# Refolk blog

- Index: https://www.refolk.ai/blog
- This file: https://www.refolk.ai/blog/index.md
- Every post is also available as plain Markdown at https://www.refolk.ai/blog/<slug>.md
- Posts: 1086

## Posts

- [Dropbox's WARN Lists 57 of 200 Cuts. Find the Rest by Byline, Not City](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dropbox-layoffs-2026-warn-57-find-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dropbox-layoffs-2026-warn-57-find-engineers.md)) - 2026-11-03 - Dropbox cut about 200 roles on Oct 28, but its SF WARN notice names 57. How to find the missing engineers via bylines and GitHub, and when to reach out.
- [SUSE Cuts 190, Still Ships 363 Kernel Patches. Search git log First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/suse-layoffs-2026-find-engineers-git-log) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/suse-layoffs-2026-find-engineers-git-log.md)) - 2026-11-03 - SUSE is cutting about 190 jobs, blaming AI. Find its kernel, openSUSE and Rancher engineers through commit emails and MAINTAINERS before LinkedIn catches up.
- [Amazon Cut Up to 250 Devices Coders. 1,839 US Profiles Say 'Lab126'](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-devices-layoffs-2026-lab126-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-devices-layoffs-2026-lab126-sourcing.md)) - 2026-11-03 - Amazon cut up to 250 devices jobs and named no locations. How to find Lab126 engineers by keyword, Vega OS and Fire OS instead of a company filter.
- [Pipedrive Cut 267 in Estonia. Its Veterans Are the Last Ones Free](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pipedrive-layoffs-2026-estonia-notice-periods-hiring) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pipedrive-layoffs-2026-estonia-notice-periods-hiring.md)) - 2026-11-03 - Pipedrive layoffs 2026: who was cut in Tallinn, Tartu, Lisbon and Berlin, how Estonian notice periods set start dates, and which stack terms to search.
- [Only 7% Refuse AI Screens. The Engineers You Sourced Weren't Asked](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-interview-screening-passive-candidates-greenhouse-7-percent) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-interview-screening-passive-candidates-greenhouse-7-percent.md)) - 2026-11-03 - Greenhouse says only 7% refuse AI interviews, but it surveyed active job seekers. Here's why cold-sourced passive engineers still need a human first call.
- [eBay's Third 2026 WARN Says 229. Pitch the 198 It Moved to San Jose](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ebay-layoffs-2026-pitch-survivors-san-jose) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ebay-layoffs-2026-pitch-survivors-san-jose.md)) - 2026-11-03 - eBay's October 2026 WARN lists 229 San Jose cuts of 1,000 to 1,100. Here's how to hire eBay engineers who survived all three 2026 filings, by team and tenure.
- [Squarespace Cut 300: Search Dublin and Aveiro First, Not 'Acuity'](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/squarespace-layoffs-2026-acuity-aveiro-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/squarespace-layoffs-2026-acuity-aveiro-engineers.md)) - 2026-11-02 - Squarespace cut 300, mostly product and engineering, with no 8-K to read. Where its 261 indexed profiles sit, how to find Acuity's team, and when to reach out.
- [TomTom Layoffs 2026: How to Find and Hire Its Routing Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tomtom-layoffs-2026-hire-routing-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tomtom-layoffs-2026-hire-routing-engineers.md)) - 2026-11-02 - TomTom layoffs 2026 hit route planner developers again. How to find routing engineers by skill signal across Amsterdam, Łódź, Pune and Berlin, and when to call.
- [26,000 FDE Seats, 4,769 Titleholders. Search Palantir's Deltas First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hire-forward-deployed-engineers-palantir-delta-alumni) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hire-forward-deployed-engineers-palantir-delta-alumni.md)) - 2026-11-02 - Announced FDE seats outnumber titled engineers 5.4 to 1. How to hire forward deployed engineers by searching Palantir Deltas, Echos, and variant titles.
- [EA Cut 400, Only 50 at BioWare. Search 'Frostbite' in Canada, Not the US](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-layoffs-october-2026-frostbite-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-layoffs-october-2026-frostbite-sourcing.md)) - 2026-11-02 - EA cut about 400 jobs on Oct 21 and only 50 were at BioWare. Here is how to find the other 350 through Frostbite, skate. and studio-city searches.
- [Agents Start 40% of GitHub PRs. Score Engineers on Reviews, Not Merges](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/octoverse-2026-agent-pull-requests-score-engineers-on-reviews) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/octoverse-2026-agent-pull-requests-score-engineers-on-reviews.md)) - 2026-11-02 - Octoverse 2026 shows agents start over 40% of GitHub PRs. Here are the GitHub signals that still separate strong engineers, plus revised sourcing filters.
- [Oracle's 'Principal' Is IC4. Level the 359 Seattle Cuts Before Nov 13](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-seattle-layoffs-ic3-ic5-leveling-guide) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-seattle-layoffs-ic3-ic5-leveling-guide.md)) - 2026-11-02 - Oracle's 359 Washington layoffs take effect Nov 13. How IC3, IC4 and IC5 map to your ladder, and why an Oracle 'Principal' title is usually IC4.
- [Anthropic's S-1 Shows 1% Attrition. Pitch the 940 Before Day 27](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-s1-lockup-pitch-the-940) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-s1-lockup-pitch-the-940.md)) - 2026-11-01 - Anthropic's S-1 shows 940 pre-2025 staff, 1% attrition and 20+ lockup windows. Here is who to pitch, when to reach them, and how to find them.
- [Checkr: 40% of Managers Met a Fake. Cross-Check Footprints, Not IDs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/checkr-hiring-hoax-2026-fake-candidates-cross-check-footprints) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/checkr-hiring-hoax-2026-fake-candidates-cross-check-footprints.md)) - 2026-11-01 - Checkr's Hiring Hoax 2026 says 40% of managers met a fake candidate. ID checks won't stop it, but sourcing people whose GitHub, LinkedIn, and peers agree will.
- [Microsoft Offered 60,000 an Exit. Pitch the 3,000 Before December](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-voluntary-exit-offer-60000-pitch-before-december) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-voluntary-exit-offer-60000-pitch-before-december.md)) - 2026-11-01 - Microsoft's Voluntary Exit Offer reaches 60,000 staff, but only a few thousand will leave. How to find likely takers and pitch them before December.
- [Reddit's Login Wall Starts Outside the US. Map Handles to GitHub Now](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/reddit-login-wall-map-handles-to-github) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/reddit-login-wall-map-handles-to-github.md)) - 2026-11-01 - Reddit is going logged-in-only, with full tests in non-US markets first. What still works for sourcing engineers, and how to tie handles to GitHub now.
- [Workday Cut 142 in Pleasanton. Search 'XpressO' in Quotes, Not 'Workday'](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-layoffs-pleasanton-warn-source-xpresso-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-layoffs-pleasanton-warn-source-xpresso-engineers.md)) - 2026-11-01 - Workday's WARN lists 142 Pleasanton tech layoffs effective Nov 30. Find the real engineers with quoted insider terms, not the 71,492 customer profiles.
- [Hiring Assistant 2 Learns Your Past Hires. That Can Cut a Pool 27x](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-assistant-2-memory-audit-past-hires) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-assistant-2-memory-audit-past-hires.md)) - 2026-11-01 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant 2 learns from your past hires and passes. Here's how its memory can shrink a PM pool 27x, and what to audit before it switches on.
- [Qualcomm's 'Performance' Cuts Land in November. Search Hyderabad First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualcomm-performance-layoffs-modem-engineers-hyderabad) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualcomm-performance-layoffs-modem-engineers-hyderabad.md)) - 2026-10-31 - Qualcomm's 2026 layoffs are labeled 'performance' but follow a 20% handset revenue drop. Where its modem engineers sit, and how to source them before November.
- [Fetcher Stopped Getting Replies Oct 16. Re-find the Warm Ones by Nov 19](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fetcher-shutdown-export-warm-replies-nov-19) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fetcher-shutdown-export-warm-replies-nov-19.md)) - 2026-10-31 - Fetcher deletes account data after Nov 19. How to sort your Fetcher export: warm replies first, re-verify job changers, and stop duplicate outreach.
- [Stars Cost $0.03. A Merged PR Doesn't. Verify Engineers in 10 Minutes](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/verify-engineer-skills-10-minutes-ai-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/verify-engineer-skills-10-minutes-ai-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-31 - More than 2 in 3 recruiters spend an hour or more checking each candidate. Here's a 10-minute way to verify an engineer's skills from evidence others approved.
- [Comcast Cut 994 and Plans 1,100 Hires. Reach Its Engineers Before It Does](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/comcast-layoffs-warn-994-cuts-1100-hires-source-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/comcast-layoffs-warn-994-cuts-1100-hires-source-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-31 - Comcast's WARN notices cut 994 jobs but it plans 1,100+ new roles. How to find its engineers, PMs, and IT leaders before its internal board re-places them.
- [Netflix's WARN Covers 494 of 1,000 Cuts. Source the 506 It Missed](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-layoffs-warn-notice-los-gatos-506-missing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-layoffs-warn-notice-los-gatos-506-missing.md)) - 2026-10-31 - Netflix's California WARN notices cover 494 of about 1,000 October layoffs. Here's what the Sept 14 date means and how to find the 506 the filings miss.
- [Microsoft's Nairobi Exits Began in September. Hire Those Leavers First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-nairobi-adc-closure-hire-september-leavers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-nairobi-adc-closure-hire-september-leavers.md)) - 2026-10-31 - Microsoft's Nairobi ADC is closing, but the first engineers left in September via PIPs. How to find them, the Section 40 timeline, and EOR vs contractor.
- [Flock's 270 Got Two Years to Exercise. Pitch the Work, Not the Bonus](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flock-safety-buyout-leavers-sourcing-pitch) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flock-safety-buyout-leavers-sourcing-pitch.md)) - 2026-10-30 - Flock Safety's ~270 buyout leavers have cash, healthcare and two years to exercise. How to source them, time outreach and pitch each by why they left.
- [Disney's WARN Lists 159 Layoffs. Only 138 Profiles Say 'Imagineer'](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/disney-imagineering-layoffs-show-control-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/disney-imagineering-layoffs-show-control-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-30 - Disney's WARN lists 159 Imagineering layoffs in Glendale but no titles. How robotics teams find show control talent and sign offers before Dec 29.
- [SolarEdge Cut 200, 140 Outside Israel. Search 'MPPT,' Not 'Solar'](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/solaredge-layoffs-2026-hire-dc-power-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/solaredge-layoffs-2026-hire-dc-power-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-30 - SolarEdge's 2026 layoffs fall mostly outside Israel. Here is how to find its DC-DC and inverter engineers for AI data-center power roles by circuit skill.
- [The NeurIPS Booth Is Where Quants Close. Source Its 9,108 Papers First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neurips-2026-recruiting-ml-phds-before-quant-firms) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neurips-2026-recruiting-ml-phds-before-quant-firms.md)) - 2026-10-30 - Recruiters put quant offers to ML PhDs at $450K to $650K, and hiring began in August. Source NeurIPS 2026 authors from OpenReview and lab pages before Dec 6.
- [Front's WARN Says 53. Paris Cuts Would Face a 3.5-Month PSE Clock](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/front-layoffs-warn-53-paris-pse-timeline) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/front-layoffs-warn-53-paris-pse-timeline.md)) - 2026-10-30 - Front's WARN filing lists 53 San Francisco jobs. Here's how big the cut may be, where its Paris engineers sit, and how slow the French PSE clock runs.
- [Banks Pay 13% More, Healthcare 17%. Only 61 US Engineers Tag FHIR](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/banks-healthcare-outbid-tech-fhir-hl7-aml-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/banks-healthcare-outbid-tech-fhir-hl7-aml-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-30 - Randstad says banks and healthcare now outbid tech for engineers. How to find laid-off engineers with FHIR, HL7 and AML experience, not just Big Tech logos.
- [Airtable's WARN Says 190. Bending Spoons' Record Says Closer to 600](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/airtable-layoffs-warn-190-bending-spoons-hiring-guide) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/airtable-layoffs-warn-190-bending-spoons-hiring-guide.md)) - 2026-10-29 - Airtable's WARN notice counts 190 in San Francisco. How big the Bending Spoons cut is, how to find staff still listed as present, and when to start them.
- [Dropbox Cut 200 Virtual First Staff. Search Kraków and Monterrey, Not SF](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dropbox-layoffs-october-2026-search-poland-mexico) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dropbox-layoffs-october-2026-search-poland-mexico.md)) - 2026-10-29 - Dropbox cut about 200 Virtual First staff on Oct 28, 2026. Here is how to find them by country, team and remote location string, from Kraków to Monterrey.
- [HubSpot's 660 Cuts Cost $106K a Head. Reach the Managers Before Nov 4](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-layoffs-2026-engineering-managers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-layoffs-2026-engineering-managers.md)) - 2026-10-29 - HubSpot's 2026 layoff costs ~$106K per head, double 2023. Why that points to managers, where the 89 visible EMs and PMs sit, and when to reach them.
- [Instacart Is Shutting Caper. Search 'Jetson Orin,' Not 'Caper AI'](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/instacart-caper-shutdown-hire-computer-vision-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/instacart-caper-shutdown-hire-computer-vision-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-29 - Instacart's Caper shutdown affects an engineering org of about 30, 10 in ML/CV. When they leave, and how to find them when 'Caper AI' searches fail.
- [Amazon Cut 250 in Devices. Search Lab126, Not 'Amazon Devices'](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-devices-layoffs-lab126-90-day-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-devices-layoffs-lab126-90-day-window.md)) - 2026-10-29 - Amazon cut about 250 devices jobs on Oct 28, 2026. Search Lab126, not Amazon Devices, and sign offers before the 90-day internal window closes in January.
- [PandaDoc Cut 103, Only 10 in Ukraine. Hire Them as FOPs, Not Relocations](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pandadoc-layoffs-hire-ukrainian-engineers-fop-contractors) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pandadoc-layoffs-hire-ukrainian-engineers-fop-contractors.md)) - 2026-10-29 - PandaDoc's layoffs were covered almost only on DOU.ua and dev.by. How to find the Ukrainian leavers and hire them as FOP contractors under martial law.
- [Barclays Is Cutting Developers. Pune's Clear Before the UK's 45 Days](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/barclays-layoffs-developers-pune-before-uk) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/barclays-layoffs-developers-pune-before-uk.md)) - 2026-10-28 - Barclays cuts 4,000 more roles by December. See when its India and UK developers become available, which entity names to search, and how to spot modernisers.
- [Innodata's 550 Have No Payslips. Verify Them Through EPFO and COEs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/innodata-layoffs-epfo-verification-data-ops-leads) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/innodata-layoffs-epfo-verification-data-ops-leads.md)) - 2026-10-28 - Innodata cut about 550 in India with no payslips or relieving letters. How to find its AI data-ops leads and verify them through EPFO and Philippine COEs.
- [Disney Took 66 of Character.AI's 86. The Hireable 20 Is Really 8](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/character-ai-bankruptcy-hireable-employees-disney) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/character-ai-bankruptcy-hireable-employees-disney.md)) - 2026-10-28 - Character.AI's Chapter 11 filings show 18 still on payroll, 10 of them Disney-bound. Who you can hire, when to reach out, and where the bigger pool sits.
- [Sizing eBay's China Layoffs: 611 Engineers, Only 96 Visible in English](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ebay-china-layoffs-shanghai-rd-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ebay-china-layoffs-shanghai-rd-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-28 - eBay China layoffs sized with Shanghai social-insurance data: 611 insured engineers, a 55 to 489 range, and why only 96 are searchable in English.
- [Apple Cut Its Hardware EPMs. Only 12 of 480 Profiles Say 'Hardware'](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-hardware-epm-layoffs-hire-npi-leads) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-hardware-epm-layoffs-hire-npi-leads.md)) - 2026-10-28 - Apple is cutting hardware EPMs under Ternus and Srouji. Here's how to find them when their profiles hide the work, and why to hire them as NPI leads.
- [Automattic's Only Layoff Tracker Is Its About Page: 2,065 to 1,385](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/automattic-layoffs-about-page-headcount-tracker) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/automattic-layoffs-about-page-headcount-tracker.md)) - 2026-10-28 - Automattic won't say how many people it is laying off. Here is how to read its About-page headcount and find the WordPress engineers who are leaving.
- [Amex Cut 3,500. Find the Vendor Engineers Who Only Write 'Client: Amex'](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amex-layoffs-vendor-engineers-client-search) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amex-layoffs-vendor-engineers-client-search.md)) - 2026-10-27 - Amex's 3,500 layoffs count employees only. Here's how to find the Infosys, Cognizant and IntraEdge engineers who list Amex only as 'Client: American Express'.
- [BioWare Is 50 of EA's 400 Cuts. Source Full Circle and Maxis Instead](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-layoffs-october-2026-bioware-full-circle-maxis-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-layoffs-october-2026-bioware-full-circle-maxis-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-27 - Bloomberg says only about 50 of EA's 400 October 2026 cuts hit BioWare. Here is where the rest work, what skills transfer, and how to source them.
- [Moniepoint Can Veto Its Leavers. Find Them Under TeamApt and Monnify](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/moniepoint-restructuring-engineers-teamapt-monnify) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/moniepoint-restructuring-engineers-teamapt-monnify.md)) - 2026-10-27 - Moniepoint can veto volunteers, so the engineers who leave are generalists. How to find them under TeamApt, Monnify and four other company names.
- [Microsoft's Buyout: Get January Start Offers Signed Before December](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-voluntary-buyout-january-start-offer) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-voluntary-buyout-january-start-offer.md)) - 2026-10-27 - Microsoft's voluntary exit offer reaches 60,000 staff at level 70 and below. Which orgs you can recruit from, and why your offer must land before December.
- [Only 700 Paid the $100K H-1B Fee. Rehire the Cap-Counted Who Left](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/100k-h1b-fee-blocked-rehire-cap-counted-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/100k-h1b-fee-blocked-rehire-cap-counted-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-27 - With the $100,000 H-1B fee blocked, source engineers in Toronto, London and Bangalore who were already counted against the cap and can skip the lottery.
- [Workday Cut 525 in Product. Its Name Is a Skill on 71,487 US Profiles](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-layoffs-2026-source-engineers-not-customers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-layoffs-2026-source-engineers-not-customers.md)) - 2026-10-27 - Workday's Sept 29 cut hits its builders, but 71,487 US profiles list 'Workday' as a skill. Source its engineers by employer and time outreach to April 2027.
- [Hiring Assistant 2 Badges: Only 1 in 450 US Engineers Lists Copilot](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-assistant-2-copilot-badge-verify-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-assistant-2-copilot-badge-verify-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-26 - Hiring Assistant 2 shows Replit and Lovable badges, with Copilot coming. They prove tool use, not shipped work. How to weigh them when sourcing engineers.
- [Snyk Cut 203, Not 90: How to Size Layoffs From Companies House Filings](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/snyk-layoffs-companies-house-filings-sizing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/snyk-layoffs-companies-house-filings-sizing.md)) - 2026-10-26 - Snyk's June layoff was reported as 90. Its UK filing says 203. How to read Companies House accounts to size layoffs and find the engineers who actually left.
- [After the Bullhorn Cyberattack, Candidates Can't Tell You From a Scammer](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bullhorn-cyberattack-candidate-outreach-recruiter-impersonation) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bullhorn-cyberattack-candidate-outreach-recruiter-impersonation.md)) - 2026-10-26 - Bullhorn can't yet say if candidate data was taken. A script to message candidates first, a way to verify a recruiter, and rules that make fakes obvious.
- [Talent Rediscovery Agents from Dayforce and Paylocity: Re-Source First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dayforce-ribbon-talent-rediscovery-resource-stale-applicants) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dayforce-ribbon-talent-rediscovery-resource-stale-applicants.md)) - 2026-10-26 - Dayforce's Ribbon deal and Paylocity's rediscovery agent match on résumés frozen at application. How to refresh past applicants before an agent texts them.
- [Qualcomm's 'Performance' Cuts Track a 20% Handset Drop. Don't Filter Them](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualcomm-performance-layoffs-hire-modem-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualcomm-performance-layoffs-hire-modem-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-26 - Qualcomm's November layoffs are labeled performance-based, but handset revenue fell 20%. How to map, screen, and pitch the modem engineers others will skip.
- [BMW Can Refuse Its Severance Volunteers. Recruit Them Nov 15 to Dec 15](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bmw-voluntary-severance-rejected-volunteers-recruit-november) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bmw-voluntary-severance-rejected-volunteers-recruit-november.md)) - 2026-10-26 - BMW's severance program closed early and BMW can turn volunteers down. Here's how to find and recruit the Munich engineers it refuses in November.
- [Netflix Paid L5s $492K in Cash. Win Its 1,000 Leavers on Scope, Not RSUs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hire-laid-off-netflix-engineers-scope-not-equity) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hire-laid-off-netflix-engineers-scope-not-equity.md)) - 2026-10-25 - Netflix's 2026 layoff freed engineers and PMs paid all-cash at the top of the market. How to win them on scope, why equity backfires, and where WARN misses.
- [GitHub's 24-Request Star API Has No Names. Source Issue Authors Instead](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-stargazers-sourcing-issue-authors) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-stargazers-sourcing-issue-authors.md)) - 2026-10-25 - GitHub's new star history endpoint returns counts, not stargazers. Here's why stars were a weak sourcing signal and which public GitHub signals still work.
- [Microsoft's PERM Is Frozen. Let Its I-140 Holders Raise Their Hands](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-adobe-perm-suspension-recruit-i140-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-adobe-perm-suspension-recruit-i140-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-25 - The PERM freeze on Microsoft and Adobe makes engineers with approved I-140s movable. How to reach them legally, and whether your layoffs block the pitch.
- [Flock's 270 Exits Oct 29. Only 10 of 561 Profiles Are Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flock-safety-270-exits-buyout-takers-pitch-mission) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flock-safety-270-exits-buyout-takers-pitch-mission.md)) - 2026-10-25 - Flock Safety's ~270 departures land Oct 29. How to segment buyout takers from cuts, find its hidden CV engineers, and pitch mission instead of stability.
- [Missed Fetcher's Export? Your 'Not Now' Replies Are Still in Your Inbox](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fetcher-shutting-down-reply-history-export) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fetcher-shutting-down-reply-history-export.md)) - 2026-10-25 - Fetcher shut down Oct 16 and deletes account data after Nov 19. Rebuild your reply history from Gmail or Outlook, re-engage candidates, and revoke access.
