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👋 Welcome, Jobseekers

Big week. The Fed trimmed rates to 4.00%, so some doors may crack open while hiring managers stay picky. ADP says worker mojo dipped a notch, with real estate perking up and manufacturing cooling. Layoffs are still popping, from Fiverr to xAI, so aim where budgets flow and avoid the chop zones. Need a mood check or a job-match boost? Try Abby for headspace and Placed for leads.

• 🧑‍✈️ Career CoPilot: Fed Cuts Rates 25 bps to 4.00% - Did Your Job Hunt Just Get Easier?

• 📉 Layoff Report: Fiverr cuts 250 jobs as CEO declares shift to AI-first strategy, xAI cuts 500

• 📈 Trends & Data: ADP: Employee Sentiment Dips in September

• 🔧 Jobseeker Tools: Abby AI Therapy, Placed

Fiverr cuts 250 jobs as CEO declares shift to AI-first strategy

• Fiverr cuts 250 jobs as CEO declares shift to AI-first strategy 

• Fintech Sorbet lays off majority of staff in structural reset 

• Hike, once a unicorn, shuts down as India cracks down on real-money gaming 

• Elon Musk's xAI lays off hundreds of workers tasked with training Grok 

• Opendoor board chair Rabois says company is ‘bloated,’ needs to cut 85% of workforce 

• Zupee lays off 30% workforce 

• Ubisoft is cutting jobs within its publishing team 

• Natcast to Lay Off Majority of Its Staff 

• University of Washington’s CoMotion tech transfer office lays off 3 employees 

• Verbit reduces headcount again amid AI transition 

Fed Cuts Rates 25 bps to 4.00% - Did Your Job Hunt Just Get Easier?

Overview:

The Fed just cut for the first time in 2025. Labor is weakening, inflation is still sticky, and Powell chose jobs over prices.

The Details

• Fed lowered the target range by 25 bps to 4.00%–4.25%. First cut since Dec 2024. (Federal Reserve)

• Vote was 11–1. New Governor Stephen I. Miran dissented for a 50 bps cut. (Federal Reserve)

• Fed signaled two more cuts are likely this year. Markets rallied on the news. (Reuters)

• August payrolls disappointed and prior months were revised down, pointing to a softer job market. (Financial Times)

• Inflation is still above target at ~2.9% YoY, complicating the path. (AP)

• Lisa Cook voted after courts blocked an attempt to remove her. (The Guardian)

Why It Matters

Cheaper money can un-freeze headcount and green-light projects, but hiring managers will still be picky until growth re-accelerates.

• Expect selective hiring in rate-sensitive sectors like fintech, proptech, e-commerce, and cloud.

• Budget holders will favor roles tied to revenue, retention, and margin.

Action to Take

• Search for roles at firms that benefit from lower rates: payments, BNPL, real estate tech, consumer marketplaces.

• Target Mortgage tech, fintech lenders, SMB SaaS, construction tech, autos, and discretionary retail mentioned around rate sensitivity.

• Copy-paste query (below) into LinkedIn. Replace ‘product designer’ with your own role

("mortgage" OR "auto finance" OR SBA OR "embedded finance") AND ("product manager" OR "product designer") AND ("remote" OR "hybrid")

Sources: Federal Reserve, “FOMC Statement,” September 17, 2025.

ADP: Employee Sentiment Dips in September

Overview:

After four straight record highs, ADP’s Employee Motivation and Commitment Index slipped one point to 148 in September. Some sectors cooled, but knowledge workers hit another record (ADP Research).

The Details

• EMC Index: 148, down 1 point, first decline since spring.

• Manufacturing sentiment dropped 14 points to 215, the biggest monthly fall since December.

• Health care and social assistance fell 12 points to 128; information fell 11 to 139.

• Real estate jumped 17 points to 141, highest since Aug 2023; retail/wholesale rose to 157, fourth straight record.

• Knowledge workers ticked up to 136, a sixth straight record and now level with skilled task workers, which fell 2 points.

• Repetitive task workers slipped again to 114. “Employee sentiment is holding strong through uncertainty,” said Dr. Mary Hayes (ADP Research).

Why It Matters

Sentiment cooled, not crashed. The index is still elevated, and job holding power looks firm. Record highs for knowledge workers signal hiring managers still value problem-solvers even as cyclical sectors wobble.

• Expect steadier demand for roles tied to revenue, analytics, AI, and automation.

• Manufacturing and info slowdowns may stretch interview cycles or headcount approvals.

• Customer-facing retail and wholesale momentum favors ops, ecom, and supply roles.

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Placed

AI Career Platform For Job Seekers

Find your ideal job faster with AI-driven matching and personalized recommendations based on your skills and preferences.

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