20 million he collected as executive chairman, a role I’d guess mostly entails overseeing CEO Jim Farley and managing board proceedings. Farley himself hauled in $25 million last year and has pocketed more than $107 million since taking Ford’s corporate wheel five years ago.

Much of Farley’s compensation was stock, so if Ford’s shares decline, so does his personal fortune.

For Bill Ford’s distant cousins, there’s less, but still plenty: hundreds of thousands of dollars a year simply for being born into the family. That’s why the dividend is existential. It sustains Palm Beach lifestyles as much as it secures control of Dearborn. If the spigot slows, it could shake both fortunes and the family’s loyalty to the company.

Weil exposed just how far Ford is stretching. The company used the free cash flow – money left over after paying operating expenses – it generated in 2024 to justify its 2025 first-quarter dividend — the equivalent of using last year’s paycheck to prove you can pay this year’s mortgage after your boss cut your salary. Ford expects to generate less free cash flow this year, a shortfall it partly blamed on Trump’s tariffs."

https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/33555/starkman_today_s_ford_family_is_milking_the_company_not_saving_it

https://www.trains.com/pro/freight/intermodal/bnsf-and-csx-announce-new-joint-domestic-and-international-intermodal-service/

Proposed Changes To H-1B Visa Lottery System

The Trump administration plans to end or change the H-1B visa lottery, replacing random selection with a salary-based or weighted system. The Office of Management and Budget is reviewing the rule, which could take effect by March 2026 for the FY 2027 cap.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/07/21/new-trump-immigration-policy-ending-the-h-1b-visa-lottery/

A similar rule finalized in 2021 ranked applications by wage levels but was never implemented. That system would have excluded most Level 1 and many Level 2 workers, categories that include recent graduates and early-career professionals. The new rule’s title, “Weighted Selection Process,” suggests a lottery with higher chances for higher-paid applicants.

Critics argue this approach disadvantages international students and undervalues talent in lower-paid fields. More than 70% of U.S. graduate students in computer science and electrical engineering are international, and most are paid at Level 1 or Level 2. Employers in science, medicine and education could also be affected.

Opponents say the change conflicts with the Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires petitions to be considered in filing order. Business groups and universities warn the rule could weaken U.S. competitiveness by limiting young skilled workers. The broader issue remains the low annual H-1B cap, which covers only a small fraction of the labor force and leaves high demand unmet.

Numbers Rollup:

• 85,000 total H-1B cap (65,000 regular plus 20,000 advanced degree)
• 343,981 eligible registrations for FY 2026
• Nearly two-thirds of registrations rejected due to cap limits
• More than 70% of graduate students in computer science and electrical engineering are international
• 83% of computer science PhDs and 80% of electrical engineering PhDs in U.S. R&D are foreign-born
• Level 1 and Level 2 wages cover about 90% of recent international graduates

https://the-express.com/lifestyle/shopping/181195/target-fires-hundreds-employees-money-181195

As an activist hedge fund, Elliott Investment Management pushes for changes that often result in significant layoffs at the companies it invests in. While Elliott does not directly manage the day-to-day operations, its influence on corporate boards and demands for cost-cutting and restructuring have been closely linked to job cuts.
Examples of layoffs connected to Elliott Management
Southwest Airlines (2025): After Elliott acquired a major stake and secured board seats, the airline announced its first-ever company-wide layoffs. Critics believe this action was influenced by Elliott's push for profitability.
Salesforce (2023): Following Elliott's investment, Salesforce cut 10% of its workforce. Employees reportedly feared further layoffs due to Elliott's pressure for cost reductions and improved profitability.
AT&T (2019): After Elliott took a stake and demanded a strategic overhaul, AT&T cut tens of thousands of jobs and accelerated mass firings. This is viewed by critics as an example of Elliott's strategy prioritizing shareholder returns over employees.
Athenahealth (2018): After an Elliott subsidiary led a buyout, the company laid off employees, sold assets, and went private.
Juniper Networks (2015): Elliott's push for cost reductions at Juniper Networks reportedly led to job cuts at the tech company.
Why Elliott Management is linked to layoffs
Activist investor strategy: Elliott is known for "activist investing," where it buys a large stake in a company and then pushes for major changes to increase its stock value.
Focus on cost-cutting: Their playbook often involves demanding aggressive cost reductions, including slashing perceived "non-essential" departments to boost profits.
Control through board seats: The hedge fund often seeks control by gaining seats on a company's board, giving it direct influence over restructuring and personnel decisions.
Pressure for asset sales: Elliott sometimes advocates for selling off company assets to create cash for investors, which can destabilize operations and result in layoffs.