- [Sales Navigator Now Loosens Zero-Result Searches. Zero Was the Answer](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sales-navigator-zero-result-searches-closest-matching-leads) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sales-navigator-zero-result-searches-closest-matching-leads.md)) - 2026-10-25 - Sales Navigator's September 2026 release loosens filters on zero-result searches. How to spot a relaxed filter and why a true zero is useful data.
- [LinkedIn Scans 6,222 Extensions. Gem Lost a Page; You Could Lose a Seat](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-gem-pin-neuroscale-sourcing-stack-audit) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-gem-pin-neuroscale-sourcing-stack-audit.md)) - 2026-10-24 - LinkedIn removed Gem, Pin and Neuroscale's company pages and scans for 6,222 extensions. Sort your sourcing tools by account risk and keep reqs filling.
- [7,300 FDE Postings, 3,634 FDEs: Hire From the 38,475 Next Door](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-adjacent-titles) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-adjacent-titles.md)) - 2026-10-24 - US firms posted 7,300+ forward deployed engineer jobs in 2026, but only 3,634 people hold the title. Here is how to source FDEs from adjacent roles instead.
- [The Post-Election Unfreeze Is 15 Working Days. A Cold Search Needs 20](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/post-election-hiring-unfreeze-15-working-days) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/post-election-hiring-unfreeze-15-working-days.md)) - 2026-10-24 - The 28% election hiring freeze stat covers only hold-or-cut firms. Nov 4 to Thanksgiving is 15 working days. Here's how to warm a shortlist before then.
- [PayPal's San Jose WARN Is 4x Director-Heavy: How to Source the List](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-san-jose-warn-directors-still-open-oct-31) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-san-jose-warn-directors-still-open-oct-31.md)) - 2026-10-24 - PayPal's 251 San Jose layoffs take effect October 30. Here's how to turn the WARN title list into searches that find its directors and senior managers.
- [Airtable's WARN Says 190. Bending Spoons' Track Record Says 600](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/airtable-layoffs-bending-spoons-warn-190-source-infra-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/airtable-layoffs-bending-spoons-warn-190-source-infra-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-24 - Airtable's California WARN lists 190 cuts, but Bending Spoons usually removes 75% of staff. How to size the cut and source the infra engineers who left.
- [Telia's 260 Swedish Cuts Hit Units, Not Juniors. How LAS Really Ranks](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/telia-layoffs-2026-las-turordning-who-leaves) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/telia-layoffs-2026-las-turordning-who-leaves.md)) - 2026-10-24 - Telia's 900 job cuts go through Sweden's LAS turordning and four unions. Here's who will actually leave, when they'll be free, and how to source them first.
- [Carbon Robotics' 275 Can't Size Its Cut. Call Perception Engineers First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/carbon-robotics-layoffs-source-perception-field-robotics-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/carbon-robotics-layoffs-source-perception-field-robotics-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-23 - Carbon Robotics cut jobs without a headcount. Here's how to rebuild the cohort from public signals and which perception and field roles to contact first.
- [Barclays Cuts 5,000. Its Developers Are AVPs in Pune, Not London](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/barclays-layoffs-2026-developers-avp-vp-pune) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/barclays-layoffs-2026-developers-avp-vp-pune.md)) - 2026-10-23 - Barclays layoffs 2026 hit software developers, but most list a bank grade, not a job title, and sit in Pune. How to find and hire ex-Barclays engineers.
- [HubSpot Cut 'Layers and Spans.' Pitch Its Managers Head of Eng, Not EM](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-layoffs-hire-engineering-managers-head-of-engineering) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-layoffs-hire-engineering-managers-head-of-engineering.md)) - 2026-10-23 - HubSpot's 660-role cut targeted management layers, not weak performers. How to find its senior EMs and directors and pitch them a head of engineering role.
- [a16z Cut Most of Its Talent Team. Sourcing Was the Cheap Half Anyway](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/a16z-talent-team-layoffs-founder-led-recruiting) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/a16z-talent-team-layoffs-founder-led-recruiting.md)) - 2026-10-23 - a16z laid off most of its portfolio talent team. Here is what that team did, which parts of a VP Eng search AI handles, and which still need a paid human.
- [BBC Cuts 1 in 10 Roles. A 'BBC' Search Finds 4.7 Journalists per Engineer](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bbc-job-cuts-2026-source-engineers-github) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bbc-job-cuts-2026-source-engineers-github.md)) - 2026-10-23 - The BBC's cuts hit the newsroom, not tech. Where its engineers sit, when the 45-day consultation rule lets them leave, and how to find them via github.com/bbc.
- [PandaDoc's CTO Will Vouch for His Leavers. Only 16% Are in the US](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pandadoc-layoffs-october-2026-cto-references-distributed-team) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pandadoc-layoffs-october-2026-cto-references-distributed-team.md)) - 2026-10-23 - PandaDoc's October 2026 layoffs hit a team spread across Lisbon, Warsaw and Kyiv. Here's how to source it and turn the CTO's offer into a backchannel.
- [eBay Cut 15% in 8 Months. Recruit the 10,500 Who Stayed, Not the 1,000](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ebay-layoffs-october-2026-recruit-survivors) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ebay-layoffs-october-2026-recruit-survivors.md)) - 2026-10-22 - eBay's 9% layoff is its second cut of 2026. Why the ~10,500 tenured survivors beat the 1,000 laid off, and how to find eBay engineers before Oct 28.
- [Automattic's Staggered Layoffs: Watch Gutenberg PRs, Not WARN Filings](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/automattic-layoffs-gutenberg-contributors-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/automattic-layoffs-gutenberg-contributors-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-22 - Automattic's layoffs are staggered and remote, so WARN filings won't show them. Find WordPress VIP and Gutenberg talent through public contribution trails.
- [Hiring Assistant 2's Memory Could Hide 39% of Store Managers. Audit Now](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-assistant-2-memory-audit-before-november) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-assistant-2-memory-audit-before-november.md)) - 2026-10-22 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant 2 turns on in November and remembers every invite and pass. What its memory will narrow, and how to audit your history first.
- [Xbox Reportedly Has 1,332 Cuts Left. Recruit Its Engineers Before November](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-1332-cuts-left-pitch-the-coalition-before-november) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-1332-cuts-left-pitch-the-coalition-before-november.md)) - 2026-10-22 - Xbox reportedly has 1,332 cuts left across three waves. How to pitch The Coalition's engine engineers before November, while their bonuses are in doubt.
- [BioWare Was 50 of EA's 400 Cuts. Source the 350 at Maxis and Full Circle](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-layoffs-2026-source-maxis-full-circle-ripple-effect) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-layoffs-2026-source-maxis-full-circle-ripple-effect.md)) - 2026-10-22 - EA's 2026 layoffs hit about 400 people, but only about 50 were at BioWare. Who the other 350 are, where they live, and how to reach them before November.
- [NAB's 2,500 Skips Its Contractors. A 'Contractor' Search Finds Zero](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nab-job-cuts-2026-contractors-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nab-job-cuts-2026-contractors-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-22 - NAB's 2,500 job cuts exclude contractors, who get no union consultation. How to find NAB's platform and data contractors before the 5 November results.
- [Ubisoft Plans to Close RedLynx. Finland's Law Gives You 3 Weeks, Not 6](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ubisoft-redlynx-layoffs-robotics-simulation-hiring) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ubisoft-redlynx-layoffs-robotics-simulation-hiring.md)) - 2026-10-21 - Ubisoft's Oct 14 cuts hit RedLynx, Singapore and Germany. How robotics sim teams can find, pitch and time offers to about 220 game developers.
- [TomTom Cut 200. Only 16 Dutch Profiles Even List OpenStreetMap](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tomtom-layoffs-2026-source-routing-engineers-openstreetmap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tomtom-layoffs-2026-source-routing-engineers-openstreetmap.md)) - 2026-10-21 - TomTom cut about 200 roles in October 2026. How to find its routing and map-matching engineers through OSM records, routing-engine repos and patents.
- [Bosch Sofia's 500 Await a Defense Buyer. Pitch Them in January](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bosch-sofia-engineers-team-lift-out-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bosch-sofia-engineers-team-lift-out-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-21 - More than 500 laid-off Bosch Sofia ADAS engineers are holding out for a team buyer. When severance ends, who breaks first, and how to pitch them.
- [Sword's Filing Says 579 Headspace Staff. Only 345 Are in Cut Range](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sword-health-headspace-layoffs-345-not-579) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sword-health-headspace-layoffs-345-not-579.md)) - 2026-10-21 - The Headspace layoffs after Sword Health's deal come from 345 corporate staff, not 579. How to size the pool, read director posts and source HIPAA talent.
- [Bullhorn's Job Publishing Is Still Offline. Fill This Week's Reqs Outbound](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bullhorn-outage-fill-reqs-outbound-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bullhorn-outage-fill-reqs-outbound-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-21 - Bullhorn's core ATS is back but job publishing isn't. How to source candidates without job postings and write outreach nobody mistakes for phishing.
- [Amazon's Stores Cut Left No WARN. Searching 'Retail' Finds One Engineer](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-stores-layoffs-october-2026-find-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-stores-layoffs-october-2026-find-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-21 - Amazon's Oct 6 Stores layoff left no memo, no WARN filing and no official headcount. How to rebuild the affected engineer pool from title and team signals.
- [DHS's $70K OPT Fee Spares STEM OPT Switchers. Keyword Search Misses Them](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/opt-fee-70000-proposed-rule-source-stem-opt-switchers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/opt-fee-70000-proposed-rule-source-stem-opt-switchers.md)) - 2026-10-20 - DHS's proposed $70K/$30K OPT fees grandfather grads already on STEM OPT. Here's who is fee-free, who owes $70K, and how to find them before the rule lands.
- [Lightspeed's 250 Is Roles, Not People. Count the Real Leavers by Nov 5](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lightspeed-layoffs-250-roles-real-leavers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lightspeed-layoffs-250-roles-real-leavers.md)) - 2026-10-20 - Lightspeed's 250 cuts mix layoffs with closed vacancies. Use job-board diffs, LinkedIn posts, and Quebec notices to count and find real leavers before Nov 5.
- [Qualcomm Says 'Performance,' Its Memo Says Priorities. Screen the Team](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualcomm-performance-layoffs-screen-the-team) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualcomm-performance-layoffs-screen-the-team.md)) - 2026-10-20 - Qualcomm's November layoff is labeled 'performance-focused,' but the memo weighs priorities too. How to screen and source its engineers by team, not label.
- [Netflix Cut 1,000 Jobs. Win Its All-Cash Engineers on Year-One Cash](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-layoffs-engineers-all-cash-offer-l4) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-layoffs-engineers-all-cash-offer-l4.md)) - 2026-10-20 - Netflix's Oct 14 layoffs freed engineers paid in pure cash. How to find them before the WARN filing and reframe an RSU offer so it doesn't read as a pay cut.
- [Sourcing Apple's 147 Vision Pro and Siri Leavers Through Patents](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-vision-pro-siri-layoffs-source-engineers-through-patents) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-vision-pro-siri-layoffs-source-engineers-through-patents.md)) - 2026-10-20 - Apple's WARN notice frees 147 Vision Pro, Siri and ML engineers on Oct 19 and 20. How to find them through patents, WWDC credits and job titles.
- [CrowdStrike Took XM Cyber's Code. 164 Profiles Still Claim to Work There](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xm-cyber-layoffs-crowdstrike-sourcing-israeli-security-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xm-cyber-layoffs-crowdstrike-sourcing-israeli-security-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-20 - XM Cyber cut up to 250 Israeli staff after CrowdStrike's IP-only deal. How to find its engineers when stale profiles and keyword searches mislead you.
- [Character.AI's Chapter 11 Docket: Up to $920K a Head, and Who's Left](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/character-ai-bankruptcy-disney-docket-ai-engineer-comp) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/character-ai-bankruptcy-disney-docket-ai-engineer-comp.md)) - 2026-10-19 - Character.AI's Chapter 11 docket prices Disney's 66 hires at up to $920K a head. How to use it as a comp benchmark and a map of who is still hireable.
- [Uber's AV Chief Leaves Nov 16. His Fleet Ops Team Has No One to Follow](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-av-chief-leaves-source-fleet-ops-team) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-av-chief-leaves-source-fleet-ops-team.md)) - 2026-10-19 - Sarfraz Maredia leaves Uber's AV unit Nov 16 for another industry. How robotaxi recruiters can source his fleet ops, charging and remote assistance team now.
- [Workday's Pleasanton WARN Is 27% of the Cut. Source Before Nov 30](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-pleasanton-warn-notice-sourcing-before-nov-30) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-pleasanton-warn-notice-sourcing-before-nov-30.md)) - 2026-10-19 - Workday's WARN notice lists 142 Pleasanton layoffs effective Nov 30, about 27% of the ~525 cut. How to find the affected engineers, and when to reach out.
- [Chakra Ran 500,000 AI Interviews. Don't Feed It Your Sourced Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hackerrank-chakra-ai-interviewer-sourced-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hackerrank-chakra-ai-interviewer-sourced-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-19 - HackerRank's Chakra AI interviewer is now GA after 500,000 interviews. Why it fits inbound volume but loses sourced engineers, and how to screen them instead.
- [LinkedIn's 2.9x InMail Badge Is a Selection Effect. Source the Unbadged](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-connected-apps-2-9x-inmails-source-unbadged-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-connected-apps-2-9x-inmails-source-unbadged-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-19 - LinkedIn says members with a connected app get up to 2.9x more recruiter messages. Why that's a selection effect, and how to source engineers who never connect.
- [Flock's 270 Took the Buyout. A Headline Search Finds 10 Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flock-safety-buyout-270-sourcing-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flock-safety-buyout-270-sourcing-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-19 - Flock Safety's 270 buyout departures skew marketable. Why a headline search finds 10 engineers, and how to time outreach around Oct 29 and the holdover.
- [Microsoft's Nairobi 400 Won't Come Cheap. Outbid Google, Skip the Visa](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-nairobi-adc-closure-hire-engineers-kenya) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-nairobi-adc-closure-hire-engineers-kenya.md)) - 2026-10-18 - Microsoft's Nairobi ADC wind-down may free ~400 identity, security and M365 engineers. How to find them, pay them and hire them via EOR in Kenya.
- [LinkedIn's Advice Sessions Undercut GLG. Don't Use Them to Pitch Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-advice-sessions-recruiters-paid-calibration-calls) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-advice-sessions-recruiters-paid-calibration-calls.md)) - 2026-10-18 - LinkedIn Advice Sessions let you pay passive engineers for calibration calls at a fraction of GLG rates. How to book them honestly and find hidden side roles.
- [Bending Spoons Keeps 16 to 29%. Source Airtable's Leavers Before Miro](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-airtable-layoffs-hire-engineers-miro) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-airtable-layoffs-hire-engineers-miro.md)) - 2026-10-18 - Bending Spoons kept 16 to 29% of staff after past deals. Here is who Airtable likely cut, how to source them now, and how to prepare for Miro.
- [Founder Titles Rose 70% on LinkedIn. Your Current-Title Filter Misfires](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-founder-titles-current-title-filter-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-founder-titles-current-title-filter-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-18 - LinkedIn's multi-role profiles and a 70% jump in founder titles corrupt current-title filters. How to separate founders from moonlighting engineers.
- [Big Tech Cut New-Grad Hiring 65%. Find the Grads It Left on GitHub](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/big-tech-cut-new-grad-hiring-find-grads-on-github) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/big-tech-cut-new-grad-hiring-find-grads-on-github.md)) - 2026-10-18 - Software postings are recovering, but juniors are 4.5% of them. How to find the strong 2026 grads Big Tech passed on, using GitHub, GSoC and shipped work.
- [HubSpot's 20-Week Severance Kills the 5-Day Blitz. Source Its EMs in Waves](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-layoffs-severance-source-engineering-managers-in-waves) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-layoffs-severance-source-engineering-managers-in-waves.md)) - 2026-10-18 - HubSpot's Oct 6 cut targeted management layers, and its severance runs to May 2027. How to source its displaced engineering leaders in the US and Dublin.
- [7,300 FDE Postings Chase 3,805 Title-Holders. Source the Rest](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-beyond-the-title) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-beyond-the-title.md)) - 2026-10-17 - US forward deployed engineer postings outnumber title-holders almost 2 to 1. Where FDE-capable people actually sit, and how to write a search that finds them.
- [GitHub's Profile Bug Hid 128 Merged PRs. Screen the API, Not the Squares](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-profile-bug-128-merged-prs-screen-the-api) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-profile-bug-128-merged-prs-screen-the-api.md)) - 2026-10-17 - GitHub's 11-week profile incident hid 128 merged PRs the API still saw. A five-minute API check for sourcers: external merged PRs, reviews, private counts.
- [40 Laptop Farms Later, Outbound Sourcing Is the Cheaper ID Check](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/laptop-farms-outbound-sourcing-identity-check) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/laptop-farms-outbound-sourcing-identity-check.md)) - 2026-10-17 - The FBI hit 40+ laptop farms and found DPRK workers passing ID checks. Here's why outbound sourcing from public work history verifies engineers better.
- [Greenhouse's Sourcing Beta Mines Applicants, Not Passive Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-sourcing-beta-applicants-not-passive-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-sourcing-beta-applicants-not-passive-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-17 - Greenhouse's new sourcing beta searches MyGreenhouse applicants. Only 68 of 244,834 US senior engineers say they're looking. Here's where it fits.
- [Hiring Assistant 2 Learns From Your Past Hires. Colorado May Call It ADMT](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-assistant-2-colorado-sb26-189-sourcing-log) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-assistant-2-colorado-sb26-189-sourcing-log.md)) - 2026-10-17 - LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant 2 learns from your past hires. Here is when Colorado SB26-189 may treat that shortlist as ADMT, and what to log now.
- [GRC Hit 14.8% of Cyber Postings. Only 91 US Profiles List OPA.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/grc-engineer-recruiting-rego-opa-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/grc-engineer-recruiting-rego-opa-2026.md)) - 2026-10-17 - Cyber postings hit a 4-year low while GRC's share rose to 14.8%. Here is how to find the compliance-as-code engineers who write Rego, and who to retrain.
- [Sourcing From HN's 'Who Wants to Be Hired': A Pool LinkedIn Can't Index](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-wants-to-be-hired-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-wants-to-be-hired-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-16 - HN's Who Wants to Be Hired thread now has 2.56 opt-in candidates per hiring company. How to filter, verify, and email them without breaking the thread's norms.
- [GitHub Admits Commit Authors Are Just Strings: A 10-Minute Trust Check](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-commit-authors-just-strings-10-minute-trust-check) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-commit-authors-just-strings-10-minute-trust-check.md)) - 2026-10-16 - GitHub now admits commit authors are just strings. Here is which GitHub signals a logged-in account must produce, and a 10-minute check recruiters can run.
- [LinkedIn Pulled Pin and Gem's Pages. The Ban Clause Targets Your Seat](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-banned-pin-gem-neuroscale-recruiter-seat-risk) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-banned-pin-gem-neuroscale-recruiter-seat-risk.md)) - 2026-10-16 - LinkedIn removed Pin, Gem and Neuroscale's pages, but its terms ban using scrapers, not just building them. Here is what flags your seat, and how to hedge.
- [Ubisoft's 100 German Buyouts: Why the Blue Byte Window Is 10 Days](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ubisoft-germany-voluntary-departure-blue-byte-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ubisoft-germany-voluntary-departure-blue-byte-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-16 - Ubisoft's October 15 voluntary departure plan in Düsseldorf, Berlin and Mainz hands recruiters a 10 day window on 23 reachable Blue Byte ICs.
- [Nvidia's Genesis AI Stake Just Priced a 41-Person Hiring Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nvidia-genesis-ai-stake-robotics-foundation-model-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nvidia-genesis-ai-stake-robotics-foundation-model-pool.md)) - 2026-10-16 - Nvidia's Oct 13 stake in Genesis AI turned robotics foundation model hiring into a fight over 41 sourceable engineers. Here is the real map.
- [Apple's Huxe Acqui-Hire Leaves 1 to 6 Engineers in Play](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-huxe-acquihire-notebooklm-alumni-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-huxe-acquihire-notebooklm-alumni-pool.md)) - 2026-10-16 - Apple's Oct 9 DMA filing confirms it will hire only "certain" Huxe staff. For AI audio recruiters, the sourcing window is about three weeks.
- [RedLynx's 52 Hit Helsinki: Supercell Has a Two-Week Head Start](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/redlynx-52-helsinki-supercell-head-start) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/redlynx-52-helsinki-supercell-head-start.md)) - 2026-10-15 - Ubisoft's Oct 14 RedLynx closure drops 52 Helsinki mobile and physics engineers into a 2,296-person pool. Here is how to reach them first.
- [Shield AI's 300 New Reqs Meet a 95-Person Autonomy Bench](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/shield-ai-300-reqs-95-person-autonomy-bench) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/shield-ai-300-reqs-95-person-autonomy-bench.md)) - 2026-10-15 - Shield AI added 300+ roles in 30 days after its $1.5B Series G. The US autonomy engineer bench is 95 people. Here is the real sourcing map.
- [Amazon's Oct 6 Stores Cut: The Pool Is in Hyderabad, Not Seattle](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-stores-layoffs-october-2026-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-stores-layoffs-october-2026-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-10-15 - Amazon cut fewer than 1,000 Stores roles on Prime Big Deal Days. The sourceable pool sits in Hyderabad and hides behind generic titles. Move fast.
- [a16z Cut Its Recruiting Team. 1,076 Founders Now Source Alone.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/a16z-full-stack-talent-layoff-1076-portfolio-founders) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/a16z-full-stack-talent-layoff-1076-portfolio-founders.md)) - 2026-10-15 - Andreessen Horowitz cut its 34-person Full Stack Talent team on Oct 14, 2026. Here is the math on what founders and displaced recruiters do next.
- [Netflix's Oct 14 Cut Is Round 7 of 2026. The Real IC Pool Is ~412.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-october-2026-layoff-los-gatos-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-october-2026-layoff-los-gatos-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-10-15 - Netflix's Oct 14, 2026 layoff of ~1,000 is its 7th round this year. Here's the real sourceable Los Gatos product/tech pool, not the headline. 
- [Anthropic Took Part of Opaque. The Leftover Pool Is 9 Deep.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-opaque-acquihire-leftover-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-opaque-acquihire-leftover-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-15 - Anthropic's Oct 13 acquihire of Opaque Systems left behind engineers you want. Here is the 72-hour sourcing map before Google and Nvidia move.
