Measures the Change-Response Gap: how fast industries are changing versus how fast companies are responding. 50 means they are even. Higher means the gap is wider.
October 2026: HR & Future of Work scores 63 (Significant Gap), with a Change Score of 68 and a Response Score of 42. September brought fresh layoffs tied to AI restructuring at Amazon and across the tech sector. A new report showed demand falling for entry-level HR service roles and rising for strategy roles. Verizon announced a large AI upskilling fund, and more companies offered a four-day workweek.
HR & Future of Work companies are keeping up with about 60% of the change. Evidence: Thin (5 sources).
History: May 62 · Jun 63 · Jul 64 · Aug 63 · Sep 63 · Oct 63
The ledger holds no new September evidence on what HR software buyers are purchasing. Last month, on August 27, Workday, the HR and finance software company, said AI drove more than 25% of its new annual contract value. That figure is self-reported and covers one quarter. No September update is on file.
Layoffs continued, with AI cited as a cause. Amazon filed a notice cutting 121 corporate and fulfillment jobs in Washington state, with separations beginning October 1, as its AI-driven restructuring continues (GeekWire). In the first 10 days of September, employers including Uber, PayPal, Apple, and Oracle announced cuts affecting more than 5,000 workers (TradingView (citing Layoffs.fyi)). Layoffs.fyi, a layoff tracker, counts 128,536 global tech layoffs this year across 299 companies. AIHR, an HR training company, found demand for HR Service Desk Agents fell 38.3% (GlobeNewswire (AIHR)). Demand for Organization Effectiveness Specialists rose 65.4%.
The ledger holds no new September evidence on HR technology funding or deals. Last month, on August 19, Lattice, the performance management company, bought Pando to expand its AI-native performance platform. No September figures are on file to show whether that pattern held.
The ledger holds no new September rules or regulatory actions on AI in hiring. Last month, the EU's Digital Omnibus on AI moved its rules on AI in hiring and firing to December 2, 2027. Colorado's AI law was delayed to January 1, 2027. Nothing new is on file to change that picture.
One clear cultural signal was the spread of shorter workweeks. As of September 26, 749 companies were offering a four-day workweek averaging 32.3 hours, according to 4dayweek.io data cited by Forbes (Forbes). 4dayweek.io is a job board that lists such employers. On September 17, Pew Research Center reported that 71% of US adults expect AI to mean fewer jobs.
The ledger holds no new September evidence of an AI system replacing a whole function. Amazon's restructuring notice ties the current cuts to AI (GeekWire). AIHR's report shows the pressure landing on service and administrative HR roles first (GlobeNewswire (AIHR)). Last month, Reuters reported that Meta dropped a plan to cut some teams by as much as 60%.
The ledger holds no new September earnings-call evidence for HR companies. Last month, Workday said more than 25% of its new contract value came from AI. That August figure is self-reported and is not updated here.
Verizon, the telecom company, announced a $70 million AI upskilling initiative on September 23 called Verizon AI Skills for America (GlobeNewswire (Verizon)). It adds $50 million to an existing $20 million reskilling fund, with partners including IBM, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, Coursera, and OpenAI. Verizon is an employer, not an HR company, so this is a signal from the buyer side. Last month, Gallup found that 57% of chief HR officers were providing AI training for people managers.
The ledger holds no new September evidence on how HR companies are moving capital. Last month, Paycom, the payroll software company, said it bought back $345.9 million of its own stock in the quarter. That August figure is self-reported.
The ledger holds no new September product launches or partnerships from HR companies. Last month, Workday said more than 5,500 customers run at least one of its AI agents. That is Workday's own count from August.
The ledger holds no new September evidence on how quickly HR companies are acting. Last month, Reuters reported that Meta dropped its AI-native restructuring plan within about six months. That August context is the latest timing evidence on file.
The score of 63 reflects a Change Score of 68 and a Response Score of 42. Change leads response by 26 points. Each indicator is rated 0 to 5 in half points by two independent reviewers, and the ratings shown are their average. How we score.