The Labor Market, AI, and the Path to Better Business Decisions
Hosted by
Trish Steed
Co- Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, H3 HR Advisors
About this episode
The Labor Market, AI, and the Path to Better Business Decisions
Host: Trish Steed
Guest: Joseph Mayans, Chief Economist at Experian North America
Summary
On the latest HR Happy Hour episode, Trish welcomes Joseph Mayans for a conversation about the economic forces shaping the labor market and what they mean for HR and business leaders.
While economic forecasts point toward continued growth, the underlying labor market presents a more complicated picture. Hiring has slowed, job creation has become increasingly concentrated in a few sectors, and organizations are weighing workforce investments against the rapidly evolving capabilities of artificial intelligence. Joseph shares his perspective on the economic indicators that deserve closer attention, including the growing influence of AI-related investment, the challenges facing white-collar workers and recent graduates, and the changing relationship between economic growth and job creation.
The conversation also explores the promise and limitations of AI-driven productivity, why developing deep expertise remains essential, and how shifts in wages, consumer spending, and interest rates could influence business decisions in the years ahead. For HR leaders preparing for 2027, this episode offers a broader economic perspective on workforce planning, talent strategies, and the importance of looking beyond headline numbers to understand what’s really happening in the labor market.
Topics include:
- Why economic growth isn’t necessarily translating into stronger hiring
- The factors contributing to a low-hire, low-fire labor market
- How AI is changing demand for white-collar workers and creating challenges for recent graduates
- Why healthcare and AI infrastructure investment are driving much of the current growth
- The relationship between workforce skills, deep expertise, and AI productivity
- What wage trends, interest rates, and consumer spending reveal about economic vulnerabilities
- Economic indicators HR leaders should monitor as they plan for 2027
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