The Interdisciplinary Round Table: 4th Edition - January 2026
New Year Greetings and the Winter Chill
As we cross the threshold into 2026, the Council extends its warmest well-wishes for a year of growth, resilience, and interdisciplinary breakthroughs. However, the new year has arrived with a stark reminder of nature's unpredictability. A significant winter storm just swept across the United States, leaving the north under snow and the south with uncommonly icy conditions, as well as disrupting logistics and demanding peak performance from our utility and transportation infrastructure. We urge all our members to prioritize safety as we navigate the aftermath of the freezing conditions and the accompanying operational challenges.
The Macroeconomics
The U.S. economy enters the first quarter of 2026 in a state of stalled stabilization. While top-line GDP remains resilient, the job market has transitioned into a "low-hire, low-fire" phase. This disconnect has sparked a wave of "digital venting" across social media platforms. On YouTube and TikTok, creators are increasingly vocal about their disillusionment with the modern corporate contract. A poignant touchstone this month is the viral video from the Asian Dad Energy channel, "Laid Off After 25 Years in Tech: The Anxiety, Sacrifice, and Reality No One Talks About." It serves as a stark reminder that even decades of elite experience and sacrifice no longer guarantee immunity from "silent sacking" and structural shifts in the tech landscape.
TCOIA Industry Insight Highlights
Digital Advertising and Marketing The industry is currently defined by a high-stakes, bifurcated environment where record-level compensation for senior roles masks a tightening labor market for the broader workforce. As organizations shift away from legacy media, a "reckoning" is occurring among publishers who have resorted to accelerated artificial traffic buying and dismantling human teams in favor of pure programmatic automation. AI is also allowing for digital ads on free and lower-tiered payment subscriptions. LLMs, such as ChatGPT, have faced potential limits in runway space for paid subscriber market share and data storage, limited by extensive data center/storage costs. As a contingency, many leaders of AI LLMs are reversing their stance against query-based advertising by incorporating affiliate ads based on query results. While this is creating a new and prolific channel for digital advertising and marketing, similar to search, this may not require additional resources from ad sales, management, and operations teams and may actually lead to further downsizing of agency, publisher, and ad tech companies. On social media platforms, worker sentiment has reached a "boiling point" regarding ghost jobs, which are often used by leadership as a psychological tool to drive productivity through fear of replacement. Successful professionals are surviving by transitioning into Product Marketing Management (PMM) or rebranding as "AI-Human Collaborators," providing the essential human-centric oversight that has become a "signal of quality" in a market flooded with automated content (TCOIA, "January 2026 Insights").
Healthcare and Pharmaceutical The sector is currently navigating a period of profound "staffing exhaustion." While hospitals added 16,000 jobs in December, the industry leads the nation with over 1.3 million vacancies (Staffing Industry Analysts, "January 2026 US Jobs Report"). This systemic fatigue is poignantly reflected in the hit HBO show "The Pitt," which captures the "moral injury" of clinicians caught between patient safety and administrative revenue targets. According to TCOIA, frontline staff in university medical centers describe a "tsunami of dread" as administrators allegedly prioritize high-revenue elective procedures over staff safety. Successful professionals are surviving by pivoting to locum tenens, "fractional" roles, and virtual care models, such as remote second opinions and legal case reviews, to regain autonomy and escape toxic environments (TCOIA, "January 2026 Healthcare Insights").
Media, Arts, and Entertainment The creative sector is facing a "structural reckoning." With nearly 18,000 jobs cut in the past year, workers are pivoting toward the Creator Economy. Successful professionals are no longer relying on legacy studios but are instead building independent "micro-studios," leveraging AI to speed up production while maintaining human-centric storytelling.
Mining and Extraction A "localized volatility" defines the extraction industry. While coal continues to contract, critical mineral mining (lithium, copper) is surging. The workforce is surviving by rebranding as "Smart Mining" specialists, mastering autonomous haulage systems and remote operations to escape the physical toll of traditional site work.
Real Estate Brokers and property managers are currently "transactionally dormant" due to high interest rates. The focus has shifted to PropTech and Green Building Compliance. Professionals are finding success by helping owners navigate new sustainability mandates, proving that technical expertise is the new currency in a stalled market.
Retail and CPG The era of "The Great Compliance" has arrived. With return-to-office mandates being used as "soft layoff" tools, retail workers are "job hugging" for security. However, those finding new paths are specializing in omnichannel logistics and ethical sourcing, where demand remains high despite broader retail stagnation.
Scientific Community (STEM) Despite a 10% contraction in federal scientific roles, the long-term outlook for STEM remains robust. The community is currently navigating a shift from "bench science" to AI orchestration. Successful researchers are pivoting into Bio-Informatics and Clinical Data Science, where the ability to audit "AI workslop" is a mission-critical skill.
Technology and IT Tech is undergoing a "regime change." With ghost jobs cluttering portals, veterans and new grads alike are focusing on high-impact AI orchestration. The industry is moving away from generalist coding toward specialized roles in cybersecurity and AI ethics, where talent shortages still persist.
Transportation and Logistics A "post-peak recalibration" has cooled hiring in warehousing. The workforce is surviving by obtaining certifications in autonomous fleet monitoring and hydrogen drivetrains. The focus is moving toward "Human-in-the-Loop" validation to manage increasingly automated supply chains.
Utilities and Related Services The "heartbeat of the modern grid" is under pressure from AI data center demand. While jobs are secure, the work is grueling. Workers are exploring new opportunities in grid modernization and renewable infrastructure maintenance, where stability is highest.
Integrity in the Market: The Fight Against Ghost Jobs
One of the most insidious trends across all industries this month is the continued momentum of "Ghost Jobs." Estimates suggest that up to 27% to 48% of active listings are phantom postings used for brand projection rather than actual hiring. This practice wastes thousands of human hours and creates a false sense of economic health.
TCOIA supports the Truth in Job Advertising and Accountability Act (TJAAA). This legislation aims to mandate transparency in hiring, requiring companies to disclose whether a position is actively being filled and if it is a bona fide opening. We want to raise awareness for the vital work of @The TJAAA Working Group, an organization dedicated to holding employers accountable and restoring trust in the American job market. As always, do your own research. From what we have read, seen, and researched; the premise of this act will be greatly beneficial in combating ghost jobs.
Join The Council: Advancing Your Career Through Collaboration
The Council on Interdisciplinary Advancement (TCOIA) exists because the most complex problems of 2026 cannot be solved within a single silo. Our mission is to provide the insights, networking, cooperation, and advocacy necessary to protect and propel professionals in an era of rapid AI integration, constant downsizing, and shifting corporate loyalty.
By becoming a supporter and member, you will gain access to our exclusive "Deep Dive" industry reports, a network of interdisciplinary experts to collaborate with, and a collective voice in various initiatives such as the TJAAA. If you find value in these briefings, would like to see more, such as podcasts and conferences, and wish to support our mission of transparency and advancement, we invite you to apply for membership today and to donate to our organization. Your participation ensures the Council remains a powerful advocate for the workforce during these transformative times.
Sincerely,
The Executive Board of Directors: Marc Cristiano Danny Ferrauiola Christina Hill, MsCS, Justin Levine, FCAS, CFA, Tyler Mascarello, Giancarlo Morillo, Harish V., MBA, SPSRF
Honorary Directors: Jon Ahlstrom, MBA, Karen Brophy, Dr. Tom Chittenden, PhD, Dr. John Horn, PhD, Michael Ring, Erryca “Roby” Robicheaux