- [Lightspeed Cut 250 On Oct 13. Canada's Payments Engineer Pool Is 46.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lightspeed-october-2026-montreal-pos-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lightspeed-october-2026-montreal-pos-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-14 - Lightspeed's fifth round since 2023 freed up Montreal POS engineers. Here's the real sourceable pool, where they'll land, and the comp anchor.
- [CrowdStrike Bought XM Cyber's Code, Not Its 250 Herzliya Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/crowdstrike-xm-cyber-herzliya-bas-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/crowdstrike-xm-cyber-herzliya-bas-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-14 - CrowdStrike's $586M XM Cyber IP deal stranded ~250 Herzliya BAS engineers. Here is the 60-day sourcing map, with named competitors and index numbers.
- [Character.AI's "250 Free Agents" Are Really 20. Here's The Court Math.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/character-ai-bankruptcy-sourcing-pool-20-not-250) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/character-ai-bankruptcy-sourcing-pool-20-not-250.md)) - 2026-10-14 - Disney kept 65 Character.AI staff for $180M. Court filings show the real sourceable pool is 20 FTEs, not 250. Six weeks to pipeline them.
- [Workday's 142 Pleasanton Cuts: The Real Sourceable Pool Is 40](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-142-pleasanton-cuts-sourceable-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-142-pleasanton-cuts-sourceable-pool.md)) - 2026-10-14 - Workday's Sept 29 WARN names 40+ SDMs and 21 automation engineers hitting Nov 30. The pool you can actually source today is closer to 40.
- [EA's Rumored 2,000 Hits in 10 Days: Only 284 Frostbite Engineers Exist](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-october-2026-frostbite-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-october-2026-frostbite-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-14 - EA's rumored October 2026 cut will free Frostbite and live-ops engineers into a pool of just 284 globally. Here is the 10-day sourcing map.
- [Telia's 900 Cut on Oct 12: The Nordic 5G Core Pool Is 934 Deep](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/telia-900-nordic-5g-core-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/telia-900-nordic-5g-core-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-10-14 - Telia will cut 900 roles across the Nordics and Baltics by Dec 31, 2026. Here is the 5G core, OSS/BSS, and RAN sourcing map before Ericsson wakes up.
- [Instinct's $714M Per Head: The Sierra Alumni Pool Is 21 Deep](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/instinct-sierra-alumni-pool-21-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/instinct-sierra-alumni-pool-21-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-13 - Instinct hit $10B at 14 employees on Sept 28, 2026. The Sierra alumni pool every founder wants to raid is 21 engineers deep. Here is where they sit.
- [Flock Safety's 270 Exit Oct 29. The CV Pool Is 2,172.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flock-safety-voluntary-buyout-oct-29-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flock-safety-voluntary-buyout-oct-29-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-10-13 - Flock Safety's voluntary buyout cohort exits Oct 29. Here's how to pipeline them before Meta Atlanta absorbs the engineers worth hiring. Sixteen days.
- [Halluminate's 9-Person Sell to 4 Labs: The Finance-RL Pool Is 693](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/halluminate-finance-rl-environments-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/halluminate-finance-rl-environments-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-10-13 - Halluminate sold finance RL environments to four of five frontier labs with nine people. The US pool that could staff a competitor is 693 deep.
- [Microsoft Herzliya Cut: 25 Copilot Studio Engineers Hit a 59-Person Market](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-copilot-studio-israel-layoffs-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-copilot-studio-israel-layoffs-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-13 - Microsoft summoned ~50 Copilot Studio engineers to pre-dismissal hearings in Israel on Oct 12, 2026. How to source the ~25 exits this week.
- [Bending Spoons' 75% Rule: Airtable's ~200 Engineers Have 5 Days](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-airtable-layoffs-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-airtable-layoffs-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-10-13 - Bending Spoons cut 75% of WeTransfer in weeks. Airtable's end-of-week deadline implies ~200 engineer exits. How to source them before Friday.
- [39,006 October WARN Notices: A State by State Fishing Map](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cleveland-fed-october-warn-39006-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cleveland-fed-october-warn-39006-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-10-13 - The Cleveland Fed logged 39,006 October WARN notices across 21 states. Here is where sourcers should fish by title and metro before mid-December.
- [Cornelis Raised $205M to Fight InfiniBand. The libfabric Pool Is 6.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cornelis-205m-libfabric-pool-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cornelis-205m-libfabric-pool-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-12 - Cornelis Networks' $205M Series C targets a US libfabric talent pool of 6 self-identified engineers. Here is where to actually source them.
- [HubSpot's 660: The At-Risk PM Pool Is 20 Deep, Not 660](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-660-layoffs-pm-em-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-660-layoffs-pm-em-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-10-12 - HubSpot's Oct 6 reorg dissolves the Hubs. The sourceable PM and EM pool is tiny, concentrated in Boston and Dublin, and flush with severance.
- [Salesforce Wants 32% of Every US FDE. It Just Fired 211 in SF.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-october-2026-warn-agentforce-fde-arbitrage) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-october-2026-warn-agentforce-fde-arbitrage.md)) - 2026-10-12 - Salesforce's Oct 5 WARN cuts hit 211 in SF and 59 in Seattle/Bellevue while it hunts 1,000 Agentforce FDEs. Here is how to source the arbitrage.
- [LinkedIn's November Trust Layer Buries 535,107 US Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-2-shadow-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-2-shadow-pool.md)) - 2026-10-12 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant 2 ships free in November 2026 and ranks on verification. Here is the shadow pool of unverified engineers it quietly buries.
- [Disney Cut 300 HR and Tech Staff. Source Them Before Nov 15.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/disney-300-hr-layoffs-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/disney-300-hr-layoffs-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-10-12 - Disney's Sept 29 layoff put ~300 HR and tech operators on the market. Where they actually sit, which titles to pull first, and the 6-week window.
- [TypeSafe's $870M for 25 Seats: The RLHF Pool Is ~20 Deep](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/typesafe-ai-870m-rlhf-alumni-pool-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/typesafe-ai-870m-rlhf-alumni-pool-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-12 - TypeSafe AI's $870M Series A targets a sub-100 alumni graph. Here is the named pool, the counts, and how to source into it before a16z warms them.
- [Nike's Pace Memo: The 15-Month Window on 720 Beaverton Techies](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-pace-restructuring-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-pace-restructuring-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-10-11 - Nike's Oct 1 Pace restructuring gave no numbers and no dates. Here is how to work the 15-month passive-candidate window on Beaverton tech talent.
- [LinkedIn's Candidate Interest Score Will Herd Recruiters Into 199 Profiles](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-candidate-interest-score-crowding-problem) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-candidate-interest-score-crowding-problem.md)) - 2026-10-11 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant 2 ships in November 2026 with a Candidate Interest score. Here is why it funnels every sourcer into the same tiny pool.
- [Samsung's 739 Isn't a Layoff Number. It's a Sourcing Honeypot.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/samsung-plano-relocation-739-warn-shadow-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/samsung-plano-relocation-739-warn-shadow-pool.md)) - 2026-10-11 - Samsung's Englewood Cliffs WARN covers 739 roles, but the declined-relocation pool is undisclosed. How to source the Bergen County shadow pool before Oct 14, 2026.
- [Dell's $149M R&D Severance: The 725-Name Shadow Pool WARN Misses](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dell-149m-rd-severance-shadow-pool-warn) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dell-149m-rd-severance-shadow-pool-warn.md)) - 2026-10-11 - Dell's Q2 10-Q shows $149M in R&D severance and no WARN notice. Here's how to source the Dell storage and ISG engineer shadow pool first.
- [Parallel Systems' $100M Raise: 618 Avionics, 277 Rail, 239 AV](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/parallel-systems-100m-series-c-sourcing-spacex-rail-venn) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/parallel-systems-100m-series-c-sourcing-spacex-rail-venn.md)) - 2026-10-11 - Parallel Systems raised $100M to scale Panther. Here are the three named talent pools sourcers must pipeline in parallel, with exact U.S. headcounts.
- [Oracle's Oct 13 WARN: 188 OCI Engineers, 72 Hours to Pipeline](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-oct-13-warn-oci-engineers-bay-area) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-oct-13-warn-oci-engineers-bay-area.md)) - 2026-10-11 - Oracle cuts 188 OCI engineers in Pleasanton and Redwood City on Oct 13, 2026. The titles, Boolean, and 72-hour sourcing plan.
- [Vance Just Froze PERM at 8 Firms. The Microsoft Pool Is 17,006.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/perm-suspension-microsoft-h1b-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/perm-suspension-microsoft-h1b-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-10-10 - The Oct 8 PERM suspension at Microsoft, Adobe, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant, and Capgemini made tens of thousands of H-1B engineers poachable.
- [Oxide's $445M Series D: The illumos-Rust Pool Is 10 Deep](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oxide-series-d-illumos-rust-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oxide-series-d-illumos-rust-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-10-10 - Oxide Computer's $445M Series D opens 11 roles into a US Rust-systems pool of 10 people. Here is the counter-poach map before Oxide gets there.
- [700 Fees, 140,000 Jobs: Where the H-1B Deterred Pool Went](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-100k-fee-deterred-pool-berlin-toronto-bengaluru) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-100k-fee-deterred-pool-berlin-toronto-bengaluru.md)) - 2026-10-10 - One year after the $100K H-1B fee, only 700 fees were paid. Here's the Berlin, Toronto, and Bengaluru pool that absorbed the rest.
- [Ternus Cut 6 Apple Hardware EPM Directors. US Supply Is ~71.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-epm-purge-hardware-directors-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-epm-purge-hardware-directors-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-10-10 - Apple's new CEO just displaced six hardware EPM directors with a weeks-long reassignment window. Here is how to source them before it closes.
- [LinkedIn Says FDE Demand Is Up 226%. The US Pool Is 3,486.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-map-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-map-2026.md)) - 2026-10-10 - LinkedIn calls Forward Deployed Engineer the fastest-growing role of 2026. Here's the real supply map, named feeder pools, and sourcing plays that work.
- [Netflix's 800-Person Cut Leaked Friday. Window Closes Oct 20.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-800-person-cut-pre-announcement-pipeline) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-800-person-cut-pre-announcement-pipeline.md)) - 2026-10-10 - Puck's Oct 9 leak gave sourcers a 7-day window on Netflix's largest cut since 2022. Here is which teams are exposed and how to build the list.
- [LinkedIn Killed Boolean Job Search. Sourcers Have 90 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-classic-job-search-retired-boolean-sourcers-90-days) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-classic-job-search-retired-boolean-sourcers-90-days.md)) - 2026-10-09 - LinkedIn retired classic job search in September 2026 and Hiring Assistant 2 lands in November. What Boolean sourcers should do in the 90-day window.
- [DIU's FPV Pilot Registry Is Locked. The Signal Isn't: 946 vs 16.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/diu-fpv-pilot-registry-defense-tech-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/diu-fpv-pilot-registry-defense-tech-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-09 - The Pentagon's new FPV pilot registry is gated behind .mil email. Here is how Anduril, Shield AI, Neros, and Skydio should mirror it anyway.
- [Chess.com Is Now a LinkedIn Filter. The Baseline Is 113 Profiles.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chess-com-linkedin-connected-app-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chess-com-linkedin-connected-app-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-10-09 - Chess.com's LinkedIn Connected App turns a rating into a verified sourcing signal for quant and systems roles. Here is the window to use it.
- [Baseten's $13B Round: 76 Inference Engineers Exist. It Needs 200.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/baseten-series-f-inference-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/baseten-series-f-inference-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-09 - Baseten's $1.5B Series F lit an inference hiring war. Here's where the vLLM, TensorRT-LLM, and SGLang engineers actually live in Q4 2026.
- [Porsche Technologies Merger: Sourcing the 747 and the Shadow Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/porsche-technology-merger-747-software-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/porsche-technology-merger-747-software-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-09 - Porsche folded Digital and Engineering into one unit and cut management 40%. Here is how to source the 747 named engineers and the pool behind them.
- [Workday's Nov 30 Cliff: 525 Engineers, 265 Already Senior](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-nov-30-cliff-525-engineers-sourcing-play) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-nov-30-cliff-525-engineers-sourcing-play.md)) - 2026-10-09 - Workday's Sept 29 8-K puts ~525 Product and Technology engineers on a Nov 30, 2026 cliff. Here is the 60-day sourcing play.
- [Prasad's Boston Rolodex: 3 Pools Boston Dynamics Will Mine First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/prasad-boston-dynamics-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/prasad-boston-dynamics-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-10-08 - Rohit Prasad's Oct 7 move to Boston Dynamics opens a 90-day sourcing window on Alexa, BBN, and Boston robotics alumni. Here is the map.
- [The Oct 28 WARN Cliff: 8,220 Names to Pipeline Before LinkedIn](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oct-28-warn-cliff-pre-build-sourcing-pipeline) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oct-28-warn-cliff-pre-build-sourcing-pipeline.md)) - 2026-10-08 - The week of Oct 28, 2026 is the heaviest WARN cliff of fall. Here is how to pre-build a sourcing list 60 days before Open to Work badges flip on.
- [Amazon Is Rehiring Its Own Layoffs. Your Window Is 14 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-boomerang-rehiring-14-day-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-boomerang-rehiring-14-day-window.md)) - 2026-10-08 - Amazon's "Swami's Boomerang" program is racing external sourcers to re-sign its own layoffs. Here's how to work the ex-Amazon pool before it closes.
- [Amazon's Diwali Cut: 350 Marketplace SDEs, 10 Days to Move](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-diwali-week-cut-bengaluru-marketplace-sdes) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-diwali-week-cut-bengaluru-marketplace-sdes.md)) - 2026-10-08 - Amazon's Oct 8, 2026 Stores cut hit Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad on day one of the Great Indian Festival. Here is the 48-hour sourcing play.
- [31% Interviewed a Fake: Why GitHub Archaeology Beats "Verified"](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-commits-reference-check-deepfake-fraud-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-commits-reference-check-deepfake-fraud-2026.md)) - 2026-10-08 - Checkr says 31% of hiring managers interviewed a fake. Here is how sourcers verify identity against open-web artifacts before the Zoom call.
- [EA's $170M "Org Efficiencies" Line: 1,246 Names to Pipeline](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-170m-organizational-efficiencies-bioware-poach-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-170m-organizational-efficiencies-bioware-poach-map.md)) - 2026-10-08 - EA promised creditors $170M in org cuts after the $55B PIF buyout. Here is the named studio poach map and 1,246-person shortlist to pipeline first.
- [The Coalition's Metacritic Clause: A 25-Day Window on Gears Devs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coalition-metacritic-bonus-gears-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coalition-metacritic-bonus-gears-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-10-07 - The Coalition's Metacritic bonus pays out late October 2026. Here is how to source Gears of War: E-Day and Unreal Engine 5 talent inside that window.
- [The AI Layoff List: A Sourcer's Q4 2026 Arbitrage Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-cited-layoffs-2026-sourcing-pattern) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-cited-layoffs-2026-sourcing-pattern.md)) - 2026-10-07 - AI was the top cited US layoff reason for four months straight. Turn the named companies into a predictable poach list before Q1 2027 closes it.
- [Kevin Mandia's $445M Encore: 64 Names to Source First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kevin-mandia-armadin-mandiant-google-poach-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kevin-mandia-armadin-mandiant-google-poach-list.md)) - 2026-10-07 - Armadin's $255.5M Series B turns a 64-profile Mandiant-at-Google alumni list into the most predictable security poach pool of 2026.
- [HubSpot's 660 Cut Is a Group PM Extinction Event: Source by Nov 15](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-layoffs-2026-group-pm-em-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hubspot-layoffs-2026-group-pm-em-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-07 - HubSpot's Oct 6 restructure targets managers, not ICs. Here is the Group PM and EM cohort most exposed, and how to source them before Nov 15.
- [HackerRank Chakra Deleted the Recruiter Screen. Sourcing Is Next.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hackerrank-chakra-sourcing-bottleneck) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hackerrank-chakra-sourcing-bottleneck.md)) - 2026-10-07 - HackerRank's Oct 7 2026 Chakra launch collapses three interview rounds into one. Here is what that does to sourcing, and how to find AI fluency now.
- [Oracle's PIP-to-VSP Swap: A 60-Day Shadow Pool Before December](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-vsp-october-2026-shadow-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-vsp-october-2026-shadow-pool.md)) - 2026-10-07 - Oracle expanded its Voluntary Separation Program on Oct 1, 2026. Here is how to source the exit cohort before December layoffs trigger WARN filings.
- [Sourcing the 5% Who Rewrote Their Job Around AI](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-ai-fluent-candidates-outside-engineering) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-ai-fluent-candidates-outside-engineering.md)) - 2026-10-06 - Google says 5% of workers are AI-fluent. Here's how to source them in marketing, finance, legal, and ops before the LinkedIn Recruiter crowd does.
- [Retire "Prompt Engineer": Six Boolean Terms to Source in 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-prompting-demand-fell-25-percent-source-these-6-terms) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-prompting-demand-fell-25-percent-source-these-6-terms.md)) - 2026-10-06 - Workday's Oct 2026 report shows prompt-skill demand fell 25% while AI building rose 51%. Six boolean terms to source the 26.9x larger pool.
- [Saffron Grades AI-Fluent Devs. MCP Authors Are the Public Shortlist.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/saffron-mcp-authors-ai-fluent-engineer-shortlist) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/saffron-mcp-authors-ai-fluent-engineer-shortlist.md)) - 2026-10-06 - Saffron, Contrario, and Cursor lock AI-fluency data inside hiring companies. Here is the public GitHub shortlist that beats them from the outside.
- [HN "Who Wants to Be Hired" Is a Honeypot: Source It Anyway](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-october-2026-spam-honeypot) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-october-2026-spam-honeypot.md)) - 2026-10-06 - The October 2026 HN Who Wants to Be Hired thread returned 3 spam emails and 0 real jobs for one poster. How to source it without being email four.
- [Ninja Theory's Cambridge Closure: 8 Named Hellblade Specialists](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ninja-theory-cambridge-closure-hellblade-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ninja-theory-cambridge-closure-hellblade-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-06 - Ninja Theory's October 2026 redundancy consultation put Hellblade pipeline specialists on LinkedIn. Here is the sourcer's shortlist and expansion plan.
- [Swami's Boomerang List: 2,896 Ex-Amazon ML Engineers to Reach First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/swami-boomerang-list-amazon-ml-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/swami-boomerang-list-amazon-ml-engineers.md)) - 2026-10-06 - Amazon's Boomerang Reengagement Initiative named which ex-AI/ML staff it wants back. Here is how to source them before expedited loops close.
- [Cursor's 150-Person Roster vs Hiring Assistant 2: A Poach Map](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cursor-anysphere-poach-map-hiring-assistant-2) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cursor-anysphere-poach-map-hiring-assistant-2.md)) - 2026-10-05 - Anysphere runs on ~150 engineers at $2B ARR and bans AI in interviews. Here is how to build a named poach list the agentic sourcers miss.
- [1,100 Companies, 22 Personas: GitHub Tells That Beat the DPRK Funnel](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dprk-fake-candidates-github-tells-pre-interview-checklist) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dprk-fake-candidates-github-tells-pre-interview-checklist.md)) - 2026-10-05 - A pre-interview checklist of GitHub, resume, and metadata signals that catch DPRK IT-worker personas before a hiring manager books the call.
- [Temporal's $550M Lands 4 Miles From 4,501 Amazon SDEs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/temporal-550m-bellevue-amazon-warn-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/temporal-550m-bellevue-amazon-warn-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-05 - Temporal raised $550M in Bellevue, four miles from Amazon's biggest WARN pool in a decade. The sourcing lane, with real numbers.
- [Uber's 1% Remote Cap Just Named 1,947 Poach Targets](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-1-percent-remote-cap-flight-risk-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-1-percent-remote-cap-flight-risk-list.md)) - 2026-10-05 - Uber's Sept 2 2026 cut hits 3,300 roles, flattens micro-teams, and caps remote at 1%. Here is the flight-risk shortlist for remote-first hirers.
- [Meta's TBD Labs Runs on 32 Names. Your Niche Is Probably Smaller.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-tbd-labs-named-target-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-tbd-labs-named-target-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-10-05 - Meta's TBD Labs playbook is named-target sourcing, not hiring. Copy the identify-research-pitch method without the $100M signing bonus budget.
- [Greenhouse Named hireEZ. Your $12,960 LinkedIn Seat Is the Fuse.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-hireez-linkedin-restriction-risk-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-hireez-linkedin-restriction-risk-2026.md)) - 2026-10-05 - Greenhouse's 2026 AI roundup flagged hireEZ for LinkedIn restriction risk. Here is the dollar math, the ToS mechanism, and how to vet safe tools.
- [Oracle's Abilene Badge-Fail: A 60-Day Window on Stargate Operators](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-abilene-stargate-layoffs-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-abilene-stargate-layoffs-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-10-04 - Oracle's Sept 14 Abilene Stargate layoffs opened a 60-day poach window on OCI and Customer Hardware Support operators before Crusoe backfills.
- [Google's 4,500-Signature Petition as a Flight-Risk Signal](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-4500-petition-flight-risk-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-4500-petition-flight-risk-list.md)) - 2026-10-04 - 4,500 Googlers signed a July 2026 petition demanding layoff protections. Here is how sourcers turn that into a segment without naming names.
- [SeekOut MCP: What Chat-Window Sourcing Actually Replaces](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/seekout-mcp-server-sourcing-in-claude) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/seekout-mcp-server-sourcing-in-claude.md)) - 2026-10-04 - SeekOut, Greenhouse, and Manatal shipped MCP servers for Claude and ChatGPT. Here is what sourcing in a chat window gains, and what it loses.
- [LinkedIn Recruiter 2026: $12,960 a Seat for 86 Replies](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-cost-2026-per-reply-math) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-cost-2026-per-reply-math.md)) - 2026-10-04 - LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate hit $12,960 a seat for 2026. At a 4.77% software reply rate, that is $151 per reply. Here is the math and the alternative.
- [Juicebox vs LinkedIn Hiring Assistant: 1,282 Rust Devs, 7 Maintainers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/juicebox-vs-linkedin-hiring-assistant-coverage-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/juicebox-vs-linkedin-hiring-assistant-coverage-gap.md)) - 2026-10-04 - Juicebox at $139 and LinkedIn Hiring Assistant inside Recruiter both promise plain English sourcing. Here is what each one structurally cannot see.
- [Amazon Project Dawn 2: Blind Named 4 Orgs Before the WARN Hit](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-project-dawn-2-blind-pre-warn-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-project-dawn-2-blind-pre-warn-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-10-04 - A Blind thread named Stores, Prime Video, AWS and PXT before Amazon's 10/1/2026 WARN. Here is the pre-WARN sourcing playbook.