Arena BioWorks has laid off 30% of its workers 19 months after launching with $500 million and visions of bringing the Bell Labs model to biotech.

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/arena-bioworks-19-months-after-splashy-launch-lays-30-its-staff

It’s done baby. Remember TSMC is just a foundry, All design is USA baby!!!!

It appears numerous higher up’s have left. Will stores be impacted next?

So why doesn't Lexmark post anything on Layoff
Maybe it's all good

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/unemployment-rate-by-state-2025/

How much of this is Ford's fault?

There are a couple of new stories out of California today.

1. Phillips has settled a wage theft case for ~$12 million. This involves requiring employees to dress out early without being paid, deducting pay for lunches even when the lunches were interrupted or not even started at.
2. The LA Refinery is “sitting on a lake of oil” from leaks over the years. So who is going to buy this land for redevelopment knowing this? It looks like P66 could have been money ahead by spending the money to make it competitive and continuing to operate it. Now they’re going to be paying for many years to clean it up.

Ford has significantly improved product quality. Our 2025 initial quality is on track to become among our best ever, and Ford was the most awarded brand in the recent J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study, with four Ford vehicles topping their segments.
The increase in recalls reflects our intensive strategy to quickly find and fix hardware and software issues and go the extra mile to help protect customers. Ford has more than doubled its team of safety and technical experts in the past two years and significantly increased testing to failure on critical systems in current Ford vehicles such as powertrains, steering and braking. Insights from this testing are being incorporated into current production.

We are making progress on software quality, using an enhanced software validation process to help ensure the right software is present on vehicles and using over-the-air updates to address potential warranty issues before they become customer issues.
Modern digital safety systems require new talent, tools, and standards. Ford has deeply invested in those capabilities like connected data signaling and dramatically increased testing on all new products across broad variations in customer use.

In applying these new standards, we can and do find issues that exist on earlier model years, including ones that have not even been reported. We will not compromise our responsibility to all our customers, not just those buying new vehicles.

We believe this approach will lead to systemic and lasting positive change and help us reach world-class levels for quality, safety and customer satisfaction.

Read more here:

https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2025/ford-quality-update

Placed on admin leave with no timeframe because "your position is under evaluation" due to "restructuring/reorg and looking to reduce costs"? Anyone familiar with this? Thanks!

https://deadline.com/2025/08/paramount-job-cuts-2-1236495593/

Great. https://nypost.com/2025/08/22/media/paramount-eyes-massive-round-of-job-cuts-in-early-november/

Elon Musk and his company X Corp have reportedly come to a preliminary agreement to resolve a lawsuit initiated by former Twitter employees who claimed they were entitled to $500m in severance payments.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-x-corp-resolve-105952635.html

The job cuts included the elimination of the merchandising coordinator position, as Saks Global continues to blend the merchandising systems of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus into an integrated system, WWD reports.

https://news.centurionjewelry.com/articles/detail/saks-cuts-90-jobs-in-another-round-of-layoffs

After pushing 26,000 employees out, the tax agency is scrambling to find enough personnel to carry out its duties.

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/08/irs-canceling-its-layoff-plans-will-ask-some-it-fired-or-pushed-out-return/407620/

• International Paper will close two Georgia mills, impacting 1,100 jobs.
• The company will invest $250 million to convert an Alabama mill to produce containerboard.
• International Paper is selling its Global Cellulose Fibers business for $1.5 billion.

https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/money/business/2025/08/21/international-paper-mill-closures-employee-layoffs/85760791007/

John Deere is facing a crossroads as the company continues to see weaker demand in the agricultural sector even while it has committed to investing millions in U.S. manufacturing and promised a brighter road ahead.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/22/john-deere-demand-layoffs.html

Lifetime is cutting back its unscripted programming division, a decision that resulted in layoffs on Wednesday.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/lifetime-layoffs-unscripted-programming-1236349527/

N&S Locating Services LLC says it will lay off most of the employees who report to its Franklin County office after its biggest customer in the state, internet service provider Brightspeed, pulled all of its work from N&S.

https://www.wral.com/story/utility-services-provider-eliminating-126-jobs-in-north-carolina-after-losing-contract/22125315/

SW's bad leadership seems to have been realized and she is leaving. Please take lady unlucky with her out the door

Arena BioWorks has laid off 30% of its workers 19 months after launching with $500 million and visions of bringing the Bell Labs model to biotech.

