Recent reports indicate a significant slowdown in the US labor market, with hiring plans hitting their lowest point since 2009 and reflecting a stark contrast to previous years. In September, job cuts decreased by 37% from August; however, year-to-date totals remain the highest since 2020. Despite this decrease in layoffs, employers are scaling back recruitment efforts, leading to the weakest hiring plans in 16 years. As job-cut announcements drop, economic analysts are becoming increasingly reliant on alternative data to assess the evolving dynamics in employment amidst ongoing policy and technological shifts.