- [HN "Who Wants to Be Hired" Beats Open-to-Work 3,584:1 at Staff Tier](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/november-who-wants-to-be-hired-vs-open-to-work) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/november-who-wants-to-be-hired-vs-open-to-work.md)) - 2026-10-03 - Why the November 2026 Hacker News "Who wants to be hired?" thread outperforms LinkedIn Open-to-Work for sourcing senior and staff engineers.
- [Ghost Jobs Hit 27.4%. The 400-App Inbox Is the Floor Now.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/400-applications-inbox-outbound-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/400-applications-inbox-outbound-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-10-03 - Ghost jobs are 27.4% of LinkedIn listings, apps per role tripled since 2021, and 86% of employers ghost back. The math says outbound is all that is left.
- [The October HN "Who Is Hiring" Thread Is a 400-Row Prospect List](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-october-2026-prospect-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-october-2026-prospect-list.md)) - 2026-10-03 - The October 2026 Hacker News hiring thread named 400+ companies with budget, a hiring manager, and a stack. Here is how to parse it in an hour.
- [AGENTS.md as a Sourcing Signal: The 1,013-Repo Shortlist](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/agents-md-claude-md-github-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/agents-md-claude-md-github-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-10-03 - AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md now cover a third of top GitHub repos. Here is the sourcing boolean, the slop filters, and the shortlist that matters.
- [Nike's "Pace" Plan Is Restructure #3. Beaverton Has 15 Months.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-pace-restructuring-beaverton-tech-sourcing-2027) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-pace-restructuring-beaverton-tech-sourcing-2027.md)) - 2026-10-03 - Nike's Oct 2 "Pace" plan pre-announces 2027 layoffs without naming targets. Here is how to build the Beaverton and Bengaluru poach list now.
- [LinkedIn Hiring Assistant 2 Can't See GitHub. That's 99.81% of Rust.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-2-github-blindspot) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-2-github-blindspot.md)) - 2026-10-03 - LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant 2 ships free in November with better reasoning. It still can't see GitHub, which is where the hard hires live.
- [EA's $170M Creditor Slide: Back-Solving a 1,400-Name Poach List](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-170m-creditor-math-1400-name-poach-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-170m-creditor-math-1400-name-poach-list.md)) - 2026-10-02 - EA went private and killed its 8-K pipeline. The $170M "organizational efficiencies" line briefed to creditors rebuilds the target list for sourcers.
- [Instinct Hit $10B in 33 Days: The 40 Names to Source First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/instinct-10b-reflexion-sourcing-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/instinct-10b-reflexion-sourcing-list.md)) - 2026-10-02 - Instinct 4x'd to $10B with 14 employees. Here is the Reflexion co-author tree, Sierra adjacency, and LiveKit squeeze to source before Sequoia's recruiters move.
- [Microsoft's 268 Xbox Cuts: The 10 Redmond Names That Matter](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-268-xbox-cuts-redmond-poach-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-268-xbox-cuts-redmond-poach-list.md)) - 2026-10-02 - Microsoft's 268-person Xbox cut hides a Redmond WARN filing. Here's the named Unreal and C++ pool and the 60-day window to work it.
- [Leidos Just Named 84 Cleared SOC Analysts. That's 37% of the Pool.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/leidos-cbp-soc-warn-84-cleared-cyber-ashburn) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/leidos-cbp-soc-warn-84-cleared-cyber-ashburn.md)) - 2026-10-02 - Leidos lost the CBP SOC contract to Accenture Federal. 84 cleared cyber workers hit market Nov 23. Here is how to source them before the window closes.
- [39,006 WARN Notices in October: The Sourcer's BLS-Blackout Edge](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/warn-notices-october-2026-bls-blackout-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/warn-notices-october-2026-bls-blackout-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-02 - October's 39,006 WARN notices plus the BLS data blackout make state WARN filings the single best real-time sourcing dataset. Here is how to work it.
- [Ternus Cut Apple's EPM Layer. Google's TPM Boolean Won't Find Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-epm-layoffs-ternus-sourcing-boolean) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-epm-layoffs-ternus-sourcing-boolean.md)) - 2026-10-02 - Apple's new CEO cut the hardware EPM coordination layer on top of a 147-person WARN. Here is the Apple-coded boolean that finds them first.
- [Amazon's 13/12/12 WARN: Why "Senior+" Filters Miss the Best 37](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-warn-sde-flat-cut-october-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-warn-sde-flat-cut-october-2026.md)) - 2026-10-01 - Amazon's August 28 Washington WARN cuts SDE I, II, and III evenly. Here's why the "Senior+" sourcing filter breaks for the Oct 1 window.
- [Disney's 65-Point VERO Rule: A Boolean for 300 HRIS Leavers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/disney-vero-65-point-rule-hris-workday-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/disney-vero-65-point-rule-hris-workday-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-01 - Disney cut 300 HR and tech staff on Sept 29 after a VERO window closed. Here is how to source the leavers before Apple and Deloitte do.
- [TikTok's 250 Nashville T&S Cuts: 25% of the US Title-Indexed Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-nashville-trust-safety-250-layoffs-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-nashville-trust-safety-250-layoffs-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-01 - TikTok shutters its Nashville Music Row office on October 5, 2026. Here is how to source the 250 trust and safety layoffs before BPOs absorb them.
- [Connecticut's CART Act Adds an AI Checkbox to Every WARN Notice](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/connecticut-cart-act-warn-ai-flag-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/connecticut-cart-act-warn-ai-flag-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-01 - Connecticut's CART Act makes every WARN notice disclose if AI caused the layoff. Here's how sourcers turn the flag into a poach list.
- [Workday Just Cut 525 P&T Engineers. The 8-K Is Your Target List.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-525-product-technology-layoffs-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workday-525-product-technology-layoffs-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-01 - Workday's Sept 29, 2026 8-K pins 525 Product and Technology cuts to Pleasanton. Here is how to source them before Rippling and Deel do.
- [SB 951 Turns Every California AI Layoff Into a Pre-Tagged List](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-951-ai-layoff-disclosure-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-951-ai-layoff-disclosure-sourcing.md)) - 2026-10-01 - California's SB 951 forces employers to name the AI system and automated job functions behind layoffs. Here is how sourcers exploit the EDD feed.
- [GoHealth's WARN Names the CEO: 103 Chicago Names on a Nov 5 Clock](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gohealth-warn-103-chicago-ceo-aep-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gohealth-warn-103-chicago-ceo-aep-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-30 - GoHealth's Sept 3 WARN lists the CEO, CFO, and 101 others across its Chicago HQ. A sourcing playbook for the Nov 5 to Dec 31 window before AEP closes.
- [Sweden's 17% Hiring Rate: Ericsson Just Handed You 1,600 Names](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sweden-tech-hiring-2026-stockholm-poach-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sweden-tech-hiring-2026-stockholm-poach-window.md)) - 2026-09-30 - Sweden's tech hiring rate collapsed to 17%, the lowest in Europe, while salaries grew 5.5%. Here is how to poach Stockholm engineers before Germany does.
- [Oracle's 546-Name ACI Leak: Why the Age Skew Is the Buy Signal](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-aci-leak-546-oci-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-aci-leak-546-oci-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-30 - Oracle cut 546 from its ACI org, most over 40. Here is why that cohort is a Tier-1 OCI sourcing pool and how to work the name-level list.
- [Sanofi's 229 Blueprint Cuts Give Cogent an 8-Month Poach Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sanofi-blueprint-medicines-warn-229-cambridge-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sanofi-blueprint-medicines-warn-229-cambridge-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-30 - Sanofi's Aug 7, 2026 WARN cuts 229 Blueprint Medicines staff in Cambridge in staggered waves through June 2027. Here is the Boolean and landing pad map.
- [Nvidia's $12.9B Buys 250 Badges. Hugging Face's Graph Is 10,716 Deep.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nvidia-hugging-face-acquisition-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nvidia-hugging-face-acquisition-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-09-30 - Nvidia's Hugging Face deal locks 250 employees with $1B in retention equity. The addressable open-source ML pool is 42x bigger. Source it before H1 2027.
- [Coinbase's Flat-Org Rule Exposed 310 Onchain ICs. Skip "Blockchain."](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-no-pure-managers-onchain-ic-poach) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-no-pure-managers-onchain-ic-poach.md)) - 2026-09-30 - Armstrong's no-pure-managers rule and May 2026 cuts pushed a specific senior IC cohort onto the market. Here is how to source them before Bridge does.
- [Citi's Target State Math: 47,000 to Go and a Mumbai Poach Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/citi-target-state-47000-mumbai-poach-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/citi-target-state-47000-mumbai-poach-window.md)) - 2026-09-29 - Citi's Target State plan leaves ~47,000 roles to cut by Dec 31, 2026. The real poach pool is 6,425 tech and wealth names, mostly in India.
- [Lucid's 5 Named VPs Are a 2,835-Profile Poach List. You Have 60 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lucid-motors-named-vp-exodus-newark-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lucid-motors-named-vp-exodus-newark-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-29 - Five named VP departures plus two 2026 cuts turned Lucid Motors' Newark HQ into a 30 to 60 day sourcing window. Here is the map.
- [Salesforce Froze 15,000 Engineers and Hired 20% More AEs. Poach Both.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-engineer-freeze-sales-hire-spree-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-engineer-freeze-sales-hire-spree-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-09-29 - Salesforce's 2026 engineer freeze and 20% sales hire spree create a two-sided sourcing signal. Here are the 5,263 engineers and 1,949 AEs to target now.
- [Uber's WARN Names 483. The 1% Remote Rule Names 2,817 More.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-layoffs-2026-warn-remote-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-layoffs-2026-warn-remote-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-29 - Uber's Sep 2026 layoffs hit US WARN for only 483 names. The 1% fully remote rule turns everyone else into a flight-risk sourcing target.
- [Novo's Hidden 4,000: Sourcing the Denmark Delta WARN Won't Show](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/novo-nordisk-hidden-4000-denmark-attrition-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/novo-nordisk-hidden-4000-denmark-attrition-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-29 - Novo Nordisk cut 13,000 FTEs but only announced 9,000. Here is how to source the hidden 4,000 through Denmark's headcount delta.
- [Oracle's Leaked Title Sheet: Why "Software Developer III" Is the Wrong Boolean](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-oci-layoffs-leaked-titles-boolean-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-oci-layoffs-leaked-titles-boolean-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-29 - Oracle's Sept 14 OCI layoff leak names 546 workers by title. Here is the paste-ready LinkedIn Boolean, ranked by what ex-OCI engineers actually call themselves.
- [ServiceNow's Split WARN: 404 California Layoffs Hidden in Two Filings](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-split-warn-404-california-qe-layoffs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-split-warn-404-california-qe-layoffs.md)) - 2026-09-28 - ServiceNow split 404 California layoffs across two WARN filings 48 days apart. Here is how to reconstruct the QE cohort before they land.
- [Porsche's 4,100 Cuts With No WARN: Sourcing Weissach Through 2035](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/porsche-4100-cuts-weissach-sourcing-2035) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/porsche-4100-cuts-weissach-sourcing-2035.md)) - 2026-09-28 - Porsche's 4,100 new job cuts leak out through voluntary packages, not WARN filings. Here is how to build a live roster of departing Weissach engineers.
- [Omnicom Just Froze 3 Agency Names Into Permanent Boolean Filters](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/omnicom-fcb-ddb-mullenlowe-boolean-filters) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/omnicom-fcb-ddb-mullenlowe-boolean-filters.md)) - 2026-09-28 - Omnicom is retiring FCB, DDB, and MullenLowe by mid-2026. Here is how non-advertising recruiters can turn the 15,000-person cut into a sourcing edge.
- [Truist's RAC Exit: 478 Near-Prime Auto Names Across 4 Cities](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/truist-rac-478-near-prime-auto-warn-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/truist-rac-478-near-prime-auto-warn-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-28 - Truist's $5.5B RAC sale puts 478 near-prime auto specialists on the street across 4 cities. Here is the WARN timeline and who poaches first.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70: 8,750 Senior Engineers Findable by Math](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-voluntary-retirement-sourcing-3) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-voluntary-retirement-sourcing-3.md)) - 2026-09-28 - Microsoft's voluntary retirement cohort leaves no WARN trail. Here is how to reconstruct the 8,750-person pool and time outreach to the severance cliff.
- [Meta's FAIR Cull: 318 Menlo Park Names and a 30-Day Sourcing Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-fair-warn-318-menlo-park-ai-layoffs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-fair-warn-318-menlo-park-ai-layoffs.md)) - 2026-09-28 - Meta's Oct 22 WARN names 318 Menlo Park AI staff with a Nov 21 cliff. Here is the sourcing playbook for OpenAI, DeepMind, Anthropic, and startups.
- [Novo's 14 GLP-1 Names in Denmark: Poach Before Lilly Lands](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/novo-nordisk-glp1-denmark-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/novo-nordisk-glp1-denmark-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-09-27 - Novo Nordisk cut 13,000 roles in a year. Refolk's index shows 14 of 17 Denmark GLP-1 experts still sit inside Novo. Here is the sourcing play.
- [PayPal's WARN Names 42 Senior Engineers. Austin Has the Other 4,500.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-warn-san-jose-42-senior-engineers-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-warn-san-jose-42-senior-engineers-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-27 - PayPal's San Jose WARN lists 251 cuts by title. How to source them before Oct 30 and model the 4,760-role plan under Enrique Lores behind it.
- [Poach Ex-Amazon AI Engineers Before Swami's Boomerang Email Lands](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-swami-boomerang-poach-ex-amazon-ai-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-swami-boomerang-poach-ex-amazon-ai-engineers.md)) - 2026-09-27 - Amazon named its top rehire targets: ex-Amazon AI and AWS engineers. Here is how to source them before the boomerang emails close the window.
- [Exa's 1,400-Query People Search Benchmark: What the 49-Point Cliff Means](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/exa-people-search-benchmark-buyer-eval) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/exa-people-search-benchmark-buyer-eval.md)) - 2026-09-27 - Exa's People Search Benchmark put Metaview at 93.5%, Juicebox at 79%, the rest under 30%. Here is what it measures and how to run your own eval.
- [Heart Machine's Sub-WARN Wipeout: CWA Local 9003 Is the Roster](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/heart-machine-layoffs-cwa-local-9003-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/heart-machine-layoffs-cwa-local-9003-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-27 - Heart Machine's Sept 16, 2026 layoffs never hit WARN. The CWA Local 9003 recognition post and Alx Preston's LinkedIn are the real sourcing roster.
- [Bay Area's 7,016-Name WARN Pool: Source Oracle Before Meta](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bay-area-warn-2026-sourcing-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bay-area-warn-2026-sourcing-list.md)) - 2026-09-27 - California's Sept 18 EDD print plus 2026 Bay Area WARN filings hand recruiters a ranked, site-level candidate pool. Here is how to work it.
- [HN's September Thread: 216 to 10, and Why LinkedIn Misses 746](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-rl-rubric-authors-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-rl-rubric-authors-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-26 - The September 2026 HN "Who is hiring?" thread named a role LinkedIn cannot see. Here is how to source RL rubric authors by artifact, not title.
- [Japan's "Draw Live" Rule Is Coming for GitHub Hiring](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/japan-draw-live-github-verify-candidates) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/japan-draw-live-github-verify-candidates.md)) - 2026-09-26 - A Japanese studio now makes artists draw in person after AI portfolio fraud. Here is how to verify GitHub candidates before it hits engineering.
- [JLR's 4,000-Cut Slow Bleed: A 24-Month UK Auto Sourcing Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/jlr-4000-cuts-uk-auto-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/jlr-4000-cuts-uk-auto-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-09-26 - Jaguar Land Rover's 4,000 job cuts stretch across 24 months with no WARN date. Here is how UK sourcers work the voluntary-first window.
- [Zillow's WARN Chart Named 65 Seniors. Here's the Sourcing Playbook.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-warn-seattle-senior-ml-director-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-warn-seattle-senior-ml-director-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-26 - Zillow's August 2026 WARN filing named 91 Seattle cuts by title, and 71% are senior. Here is how to turn that chart into a shortlist.
- [Etsy's 220 Cuts Never Hit WARN. The 8-K Is Your Brooklyn Signal.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-220-layoffs-sec-8k-brooklyn-engineering-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-220-layoffs-sec-8k-brooklyn-engineering-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-26 - Etsy's Aug 3, 2026 restructuring skipped NY WARN and landed in an SEC 8-K. Here is how to source the Brooklyn product and engineering pool before it lists.
- [Silent WARN Notices: How to Set the Floor on Chime and Veritone](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chime-veritone-silent-warn-september-2026-floor) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chime-veritone-silent-warn-september-2026-floor.md)) - 2026-09-26 - Chime and Veritone filed September 2026 WARN notices without a headcount. Here is how to reverse engineer the floor and build the flight risk list.
- [VW's 50,000 Cuts: Where 2026's EV Engineer Pool Actually Sits](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/vw-50000-cuts-2026-ev-engineer-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/vw-50000-cuts-2026-ev-engineer-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-25 - Volkswagen's 50,000 additional cuts are Germany's biggest 2026 EV talent release. Where to find the software, battery, and ADAS engineers without WARN filings.
- [Cellares' 100 Is 10x the Entire US Cell-Therapy Automation Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cellares-100-layoffs-cell-therapy-automation-shortlist) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cellares-100-layoffs-cell-therapy-automation-shortlist.md)) - 2026-09-25 - Cellares cut 100 in South SF with an Oct 20, 2026 termination date. Refolk's index shows only 10 US profiles match. Here is how to map the list.
- [Amazon's 30,000 Cuts vs 11,000 AI Hires: Source the Delta](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-30000-cuts-11000-ai-hires-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-30000-cuts-11000-ai-hires-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-09-25 - Amazon is cutting 30,000 and hiring 11,000 grads for AI in 2026. Here is who is actually poachable, when the window opens, and where they land.
- [Amazon's 1,200-Signer AI Letter Is a Flight-Risk Directory](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-aecj-1200-flight-risk-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-aecj-1200-flight-risk-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-25 - Amazon Employees for Climate Justice just handed sourcers a roster of 1,200 self-identified flight risks. Here is how to work it before May 2026.
- [Klarna's 1,000-Person Silent Shrink: 12 Leavers a Week, No WARN](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/klarna-silent-shrink-attrition-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/klarna-silent-shrink-attrition-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-25 - Klarna is shedding ~630 people a year through attrition with no WARN filing. Here is how to source the silent shrink on LinkedIn, GitHub, and the open web.
- [Oracle's OWBPA Leak: 546 Ages, a 52-Day Head Start on WARN](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-owbpa-disclosure-sourcing-oci-layoffs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-owbpa-disclosure-sourcing-oci-layoffs.md)) - 2026-09-25 - Oracle's leaked OWBPA disclosure lists 546 OCI layoffs by title and age. Here is how sourcers turn ADEA exhibits into named senior shortlists.
- [Sanofi's Oct 9 Cambridge Cut: 229 Scientists, 14 Tagged "Kinase"](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sanofi-blueprint-medicines-cambridge-warn-229-scientists) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sanofi-blueprint-medicines-cambridge-warn-229-scientists.md)) - 2026-09-24 - Sanofi is cutting 229 Blueprint Medicines staff in Cambridge starting Oct 9, 2026. How to map the KIT-inhibitor bench before Cogent gets there first.
- [EA's Rumored 2,000 Cuts: A 60-Day Head Start Before WARN](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-2000-layoffs-source-before-warn) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ea-2000-layoffs-source-before-warn.md)) - 2026-09-24 - Teamblind flagged EA for a rumored 2,000-person cut in October 2026. Here is how to source gaming engineers before any WARN filing lands.
- [The Diamond Is 7,900 Missing Juniors: UK's 3-Year Senior Gap](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/open-university-diamond-uk-senior-engineer-gap-2028) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/open-university-diamond-uk-senior-engineer-gap-2028.md)) - 2026-09-24 - Open University's Sept 23 data says 19% of UK firms cut entry-level hiring. Here is the mid-level poach window that closes in 2028.
- [Handshake AI's $1.1B Runs on 500,000 PhDs. Poach the 3,279.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/handshake-ai-1b-arr-poach-phd-trainers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/handshake-ai-1b-arr-poach-phd-trainers.md)) - 2026-09-24 - Handshake AI hit $1.1B ARR paying PhDs up to $100/hr. Here is how to source the 3,279 US profiles already carrying the AI Trainer title.
- [No GitHub, No Read: What HN's September Hiring Manager Admitted](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/no-github-no-read-hn-september-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/no-github-no-read-hn-september-2026.md)) - 2026-09-24 - A September 2026 HN hiring manager skipped a well-written application for lacking GitHub. Here is why that filter is spreading and how to source around it.
- [Uber's 20% Manager Cut: 660 Ex-Leaders, 4-Week Sourcing Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-2026-manager-cut-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-2026-manager-cut-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-24 - Uber's Sept 2, 2026 memo named three cohorts by title. Here's the boolean recipe to source them before LinkedIn flips to Open to Work.
- [14% Overlap, 55% Invisible: The Screener Math That Kills Screening](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-screener-14-percent-overlap-stop-screening) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-screener-14-percent-overlap-stop-screening.md)) - 2026-09-23 - The same AI resume screener run twice returns only 14% overlap. Here is why sourcing a named shortlist is now the only defensible workflow.
- [Meta's $100M Poach List Is a Sourcing Map. 7 of 11 Point to Tsinghua.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-superintelligence-labs-tsinghua-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-superintelligence-labs-tsinghua-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-09-23 - Meta Superintelligence Labs published its hires. 7 of 11 trace to Chinese universities. Here is how to build a frontier AI talent pool from that map.
- [LinkedIn Cut Free InMail 87% in Late 2025. Redo the Math.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-open-inmail-cap-2026-sourcing-math) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-open-inmail-cap-2026-sourcing-math.md)) - 2026-09-23 - LinkedIn capped Open InMail at under 100 per month per account. Here is the Q4 2026 sourcing math and where to move the outreach budget.
- [Salesforce's Oct 5 WARN: 37 SF Engineers, 59 in Bellevue, One SVP](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-october-2026-warn-133-layoffs-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-october-2026-warn-133-layoffs-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-23 - Salesforce's Oct 5, 2026 WARN cuts 133 across SF and Washington. Here's the 37-engineer SF pool, the Tableau angle in Bellevue, and how to sequence outreach.
