By Conor Grant
This is an edition of the WSJ Careers & Leadership newsletter, a weekly digest to help you get ahead and stay informed about careers, business, management and leadership. If you're not subscribed, sign up here.
In the Workplace
Job hunters are so desperate that they're paying to get recruited. Landing a white-collar job is getting so tough that candidates -- not companies -- are paying recruiters to match them with positions, a reversal of the traditional model.
These white-collar workers actually made the switch to a trade. Fears of an AI "jobpocalypse" have prompted more than a few professionals to contemplate life as a plumber or HVAC specialist. Four workers told us what it's like to make the switch.
More Americans are dealing with memory decline at work. As the workforce ages, flexible work schedules and technology-based reminders can help those in early stages of cognitive decline and dementia keep working, writes Clare Ansberry.
What corporate jargon do you hate the most?
Tell us the word or phrase and why it's your pet peeve. Email reports@wsj.com and we may include it in a future story.
Management & Leadership
How do you stay sane in the AI skills race? AI adoption is now the top concern for job seekers, according to a new Indeed poll. But you should be strategic, not frantic, when trying to pump up your AI bona fides, writes Callum Borchers.
High schools are finding new ways to teach teens about money, such as giving students money to invest in stocks or asking them to make financial plans for their futures. Thirty states now require students to take a personal-finance course in high school.
Would you choose a cash bonus or more vacation time? A new study found that employees felt more "human" when receiving extra paid vacation time than getting monetary bonuses.
The Number
The increase in average hourly wages for workers since the end of 2019, after inflation. Meanwhile, profits have climbed 43%. The discrepancy underscores the fact that today's economy is funneling money toward capital instead of labor -- a trend that AI will intensify, writes Greg Ip.
Quoteworthy
State of the Workforce
A "deep freeze" has enveloped the U.S. labor market, and several factors are at play, writes Justin Lahart. Tariff uncertainties, high short-term interest rates and workers' reluctance to leave their jobs are contributing to a precipitous drop in the pace of hiring.
The new family intervention: Talking about a loved one's AI habit. Some super users are constantly turning to bots for help with their professional and personal lives, prompting loved ones to ask if they are taking things a bit too far.
About Us
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 11, 2026 10:55 ET (15:55 GMT)
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