Uncertainty Continues
OpenAI pulls the plug, Dario continues the warning, is this why hiring is ramping up? Plus an early preview of the Human Cloud Market Map and the first look at the 2026 Flexible Workforce Study data.
Matthew MottolaGet this in your inbox every week. Join 26,000+ subscribers.
Hey everyone - what would you do if you couldn't log into Claude tomorrow? Or if OpenAI throttled your token use? Or if your customer base demanded you have a level of AI security beyond what you could afford?
This weekend OpenAI pulled the plug on going public1 while Dario (Anthropic's CEO) warned it's time to slow it down2. The reality is we're in the same situation we were before LLMs took off: an uncertain business climate that requires the ability to change on a dime.
And for every company, no matter the industry or the region, WE are the solution, us leaders and entrepreneurs building human cloud led talent solutions. Whether you're a specialized talent platform or an EOR, you will be the talent channels to the new global economy.
BUT the challenges are clear (and not small), with below as a sample of what companies are telling us they need from you.
2026 Flexible Workforce Study. Members can see the live results » |
Want to make your life a little easier? Join us on our journey to make the flexible workforce the reality of work. Immediate ways you can get involved:
| • Come learn the results of the study so far next Thursday. |
| • Or even better, come have dinner with us on Tuesday, September 29 in Dallas » |
Have a great week everyone,
- Matt
|
CEO of Human Cloud. 4x entrepreneur, angel investor, author of The Human Cloud (w/ HarperCollins), with experience advising companies like Microsoft, Deloitte, and G7 governments on how to use flexible talent. |
Early Preview: Market Map
We built the taxonomy, visualized the foundation, and crunched the data on 3,040 flexible workforce solutions to give buyers a market map for the entire flexible workforce.
|
See where you fit on the Market Map »
Featured Event
HC Community Call: first look at the 2026 Flexible Workforce Study data
Thursday, September 24 · 12:00 PM ET · Virtual
Early data, how solutions can take part, and what it means for hiring across the globe.
| Save your seat » |
HC Executive Dinner in Dallas
Tuesday, September 29 · 7:00 PM CT · Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse · Invite only, 20 seats
Twenty senior talent and workforce leaders, one table, a candid conversation on contingent workforce strategy, talent access, and managing spend and compliance at scale. Hosted by Tony Buffum, with FoxHire and KarmaCheck.
Industry Insights
Deals & M&A
| • Circle8 Group made an unsolicited all-cash takeover approach for UK STEM staffing firm SThree. Shares jumped 15% ahead of an October 7 deadline.3 |
| • Airswift acquired three New Tech Global oil and gas staffing units, deepening its upstream energy workforce offering.4 |
| • Korn Ferry fee revenue rose 7% to $756.5 million in fiscal Q1. Its $1.1 billion AMS deal starts contributing this quarter.5 |
| • Main Capital Partners took a majority stake in workforce-planning software firm Orgvue, its first UK deal.6 |
| • Salesforce led a $166 million round in HR platform HiBob at a $3.2 billion valuation, its largest round ever.7 |
Signals Worth Knowing
| • US payrolls added 162,000 in August, triple the forecast, with unemployment holding at 4.1%.8 |
| • Announced job cuts rose 58% in August to 52,881. Tech leads 2026 cuts at more than 155,000.9 |
| • ISM Services hit 55.4, the fastest pace since February, while its employment index fell to 47.8. Output is growing without headcount.10 |
| • ManpowerGroup's Q4 hiring outlook climbed to +29%. 62% of hirers cite changing roles and skills as the driver.11 |
| • The H-1B and L-1 biometric fee now applies to extensions. $4,000 per H-1B and $4,500 per L-1, effective September 9.12 |
| • Robert Half sued Beacon Hill over the alleged mass poaching of its Connecticut recruiting team.13 |
Industry Events
| • Future of Work USA · Sep 15 to 16 · New York, NY |
| • SIA CWS Summit · Sep 28 to 29 · Dallas, TX |
| • Gartner ReimagineHR · Sep 28 to 30 · Orlando, FL |
| • Collaboration in the Gig Economy · Sep 29 to Oct 1 · Dallas, TX |
Sources
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