- [Oracle's OCI Layoff Leak: 57 Software Developer IIIs, 116 Findable](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-oci-layoffs-2026-source-57-software-developer-iiis) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-oci-layoffs-2026-source-57-software-developer-iiis.md)) - 2026-09-23 - Oracle's leaked OCI layoff disclosure names 546 cuts by title. Here is how to turn it into a same-day sourcing shortlist for ex-OCI engineers.
- [HN's September Thread Went Defense: 7,924 Is the Whole US ITAR Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-defense-itar-us-persons-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-defense-itar-us-persons-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-23 - The September 2026 Hacker News hiring thread is dominated by ITAR-gated defense startups. Here is how to source the 7,924-person US pool that can take the job.
- [Qualtrics' 117 Seattle Cuts Are a Floor. Provo Is 3.5x Bigger.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualtrics-117-seattle-warn-duplicate-roles-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualtrics-117-seattle-warn-duplicate-roles-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-22 - Qualtrics' Sep 2 WARN names 117 Seattle cuts by Oct 18. Read the filing as a duplicate-role map across both legacy orgs, not a headcount.
- [xAI Pre-Tested 500 Grok Tutors Before Firing Them. Source the Scores.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xai-500-grok-tutors-layoff-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xai-500-grok-tutors-layoff-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-22 - xAI laid off 500 Grok AI tutors on Sept 12 after internal skills tests. Here is how to source the pre-vetted cohort before the Nov 30 cash cliff.
- [Oracle's 10-K Math: 30,000 Was a Headline, 9,000 Is Your US Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-10k-9000-us-pool-ex-oci-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-10k-9000-us-pool-ex-oci-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-22 - Oracle's FY26 10-K confirms a 21,000 net cut, not 30,000. Here is how to translate it into a real ex-OCI sourcing pool of 211 US seniors.
- [PayPal's Oct 30 WARN: 14 Staff Engineers, a 5-Week Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-warn-oct-30-staff-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-warn-oct-30-staff-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-22 - PayPal's Sept 3 WARN filing puts 50 engineering leaders and 14 staff engineers on the market Oct 30. Build the target list before every recruiter piles on.
- [Samsung's 739 NJ WARN Is a Trap. The Real Pool Is 200 to 400.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/samsung-739-nj-warn-sourceable-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/samsung-739-nj-warn-sourceable-pool.md)) - 2026-09-22 - Samsung's Englewood Cliffs WARN covers 739 roles ending Sept 30, 2026. Most already signed for Plano. How to source the actual refusers.
- [587 vs 53,853: Welsh Was Right About Rust. Source, Don't Post.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-rust-engineers-welsh-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-rust-engineers-welsh-2026.md)) - 2026-09-22 - Matt Welsh's 2026 Rust essay says applicants skew 92x toward Python. Refolk's index confirms it. Here is how to source Rust engineers by name.
- [Juicebox's $850M Bet: PeopleGPT Still Points at LinkedIn](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/juicebox-80m-series-b-peoplegpt-coverage-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/juicebox-80m-series-b-peoplegpt-coverage-gap.md)) - 2026-09-21 - Juicebox raised $80M Series B on a claim that Ramp and Perplexity source 80% off LinkedIn. The math on PeopleGPT alternatives says otherwise.
- [38% Walk, 123 Are Left: AI Interviews Just Broke Your Funnel](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-interview-candidate-dropout-senior-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-interview-candidate-dropout-senior-engineers.md)) - 2026-09-21 - Greenhouse's 2026 report says 38% of US candidates quit over AI interviews. Refolk's index shows only 123 AI-literate senior engineers to source.
- [Bullhorn's 51% Application Surge Broke the ATS. Name Your Shortlist.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bullhorn-grid-2026-applications-up-51-percent-ats-noise) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bullhorn-grid-2026-applications-up-51-percent-ats-noise.md)) - 2026-09-21 - Bullhorn GRID 2026 shows applications up 51% against flat job orders. Here is why AI screening won't save inbound, and what outbound looks like now.
- [LinkedIn's 4.77% Engineer Reply Rate Is Below Its Own 13% Floor](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-inmail-4-77-percent-engineer-reply-rate) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-inmail-4-77-percent-engineer-reply-rate.md)) - 2026-09-21 - LinkedIn's software InMail reply rate is 4.77%, a third of its own 13% enforcement floor, while overage credits hit $21. Here is the math and the exit.
- [EU AI Act Hiring Split: 831 Recruiters Per Governance Hire](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-screening-sourcing-split) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-screening-sourcing-split.md)) - 2026-09-21 - The Digital Omnibus deferred Annex III to December 2027. Why CV screeners face €15M fines while outbound sourcing can still fit through Article 6(3).
- [216 Applications, 10 Offers: The Ceiling on HN's Best Inbound](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-216-applications-10-offers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-216-applications-10-offers.md)) - 2026-09-21 - One HN Who Is Hiring employer disclosed 216 applications and 10 offers. The 4.6% math explains why founders still need outbound sourcing.
- [HN's "Who Wants to Be Hired" Is 9-Year Seniors. Recruiters Are Banned.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-wants-to-be-hired-sourcing-senior-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-wants-to-be-hired-sourcing-senior-engineers.md)) - 2026-09-20 - The monthly HN candidate thread is a public list of 9-year senior engineers. The recruiter ban is a moat, not a wall. Here is how to work it.
- [Mercor's $20B Valuation Is a 35% Tax on 5,464 Public Profiles](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/mercor-alternative-source-ai-training-engineers-direct) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/mercor-alternative-source-ai-training-engineers-direct.md)) - 2026-09-20 - Mercor's 300K contractor pool is a sourcing signal, not a moat. Here is how to hit the 5,464 US AI trainers directly and skip the 35% take rate.
- [Indeed's 45.8% Margin Is Your Recruiting Budget. Move It.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-200b-land-grab-outbound-cheaper) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-200b-land-grab-outbound-cheaper.md)) - 2026-09-20 - Recruit Holdings' HR Tech revenue jumped 30% while US postings fell 4%. Here's why outbound sourcing is the cheaper channel before 2027 budgets lock.
- [August's 6.63M Postings Hide a 2,576-Person Bottleneck](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/august-2026-data-center-engineer-sourcing-bottleneck) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/august-2026-data-center-engineer-sourcing-bottleneck.md)) - 2026-09-20 - August 2026 job postings hit 6.63M, but the growth is data center engineers. Only 2,576 U.S. professionals hold the title. Here is how to source them.
- [H-1B's $103,265 Wall: 730,000 Onshore Engineers You Can Still Poach](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-103265-onshore-poach-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-103265-onshore-poach-window.md)) - 2026-09-20 - DHS's August 2026 rule closes the H-1B arbitrage window. How to source the ~730,000 onshore H-1B workers before spring 2027 cap season.
- [Ex-TikTok Sourcing: 250 Nashville Moderators vs 75 Bellevue Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-ex-employee-filter-nashville-bellevue-split) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-ex-employee-filter-nashville-bellevue-split.md)) - 2026-09-20 - TikTok is cutting 250 Nashville moderators and 75 Bellevue Shop engineers under two different legal entities. Here is how to split the pool.
- [Digital Realty Ran Out of DC Engineers. There Are 5x More Electricians.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/digital-realty-hvac-electricians-data-center-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/digital-realty-hvac-electricians-data-center-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-19 - Digital Realty is training HVAC techs into data center engineers. Refolk's index shows the adjacent-trade pool is 5.07x larger. Here's how to source it.
- [iCIMS Sourcing Agent Won an Award. Only 12% of Teams Can Run It.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/icims-sourcing-agent-18-percent-execution-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/icims-sourcing-agent-18-percent-execution-gap.md)) - 2026-09-19 - iCIMS Sourcing Agent won a 2026 Top HR Product award, but only 12% of TA teams use agentic AI. Here is where the gap actually breaks.
- [51% of GitHub Commits Are AI. Source the 82, Not the 2,584.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-sourcing-2026-merged-prs-vllm) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-sourcing-2026-merged-prs-vllm.md)) - 2026-09-19 - GitHub's contribution graph broke in 2026. Here's the repo-roster sourcing shortlist that still separates real AI engineers from prompt-typers.
- [Uber Just Capped Remote at 1%. Source the Relocation Refusers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-remote-cap-relocation-refusers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-remote-cap-relocation-refusers.md)) - 2026-09-19 - Uber's September 2026 layoffs named 3,300 people. The 1% remote cap quietly puts a bigger, unlabeled pool in play. Here is how to source it.
- [Nike Shrank Its Tech Org to Two ZIP Codes. Source Both.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-beaverton-bengaluru-tech-hubs-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-beaverton-bengaluru-tech-hubs-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-19 - Nike consolidated tech into Beaverton and Bengaluru, cutting 1,400 roles. Here is how to source the displaced retail-tech engineers first.
- [Puma AI Ghosted Its HN Applicants. That's Your Sourcing List.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/puma-ai-ghosted-hn-applicants-sourcing-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/puma-ai-ghosted-hn-applicants-sourcing-list.md)) - 2026-09-19 - The September 2026 HN "Who is hiring?" thread named three ghosted Puma AI applicants in public. Here is how to work that list before Monday.
- [Workable Priced Every Bad Applicant at $0.10. Now What?](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workable-recruiting-agents-credit-pricing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/workable-recruiting-agents-credit-pricing.md)) - 2026-09-18 - Workable's Sept 14 credit meter turns AI sourcing into a variable cost. Here is what $0.10 per candidate does to outbound recruiting unit economics.
- [Amazon Cut 7 Times in 2026. Watch 6 Employers, Not 548 Alerts.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-7-rounds-serial-cutter-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-7-rounds-serial-cutter-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-09-18 - Amazon ran 7 layoff rounds in 2026, PayPal and Meta 4 each. Six serial cutters beat a firehose of layoffs.fyi alerts for sourcing.
- [Challenger's 116,175 AI Cuts vs Microsoft's Denial: Source the Gap](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/challenger-ai-layoffs-microsoft-gap-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/challenger-ai-layoffs-microsoft-gap-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-18 - Challenger blames AI for 116,175 US cuts in 2026 while Microsoft says roles are not being replaced. How sourcers read the gap and calibrate outbound.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70 Cohort Hits 90 Days Off Payroll. Source Now.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-cohort-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-cohort-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-09-18 - Microsoft's 8,750-person Rule of 70 buyout cohort hits 90 days off payroll in late September. Here is the sourcing playbook for Azure, M365, and Dynamics.
- [ADP Broke the Wage Signal. 1 in 172 Engineers Is Why.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/adp-ai-wage-signal-comp-benchmarks-broken) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/adp-ai-wage-signal-comp-benchmarks-broken.md)) - 2026-09-18 - ADP named AI as a wage distorter and job-changers now earn 1.66x stayers. Why comp benchmarks are stale and how to price engineer offers in 2026.
- [811 Layoffs a Day, 55 Whales: Stop Refreshing Layoffs.fyi](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/2026-tech-layoffs-tracker-whale-watch) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/2026-tech-layoffs-tracker-whale-watch.md)) - 2026-09-17 - The 2026 tech layoffs tracker shows fewer, bigger events. Build a 55-company whale watch instead of scrolling Layoffs.fyi every morning.
- [September's 199% Layoff Spike Is a Menlo Park Sourcing Map](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/september-2026-tech-layoffs-major-internet-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/september-2026-tech-layoffs-major-internet-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-17 - September 2026 tech layoffs jumped 199% and 77% came from Major Internet. Here is where to source the pool before Q4 hiring absorbs it.
- [Three AI Screeners Agreed on 14%. The Other 55% Are Your Pipeline.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-screeners-agree-14-percent-invisible-55) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-screeners-agree-14-percent-invisible-55.md)) - 2026-09-17 - Three frontier LLMs shortlisted the same candidates only 14% of the time and buried 55% entirely. Here is why outbound sourcing is the only fix.
- [Qualtrics' 117 Duplicate Roles: A 60-Day Sourcing Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualtrics-117-duplicate-roles-october-sourcing-deadline) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualtrics-117-duplicate-roles-october-sourcing-deadline.md)) - 2026-09-17 - Qualtrics filed WARN for 117 Seattle cuts on Oct 18, 2026. Why post-merger duplicate-role layoffs are 2026's highest-signal sourcing pool.
- [LinkedIn's Underqualified Warning Is a White Flag on Inbound](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-underqualified-warning-outbound-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-underqualified-warning-outbound-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-09-17 - LinkedIn now warns its own applicants they're underqualified. Here's what that August 2026 admission means for outbound sourcing budgets.
- [Greenhouse Named the AI Doom Loop. The Exit Is Outbound.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-ai-doom-loop-outbound-exit) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-ai-doom-loop-outbound-exit.md)) - 2026-09-17 - Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait diagnosed the AI doom loop. Real Talent verification treats the symptom. Outbound sourcing is the real fix.
- [LinkedIn's 62% Fewer Profiles Stat Is a Concentration Risk](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-talent-connect-2026-voice-screen-62-percent-trap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-talent-connect-2026-voice-screen-62-percent-trap.md)) - 2026-09-16 - LinkedIn Talent Connect 2026 will pitch 62% fewer profiles reviewed with Hiring Assistant. Here is why that number is a concentration risk, not a win.
- [Restructuring Beat AI 16,173 to 3,462. Your August Pool Is in Cincinnati.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/restructuring-beat-ai-august-2026-consumer-products-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/restructuring-beat-ai-august-2026-consumer-products-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-16 - Challenger's August 2026 report flipped the layoff story from AI to restructuring. The best displaced talent is in Consumer Products, not tech.
- [Salesforce Cut 133. Only 5 Agentforce Engineers Exist by Title.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-agentforce-layoffs-2026-agent-builder-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-agentforce-layoffs-2026-agent-builder-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-16 - Salesforce's third 2026 cut hit Agentforce, MuleSoft and Tableau engineers. Here is how to source the displaced cohort into Agent Builder roles.
- [Oracle's 6 AM Email: The 60-Day Sourcing Clock on Nov 13](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-layoffs-september-2026-h1b-60-day-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-layoffs-september-2026-h1b-60-day-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-16 - Oracle cut ~5,000 on Sept 14, 2026. For H-1B holders, Nov 13 is the deadline. How to source OCI, Fusion, NetSuite, and Cerner cohorts before it closes.
- [Anthropic's $280/Hour Marlin Bench: Sourcing 1,000 Hidden Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-anthropic-marlin-rlhf-contractors) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-anthropic-marlin-rlhf-contractors.md)) - 2026-09-16 - Anthropic pays 1,000 engineers $280 per task via Snorkel to grade Claude Code. Here is how to source the RLHF shadow bench at Snorkel, Scale, and Mercor.
- [Fintech Cuts Hit 7,347, and 92% Sit at Three Employers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fintech-layoffs-2026-payments-cohort-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fintech-layoffs-2026-payments-cohort-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-16 - Challenger's fintech bucket jumped 305% to 7,347 in 2026. Block, Visa, and Chime own 92% of it. Here is how to source the payments cohort.
- [41% of Enterprises Hired a Fake. The 73:1 Sourcer Gap Is Why.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/41-percent-enterprises-hired-fake-outbound-sourcing-fix) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/41-percent-enterprises-hired-fake-outbound-sourcing-fix.md)) - 2026-09-15 - DPRK operatives ran 21,000 interviews for 76 offers. Inbound funnels lose on volume. Outbound sourcing is the structural fix, and here is the math.
- [71% of Placements Sit in Your CRM. Recruiters Re-Source Anyway.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/71-percent-placements-already-in-crm) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/71-percent-placements-already-in-crm.md)) - 2026-09-15 - Recruiterflow's 2,100-firm benchmark says 71% of placements come from candidates already in the CRM. Here is why recruiters skip it, and how to fix it.
- [LinkedIn Hiring Assistant Hit $450M ARR. Source the 40% It Can't See.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-moat-off-linkedin) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-moat-off-linkedin.md)) - 2026-09-15 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant is at $450M ARR one year in. Here's the pricing math, the moat problem, and how to source candidates its graph misses.
- [Uber Cut 680 Manager Slots. The Demoted-in-Place Cohort Is Your Best Hire.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-delayering-manager-to-ic-sourcing-cohort) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-delayering-manager-to-ic-sourcing-cohort.md)) - 2026-09-15 - Uber's September 2, 2026 delayering created a rare sourcing cohort: ex-managers reassigned as ICs. Here is how to find and close them fast.
- [128 Companies, 108,459 Layoffs: Your 2026 Target List Just Shrank](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/128-companies-108459-layoffs-concentrated-sourcing-pool-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/128-companies-108459-layoffs-concentrated-sourcing-pool-2026.md)) - 2026-09-15 - The 2026 tech layoff wave is 128 post-IPO names cutting deep, not 1,194 startups cutting shallow. Rebuild your sourcing target list around that.
- [HN's September 2026 Hiring Thread: 21.6:1 and 202 Agent Builders](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-september-2026-agent-builders) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-september-2026-agent-builders.md)) - 2026-09-15 - The September 2026 HN "Who is Hiring" thread reveals a 21.6:1 funnel and a shift to agent-builder and RL-eval roles against only 202 US candidates.
- [Indeed Just Killed Post and Pray. 370M Profiles Went Outbound.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-sourcing-assistant-post-and-pray-dead) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-sourcing-assistant-post-and-pray-dead.md)) - 2026-09-14 - Indeed's Sourcing Assistant is a public admission that job-ad ROI collapsed. Here's what the pivot means for sourcers, agencies, and Q4 channel strategy.
- [Meta Cut 600 From FAIR and MSL Infra. TBD Lab Kept the Money.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-fair-msl-infra-600-cuts-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-fair-msl-infra-600-cuts-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-09-14 - Meta's October 2025 cut hit FAIR, Products, and MSL Infra while TBD Lab was shielded. Here is how to source the ex-Meta AI cohort before AMI Labs does.
- [EU AI Act Deferred to Dec 2027. Outbound Is Still the Loophole.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-hiring-deferral-outbound-loophole) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-hiring-deferral-outbound-loophole.md)) - 2026-09-14 - The EU AI Act's high-risk hiring deadline slipped to Dec 2027. Here is what actually landed on Aug 2, 2026, and why outbound sourcing is safer.
- [Cloudflare Cut 1,100 "Measurers." The Builder Pool Grew 45%.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-measurers-layoff-sourcing-filter) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-measurers-layoff-sourcing-filter.md)) - 2026-09-14 - Cloudflare's May 2026 layoff produced negative engineering supply. A sourcer's filter for reading 2026 AI restructuring announcements before opening the list.
- [UK Grad Vacancies Hit 8,383. The Rejection Pool Is 1.17 Million.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uk-graduate-vacancies-8383-rejection-pools) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uk-graduate-vacancies-8383-rejection-pools.md)) - 2026-09-14 - UK graduate vacancies collapsed 45.6% to 8,383 in July 2026. Here is how to source entry-level talent from Big 4, MBB and Fast Stream rejects.
- [Octoverse 2025 Flipped GitHub: Rebuild Your Sourcing Boolean](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/octoverse-2025-github-sourcing-filters) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/octoverse-2025-github-sourcing-filters.md)) - 2026-09-13 - Octoverse 2025 put India ahead of the US on GitHub contributors. Here are the density, timezone, and LLM-SDK filters that replace location:United States.
- [ADP's 12,000-a-Week Print Means Every Q4 Hire Is a Poach](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/adp-12000-jobs-week-q4-poach-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/adp-12000-jobs-week-q4-poach-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-13 - ADP's late-August 2026 read shows just 12,000 net private jobs added per week. Here is the outbound sourcing playbook for a zero-sum Q4.
- [27.4% of LinkedIn Jobs Are Ghosts. Your Comp Benchmark Is Poisoned.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ghost-jobs-linkedin-comp-benchmark-broken) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ghost-jobs-linkedin-comp-benchmark-broken.md)) - 2026-09-13 - A quarter of US LinkedIn postings are ghost jobs and 79% stay live. Here is the replacement signal stack sourcers should use for timing and comp.
- [Korn Ferry Says 61% Now Do Two Jobs. Title Boolean Just Broke.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/korn-ferry-61-percent-two-jobs-title-sourcing-dead) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/korn-ferry-61-percent-two-jobs-title-sourcing-dead.md)) - 2026-09-13 - Korn Ferry's Workforce 2026 shows 61% of workers now do more than one role. Here's why title-based sourcing misses them and what replaces it.
- [99.8% Bought AI Agents. 90% Missed Goal. The 1:77 Ratio Explains Why.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-recruiting-agents-roi-goodtime-2026-sourcer-ratio) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-recruiting-agents-roi-goodtime-2026-sourcer-ratio.md)) - 2026-09-13 - GoodTime's 2026 report shows AI agents did not save hiring. Refolk's index reveals the real bottleneck: one dedicated sourcer per 77 recruiters.
- [4,590 AI Engineers vs 11,993 Juniors: Rebuilding the Entry Pipeline](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/junior-dev-ai-engineer-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/junior-dev-ai-engineer-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-09-13 - Junior dev hiring is down 35% and bootcamps down 40%, but AI engineer roles are up 300%. Where to source convertible early-career talent now.
- [No US Tech Hub Grew Last Quarter. Miami Declined 1/9th as Fast.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tech-hiring-hubs-2026-miami-momentum) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tech-hiring-hubs-2026-miami-momentum.md)) - 2026-09-12 - PredictLeads' Sept 4, 2026 report shows US tech hiring fell 28.3% QoQ. Miami beat the baseline by 25 points. Here's the sourcing map that follows.
- [Amazon's 2,303-Person WARN Has 9 Dates: The 6-Month Calendar](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-warn-2026-nine-separation-dates-sourcing-calendar) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-warn-2026-nine-separation-dates-sourcing-calendar.md)) - 2026-09-12 - Amazon's Washington WARN staggers 2,303 separations across nine dates from Jan 26 to May 26, 2026. Build a wave-by-wave sourcing calendar.
- [TikTok's August WARN: 250 in Nashville, 75 in Bellevue, Zero Overlap](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-august-2026-warn-nashville-bellevue-two-pools) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-august-2026-warn-nashville-bellevue-two-pools.md)) - 2026-09-12 - TikTok's August 2026 WARN filings created two distinct sourcing pools with different targets, notice math, and pitches. Here is how to work each.
- [The $103,265 H-1B Fee Makes "Already in the US" Your Best Filter](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-103265-fee-opt-pool-re-rank) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-103265-fee-opt-pool-re-rank.md)) - 2026-09-12 - DHS's proposed $103,265 H-1B fee lands as the $100K proclamation sunsets Sept 21. Here is how to re-rank your OPT and cap-exempt pool now.
