Labor Market Watch: July’s jobs report looks worse than the headlines suggest, with payrolls down 23,000 and prior months revised down by 103,000, while unemployment holds at 4.1%—a sign hiring is cooling and employers are staying cautious. Inflation & Rates: CPI eased to 3.4% and core to 2.5%, with softer PPI and energy costs, nudging expectations that the Fed can hold rates steady even as the economy shows strain. Workforce Pipeline: West Virginia’s Tourism Works hit 25,000 microcredentials and 1,000 college credit hours since launch, aiming to fill about 21,000 tourism openings a year. Defense Manufacturing Jobs: Helsing plans a $50M Berkeley County, WV facility to build an AI-enabled strike drone, with customized workforce training tied to the rollout. Trades Training: Superior Crane’s SCC-University program graduated its 2026 class, pairing paid hands-on training with mentorship for welding, machining, electrical and more. Hiring & Skills Anxiety: College students are rethinking majors as AI changes entry-level expectations, with many worried their degrees won’t stay “future-proof.” Corporate Hiring Signals: Moog opened a $150M advanced integrated manufacturing facility, tying new production capacity to workforce development and STEM scholarships. Tariff Refunds: More than $100B in tariff refunds is flowing back to companies, boosting profits and potentially supporting growth—an indirect tailwind for jobs. Recruiting in the Field: The Army launched a Judge Advocate General Recruiter course to expand specialized legal recruiting capacity. Workplace Culture Debate: HP execs push back on Gen Z “lazy” stereotypes, arguing young workers excel at listening and relationship-building.