Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, CEOs are "increasingly confident in their ability to find growth in the current economic environment," according to Chief Executive's latest CEO Confidence Index.
Highlights from Chief Executive's latest CEO Confidence Index:
CEO optimism increased in October:
CEO confidence increased 10% during the first week of October, reaching 5.7 (on the index's 10-point scale), the "second highest rating of the year since January’s 6.3/10."
CEOs are more comfortable with where we are today than where they were just a month ago, but they’re also less convinced that business in the U.S. is on the cusp of a significant upswing."
CEOs of mid-sized organizations are driving optimism:
CEOs of mid-sized organizations (with revenue between $50 million and $1 billion) are driving "most of October’s renewed optimism."
CEOs of companies with revenue exceeding $1 billion are far less optimistic.
Larger organizations are "more likely to have a greater international footprint," making them more vulnerable to “ever-changing geopolitical conflicts.”
While some CEOs are increasingly optimistic, others are anticipating an economic slowdown:
45% of CEOs are "expecting economic growth over the next six months continues to increase," up from 39% in September.
However, 33% of CEOs are "expecting a slowdown" over the next six months, up from 30% who felt the same last month.
What are CEOs planning for the year ahead?
60% of CEOs expect "increasing revenues in the year ahead," compared to 65% who expected the same in September.
54% of CEOs are expecting to increase profitability, up from 53% in September.
37% of CEOs are planning to increase capital expenditures, down from 38% in September.
34% of CEOs plan to increase headcount, down from 40% who said the same last month.
Read more via Chief Executive
The workforce is aging. As boomers retire, they are taking with them decades of knowledge, and few leaders feel ready for what’s next.
Highlights from Kelly's Global Re:work Report:
92% of global executives are worried about how retirement could impact labor shortages, with 39% saying they are "very or extremely worried."
81% of global workers are worried their employers won't be able to replace retiring boomers.
24% of STEM leaders say they are planning to increase headcount in the coming years to "get ahead of retirements."
But will adding headcount alone close the knowledge gap?
Read more about the impact of boomers retiring, and how the phenomenon is affecting different sectors.
Read the full Kelly Global Re:work Report
Almost half of Americans are feeling the impact of the shutdown: According to a new poll by the Partnership for Public Service, 48% of Americans say the "shutdown has impacted people in their community." (Partnership for Public Service)
States say they won't be paying SNAP benefits due to shutdown: "Millions of families" rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Michigan is warning SNAP recipients that "there may be a delay in issuing November 2025 food assistance benefits." Pennsylvania announced it would not pay SNAP benefits beginning back on October 16. Texas has told SNAP recipients that "benefits for November won’t be issued if the federal government shutdown continues past Oct. 27." New Jersey's SNAP website warns that "November 2025 SNAP benefits may not be available on time." Similar notices are popping up across the country. While local food banks are the "next line of defense" for families that rely on SNAP benefits, food banks are "also under pressure as federal funding remains on hold." (CNBC)
Federal court system ceases nonessential functions: Last week, the U.S. federal court system began ceasing "non-essential functions," including "furloughing some employees." According to Reuters, this marks the “first time in nearly three decades” the federal court system has been "forced to send some of its over 30,000 employees home." (Reuters, Administrative Office of U.S. Courts)
Who is getting paid during the shutdown? Over 800,000 federal workers are still being paid, despite the shutdown. Members of Congress "aren’t missing any paychecks." Supreme Court justices and federal judges are also continuing to receive paychecks. The Trump administration has opted to use "about $8 billion in Pentagon research and development funds" to continue paychecks for military members. FBI agents and law enforcement personnel employed by the Department of Homeland Security have also continued to receive paychecks, as well as those employed by Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Secret Service.
Who isn't getting paid? Over 700,000 federal workers are "working without pay," while more than 650,000 have been furloughed, according to CNN's reporting. While federal workers have generally received back pay once a shutdown ends, federal contractors "have no guarantee of being made whole at the end of the impasse."
Federal workers are reportedly lining up at food banks: One Maryland food bank told CNN it recently served more than double the number of federal workers it was expecting.