- [Three AI Screeners, 109 Resumes, 14% Agreement: The Outbound Case](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-resume-screening-14-percent-agreement-outbound) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-resume-screening-14-percent-agreement-outbound.md)) - 2026-09-12 - A head-to-head test of GPT-4o, Gemini 2.0, and Grok 3 left 55% of resumes invisible to every model. Why outbound sourcing is the only fix.
- [Zillow Cut 7% While Revenue Grew 18%: Working the 91 Seattle Names](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-warn-91-seattle-senior-ml) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-warn-91-seattle-senior-ml.md)) - 2026-09-12 - Zillow's Aug 2026 WARN puts 91 Seattle senior ML managers and engineering directors on the market. Here is how to work the list before competitors do.
- [PayPal's WARN Publishes 113 Titles. Oct 30 Is Your Window.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-warn-san-jose-oct-30-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-warn-san-jose-oct-30-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-11 - PayPal's Aug 31 WARN filing names 42 senior engineers and 45 leaders in San Jose by title. Here is how to work it before Oct 30, 2026.
- [Apple's 147-Person WARN: Work the Cupertino Cohort Before Oct 20](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-147-warn-cupertino-sunnyvale-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-147-warn-cupertino-sunnyvale-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-11 - Apple filed a rare Bay Area WARN for 147 AI, Vision Pro and Siri engineers. Here is how to source the Cupertino and Sunnyvale cohort before Oct 20, 2026.
- [LinkedIn Recruiter Hit $12,960 a Seat. The 3-Seat Agency Play.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-hike-3-seat-agency-play) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-hike-3-seat-agency-play.md)) - 2026-09-11 - LinkedIn Recruiter renewals jumped 15% in 2026. Here's the usage threshold that says downgrade, and the workflow that replaces four of five seats.
- [8,000 Infra Engineers Just Hit the Street. The On-Title Pool Is 3,481.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bls-august-2026-infra-engineer-sourcing-cohort) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bls-august-2026-infra-engineer-sourcing-cohort.md)) - 2026-09-11 - The BLS August 2026 print cut 8,000 jobs from one narrow NAICS bucket. Here are the titles, companies, and cities to source before the cohort clears.
- [HN's Hire-Me Thread Now Averages 9+ YOE. Work It Like a Staff Bench.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-wants-to-be-hired-senior-bench-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-wants-to-be-hired-senior-bench-2026.md)) - 2026-09-11 - HireIndex's three-year analysis shows Hacker News's "Who Wants to Be Hired?" flipped from junior board to senior bench. Here is how to source it.
- [Oracle Cut 21,000 and Kept Filing H-1Bs. Source the April 2026 Cluster.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-ex-oracle-h1b-engineers-60-day-clock) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-ex-oracle-h1b-engineers-60-day-clock.md)) - 2026-09-11 - Oracle's 21,000-role cut plus 2,061 LCAs across FY25-FY26 gives sourcers a same-week ex-Oracle H-1B outbound list before the grace period rule lands.
- [65 Titles, 183 Bounty Hunters: Sourcing Rubric Writers in Sept 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rubric-writers-hn-september-2026-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rubric-writers-hn-september-2026-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-10 - The Sept 2026 HN thread wants rubric writers who red-team RL agents. Only 65 US titles exist. The real pool lives on bounty leaderboards.
- [Zoox Is Hiring 246 Roles While Rivals Cut. The Real List Is 23.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zoox-hiring-2026-autonomous-vehicle-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zoox-hiring-2026-autonomous-vehicle-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-10 - Zoox is expanding as Apple, TikTok, and AT&T cut. Refolk's index shows the actionable AV engineer pool is 23 people, not 2,318. Here is how to work it.
- [72.4% Went Back to In-Person. Rewrite Your Commute Radius Now.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/in-person-interview-mandate-2026-commute-radius-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/in-person-interview-mandate-2026-commute-radius-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-10 - Gartner says 72.4% of recruiting leaders now interview in person to fight AI cheating. Here is the top-of-funnel rewrite your ATS filters missed.
- [479 Corporate Victims: Candidate Fraud Is an Inbound Problem](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/candidate-fraud-is-an-inbound-problem) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/candidate-fraud-is-an-inbound-problem.md)) - 2026-09-10 - Deepfake hiring fraud jumped 1,300% and 41% of orgs have hired a fake. The fix is not another verification tool. It is outbound sourcing.
- [Amazon's SEA106 Cut: 49 Bellevue Names, One 90-Day Clock](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-sea106-warn-bellevue-49-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-sea106-warn-bellevue-49-engineers.md)) - 2026-09-10 - Amazon's Aug 31 Washington WARN puts 49 Bellevue engineers on the market by Oct 27, 2026. How to source the SEA106 cohort before rivals do.
- [Uber Cut 3,300 on Sept 2. The Manager-of-2 List Is the Real Prize.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-layoffs-2026-manager-of-two-remote-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-layoffs-2026-manager-of-two-remote-pool.md)) - 2026-09-10 - Uber's Sept 2, 2026 layoff created two distinct sourcing pools: demoted micro-team managers and remote refuseniks. Here is how to segment both.
- [Qualtrics Cut 117 in Seattle. The 3:1 Ratio Names Who's Next.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualtrics-seattle-117-press-ganey-merger-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualtrics-seattle-117-press-ganey-merger-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-09 - Qualtrics' 117 Seattle cuts are integration overlap from the $6.75B Press Ganey deal. Here is how to source the next wave before WARN.
- [Benioff Froze 15,000 Salesforce Engineers. Raid the 1,840 First.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/benioff-salesforce-zero-engineers-fy26-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/benioff-salesforce-zero-engineers-fy26-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-09-09 - Benioff said Salesforce hired zero engineers in FY26. Here's the ex-Salesforce sourcing map, the 1,840-person pool, and which competitors to raid first.
- [Dorsey Cut 4,000 at Block. The 748 Killed Reqs Are the Real List.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-sourcing-innercore-plus-4) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-sourcing-innercore-plus-4.md)) - 2026-09-09 - Block's Feb 2026 cut dropped 4,000 fintech operators. The higher-signal cohort is the 748 killed reqs and 193 demoted managers nobody is re-engaging.
- [Gem's 1.2M-Hire Study: Outbound Wins 8x, US Has 1 Sourcer per 86](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gem-1-2m-hire-study-outbound-8x-stop-triaging-244-apps) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gem-1-2m-hire-study-outbound-8x-stop-triaging-244-apps.md)) - 2026-09-09 - Gem's 2026 study of 1.2M hires shows outbound converts 8x better than inbound. Here is the math for reallocating recruiter hours away from triage.
- [5,964 Admins, 31 Agentforce Specialists: Re-Rank Your Salesforce Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-admin-oversupply-agentforce-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-admin-oversupply-agentforce-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-09-09 - Salesforce admin supply grew 47% while demand rose 14%. Re-rank sourcing toward the 31 US Agentforce Specialists hiring managers actually want.
- [18 vs 1,938: Sourcing Anthropic's $1B RL Environment Hire](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rl-environment-engineer-sourcing-claude-code-users) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rl-environment-engineer-sourcing-claude-code-users.md)) - 2026-09-09 - Anthropic may spend $1B+ on RL environments. The best hires are heavy Claude Code users, not ML PhDs. A GitHub-first sourcing playbook.
- [September 2026 HN Thread: 7 "AI Engineer" Titles, One LangGraph Signal](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-ai-engineer-langgraph-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-ai-engineer-langgraph-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-08 - The September 2026 HN "Who is hiring?" thread hides 7 agentic roles under "AI Engineer." A single LangGraph skill search beats the six-title boolean.
- [Benioff Cut Support From 9,000 to 5,000. WARN Saw 399.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-4000-support-cut-agentforce-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-4000-support-cut-agentforce-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-08 - Salesforce shed ~4,000 support roles to Agentforce with almost no WARN filings. Here is how to source the ex-Salesforce Agentforce pool now.
- [Indeed Projects 21.2% Info-Sector Unemployment by 2032. Source Accordingly.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-great-mismatch-21-percent-info-sector-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-great-mismatch-21-percent-info-sector-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-08 - Indeed projects US info-sector unemployment climbs from 4% to 21.2% by 2032. Here is how to reset engineering sourcing against the Great Mismatch.
- [Cognition's 5-Day Windsurf Buyout: Sourcing 230 Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-windsurf-buyout-230-engineers-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-windsurf-buyout-230-engineers-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-08 - Cognition offered 200 Windsurf engineers a 9-month buyout with a 5-day deadline. Here's how to source the pool before LinkedIn catches up.
- [Meta Killed 6,000 Reqs in One Memo. Stop Sourcing Careers Pages.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-6000-phantom-reqs-careers-page-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-6000-phantom-reqs-careers-page-signal.md)) - 2026-09-08 - Meta canceled 6,000 open requisitions alongside 8,000 layoffs. Here is why careers pages are a phantom signal and what to source from instead.
- [The 4.77% InMail Trap: Send GitHub First for Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-inmail-vs-github-sourcing-reply-rates-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-inmail-vs-github-sourcing-reply-rates-2026.md)) - 2026-09-08 - 2026 benchmarks show LinkedIn InMail replies for Software and SaaS at 4.77% while matched-cohort data proves channel choice moves reply rate 3-4x.
- [TCS Shed 23,460 Engineers in FY26. Boolean Finds 108.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tcs-fy26-layoffs-sap-servicenow-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tcs-fy26-layoffs-sap-servicenow-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-07 - TCS lost 23,460 mid-senior engineers in FY26, mostly SAP and ServiceNow. Here is how to source them before Indian GCCs absorb the top decile.
- [Stripe and Shopify Out-Hired Big Tech in 2026. Re-Rank Your List.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stripe-shopify-atlassian-out-hired-big-tech-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stripe-shopify-atlassian-out-hired-big-tech-2026.md)) - 2026-09-07 - Big Tech no longer leads engineering hiring growth in 2026. Here is the re-ranked target list, fintech and observability pool sizes, and how to source them.
- [16 US Engineers Hold This Title. Mechanize Pays $400K.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rl-environment-engineer-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rl-environment-engineer-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-07 - Anthropic will spend $1B on RL environments. Only 16 US engineers hold the exact title. Here is where the other 4,486 convertible candidates sit.
- [Oracle Health's 8,000-Person Cut: 216 Profiles Beat a Boolean String](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-cerner-kansas-city-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-cerner-kansas-city-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-07 - Oracle Health's March 31, 2026 cut sent 8,000 Cerner engineers to market. Here is how to source Kansas City EHR, HL7, and FHIR talent before it clears.
- [The 4-Person Pod Raid: Lessons from Robert Half v. Beacon Hill](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robert-half-beacon-hill-pod-raid-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robert-half-beacon-hill-pod-raid-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-09-07 - Robert Half's Aug 31 lawsuit against Beacon Hill shows why hiring a 4-person pod beats sourcing individual stars, and how 2026 noncompete law rewrites the map.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70: The 2,900 Ex-MSFT Seniors Nobody Is Sourcing](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-6) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-6.md)) - 2026-09-07 - Microsoft's Rule of 70 buyout exited a defined pool of long-tenured senior ICs on July 1. Here is how to source them before LinkedIn catches up.
- [Atlassian Cut 900 R&D, Kept 108 Grads: The 136-Person Forge Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-2026-layoffs-forge-developer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-2026-layoffs-forge-developer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-06 - Atlassian's March 2026 cuts hit 900+ R&D roles but preserved the graduate intake. Source the 136-person Forge developer pool before HubSpot moves.
- [Meta's 1,500 Reality Labs Cuts vs a 315-Person OpenXR Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-reality-labs-xr-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-reality-labs-xr-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-06 - Meta Reality Labs cut ~1,500 XR engineers into a global OpenXR pool of just 315. Here is how to source them from GitHub, SIGGRAPH, and Khronos rosters.
- [Mercor's 30,000-Contractor Bench Is the Best Sourcing List in Tech](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/mercor-30000-expert-bench-sourcing-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/mercor-30000-expert-bench-sourcing-list.md)) - 2026-09-06 - Mercor, Handshake AI, and Outlier have vetted 30,000+ moonlighting experts already doing paid contract work. Here is how to source them for full-time roles.
- [TikTok's Sept 17 Deadline: 7 ML Engineers Beat 250 Nashville Cuts](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-sept-17-bytedance-ml-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-sept-17-bytedance-ml-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-09-06 - The Sept 17, 2026 TikTok divestiture and Oct 5 Nashville closure open a narrow window on ByteDance ML talent. Most recruiters are chasing the wrong list.
- [PR Review Time Jumped 91%. Stop Sourcing Coders. Source Reviewers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-reviewers-not-coders-pr-review-bottleneck) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-reviewers-not-coders-pr-review-bottleneck.md)) - 2026-09-06 - AI doubled PR volume and pushed review time up 91%. Here is a GitHub-signal playbook for sourcing the ~1,160 US Staff engineers who can review it.
- [Apple's Aug 21 Siri Cut: 100 Engineers, Zero WARN, 30-Day Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-siri-ise-layoffs-sourcing-shortlist) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-siri-ise-layoffs-sourcing-shortlist.md)) - 2026-09-06 - Apple cut ~100 Siri and Intelligent Systems Experience engineers on Aug 21, 2026 with no WARN filing. Here is the sourcing path to reach them first.
- ["No Hire, No Fire" at 61K Jobs/Month: Sourcing the Frozen Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/no-hire-no-fire-61k-passive-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/no-hire-no-fire-61k-passive-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-09-05 - Challenger's 61K/month labor market means engineers aren't moving or being poached. Why the frozen passive pool replies more, and how to source into it.
- [LinkedIn Hiring Assistant Ate the ATS. It Still Can't See GitHub.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-ats-github-blind-spot) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-ats-github-blind-spot.md)) - 2026-09-05 - LinkedIn's Sept 3, 2026 Hiring Assistant expansion into Greenhouse and Workday is a moat, not a feature. Here's the pipeline the agent can't see.
- [The Dallas Fed's "SF Wages" Quote Is a Sourcing Map, Not a Warning](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dallas-fed-sf-wages-secondary-metro-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dallas-fed-sf-wages-secondary-metro-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-05 - The Sept 3, 2026 Beige Book flagged Dallas candidates asking for San Francisco wages. Here is where the actual talent lives and what to pay them.
- [IBM's Attrition Hit 2%. The Other 48% Is Your 2026 Sourcing Pool.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ibm-2-percent-attrition-quietly-open-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ibm-2-percent-attrition-quietly-open-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-09-05 - IBM's attrition fell under 2% while roughly half of U.S. workers quietly watch for new roles. Here is how to source the 2026 job-hugging engineer.
- [61% of AI Cheaters Still Pass. Source From GitHub Before the Screen.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-from-github-not-interview-screens) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-from-github-not-interview-screens.md)) - 2026-09-05 - Live-coding interviews just crossed a 38% AI-assist flag rate, and 61% of flagged candidates still pass. Here is how to flip the funnel to public artifacts.
- [HN Match Sept 2026: 105 Jobs, 130 Devs, 0 Matches Surfaced](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-match-september-2026-105-jobs-130-devs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-match-september-2026-105-jobs-130-devs.md)) - 2026-09-05 - September 2026's Hacker News hiring threads produced 105 jobs and 130 candidates. Here is why the join is empty and how to run it in an hour.
- [Uber's 3,300-Role Cut: The ~205 US Engineers to Reach First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-september-2026-layoffs-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-september-2026-layoffs-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-04 - Uber's Sept 2 2026 cut hits ~10% of staff. Here's the reachable US engineering pool, the manager-to-IC arbitrage, and a 72-hour sourcing plan.
- [Nike's Beaverton-or-Bangalore Cut: The 730 US Engineers to Source](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-beaverton-bangalore-us-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-beaverton-bangalore-us-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-09-04 - Nike's 2026 two-hub consolidation forces US engineers to relocate or leave. Here's the 730-profile pool and the sourcing angle recruiters miss.
- [WARN Filings Fell 3.5% While Announced Cuts Jumped 118%. Read the Gap.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/warn-act-2026-sourcing-playbook-cooked) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/warn-act-2026-sourcing-playbook-cooked.md)) - 2026-09-04 - WARN notices trail 2025 by 3.5% while Challenger reports 118% more announced cuts. Here is what technical sourcers should mine instead in 2026.
- [Uber's Sept 2 Flatten: 184 US Managers Hit a 72-Hour Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-sept-2-2026-flattening-manager-to-ic-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-sept-2-2026-flattening-manager-to-ic-sourcing.md)) - 2026-09-04 - Uber cut 3,300 on Sept 2, 2026, including a 20% manager reduction. Here is the ex-Uber engineering pool and how to source it before Waymo does.
- [Nvidia's $27B Reverse Acquihire Loophole: Sourcing the Poolside 6](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nvidia-poolside-reverse-acquihire-sourcing-loophole) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nvidia-poolside-reverse-acquihire-sourcing-loophole.md)) - 2026-09-04 - Nvidia's Aug 2026 Poolside deal offered jobs to 109 of ~115 engineers. Here is how to source the 6 skipped, the shells, and the Laguna alumni.
- [Google's FDE Pullback: The 142-Person Pool Nobody Is Sourcing](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-fde-pullback-142-person-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-fde-pullback-142-person-pool.md)) - 2026-09-04 - Google Cloud quit the FDE arms race. Here's the 142-person ex-Google pool suddenly in play, and why filtering for "FDE" misses 99% of them.
- [Synopsys' Dec 16 Cut: 128 Engineers Against a 786-Person EDA Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/synopsys-sunnyvale-warn-128-eda-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/synopsys-sunnyvale-warn-128-eda-engineers.md)) - 2026-09-03 - Synopsys filed an Aug 31 Sunnyvale WARN for 128 roles five days after a record quarter. Here is how to source the EDA pool before Dec 16.
- [850 Layoffs a Day: Your Ex-Big-Tech Shortlist Has a 9-Day Half-Life](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/850-layoffs-per-day-2026-shortlist-9-day-half-life) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/850-layoffs-per-day-2026-shortlist-9-day-half-life.md)) - 2026-09-03 - 2026's layoff pace hit 850 a day, up 51% from 2025. Here is why static ex-Meta and ex-Oracle shortlists decay in nine days and what to source on instead.
- [72.4% of Recruiters Went Onsite. Your Python Pool Just Lost 68%.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/in-person-interviews-2026-sourcing-radius-collapse) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/in-person-interviews-2026-sourcing-radius-collapse.md)) - 2026-09-03 - Gartner says 72.4% of recruiters now require in-person rounds. Here is what that does to your Q4 engineering pipeline, metro by metro.
- [LinkedIn Recruiter's $12,960 Seat Now Costs $90 Per Reply](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-hike-per-hire-math) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-hike-per-hire-math.md)) - 2026-09-03 - LinkedIn Recruiter's 2026 renewal lands at $10,800 to $12,960 per seat. Here is the keep, downgrade, and reallocate math for TA leaders.
- [Qualtrics' Aug 19 Cut: The Provo XM ML Pool WARN Won't Show](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualtrics-provo-xm-ml-engineer-pool-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/qualtrics-provo-xm-ml-engineer-pool-2026.md)) - 2026-09-03 - Qualtrics cut Seattle, Provo, and overseas roles on Aug 19, 2026. Here's why the real ex-Qualtrics XM ML pool sits in Provo, invisible to WARN.
- [eBay's Sept 30 Reversal: 198 SF Engineers Hit the Market](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ebay-sept-30-sf-warn-reversal-198-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ebay-sept-30-sf-warn-reversal-198-engineers.md)) - 2026-09-03 - eBay's Sept 30, 2026 SF WARN reversed April's "reassignment" story. Here's the reachable ex-eBay engineer pool and how it collides with 429 H-1Bs.
- [HN's Sept 2026 "Who Wants to Be Hired": 63 Seniors Nobody Emailed](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-mirror-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-mirror-pool.md)) - 2026-09-02 - The Sept 1, 2026 HN "Who wants to be hired?" thread is a self-declared senior pool most recruiters can't legally touch. Here's how to work it.
- [Social Sourcing Fell 52 Points. The InMail-First Era Is Over.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/social-sourcing-fell-52-points-inmail-era-over) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/social-sourcing-fell-52-points-inmail-era-over.md)) - 2026-09-02 - Firefish's 2026 report shows social sourcing collapsed from 75% to 23% as the top channel. Here is what technical recruiters should do instead.
- [APEX-SWE Caps at 41.5%. Hire the Observability SRE.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apex-swe-benchmark-sourcing-observability-sre) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apex-swe-benchmark-sourcing-observability-sre.md)) - 2026-09-02 - Mercor's APEX-SWE benchmark caps frontier coding agents at 41.5% Pass@1. Here is the human sourcing playbook that gap implies for 2026.
- [HN Sept 2026 "Who Is Hiring": 106 Cleared SWEs vs 2,090 Anduril Reqs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-who-is-hiring-visa-sponsorship-collapse) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-september-2026-who-is-hiring-visa-sponsorship-collapse.md)) - 2026-09-02 - The Sept 2026 HN "Who is hiring" thread shows a visa-sponsorship collapse splitting US sourcing pools. Here is the math and where to look now.
- [Oracle's 30,000 Layoff Is a Phantom. The Real US Pool Is 2,192.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-2026-layoffs-real-findable-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-2026-layoffs-real-findable-pool.md)) - 2026-09-02 - Oracle's 2026 cut is the year's biggest headline, but the reachable US technical pool is one-seventh the number. Here's the real sourcing math.
- [The $100K Fee Killed Level I H-1B. 3,002 Level IV Names Remain.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-100k-fee-opt-sourcing-fy2027) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-100k-fee-opt-sourcing-fy2027.md)) - 2026-09-02 - The FY2027 wage-weighted H-1B lottery and $100K fee bifurcated the US technical talent pool. Here is what to source instead, and when.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70 Freed 8,750. Only 1,402 Are Searchable.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-gap.md)) - 2026-09-01 - Microsoft's first-ever voluntary buyout released 8,750 long-tenured engineers on July 1, 2026. Here is why 85% are invisible to standard sourcing.
- [Salesforce's Oct 5 Cut: 133 Roles, Zero From Core Agentforce](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-oct-5-warn-mulesoft-agentforce-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-oct-5-warn-mulesoft-agentforce-pool.md)) - 2026-09-01 - Salesforce's Oct 5, 2026 WARN filings free 133 roles across SF and Seattle. The reachable pool is MuleSoft plumbing, not Agentforce. Here's the math.