Changes at Arena BioWorks follow events that have shaken confidence in gene therapies.

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/arena-bioworks-19-months-after-splashy-launch-lays-30-its-staff

Kodak Dumps Pension Plan to Pay Off Massive $500 Million Debt.
https://tonernews.com/forums/topic/kodak-dumps-pension-plan-to-pay-off-500-million-massive-debt/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-19/ford-seeks-to-sell-excess-battery-supply-in-weakened-ev-market

https://theconversation.com/state-department-layoffs-could-hurt-us-companies-ability-to-compete-globally-an-economist-explains-why-262988

There will be a significant workforce reduction at the Bridgestone Off-the-Road Tire Plant in Normal. Neither the company nor the United Steelworkers union representing workers could provide a precise number of jobs targeted.

https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-08-21/job-cuts-ahead-at-bridgestone-tire-plant-in-normal

The Union of IT & ITES Employees (UNITE) protested against TCS, alleging potential job cuts affecting 30,000 employees, a claim TCS denies, stating the reduction is around 2% of its global workforce. Supported by CITU, UNITE demands government intervention and warns of a larger layoff scale, while TCS emphasizes restructuring for future readiness with severance packages.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/tcs-layoffs-protest-it-employees-union-claims-30000-job-cuts-plans-global-action-company-issues-statement/articleshow/123403929.cms

At least 600 employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are receiving permanent termination notices in the wake of a recent court decision that protected some CDC employees from layoffs but not others.

The notices went out this week and many people have not yet received them, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 2,000 dues-paying members at CDC.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/least-600-cdc-employees-are-getting-final-termination-notices-union-sa-rcna226252

They are planning a mass layoff 8/22/2025

Source below. The Economist, Aug 21st 2025 - 5 min read

Donald Trump’s fantasy of home-grown chipmaking

• To remain the world’s foremost technological power, America needs its friends

How low mighty Intel has fallen. Half a century ago the American chipmaker was a byword for the cutting edge; it went on to dominate the market for personal-computer chips and in 2000 briefly became the world’s second-most-valuable company. Yet these days Intel, with a market capitalisation of $100bn, is not even the 15th-most-valuable chip firm, and supplies practically none of the advanced chips used for artificial intelligence (AI). Once an icon of America’s technological and commercial prowess, it has lately been a target for subsidies and protection. As we published this, President Donald Trump was even mulling quasi-nationalisation.

More than ever, semiconductors hold the key to the 21st century. They are increasingly critical for defence; in the ai race between America and China, they could spell the difference between victory and defeat. Even free-traders acknowledge their strategic importance, and worry about the world’s reliance for cutting-edge chips on tsmc and its home of Taiwan, which faces the threat of Chinese invasion. Yet chips also pose a fiendish test for proponents of industrial policy. Their manufacture is a marvel of specialisation, complexity and globalisation. Under those conditions, intervening in markets is prone to fail—as Intel so vividly illustrates.

To see how much can go wrong, consider its woes. Hubris caused the firm to miss both the smartphone and the ai waves, losing out to firms such as Arm, Nvidia and tsmc. Joe Biden’s CHIPS Act, which aimed to spur domestic chipmaking, promised Intel $8bn in grants and up to $12bn in loans. But the company is floundering. A fab in Ohio meant to open this year is now expected to begin operations in the early 2030s. Intel is heavily indebted and generates barely enough cash to keep itself afloat.

A factory worker in a red baseball cap holding up a shining silicon wafer
Illustration: Deena So'Oteh
The sums needed to rescue it keep growing. By one estimate Intel will need to invest more than $50bn in the next few years if it is to succeed at making leading-edge chips. Even if the government were to sink that much into the firm, it would have no guarantee of success. The company is said to be struggling with its latest manufacturing process. Its sales are falling and its plight risks becoming even more desperate.