Read more via CNN, The Hill, CNN
The "closely watched gauge of U.S. inflation" increased at an annual rate of 3% last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS' release of the CPI was 10 days late as a result of the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The 3% annual pace is the "fastest annual pace since the start of the year and marks a small rise from the previous 2.9 percent level."
Consumer prices increased 0.3% on a monthly basis.
So-called "core inflation" (which excludes gasoline/food prices) "eased slightly," from 3.1% in August to 3% in September.
Amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, the BLS has not been releasing its usual reports. The agency opted to release September's inflation report due to the "Nov. 1 deadline for the Social Security Administration to publish its annual adjustment to benefits."
On Friday, the Social Security Administration "announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026." The increase will take effect for “roughly 71 million beneficiaries starting early next year.”
Read more via The New York Times, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CBS News, Social Security Administration
The Trump administration's implementation of a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications is prompting some companies to avoid candidates who require the visas.
Even large employers that have "historically … hired large numbers of H-1B employees" are now "disqualifying job applicants who require H-1B visa sponsorship."
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has said it will "not hire new H-1B applicants because of the new visa fee." The company instead plans to expand its existence workforce using "U.S.-based manpower." TCS sponsored over 5,000 H-1B workers this year, according to news reports.
A description for a current Deloitte cybersecurity engineer role notes that candidates "must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future." A Glassdoor review described Deloitte as "no longer h1b friendly."
Postings for software engineer roles at IT consulting firm Cognizant say the company "will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in the United States without the need of employer sponsorship."
Medtech firm Intuitive Surgical has "halted sponsorship for applicants requiring H-1B visas." Business Insider reported that the firm's job listings included the following announcement: “Due to the uncertainty caused by the recent US executive proclamation, we are temporarily pausing offers to candidates who require H-1B visa sponsorship.”
Walmart has "paused" making job offers to "candidates needing H-1B visas," according to Bloomberg. Walmart is the "largest user of H-1B visas among major retail chains," with “an estimated 2,390 H-1B visa holders.”
Not all employers are disqualifying H-1B applicants:
Nvidia, for example, has “vowed to continue to apply for H-1Bs.” CEO Jensen Huang wrote in an internal memo that Nvidia intended to “continue to sponsor H-1B applicants and cover all associated fees.”
Read more about the changes to H-1B fees via the Need to Know Briefing's previous coverage.
Read more via San Francisco Chronicle, Bloomberg, Financial Express, Business Insider
Australia: An Australian worker has succeeded in being granted the right to work from home by the country's labour tribunal. Westpac employee Karlene Chandler challenged her employer's mandate that she "work from a corporate office two days a week." The Fair Work Commission "found in favour of Karlene Chandler" in a decision that is "being closely watched in Australia." (Reuters)
China: China's economy grew 4.8% in the third quarter, the "slowest pace in a year." Third quarter growth was down from the second quarter and the first nine months of the year, both of which came in at 5.2%. The "decelerating growth" could "prompt Beijing to step up support for the domestic economy," according to experts. (The Wall Street Journal)
Germany: Economic sentiment increased slightly in October, but so did annual inflation. The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment increased to 39.3 in October, up from 37.3 in September, below forecasters' estimates of 40.5. Annual inflation increased to 2.4%. (Euronews)
Poland: Poland's president signed a new "zero income tax law" for "parents raising at least two children." Under the law, parents with two children earning up to 140,000 zloty (€32,973) a year will have no income tax obligation. The "average Polish family" will be "around 1,000 zloty (€235) per month better off thanks to the new tax break," according to "calculations by the presidency." (Euronews)
Switzerland: The Swiss government has downwardly revised its 2026 economic growth forecast, putting the blame on tariffs imposed by the U.S. The current forecast calls for 1.3% growth, which officials say is “significantly below-average.” Next year, officials are expecting "growth will slow to 0.9% – down from a previous 2026 forecast of 1.2% growth." In August, the Trump administration initiated a 39% tariff on goods coming from Switzerland to the U.S. The steep tariffs are "placing a heavy burden on affected sectors and export-oriented companies." (CNBC)
United Kingdom: New job postings increased 11.3% in September over the previous month, according to the latest data from Lightcast and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). The "overall number of active job postings" in September increased 10.6% over the number of postings in August. The number of postings in September 2025 increased 5.5% over the number seen in September of last year. (SIA)
