What's Ahead
We grew nearly 10% in July
U.S. Job Growth Stalls in July
The U.S. added only 73 000 nonfarm payrolls in July, missing forecasts of 110 000, while May and June figures were cut by 258 000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, and labor force participation slipped to 62.2 percent, signaling cooler demand amid inflation concerns. Healthcare and retail saw modest gains, but manufacturing and professional services contracted, prompting renewed bets on Fed rate cuts.
The Update: sharpen AI skills to outpace stalled hiring. Examine your daily work. Every week implement 1 new AI process to speed up your workflow. Note your process, and track results.
Big Tech AI Spending Soars
Major U.S. tech firms boosted AI capex in Q2 to record highs. Microsoft’s cloud AI grew 30 percent, Meta’s AI ad unit rose 40 percent, and AWS’s AI services revenue jumped 25 percent, driving robust top-line gains despite higher costs. Investor confidence lifted tech indices as markets priced in long-term AI profitability, underscoring that heavy investment in AI infrastructure continues to pay off for giants like Amazon and Alphabet.
The Update: master leading AI platforms to ride this spending surge.
What is your professional role?
Wall Street AI Earnings Rally
Over half of S&P 500 companies cited AI in Q2 earnings calls, pushing year-on-year earnings growth to 9.8 percent, up from 5.8 percent at the start of July. Software, cloud, and digital-advertising segments led gains, sending stocks toward record highs even as trade-tariff concerns linger. Analysts say AI adoption across industries provides a durable growth engine, with new AI services and products expected to sustain market momentum despite macro uncertainties.
The Update: follow AI earnings beats to pinpoint stock entry points. Beware a potential bubble. While billions of dollars speculatively pour into AI, there are echoes of the dotcom bubble.
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College graduate unemployment surges to 6.6%
While overall unemployment sits just over 4%, college graduate unemployment is skyrocketing. In just 7 months, their unemployment numbers jumped from 5.8% to 6.6%. Companies realize IA can perform traditional tasks completed by college grads (synthesizing information, producing reports, etc)
The Update: There’s an overall shift toward efficiency. Companies are streamlining operations and clogging holes with AI automation. Existing staff will be leaned on as well. This is an important time to learn how AI can empower you to be faster while maintaining accuracy.
U.S. Payroll Revisions Shake Markets
May–June job additions were slashed by 258 000 after initial reports, leaving July’s 73 000 gain as the smallest monthly increase in a year. The revisions caused 10-year Treasury yields to tumble 15 basis points and stocks to slip on recession fears. Investors now widely expect Fed rate cuts in September. The recalibration highlights AI’s indirect effect on economic modeling as delayed labor data forces markets to adjust inflation and growth forecasts.
The Update: adopt AI-driven market tools to stay ahead of data surprises.