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👋 Welcome, Jobseekers

California might finally put a human back in the loop before an algorithm can torch your job, and that matters because AI is already buried in hiring and performance scoring. We’ll also track mega-funding in voice AI, chips, robotaxis, and more. Plus the Oracle layoff rumor is ugly and the data is murky with BLS blocked, so you’ll need sharper proof, tighter positioning, and comp in writing.

• 🔦 Jobseeker Spotlight: Angela Prendergast

• 🧑‍✈️ Career CoPilot: California wants to ban “robo bosses” from firing you

• 🔈️ Signals of the Week: ElevenLabs raises $500M at an $11B valuation

• 📉 Layoff Report: Oracle Plans To Lay Off 20,000 To 30,000 Employees

• 📈 Trends & Data: Shutdown Blocks BLS, Indeed Shows a Flat Start to 2026

Community Spotlight: Angela Prendergast (QA Lead)

This week we’re excited to spotlight Angela Prendergast, a seasoned Quality Assurance Lead and one of the most consistently helpful voices in our Slack. She’s also spent time with us at Offboard HQ in Concord, CA, jumping into working sessions and helping teams think more clearly about quality.

Why she’s worth knowing: Angela has spent years leading QA in fast-moving product environments, with a calm, practical approach that helps teams ship with confidence instead of stress.

Join the conversation:
Hiring QA, building a testing process, or just want a second brain on quality? Reply with “QA” and a sentence about what you’re working on. We’ll help make the right connection.

Connect with Angela on LinkedIn!

California Wants to Ban “Robo Bosses” From Firing You

California State Senator Jerry McNerney introduced SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act of 2026,” to require human oversight when employers use AI systems in workplace discipline and termination decisions. (Senator Jerry McNerney)

The bill would stop employers from relying solely on automated decision-making systems (ADS) to fire or discipline workers, require human oversight plus independent verification when ADS is used, and ban “predictive behavior” tools that use worker data to forecast future actions.

This is a reboot of SB 7, a similar bill that passed the Legislature but was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2025 as overly broad. (Mintz)

The numbers

• SB 947 introduced Monday, Feb. 2, 2026

• Prior version SB 7 was vetoed Oct. 13, 2025 (after passing both chambers).

• Sponsor: California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO.

• Context: 44% of employees said their organization had implemented AI (Gallup, May 2025, up from 33% in May 2024).

• Context: A widely cited estimate says 83% of employers use AI tools in hiring (AP report).

Why this matters & how to protect yourself

• If you are job hunting in California, expect more scrutiny of “algorithmic management” and HR automation. Ask directly: Was any automated system used in screening, performance scoring, discipline, or termination decisions? (SB 947 would push disclosure after the fact in discipline/termination contexts).

• Build a “human review” paper trail now. Save performance feedback, tickets closed, customer notes, and manager praise. If something goes sideways, you want evidence a human can evaluate, not just a score.

• In interviews, pressure-test how the company uses AI in people decisions: Who signs off, what gets audited, and how employees can appeal. This is a practical culture signal, not a philosophical debate.

• If you are targeting HR tech, compliance, legal ops, data governance, or internal tools teams: this is a hiring wedge. Companies will need process design, logging, auditability, and policy implementation if bills like this move.

• Don’t assume “AI did it” is a safe employer excuse anymore. Regulation is trending toward accountability + human ownership, which can strengthen your negotiation posture on transparency and review rights.

Top Tech Signals of the Week

1. Positron raises $230M to take on Nvidia (Read More) - A new AI chip player just pulled in a big round to scale high-speed memory for AI workloads. AI infra hiring stays hot; more roles in silicon, systems, performance, and tooling; “compute efficiency” keeps becoming a product requirement.

2. ElevenLabs raises $500M at an $11B valuation (Read More) - Voice AI is getting mega-funded, signaling real enterprise spend and aggressive expansion. Demand for product, platform, and safety work around voice agents; growth teams need onboarding, docs, and developer experience.

3. Waymo raises $16B to expand robotaxis internationally (Read More) - Massive capital to scale fleets and launch in new cities (including international expansion). Hiring clusters in mapping, autonomy, operations, safety, and fleet logistics; partnerships and city launches create vendor ecosystems.

4. PayPal hires Enrique Lores as CEO (Read More) - Leadership change signals urgency on execution and restructuring. Near-term churn, but also new org charts and new bets; good window for targeted referrals into priority initiatives.

5. Skyryse raises $300M Series C (Read More) - Big funding behind aviation automation and safety tech. Signals continued demand for safety-critical software, autonomy, and certification-minded product work.

6. Lotus Health raises $35M for an “AI doctor” primary care model (Read More) - Healthcare AI is shifting from chat to care delivery workflows. Hiring demand for clinical ops + product + compliance; strong need for UX that builds trust.

Oracle Plans To Lay Off 20,000 To 30,000 Employees

Oracle is considering laying off 20,000 to 30,000 employees, about 10% of its workforce, to fund its AI data center expansion. This move aims to free up $8 billion to $10 billion to support its $300 billion partnership with OpenAI and other AI projects, according to TD Cowen.

• Oracle analyst warns of 30,000 layoffs, asset sale as the cloud firm moves to tackle debt 

• Peloton cuts 11% of staff in cost-cutting push, spokesperson says 

• Zillow lets go of 200 employees in performance-related reductions at real estate company 

• Indian e-scooter firm Ola Electric to lay off 5% of workforce amid profitability push 

• Zupee lays off 200 in second round of job cuts after real money gaming ban 

• Boulder AI company reduces staff, cuts executive salaries to $1 

Shutdown Blocks BLS, Indeed Shows a Flat Start to 2026

Overview

A partial US government shutdown has delayed the December JOLTS release and the January jobs report, leaving job seekers flying without the usual monthly gauges. Indeed’s real-time Job Postings Index suggests 2025 cooled steadily, and early January 2026 looks more like “still slow” than “new rebound.” The next BLS release is also expected to include revisions and a key update to the birth-death model, which could reshape how strong 2025 really was.

The Numbers

• Indeed Job Postings Index: +11.5% vs pre-pandemic on Jan 1, 2025, down to +4.7% by Dec 31, 2025.

• January 2026: job postings essentially flat through the first three weeks (per Indeed).

• Indeed Wage Tracker (posted wages): 3.4% → 2.1% over 2025.

• Context: Indeed’s data portal shows job postings -5.9% year over year (through Jan 23, 2026).

• Context: BLS says the birth-death model will change with the January 2026 data release.

Why this Matters

• Expect fewer “easy yes” reqs. Shift your search toward teams hiring despite cooling: revenue-linked roles, cost reduction, security, data plumbing, and regulated industries.

• Put comp in writing early. With wage growth cooling, employers will lean harder on leveling, bands, and “total rewards”. Ask for the full package (bonus, equity, remote policy, severance) before you over-invest in interviews.

• Tighten your signal. In a low-hire environment, “nice” resumes die. Lead with 1–2 outcomes, quantified impact, and tools that map to the req’s must-haves.

• If you are waiting on macro clarity, don’t. Shutdown-delayed reports mean more uncertainty, not less. Treat Indeed posting trends as the nearer-term read and keep pipelines wide.

• Interview for the 2026 reality: “do more with less.” Prepare stories on automation, process simplification, and measurable productivity gains, not just feature delivery.

Join the Offboard Community!

Anything and everything we talk about here can be further discussed in our Slack Community (among many other job-seeking-related topics). Just look for the #newsletter channel to find specific topics to talk about!