- [Atlassian Cut 1,600 for AI. The Reachable Platform Pool Is 340.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-1600-cut-platform-engineer-pool-340) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-1600-cut-platform-engineer-pool-340.md)) - 2026-09-01 - Atlassian's March 2026 cut redirects capital to AI. Here is the real ex-Atlassian platform engineer pool by city, and the 90-day sourcing window.
- [Citi's Sept 10, 12, 30 NYC WARN: Three Backend Drops Nobody Is Sourcing](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/citi-nyc-warn-september-2026-backend-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/citi-nyc-warn-september-2026-backend-pool.md)) - 2026-09-01 - Citi's September 2026 NYC WARN dates release ex-Citi platform engineers on three specific days. Here is how to source the pool before AI recruiters do.
- [June's $20M Bet: The FDE Bidding War Has 18 Months Left](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/june-20m-fde-hiring-boom-obsolete) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/june-20m-fde-hiring-boom-obsolete.md)) - 2026-09-01 - June's $20M pre-seed from Benioff, Dell, Levie, and Kurtz reshapes Forward Deployed Engineer hiring. What FDE recruiters should do in 2026 and 2027.
- [Exa's 1,400-Query Benchmark Just Ended the "Just Ask" Sourcing Pitch](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/exa-people-search-benchmark-1400-queries) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/exa-people-search-benchmark-1400-queries.md)) - 2026-09-01 - Exa's 1,400-query People Search Benchmark exposes a 64-point precision gap between top AI sourcing tools and the median. Here is how to read it.
- [Apple Just Freed ~100 visionOS Engineers Into a US Pool of 260](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-visionos-layoffs-spatial-computing-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-visionos-layoffs-spatial-computing-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-08-31 - Apple's Aug 20-21, 2026 Vision Products Group cuts released ~100 visionOS engineers into a US pool of 260. Here's the math and how to source it.
- [Cognition's $40B Round Prints a Price Per Agent Engineer](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-40b-round-180-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-40b-round-180-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-08-31 - Cognition's $40B talks reprice a US pool of ~180 AI coding agent engineers. Here is the named list, the Windsurf angle, and how to source it now.
- [AI Screeners Agree 14% of the Time. Median Ghost: 75 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-screeners-14-percent-75-day-ghost) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-screeners-14-percent-75-day-ghost.md)) - 2026-08-31 - Two July 2026 datapoints show inbound AI screening funnels are structurally broken. Why outbound sourcing is the only reliable path to engineers.
- [Oracle's Sept 1 Cut: Only 44 US OCI Engineers Exist](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-sept-1-layoffs-oci-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-sept-1-layoffs-oci-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-31 - Oracle's reported Sept 1 layoff round hits a US OCI engineer pool of just 44 people. How to build the shortlist before notices land.
- [TikTok's Aug 19 Bellevue WARN: 75 Cut, 37 Ranking-ML Profiles in Play](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-bellevue-warn-august-2026-ranking-ml-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-bellevue-warn-august-2026-ranking-ml-pool.md)) - 2026-08-31 - TikTok's Aug 19, 2026 WARN filing cut 75 e-commerce roles in Bellevue. The US ranking-ML pool that matters is 37 people. Here is the sourcing playbook.
- [Amazon Wants 11,000 SDE Hires After Cutting 1,800. The Math Is a Trap.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-11000-hires-vs-1800-engineer-layoffs-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-11000-hires-vs-1800-engineer-layoffs-2026.md)) - 2026-08-31 - AWS says it will hire 11,000 engineers in 2026 after cutting 30,000 corporate roles. Here is the real ex-Amazon pool and how to reach it first.
- [Apple's Aug 21 Cut: The ISE Sourcing Gap Nobody Is Searching](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-aug-21-intelligent-systems-experience-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-aug-21-intelligent-systems-experience-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-30 - Apple's Aug 21, 2026 layoff hides a small on-device AI pool inside Intelligent Systems Experience. Here is how to source it before competitors notice.
- [Anduril's 2,090 Reqs vs 85 Cleared Rust Engineers: The Real Math](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anduril-2090-reqs-cleared-rust-pool-85) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anduril-2090-reqs-cleared-rust-pool-85.md)) - 2026-08-30 - Anduril has 2,090 open roles in 2026. The visible cleared Rust pool is 85. Here is where the other hires actually come from, and why LinkedIn misses them.
- [Meta's AI Hiring Freeze: 50 Poached, 524 Still Reachable](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-superintelligence-labs-hiring-freeze-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-superintelligence-labs-hiring-freeze-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-30 - Meta Superintelligence Labs froze hiring on Aug 21, 2025. Here's the reachable AI researcher pool outside Meta and how to source it before mid-2026.
- [Block's 40% Cut: The Real Ex-Block Engineer Pool Is 1,800, Not 2,800](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-2026-payments-engineer-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-2026-payments-engineer-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-08-30 - Block laid off 4,000+ on Feb 26, 2026. The viral "70% of engineering" Blind number doesn't reconcile. Here's the real pool and the 14-day playbook.
- [The RTO Math: 87% Onsite Cuts Your Rust Pool to 40 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rto-math-87-percent-onsite-rust-pool-shrinks-20x) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rto-math-87-percent-onsite-rust-pool-shrinks-20x.md)) - 2026-08-30 - Robert Half says 87% of Q2 2026 postings went onsite. Here is the math on how that shrinks your Rust, SRE, and ML infra pools by 20x.
- [The €18M HR-Tech Fine: Why AI Sourcing Survived Aug 2 and Screening Didn't](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-18m-hr-tech-fine-sourcing-vs-screening) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-18m-hr-tech-fine-sourcing-vs-screening.md)) - 2026-08-30 - The EU AI Office's first €47M enforcement wave hit HR tech hardest. Here is why AI sourcing stays low-risk while AI screening now carries 7%-of-turnover fines.
- [54% of 2026 Layoffs Blame AI. Two Thirds of the "ML" Pool Is Fake.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-redundancy-washing-2026-ml-sourcing-signals) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-redundancy-washing-2026-ml-sourcing-signals.md)) - 2026-08-29 - Deutsche Bank calls it "AI redundancy washing." Here's why 66% of the displaced ML pool doesn't code ML, and how to source real talent.
- [Nutanix's Aug 4 Cut Protects NKP. The Real Pool Is ~180.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nutanix-aug-4-nkp-pool-180) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nutanix-aug-4-nkp-pool-180.md)) - 2026-08-29 - Nutanix's Aug 4, 2026 8-K cut ~390 roles but walled off NKP. Here is how to source the ~180-person ex-Nutanix K8s pool before October closes.
- [Etsy's Aug 5 Cut: 220 Brooklyn Builders With 16 Weeks of Runway](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-august-2026-layoffs-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-august-2026-layoffs-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-08-29 - Etsy cut 220 mostly product and engineering roles on August 5, 2026 while beating earnings. How to source the Brooklyn pool, and when to reach in.
- [Ultracode Ships Weekly, CoderPad Ships Quarterly: The Round Is Over](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ultracode-coderpad-interview-round-dead-signal-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ultracode-coderpad-interview-round-dead-signal-2026.md)) - 2026-08-29 - Ultracode beats CoderPad and HackerRank in 2026. Why AI interview cheating killed the live round, and what GitHub signal sourcing replaces it with.
- [Emergent's $130M Round Left Just 204 Engineers Who Matter](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/emergent-130m-engineering-team-in-a-box-204-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/emergent-130m-engineering-team-in-a-box-204-engineers.md)) - 2026-08-29 - Emergent's $130M Series C sold VCs on replacing engineers. The two humans founders still need just got 20x rarer. Here is the sourcing math.
- [170 Applicants, 3 Offers: HN "Who Is Hiring" Broke in August 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-is-hiring-broke-august-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-is-hiring-broke-august-2026.md)) - 2026-08-29 - A founder's 1.76% conversion on Hacker News' August 2026 hiring thread shows the last dev inbound channel now converts worse than outbound sourcing.
- [Microsoft's 6,000 FDEs vs a US Pool of 3,141: The 60-Day Shock](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-frontier-company-fde-pool-drained) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-frontier-company-fde-pool-drained.md)) - 2026-08-28 - Microsoft, AWS, OpenAI DeployCo, and Anthropic's Ode are all bidding for the same ~3,629 named forward deployed engineers. Here is the sourcing math.
- [19% of Q2 2026 Job Posts Were Ghosts. Source People Instead.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ghost-jobs-2026-source-people-not-postings) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ghost-jobs-2026-source-people-not-postings.md)) - 2026-08-28 - Ghost jobs poisoned competitor hiring intel in 2026. Here is why JD scraping broke and which people-side sourcing signals still work.
- [LinkedIn's $450M Hiring Assistant Is Blind to GitHub Signal](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-github-blind) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-github-blind.md)) - 2026-08-28 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant hit $450M ARR but reads only self-reported profile text. Here is why it misses the GitHub signals that identify strong engineers.
- [Applied Intuition's WarshipOS: 200 Roles vs a Pool of 3,083](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/applied-intuition-warshipos-200-roles-anduril-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/applied-intuition-warshipos-200-roles-anduril-pool.md)) - 2026-08-28 - Applied Intuition's WarshipOS build collides with Anduril's 2,809 open reqs against a US CV plus sensor fusion pool of just 3,083.
- [Lovable's $400M Buys 250 Hires From a Swedish ML Pool of 267](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lovable-450-hires-stockholm-ml-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lovable-450-hires-stockholm-ml-pool.md)) - 2026-08-28 - Lovable's Series C funds a ramp to 450 staff, but Sweden's skilled ML pool is 267. Here's the named target list and the London math.
- [Zillow's Aug 4 WARN: 65 Senior Titles, One Oct 5 Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-warn-aug-2026-senior-ml-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-warn-aug-2026-senior-ml-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-08-28 - Zillow's Aug 4, 2026 WARN cut 65 senior ML and product roles while it hires for AI. How to source the pool before the Oct 5 separation date.
- [Rapid7's Aug 10 Cut Hid a Second Boston Security Layoff That Day](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rapid7-nable-august-10-2026-boston-security-layoffs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rapid7-nable-august-10-2026-boston-security-layoffs.md)) - 2026-08-27 - Rapid7 cut 314 on Aug 10, 2026. N-able quietly cut ~140 the same day. How to source the real Boston security engineer pool that hit the market.
- [Together AI's $800M Series C: The Real Inference Pool Is 129](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-series-c-vllm-rust-inference-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-series-c-vllm-rust-inference-pool.md)) - 2026-08-27 - Together AI raised $800M on July 1, 2026. The vLLM plus Rust plus CUDA pool is 129 globally, and the contestable slice is under 20.
- [Netflix Shut Night School and Moonloot. The Named US Pool Is 6.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-games-layoffs-2026-cloud-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/netflix-games-layoffs-2026-cloud-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-08-27 - Netflix's August 2026 games closures put a rare hybrid engineer pool on the market. Here is who they are and how to beat the three obvious buyers.
- [Anthropic Pays $460K for a PM. The Named Pool Is 21 People.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-pm-pivot-claude-code-engineer-ratio) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-pm-pivot-claude-code-engineer-ratio.md)) - 2026-08-27 - Anthropic's growth team is hiring PMs, not engineers. The named AI PM pool is 21 people. Here is where the real pool hides and how to source it.
- [Salesforce's Aug 7 Cut: 86 Engineers Match Its Own FDE Job Description](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-agentforce-fde-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-agentforce-fde-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-08-27 - Salesforce wants 1,000 Agentforce FDEs and just cut the exact profiles that fit. Here is how to source the pool before Q1 2027.
- [GitHub Hit 275M Commits a Week. The 4 Signals That Still Work.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-275m-commits-sourcing-signals-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-275m-commits-sourcing-signals-2026.md)) - 2026-08-27 - GitHub processes 275M commits weekly and agent PRs jumped 325% in six months. Here are the four sourcing signals that still separate humans from agents.
- [Amazon's July AGI Cut Was Undisclosed. The Real Pool Is 73.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-agi-team-layoffs-july-2026-pool-of-73) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-agi-team-layoffs-july-2026-pool-of-73.md)) - 2026-08-26 - Amazon quietly cut its AGI org in July 2026. The reachable ex-Amazon AI pool is 73 profiles, and Meta Superintelligence is already circling.
- [LinkedIn Recruiter Hit $12,960/Seat in 2026. Audit Before You Renew.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-hike-per-seat-audit) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-hike-per-seat-audit.md)) - 2026-08-26 - LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate renewals hit $10,800 to $12,960 per seat in 2026. Here is the per-seat usage math that decides renew, downgrade, or replace.
- [Fireworks' 400 Hires: The Ex-PyTorch Inference Pool Is Tiny](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-400-hires-ex-pytorch-inference-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-400-hires-ex-pytorch-inference-pool.md)) - 2026-08-26 - Fireworks, Together, and Baseten raised $3.8B in four weeks. The ex-PyTorch inference pool they are all chasing is measured in dozens.
- [The RLHF Poach: 8,496 US Experts, 4 Bidders, One 9.7x Pay Gap](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rlhf-talent-war-phd-poach-mercor-surge-scale-handshake) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rlhf-talent-war-phd-poach-mercor-surge-scale-handshake.md)) - 2026-08-26 - Mercor, Surge, Scale, and Handshake are bidding against frontier labs for the same PhDs. The sourcing playbook, with numbers from Refolk's index.
- [38.5% of Interviews Flagged: Inbound Is Now a Fraud Channel](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/inbound-is-a-fraud-channel-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/inbound-is-a-fraud-channel-2026.md)) - 2026-08-26 - Fabric flagged 38.5% of 19,368 interviews for AI cheating. Here is why inbound became a fraud channel and outbound sourcing is now identity verification.
- [TikTok's Bellevue WARN: The US E-Comm ML Pool Is 26 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-bellevue-warn-august-2026-ecommerce-ml-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-bellevue-warn-august-2026-ecommerce-ml-pool.md)) - 2026-08-26 - TikTok's late-August 2026 WARN cuts 75 in Bellevue. Refolk's index shows the visible US e-commerce ML pool is 26 people. Here's who buys them.
- [FDE Sourcing Broke in 18 Months: 3,382 Profiles, 4 Titles, 1 Playbook](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-sourcing-broken-4-titles-hidden-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-sourcing-broken-4-titles-hidden-pool.md)) - 2026-08-25 - Boolean searches for "Forward Deployed Engineer" now miss ~28% of the pool. Here is the ex-Palantir Delta lineage and cross-title playbook that works.
- [Apple's Aug 21 Cuts: 15 "Siri" Profiles Hide a Pool of 658](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-aug-21-ise-layoffs-sourcing-guide) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-aug-21-ise-layoffs-sourcing-guide.md)) - 2026-08-25 - Apple's Aug 21, 2026 layoffs hit Intelligent Systems Experience, not just Siri. Here's how to source the real ex-Apple AI pool before others do.
- [Meta's Muse Code Just Made 6 Buyers Chase 6 US Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-muse-code-coding-agent-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-muse-code-coding-agent-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-08-25 - Meta shipped Muse Code Aug 5, 2026. The US pool of engineers who have post-trained a coding agent sits in the low double digits. Source accordingly.
- [Cursor's 250 New Hires: The Real SF Pool Is Under 3,000 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cursor-anysphere-source-pool-3000-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cursor-anysphere-source-pool-3000-engineers.md)) - 2026-08-25 - Anysphere scaled Cursor from 50 to 300 with no formal recruiting. Here is the actual source pool, sized from Refolk's index, and how to work it.
- [DeepMind's AGI Safety Team Dodges Google's Own AI Screener](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deepmind-agi-safety-team-ai-screener-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deepmind-agi-safety-team-ai-screener-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-25 - Google DeepMind's AGI Safety team is bypassing Google's own AI resume screener. Here is how to source the alignment pool that ATS filters miss.
- [Wispr's $280M Series B: 14 ASR Engineers Have the Exact Title](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wispr-series-b-asr-engineer-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wispr-series-b-asr-engineer-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-08-25 - Wispr's $280M Series B squeezed a tiny US ASR pool. Refolk's index shows 14 exact-title matches vs 5,093 skill-based. How to source both.
- [Google's Aug 5 Kirkland WARN: The 30-Day Ex-Google Recruiter Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-august-2026-warn-ex-google-recruiter-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-august-2026-warn-ex-google-recruiter-pool.md)) - 2026-08-24 - Google's Aug 5 Washington WARN cut recruiters in Kirkland, Redmond, and Seattle. Here is the 30-day signing window and the 412-person pool to source from.
- [Apple's 200 Cuts Split Cleanly: 27 XR Titles vs a Voice-AI Goldmine](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-200-layoffs-vision-pro-siri-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-200-layoffs-vision-pro-siri-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-08-24 - Apple's Aug 21 2026 layoffs hit Vision Pro and legacy Siri. One cohort has 2 buyers. The other is the most sourceable voice-AI pool of the year.
- [1,200 Applicants, 4 Interviews: The Math That Broke Inbound in 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/1200-applicants-4-interviews-inbound-math-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/1200-applicants-4-interviews-inbound-math-2026.md)) - 2026-08-24 - LinkedIn hit 14,200 applications per minute in Feb 2026. Here is why inbound now costs more per qualified hire than outbound, and the cutover playbook.
- [EU AI Act Slipped 16 Months. Article 50 Didn't. Diligence Can't.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-16-month-slip-hiring-vendor-diligence) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-16-month-slip-hiring-vendor-diligence.md)) - 2026-08-24 - The Digital Omnibus deferred Annex III hiring-AI rules to Dec 2, 2027, but Article 50 transparency hits Aug 2, 2026. Here is the vendor diligence to run now.
- [The 14% Overlap Test: Why AI Shortlists Fail Reproducibility](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-screening-14-percent-overlap-reproducibility) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-screening-14-percent-overlap-reproducibility.md)) - 2026-08-24 - Same AI, same candidates, 14% shortlist overlap. What the reproducibility crisis in AI screening means for TA procurement in 2026, and how to test it.
- [The $200K ARR/FTE Seed Bar: Your First 5 Hires vs 14 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/200k-arr-per-fte-seed-bar-first-five-hires) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/200k-arr-per-fte-seed-bar-first-five-hires.md)) - 2026-08-24 - The 2026 seed bar of $200K ARR per FTE forces AI founders to rethink their first five hires. Here is where the real talent pool lives.
- [Oracle's Sept 1 Cut: 7,000 Fusion Consultants vs a Pool of 1,179](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-fusion-cloud-layoffs-erp-consultant-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-fusion-cloud-layoffs-erp-consultant-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-23 - Oracle is releasing 5,000-7,000 Fusion Cloud ERP consultants before September 1. The visible pool is only 1,179. Here is how to source it.
- [Discovery Loop's Next 20 Hires: A Pool of 412, Mapped](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/discovery-loop-next-20-hires-ai-for-science-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/discovery-loop-next-20-hires-ai-for-science-pool.md)) - 2026-08-23 - Jeff Dean's Discovery Loop will pull from a US+UK bench of 412 senior RL engineers. Where to source AI-for-science talent before the pipeline closes.
- [Intel Cut 2,392 Oregon Fab Engineers. Only 3 Buyers Exist.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-oregon-2392-fab-engineer-hiring-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-oregon-2392-fab-engineer-hiring-pool.md)) - 2026-08-23 - Intel's July 2026 Oregon layoffs hit 2,392, 4.5x the WARN. Why only TSMC AZ, Samsung Austin, and GlobalFoundries Malta can hire these fab engineers.
- [EU AI Act Aug 2 Deadline: 876 EU TA Leaders, 8 Governance Owners](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-august-2026-sourcing-stack-reclassified) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-august-2026-sourcing-stack-reclassified.md)) - 2026-08-23 - The Aug 2, 2026 EU AI Act deadline reclassified most AI sourcing tools as high-risk. Here's what changed, who's liable, and what to audit first.
- [Etsy Cut 220 in a Growth Quarter. The Brooklyn Search-ML Pool Is 38.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-august-2026-layoffs-brooklyn-search-ml-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-august-2026-layoffs-brooklyn-search-ml-pool.md)) - 2026-08-23 - Etsy's August 2026 layoffs hit during a 6.2% growth quarter. The real sourcing target is a ~38-person Scala search-ML cohort in Brooklyn.
- [River AI's $1.1B Hires From a Pool of 43. Here's the Named List.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/river-ai-1-1b-rl-lora-talent-pool-43) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/river-ai-1-1b-rl-lora-talent-pool-43.md)) - 2026-08-23 - River AI raised $1.1B for LoRA plus RL on open weights. The labeled talent pool is 43 people. Where to actually source Babuschkin's next 30 hires.
- [Meta's $100B AMD Deal: The US ROCm Engineer Pool Is 61 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-amd-100b-rocm-engineer-pool-61) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-amd-100b-rocm-engineer-pool-61.md)) - 2026-08-22 - Meta's $100B AMD deal put ROCm on the critical path. Refolk's index shows only 61 US ROCm engineers. Here is where to actually find them.
- [Intuit's 3,000-Person Exit: Why the Real AI Pool Is 21, Not 3,000](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-july-31-exit-ex-quickbooks-ai-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-july-31-exit-ex-quickbooks-ai-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-22 - Intuit's July 31, 2026 exit peaks this week. The ex-Intuit AI engineer pool is smaller than recruiters think. Where to source before LinkedIn saturates.
- [Oracle Health's 539 KC Cuts: The Millennium Pool Is 214 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-539-kansas-city-cerner-millennium-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-539-kansas-city-cerner-millennium-pool.md)) - 2026-08-22 - Oracle's March 2026 RIF freed hundreds of Cerner Millennium engineers, but the deep U.S. pool is 214 profiles. Here is how to source it now.
- [Sanofi's 229 Blueprint Cuts: The Cambridge KIT Pool Is 3 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sanofi-blueprint-medicines-kit-inhibitor-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sanofi-blueprint-medicines-kit-inhibitor-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-22 - Sanofi's Aug 2026 WARN releases 229 Blueprint Medicines staff over 38 weeks. The literal Cambridge KIT-inhibitor pool is three people. How to source it.
- [Anduril's 440 Bellevue Hires: The Real Poach Pool Is Azure, Not HoloLens](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anduril-bellevue-440-engineers-seattle-poach-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anduril-bellevue-440-engineers-seattle-poach-pool.md)) - 2026-08-22 - Anduril wants to nearly double its Seattle engineering org to 1,000. The real candidate pool isn't Reality Labs. It's Azure edge and Amazon Devices.
- [HN's August 2026 Candidate Thread Is 500x Smaller Than the Real Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-august-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-analysis) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-august-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-analysis.md)) - 2026-08-22 - The August 2026 Ask HN Who Wants to Be Hired thread is a signal, not a pipeline. How to read it against the real developer supply pool.
