On December 4, the next jobs report comes out. Before it does, I want to talk about where things stand today, what could change, and what you can do right now to be ready.
The national picture
Here is the good news first. In October, the U.S. added 165,000 jobs, way more than the 65,000 that experts expected. The unemployment rate dipped from 4.2% to 4.1% (Wallace, 2026).
That sounds great. So why doesn’t it feel great?
Because the headline doesn’t tell the whole story. Paychecks have now grown slower than prices for seven months in a row. Wages are up about 3.1% from a year ago, and gas is above $4 a gallon in a lot of places (Wiseman, 2026). Economists are calling this a “low-fire, low-hire” market. Companies aren’t letting many people go, but they aren’t in a rush to hire either. That makes it hard for anyone trying to get a foot in the door, change jobs, or get back to work (Wiseman, 2026).
There is some hope in the numbers, though. This year, employers have added about 86,000 jobs a month on average. That is not huge, but it is much better than 2025, when the average was under 10,000 a month (Wiseman, 2026).
Does this feel true where you live?
Probably not. The national number is an average, and averages hide a lot. Here is how unemployment looked in September across eight states, compared to the national rate of 4.2% that month (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026). State numbers run about a month behind the national report.
Ohio Unemployment Rate (Sept. 2026): 3.4% Compared to National (4.2%): Lower
Pennsylvania Unemployment Rate (Sept. 2026): 3.6% Compared to National (4.2%): Lower
West Virginia Unemployment Rate (Sept. 2026): 4.0% Compared to National (4.2%): Lower
New York Unemployment Rate (Sept. 2026): 4.3% Compared to National (4.2%): About the same
Florida Unemployment Rate (Sept. 2026): 4.4% Compared to National (4.2%): Slightly higher
Illinois Unemployment Rate (Sept. 2026): 4.6% Compared to National (4.2%): Higher
Kentucky Unemployment Rate (Sept. 2026): 4.7% Compared to National (4.2%): Higher
Arizona Unemployment Rate (Sept. 2026): 4.9% Compared to National (4.2%): Higher
And even inside one state, your town or your field can feel completely different. A low number doesn’t mean jobs are easy to land. It might mean people are holding tight to the jobs they have.
What are we competing against? AI.
This year, companies have pointed to AI as the reason for more than 121,000 announced job cuts through October. That is more than double all of 2025 (HCAMag, 2026). Most of those cuts came in the spring. By October, AI was named in only about 1,265 cuts, the lowest month of the year (HCAMag, 2026).
So AI isn’t taking every job. But it is changing which jobs get posted, what employers expect you to know, and how your resume gets read. The people who learn to work with it, and still sound like themselves, are the ones who stand out.
Why I believe a turn is coming
I truly believe the job market is going to take a big turn in the next year. It hasn’t felt good for a while, and things can’t stay stuck forever. Some people will tie it to the recent elections. Honestly, I think this shift was coming either way.
I know how hard this is. We work hard to put food on the table and pay our bills. And yes, I relate. This isn’t my only business or my only job. Things in this world are changing, mostly the cost of everything. You are not alone in feeling stretched.
What you can do right now
Don’t wait for the December report to make a move. Be prepared, so when things open up, you are the first one noticed.
Take a course now. My LinkedIn course is free right now click here. It’s a simple way to get your profile working for you today.
Get ready for what’s next. I have a new course coming soon on how to use LinkedIn to your advantage.
Grab my free resume guide. Land the Interview walks you through ATS, using AI the smart way, and writing a resume that sounds like you click here.
Small steps now add up. When the market turns, you want to already be standing at the door.
You’ve got this.
Gayle
References
HCAMag. (2026, November 5). AI blamed for 121,401 job cuts, but the labor data isn’t buying it. HCAMag. https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/transformation/ai-blamed-for-121401-job-cuts-but-the-labor-data-isnt-buying-it/594129
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026, October 20). State employment and unemployment, September 2026. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm
Wallace, A. (2026, November 6). The US economy added 165,000 jobs in October and the unemployment rate fell. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/11/06/economy/us-jobs-report-october
Wiseman, P. (2026, November 6). Employers created surprising 165,000 jobs in October as unemployment rate dips. NBC4 Washington (The Associated Press). https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/october-jobs-report-inflation-ai-hiring-midterms/4178973/