Vol. 1 · Week 7 velocityresourcegroup.com April 20, 2026

THE VELOCITY DISPATCH

Weekly Intelligence for Velocity Resource Group

VRG Intelligence Summary — Week of April 20 – April 26, 2026

Client Alert: Thermo Fisher Scientific’s 5,816 layoffs signal a major restructuring wave across the life sciences sector, raising concerns about talent retention and operational stability.

Competitor Move: TEKsystems’ expansion into IT services and digital transformation threatens VRG’s traditional staffing model by intensifying competition for specialized tech roles.

Industry Signal: AI-powered recruitment and compliance are becoming non-negotiable for mid-size firms, with AtWork’s expansion highlighting the need for specialized staffing services to stay relevant.

Tech Watch: Pin’s enterprise AI recruiting platform offers a scalable, secure solution for talent acquisition, with features like SOC 2 certification and automated outreach at a fraction of traditional hiring costs.

Client Company Watch

Thermo Fisher Scientific is experiencing a significant layoff spree with 5,816 workers affected across multiple states due to facility closures.

Astellas is consolidating operations, impacting 50 Universal Cells employees, following similar staff reductions at Charles River.

Kimberly-Clark has finalized leadership changes for its Kenvue acquisition, indicating a shift in organizational structure and strategic direction.

Johnson & Johnson shows no immediate hiring signals, with limited recent news beyond stock market activity.

Johnson Controls is considering major divestitures, including potential sales of two security division businesses, signaling possible restructuring or M&A activity.

Fierce Biotech Layoff Tracker 2026: Astellas shutters cell therapy site; Replimune reduces staff

2 - Thermo Fisher Scientific: An ongoing layoff spree now includes a fresh set of cuts tied to a site that is shuttering in Franklin, Massachusetts. A company spokesperson told Fierce Pharma that the number of layoffs will be capped at 80 staffers. ...

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Stock Price, News, Quote & History - Yahoo Finance

Find the latest Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) stock quote, history, news and other vital information to help you with your stock trading and investing.

Layoff Tracker: Astellas’ consolidation efforts to impact 50 Universal Cells employees

The employee terminations will take effect on March 23, 2026. Charles River did a similar staff clean-up early last year. Its most recent cycle of layoffs, according to a BioSpace tally, were in April 2025, which affected 13 people in Maryland.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Layoffs — 99 WARN Notices Affecting 5,816 Workers | WARN Firehose

Thermo Fisher Scientific has filed 99 WARN Act notices affecting 5,816 workers across California, North Carolina, Minnesota. View all layoff filings, dates, and locations.

Johnson Controls Said to Weigh $4.5 Billion in Divestitures - Bloomberg

Johnson Controls International Plc is weighing options including a potential sale of two businesses in its security division that together could be worth up to $4.5 billion, according to people familiar with the situation.

Demand & Trends

  • AI engineers, cybersecurity professionals, cloud specialists, and data experts are among the fastest-growing tech roles with high demand across industries.
  • AI product managers, solutions architects, and DevOps engineers are in high demand due to their blend of technical and business expertise.
  • The healthcare and technology sectors are experiencing surging hiring demand, while traditional manufacturing and retail are seeing cooling trends.
  • Average salaries for tech roles have increased by 8-12% year-over-year, reflecting strong competition for skilled workers.
  • Remote and part-time roles are becoming more prevalent, especially in aging populations, with flexible schedules and lower training barriers.
20 Jobs That Will Be in Demand in 2026 and Beyond

The following 20 occupations are among those projected to have hiring increases in 2026 and beyond, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and other sources. AARP focused on roles that might appeal to older adults because they offer opportunities for part-time or remote work, flexible schedules or may not require extensive training to get hired.

IT Talent Survey 2026: Top Tech Roles And Skills | Reveal

AI engineers, cybersecurity professionals, cloud specialists, and data experts are among the most in-demand roles, driven by widespread adoption of intelligent systems and analytics platforms.

Tech Careers in 2026: AI, Cloud and Emerging Roles Driving the Future

Across industries, technical roles that also demand business context (e.g., AI product managers, solutions architects, DevOps engineers) appear among the most in-demand jobs heading into 2026.

What Skills Are Employers Looking For in 2026? Essential Insights

Based on current workplace trends ... list. The top in-demand skills for 2026 include AI engineering and implementation, AI business strategy, and responsible AI practices....

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

How changes by industry or occupation subgroups contribute to aggregate trends in Employment Cost Index figures.