The Biden administration failed with Intel, but Mr Trump could make things worse. He has threatened tariffs on chip imports, and may try to browbeat firms such as Nvidia into using Intel to make semiconductors for them. These measures might buy Intel time but they would be self-defeating for America. Chipmaking is not an end in itself but a critical input America’s tech sector requires to be world-beating. Forcing firms to settle for anything less than the best would blunt their edge.

What should America do? One lesson is not to pin the nation’s hopes on keeping Intel intact. It could sell its fab business to a deep-pocketed investor, such as SoftBank, which has reportedly expressed interest in buying it and this week announced a $2bn investment in Intel. Or it could sell its design arm and pour the proceeds into manufacturing. Intel may fail to catch up with TSMC even then. Either way, the federal government should not throw good money after bad. Taking a stake in Intel would only complicate matters.

That leads to a second lesson: to look beyond Intel and solve other chipmakers’ problems. tsmc is seeking to spread its wings. It is running out of land for giant fabs in Taiwan and its workforce is ageing. It has already pledged to invest $165bn to bring chipmaking to America. A first fab is producing four-nanometre (nm) chips and a second is scheduled to begin making more advanced chips by 2028. Samsung, a South Korean chipmaker that is having more success than Intel, is setting up a fab in Texas. But progress has been slow: Samsung and TSMC have both struggled with a lack of skilled workers and delays in receiving permits.

The last lesson is that, even if domestic chipmaking does make America more resilient, the country cannot shut itself off from the rest of the world. One reason is that the supply chain is highly specialised, with key inputs coming from across the globe, including extreme-ultraviolet lithography machines from the Netherlands and chipmaking tools from Japan. The other is that Taiwan and its security will remain critical. Even by the end of this decade, when tsmc’s third fab in America is due to begin producing 2nm chips, two-thirds of such semiconductors are likely to be made on the island. TSMC’s model is based on innovating at home first, before spreading its advances around the world.

To keep America’s chip supply chains resilient, Mr Trump needs a coherent, thought-through strategy—a tall order for a man who governs by impulse. No wonder he is going in the wrong direction. On Taiwan he has been cavalier, confident that China will not invade on his watch, while failing to offer the island consistent support. His tariffs on all manner of inputs will raise the costs of manufacturing in America; promised duties on chip imports will hurt American customers. He thrives on uncertainty, but chipmakers require stability.

A sensible chip policy would make it attractive to build fabs in America by easing rules over permits and creating programmes to train engineers. Instead of using tariffs as leverage, the government should welcome the imports of machinery and people that support chipmaking. Given the bipartisan consensus on the importance of semiconductors, the administration should seek a policy that has Democratic support—with the promise of continuity from one president to the next.

Economic nationalists should also see the progress of chipmakers in allied countries as a contribution to America’s security. Samsung is aiming to start producing 2nm chips in South Korea later this year. Rapidus, a well-funded chipmaking startup in Japan, is making impressive progress. Both countries have a tradition of manufacturing excellence, and may have a better shot at emulating Taiwan.

The chipmaking industry took decades to evolve. It is built for an age of globalisation. When economic nationalists build their policies on autarky, they are setting themselves a needlessly hard task—if not an impossible one.

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/08/21/donald-trumps-fantasy-of-home-grown-chipmaking

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/international-business-machines-corporation-ibm-is-down-too-much-says-jim-cramer/ar-AA1KT9s5

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/atts-leadership-crisis-arrogance-financial-collapse-legacy-gnall-9qfoc/

The company is tightening up its workforce across multiple divisions and restructured several parts of its business, resulting in the loss of 30 jobs. The cuts have been made with “the goal of investing in capabilities that will propel our business into the future,” according to a Hallmark spokesperson.

https://www.thewrap.com/hallmark-layoffs-company-restructuring/

Cosmetics company has approved layoffs of 3,200 staff based on a previously disclosed restructuring plan and may reduce head count by another 3,800, with expected restructuring charges of up to $1.6 billion.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/estee-lauder-to-cut-up-to-7-000-jobs-as-china-and-duty-free-sales-stay-weak-82092ee3