As the retail job market contracts, the analysis found companies in the sector also have not released hiring plans this year to date — a noteworthy development given that the holiday season is around the corner. Tariffs, inflation and economic uncertainty have prompted retailers to close stores and lay off employees, the report said. Many of those same challenges are impacting industries more broadly as well. “Closings of stores, units, or plants have led to 120,226 layoffs so far this year, while restructuring efforts have resulted in 66,879 job cuts. Bankruptcies accounted for another 35,641 layoffs,” according to the report. Indeed, multiple major retailers have shuttered locations amid broader corporate restructurings. Between 2024 and February 2025, retailers closed more than 9,900 stores, but they only opened 7,700 locations during that period, a JLL analysis found. While some retailers have issued pink slips to a fraction of their staff, others are shutting down most or all of their storefronts.

Confidence among U.S. chief executives shot up during the third quarter as trade fears eased. The Conference Board's Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council rose to 49 in the third quarter, up 15 points from 34 In the second quarter. (A reading below 50 reflects more negative than positive responses.) The survey, which also gauges CEOs' expectations about future actions their companies plan on taking in capital spending, employment, recruiting and wages, was fielded from July 14-28. All three components of the index improved from deep pessimism to near neutral, with CEOs' views on current economic conditions making the sharpest recovery. Their six-month expectations for the economy as a whole and in their own industries also improved. Fear of recession within the next 12 to 18 months fell to 36% in the third quarter from 83% in the previous one. CEOs ranked geopolitical instability and cyber threats as top concerns for their industry, while concerns about trade and tariffs eased somewhat.

Bloomberg Media provided robust sessions during Day 2 of its “Good Business” programming at BOBO Bistro in Cannes. In one session, titled, “Balancing Speed and Responsibility: AI and Marketing in 2024," speakers said marketers must understand the technology, according to a summary of the event provided by Bloomberg. Doug Martin, chief brand and disruptive growth officer at General Mills, stated that it’s no longer “possible to be a successful CMO … without having a close relationship with your CTO.” But Martin and others cautioned against rushing things.