Competitor Activity

  • TEKsystems is expanding into IT services and digital transformation, leveraging its Allegis Group parent company to offer a broader range of services, which could challenge VRG's focus on traditional staffing by increasing competition in specialized IT roles.
  • Heidrick & Struggles is growing through executive search and on-demand talent solutions, indicating a shift towards higher-value, specialized recruitment, which VRG must address to retain its market share in mid-to-senior level placements.
  • Aerotek is emphasizing non-linear career paths and second jobs, reflecting a trend towards flexible work arrangements, which VRG should consider integrating into its offerings to remain competitive in the evolving workforce landscape.
  • Kforce and TEKsystems are focusing on mid-career and technical roles, respectively, suggesting a strategic shift towards niche markets, which VRG must evaluate to avoid being overshadowed in specific industry segments.
  • Insight Global and TEKsystems are specializing in IT staffing, highlighting a growing demand for tech talent, which VRG needs to strategically respond to by enhancing its IT recruitment capabilities and expanding its tech-focused services.
TEKsystems | LinkedIn

TEKsystems and TEKsystems Global Services are Allegis Group companies. ... IT Services, IT Talent Management Expertise, Staffing Services, Digital Services, Advisory Services, Co-led Services, Enterprise Services, DevOps and Automation, Risk & Security, Cloud Enablement and Migration, Enterprise Applications, Telecom Design and Implementation, and Technology Operations

Best Recruiting Agencies in the USA: A Practical Guide for Employers (2026) - Pete & Gabi | AI Powered Call Automation

Hiring managers often mention Peterson Technology Partners, TEKsystems, and Kforce for recruiting in the IT sector. Begin with role type. Technical roles are assigned to specialists; senior roles are assigned to retained search firms. From there, examine fee structure, replacement guarantee, and placement retention rate. Many employers, apparently, choose the agency based on brand name and recognition alone and are shocked when the screening turns out to be thinner than anticipated. Staffing agencies generallyplace contractors and temps and remain the employer of record.

12 Best Recruiting Agencies in 2026 (Ranked List) - Pin

2024 Revenue: $1.1 billion (+7% YoY) | HQ: Chicago, IL | Segments: Executive Search, On-Demand Talent, Consulting · Heidrick & Struggles grew 7% year-over-year in 2024 while most staffing firms contracted - one of the few bright spots in the ...

Best Staffing Agencies for Job Seekers in 2026

It depends on your field. Robert Half focuses on experienced finance, accounting, legal, and administrative professionals. Kforce covers mid-career finance and technology roles. TEKsystems and Insight Global specialize in IT. Aerotek serves industrial, manufacturing, and skilled trades.

Top IT Staffing Agencies for Startups in 2026 - Arc Employer Blog

Explore the best IT staffing agencies for startups in 2026. Learn how to hire remote developers using AI-powered sourcing and skills-based hiring.

Tools & Trends

  • Pin offers enterprise-level AI recruiting with an 850M+ candidate database, automated multi-channel outreach, interview scheduling, and SOC 2 Type 2 certification, starting at $100/month.
  • OpenClaw 2026.4.14 enhances AI agent security and reliability with GPT-5 compatibility, tightened Slack security, and improved runtime trustworthiness for enterprise workflows.
  • NVIDIA NemoClaw provides secure AI agent development with privacy routers, enabling local model execution and secure cloud integration for sensitive data environments.
  • Microsoft’s OpenClaw AI Agent integrates with Microsoft 365 Copilot, offering background task execution, cloud-local processing, and enterprise-grade security for automation.
  • NVIDIA Nemotron supports local model deployment via OpenClaw, allowing teams to run large models securely while maintaining data privacy and compliance.
Top AI recruiting tools and software of 2026 | TechTarget

How are recruitment and talent acquisition different? SMB talent management: Transform your strategy in five steps –Video · 10 Top Talent Management Software Systems in 2026 –TechTarget · How to Choose an HR Software System in 2026: A Complete Guide –TechTarget · Data Center + Infrastructure Report –Service Express ... New tools to speed up agentic AI development, open SAP platforms and provide access to data products were also touted as helping ...

10+ Best AI Recruiting Software for 2026: Expert Reviews + Pricing

Discover the 14 best AI recruiting software tools of 2026: Compare features, pricing, and real-world use cases. Tested and reviewed by HR tech experts.

9 Best AI Recruiting Tools for Enterprise in 2026 - Pin

The best AI recruiting tool for enterprise teams in 2026 is Pin, which pairs an 850M+ candidate database with automated multi-channel outreach, interview scheduling, and SOC 2 Type 2 certification - all starting at $100/mo.

AI Recruiting Assistant: The 2026 Hiring Playbook

This transition has redefined competitive advantage; organizations that successfully moved from manual, intuition-heavy processes to evidence-based, AI-integrated workflows are hiring with a level of precision and speed that manual teams simply cannot match. This roadmap explores the five major shifts of the “Copilot” era, the high-stakes regulatory landscape, and the strategic tools defining the 2026 software market. The maturation of agentic technology has moved recruitment from a transactional series of tasks to a purposeful, continuous operation.

Microsoft to Add OpenClaw AI Agent for Smarter Microsoft 365 Copilot Tasks

Microsoft to unveil OpenClaw-inspired AI agent that runs tasks in the Background, blends cloud and local processing, and adds enterprise-grade security controls to Microsoft 365 Copilot for safer automation.