- [Together AI's 500 MW Bet: Source OCI Refugees, Not ML PhDs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-500mw-oci-refugees-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-500mw-oci-refugees-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-21 - Together AI raised $800M with 500 MW committed. The binding constraint is data center engineers, and Oracle's March 2026 cuts freed the exact pool.
- [GitHub's 13% Ceiling: Why Staff Sourcing Caps at 16K in the US](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-13-percent-ceiling-staff-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-13-percent-ceiling-staff-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-08-21 - GitHub X-ray reaches under 13% of US engineers and 33% at Staff. Here's the math, the ceiling, and what to pair it with in 2026.
- [HN August 2026 "Who Is Hiring": SF-Onsite Is the New AI Signature](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-august-2026-who-is-hiring-sf-onsite-ai) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-august-2026-who-is-hiring-sf-onsite-ai.md)) - 2026-08-21 - The August 2026 HN "Who is hiring" thread shows AI-native seed to Series B companies going SF-onsite. Here is how to source against the shift.
- [Red Hat's April 2026 Cuts Just 3x'd the US Senior OpenShift Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/red-hat-april-2026-cuts-openshift-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/red-hat-april-2026-cuts-openshift-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-08-21 - IBM's 2026 Red Hat layoffs put 300+ OpenShift, QEMU, and libvirt engineers on the market. Here is how mid-market infra should size and source the cohort.
- [California SB 617: Reading 2026 WARN Notices as a Sourcing Signal](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/california-sb-617-warn-2026-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/california-sb-617-warn-2026-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-08-21 - California's SB 617 forces every 2026 WARN notice to disclose outplacement posture. Here's how to read the new field as a sourcing signal.
- [Fireworks Needs 400 Hires. The US Inference Pool Is 327.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-hiring-inference-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-hiring-inference-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-08-21 - Fireworks AI raised $1.505B to triple headcount to 600. The US senior LLM-serving pool is 327 people. Here is who they actually are and where to find them.
- [Anthropic's Silicon Team: The Nvidia Poach Pool Is ~90 Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-silicon-team-nvidia-poach-pool-90) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-silicon-team-nvidia-poach-pool-90.md)) - 2026-08-20 - Anthropic's new in-house chip team hires against a US pool of 3,120 exact-title engineers, only 182 at Nvidia. Here is how to source it.
- [Zillow Cut 500 in a Quarter It Grew 18%. Source This Cohort Differently.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-layoffs-2026-growth-layoff-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-layoffs-2026-growth-layoff-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-08-20 - Zillow's Aug 2026 restructuring created a 312-person senior IC pool inside an 18% growth quarter. How to source growth-layoff talent before FAANG does.
- [TikTok Dublin's 667 T&S At-Risk: Only 1 Shows Up on LinkedIn](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-dublin-trust-safety-300-cut-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-dublin-trust-safety-300-cut-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-20 - TikTok's Dublin Trust and Safety cut puts 667 engineers at risk, but only 1 is indexed on public profiles. How to source the pool before Anthropic does.
- [Oracle's Rumored Aug 2026 Round: Source Before the WARN Lands](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-august-2026-rumored-layoffs-pre-warn-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-august-2026-rumored-layoffs-pre-warn-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-20 - Oracle's pre-Sept-1 cuts target Fusion, CX and Sales Engineering, not OCI. Here's how to source the pool before any WARN filing lands.
- [LinkedIn's 875 Cuts Hit Your Account Team, Not the Product](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-875-layoffs-recruiter-sourcing-response) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-875-layoffs-recruiter-sourcing-response.md)) - 2026-08-20 - LinkedIn's May 2026 layoffs thin the Global Business Organization, not core engineering. Here is what changes for technical sourcing in the next 12 months.
- [HN's Self-Listed Devs Went From 7.5 to 9+ Years. Juniors Left.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-junior-collapse-hireindex) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-junior-collapse-hireindex.md)) - 2026-08-19 - HireIndex's three-year analysis of HN's Who Wants to Be Hired shows the junior developer pipeline has quietly self-deleted. What that means for 2026 sourcing.
- [Wispr's $280M Voice Bet: The US ASR Title Pool Is 14 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wispr-280m-asr-talent-pool-14-people) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wispr-280m-asr-talent-pool-14-people.md)) - 2026-08-19 - Wispr Flow just raised $280M to hire 50 ASR researchers. The exact-title US pool is 14. Here's where the real 1,548-person sourcing surface lives.
- [Groq's $350M Rebuild: The Hiring Pool Is 2.5x Bigger Than Nvidia Took](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groq-350m-rebuild-neocloud-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groq-350m-rebuild-neocloud-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-19 - Groq raised $350M on Aug 17, 2026 to pivot to neocloud. The US data center pool it needs is 2,072 people, 2.5x the ASIC pool Nvidia drained.
- [Salesforce's Aug 7 WARN: The 86 Aren't Agentforce Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-aug-7-warn-86-agentforce-adjacent) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-aug-7-warn-86-agentforce-adjacent.md)) - 2026-08-19 - Salesforce's Aug 7 Mission Street WARN cut 86, but core Agentforce was spared. Here's the small MuleSoft and Marketing Cloud subset actually worth sourcing.
- [Sourcing "Phase 3" Agent-First Devs From Outside GitHub](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-phase-3-agent-first-developers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-phase-3-agent-first-developers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-19 - GitHub's Aug 2026 Copilot dashboard names "agent-first" devs but hides them inside enterprises. Here are the public GitHub signals that map to Phase 2/3.
- [Atlassian's 1,600 Cuts Look Global. The Sydney Pool Is 47.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-1600-cuts-sydney-platform-pool-47) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-1600-cuts-sydney-platform-pool-47.md)) - 2026-08-18 - Atlassian's March 2026 layoffs sound huge, but the sourceable Sydney Jira and Confluence platform engineer pool is roughly 47 people. Here is the math.
- [41% Have Already Hired a Fake. Outbound Is Now Fraud Defense.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/outbound-sourcing-fake-candidate-fraud-defense) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/outbound-sourcing-fake-candidate-fraud-defense.md)) - 2026-08-18 - Fake candidates are the top hiring risk of 2026. Why outbound sourcing is now structurally safer than inbound, with numbers from Gartner, Checkr, and the FBI.
- [Blind's 33 August Rumors: Your Pre-WARN Sourcing Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/blind-layoff-tracker-33-august-rumors-pre-warn-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/blind-layoff-tracker-33-august-rumors-pre-warn-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-18 - Blind's Layoff Tracker flagged 33 rumored August 2026 cuts at Informatica, Snap, Cisco, and more. Here's how to source them before WARN files.
- [Expedia's Rumored Fifth Round: The Seattle ML Pool Is 10 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/expedia-fifth-round-seattle-ml-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/expedia-fifth-round-seattle-ml-pool.md)) - 2026-08-18 - A Blind rumor of 1,650 Expedia cuts in August 2026 gives sourcers a 60-day head start. The Seattle ML pool at Expedia is 10 people. Work it by name.
- [Chai Discovery's $400M Round: The Real Bio-AI Rival Pool Is 22](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-400m-bio-ai-rival-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-400m-bio-ai-rival-pool.md)) - 2026-08-18 - Chai Discovery raised $400M for AI drug discovery, but the sourceable pool of engineers who have shipped protein models globally is 22.
- [The LinkedIn Connection Note Is Now the Worst Touchpoint](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-connection-reply-rate-collapse-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-connection-reply-rate-collapse-2026.md)) - 2026-08-18 - Expandi's 13.2M-message dataset shows LinkedIn connection note reply rates fell 37% in 11 months. Here is the sourcing playbook that replaces it.
- [Meta's Q4 Wave Is Signaled, Not Dated: Source the 2,743 Now](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-q4-2026-reality-labs-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-q4-2026-reality-labs-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-17 - Meta's May 2026 cuts were the middle beat, not the finale. How to pre-warm a Reality Labs and ad-infra pipeline before the Q4 wave lands.
- [Walden Robotics Raised $300M. The Real LBM Author Pool Is 58.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walden-robotics-lbm-author-pool-58) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walden-robotics-lbm-author-pool-58.md)) - 2026-08-17 - Walden Robotics' $300M TRI spinout is chasing a nameable 58-author LBM pool, not a LinkedIn keyword haystack. Here is how to source it.
- [Rapid7 Cut 314. The Boston Pool 7AI Actually Wants Is Smaller.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rapid7-314-layoffs-boston-vuln-research-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rapid7-314-layoffs-boston-vuln-research-pool.md)) - 2026-08-17 - Rapid7's August 2026 layoff of 314 isn't one talent pool. Here's how to slice it for 7AI, Realm.Security, and other Boston AI security hires.
- [Google's Aug 5 WA WARN: 52 Cuts, 7 Buildings, and Why Recruiters Are the Steal](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-aug-5-washington-warn-52-cuts-recruiters) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-aug-5-washington-warn-52-cuts-recruiters.md)) - 2026-08-17 - Google's Aug 5, 2026 Washington WARN cuts 52 across Kirkland, Redmond and Seattle. How to segment the list and why the recruiters matter most.
- [Firmus Raised $2B. Australia's Immersion Pool Is 2 Engineers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/firmus-2b-australia-immersion-cooling-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/firmus-2b-australia-immersion-cooling-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-08-17 - Firmus closed a $2B Series G to build 1.6 GW of immersion-cooled AI factories in Australia. The in-country talent pool is two engineers.
- [June AI's $20M Bet: The US FDE Pool Is 2,641, Not 100,000](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/june-ai-20m-fde-bubble-2641) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/june-ai-20m-fde-bubble-2641.md)) - 2026-08-17 - June AI raised $20M to automate forward deployed engineers. The real US FDE pool is 2,641 people. What that means for hiring in 2026 and 2027.
- [Cisco's 4,000-Person AI Pivot: The Real Talos + Splunk Pool Is 84](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-talos-splunk-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-talos-splunk-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-08-16 - Cisco's 2026 cuts hit Talos and Splunk. The self-identified pool is 84 people, mostly invisible to LinkedIn. Here is how to source them.
- [DeepMind's "Don't Share This Doc" Form Is Outbound Sourcing in Drag](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deepmind-bypass-form-outbound-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deepmind-bypass-form-outbound-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-16 - Google DeepMind quietly told AI safety candidates to bypass Google's own AI hiring filter. Here is why that memo is an argument for outbound sourcing.
- [The EU AI Act's August 2026 Deadline: What Actually Hit Sourcing](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-sourcing-high-risk-august-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-sourcing-high-risk-august-2026.md)) - 2026-08-16 - The EU AI Act reached full application in August 2026. Here is which sourcing behaviors became high-risk, which fines apply, and how to stay auditable.
- [DeepMind's 580 Pentagon Letter: The Most Sourceable AI Safety Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deepmind-580-pentagon-letter-ai-safety-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deepmind-580-pentagon-letter-ai-safety-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-16 - The April 2026 DeepMind Pentagon letter named 580+ signers. Here is how to work that list as an ex-DeepMind hiring pipeline before Anthropic drains it.
- [Intel's Aug 15 WARN: 67 DCAI Engineers in One Santa Clara Building](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-aug-15-warn-sc12-juliette-lane-dcai-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-aug-15-warn-sc12-juliette-lane-dcai-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-16 - Intel is cutting 103 Bay Area jobs on Aug 15, 2026, with 67 inside SC-12 on Juliette Lane. Here is how to source them before agencies do.
- [The Reverse Acqui-Hire's Stranded Pool: 300+ Engineers Nobody Filed For](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/reverse-acqui-hire-stranded-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/reverse-acqui-hire-stranded-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-16 - Character.AI, Adept, Inflection and Windsurf left hundreds of engineers stranded in shell companies. Here is how to source a pool with no WARN filing.
- [Etsy's 220 Cuts Look Like a Layoff. Source Them That Way and Lose Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-layoffs-2026-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-layoffs-2026-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-08-15 - Etsy cut 220 engineers six days after a $1.4B eBay windfall. Why this pool needs a different playbook than Zillow, with numbers from Refolk's index.
- [River AI's $1.1B and the 27-Person Kernel Engineer Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/river-ai-1-1b-kernel-engineer-pool-27) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/river-ai-1-1b-kernel-engineer-pool-27.md)) - 2026-08-15 - River AI raised $1.1B to build full-stack personal AI. The US kernel engineer pool is 27 people, and Apple employs 9 of them. The hiring math is brutal.
- [HN August 2026 "Who Wants to Be Hired": 194 Posts vs 200M Badges](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-august-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-194-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-august-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-194-engineers.md)) - 2026-08-15 - The August 2026 HN "Who wants to be hired" thread has 194 posts. Here is why it beats LinkedIn Open to Work for sourcing AI engineers.
- [Fireworks Just Raised $1.5B. The Titled US Inference Pool Is 5.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-1-5b-inference-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-1-5b-inference-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-08-15 - Fireworks AI plans to triple to 600 engineers. The US pool titled "Inference Engineer" is 5. Here is where to actually source them.
- [Oracle's Aug 11 Cut List: 40 OCI Engineers Are the Real Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-aug-11-oci-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-aug-11-oci-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-08-15 - Oracle's August 2026 layoff round will flood inboxes with ex-Oracle resumes. The pool AWS actually wants is 40 people. Here is how to isolate them.
- [Sourcing Ex-Windsurf Engineers: 230 People, 5 Days, 76% of the Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-windsurf-buyout-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-windsurf-buyout-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-08-15 - Cognition's buyout of ~200 Windsurf staff plus 30 layoffs just released 76% of the US LLM plus code-gen engineer pool. Here is the five-day sourcing playbook.
- [CodeRabbit's $143M Series C and the 221-Engineer US Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coderabbit-series-c-ai-code-review-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coderabbit-series-c-ai-code-review-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-08-14 - CodeRabbit raised $143M on Aug 12, 2026 and is doubling headcount. The US pool of static-analysis engineers is 221. Here is where they actually work.
- [LinkedIn Shows 136K FDE Jobs. The Real Pool Is 1,190.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-2026-palantir-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-2026-palantir-pool.md)) - 2026-08-14 - Forward Deployed Engineer sourcing is broken. Here's the real Palantir-descended pool, why LinkedIn inflates it, and how to hire from it in 2026.
- [Lovable's $400M Ramp Needs 150 ML Hires. Stockholm Can't Supply Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lovable-400m-stockholm-ml-hiring-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lovable-400m-stockholm-ml-hiring-pool.md)) - 2026-08-14 - Lovable's Aug 12 Series C funds a 450-person ramp. Stockholm's ML pool can't cover it, and the five-city footprint is really a sourcing map.
- [Zillow's Aug 4 WARN: 91 Seattle Cuts, But Only 34 Hireable ICs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-aug-4-warn-91-seattle-cuts-34-ic-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-aug-4-warn-91-seattle-cuts-34-ic-pool.md)) - 2026-08-14 - Zillow's Aug 4 Washington WARN filing lists 91 cuts, but the real senior IC pool is 34. Here is who to source and why the seniority skew matters.
- [Convex Raised $57M for Agent Backends. The Clone Pool Is 6.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/convex-57m-reactive-infra-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/convex-57m-reactive-infra-pool.md)) - 2026-08-14 - Convex's Aug 4 Series B funds hiring for reactive AI-agent infra. The ex-Dropbox archetype pool in the US is 6. Here's how to source the other 1,010.
- [ClimateAi Wound Down Aug 8. The Real US Climate-ML Pool Is 9.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/climateai-shutdown-climate-ml-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/climateai-shutdown-climate-ml-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-14 - ClimateAi's Aug 8, 2026 wind-down freed a rare climate-ML bench. Refolk's index shows only 9 US engineers match. Here's how to source them before Meta does.
- [Salesforce's Aug 6 WARN Names an SVP of Engineering. Pool: 1.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-august-2026-warn-svp-engineering-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-august-2026-warn-svp-engineering-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-13 - Salesforce's Aug 6-7 2026 WARN names 133 cuts including an SVP of Software Engineering. Here is how to source the Agentforce-era alumni pool.
- [TikTok Nashville's 250 Cuts: The Real Hireable Pool Is 29](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-nashville-layoffs-trust-safety-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiktok-nashville-layoffs-trust-safety-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-13 - TikTok closed its Nashville T&S site on Oct 5, 2026. The 250 headline hides that ~40 are engineers and just 29 US T&S leaders are worth chasing.
- [Valar Atomics Raised $1B. The TRISO Chemist Pool Fits in a Van.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/valar-atomics-triso-chemist-hiring-bwxt-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/valar-atomics-triso-chemist-hiring-bwxt-pool.md)) - 2026-08-13 - Valar Atomics is hiring TRISO chemists against four DOE-funded rivals chasing the same ~2,144 US profiles. How to actually source the pool.
- [Base Power's $1B Round: 105,929 Electricians, 157 Inverter EEs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/base-power-1b-cross-domain-sourcing-electricians-firmware) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/base-power-1b-cross-domain-sourcing-electricians-firmware.md)) - 2026-08-13 - Base Power's $13B Series D forces cross-domain hiring across four metros. Here is the real US talent pool math and a LinkedIn-free sourcing plan.
- [The 160-Startup Repo Every AI Engineer Just Starred. Now Reverse It.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-star-signal-awesome-ai-startups-hiring-reverse-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-star-signal-awesome-ai-startups-hiring-reverse-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-13 - The awesome-ai-startups-hiring repo turned 160+ AI companies into a candidate wishlist. Every star is a public job-search signal. Here's how to source it.
- [IBM's Aug 19 GVSA: Sourcing an NDA-Silenced Attrition Wave](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ibm-gvsa-aug-19-nda-silenced-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ibm-gvsa-aug-19-nda-silenced-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-13 - IBM's Aug 5-19 voluntary separation window suppresses WARN and Open to Work signals. Here is how to source the GVSA cohort before Sept 1.
- [Horizon3 Hit $2B on "AI vs AI." The Real Offensive-ML Pool Is 2.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/horizon3-series-e-offensive-ml-hiring-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/horizon3-series-e-offensive-ml-hiring-pool.md)) - 2026-08-12 - Horizon3's $250M Series E needs offensive security plus ML engineers in four cities. Refolk's index shows 2 identified profiles in the US, 0 in EMEA/APAC.
- [HappyRobot Raised $150M. The Freight Voice AI Pool Is 12.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/happyrobot-series-c-freight-voice-ai-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/happyrobot-series-c-freight-voice-ai-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-08-12 - HappyRobot's $150M Series C needs engineers who fuse voice AI with freight ops. Refolk's index shows 12 exist globally. Here is where to source them.
- [Chrome's Aug 1 Rule Just Broke the LinkedIn Sourcing Stack](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chrome-aug-1-linkedin-sourcing-broke) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chrome-aug-1-linkedin-sourcing-broke.md)) - 2026-08-12 - Chrome's Aug 1 2026 extension policy, a 4.77% InMail rate, and LinkedIn's vendor takedowns broke the LinkedIn-only sourcing playbook. Here is what replaces it.
- [Robert Half's 67%: U.S. Hiring Is Staffed 16-to-1 for Inbound](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robert-half-67-percent-inbound-broken-outbound-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robert-half-67-percent-inbound-broken-outbound-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-12 - Robert Half says 67% of HR leaders blame AI applications for slower hiring. The real bottleneck is a 16-to-1 recruiter-to-sourcer ratio.
- [Hadrian Needs 1,300 Hires. The Titled US CNC Pool Is 12,051.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hadrian-1300-hire-sprint-cnc-robotics-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hadrian-1300-hire-sprint-cnc-robotics-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-08-12 - Hadrian's $1.37B Series D funds a 700-to-2,000 headcount sprint. Here is where CNC, robotics, and defense manufacturing talent actually lives.
- [Rapid7 Told the Globe 21. The Aug 10 Filing Said 300.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rapid7-layoffs-2026-boston-cyber-arbitrage) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rapid7-layoffs-2026-boston-cyber-arbitrage.md)) - 2026-08-12 - Rapid7 disclosed ~300 layoffs on Aug 10, 2026 after telling the Boston Globe it was cutting 21. Here is the Boston cyber sourcing arbitrage.
- [Jeff Dean Left Google for Discovery Loop. The Follow-On Pool Is 27.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/jeff-dean-discovery-loop-follow-on-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/jeff-dean-discovery-loop-follow-on-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-11 - Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat left Google for Discovery Loop on Aug 5, 2026. How to source the follow-on wave before LinkedIn updates.
- [Gartner's 1-in-4 Fake Candidate Stat: Filter at Sourcing, Not Interview](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gartner-fake-candidates-sourcing-filters) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gartner-fake-candidates-sourcing-filters.md)) - 2026-08-11 - Gartner projects 25% of candidates will be fake by 2028. Three cross-platform proof-of-work filters kill synthetic profiles at sourcing, before interviews.
- [LinkedIn's Verified Spotlight Fires Too Late. The DPRK Cover Pool Is 32.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-verified-spotlight-dprk-sourcing-checks) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-verified-spotlight-dprk-sourcing-checks.md)) - 2026-08-11 - LinkedIn's 2026 Verified Applicant Spotlight runs at apply, not sourcing. Three checks that catch DPRK IT worker personas before InMail goes out.
- [AI Interview Cheating in 2026: 38.5% Flagged, 6% Admit](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/businessweek-ai-interview-cheating-outbound-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/businessweek-ai-interview-cheating-outbound-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-11 - Bloomberg's Aug 2026 cover on AI interview cheating exposed a 6.4x gap between flagged and admitted fraud. Here is why outbound sourcing is the fix.
- [Anduril's 16 August HN Roles: The Cleared Pool Is Zero](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anduril-august-2026-hn-cleared-pool-rust-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anduril-august-2026-hn-cleared-pool-rust-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-11 - Anduril topped August 2026's HN "Who is Hiring" with 16 roles. The cleared pool is invisible. Here is the commercial Rust and C++ bench they poach from.
- [Aug 2026 HN "Who Is Hiring": 258 Applied AI Engineers Exist](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-august-2026-applied-ai-fde-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-august-2026-applied-ai-fde-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-11 - The August 2026 Hacker News hiring thread points at three stacks and one naming gap. Here is how to source against Confido, Bucket, and detections.ai.
- ["Robot Learning Engineer" Postings Up 340%. The Real Pool Is 41.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robot-learning-engineer-vla-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robot-learning-engineer-vla-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-08-10 - Robot Learning Engineer postings grew 340% since 2024, but only 41 US profiles use the title. How to source the real 4,188-person VLA pool.
- [Indeed Sourcing Assistant: 370M Profiles, Wrong Ones for Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-sourcing-assistant-engineers-missing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-sourcing-assistant-engineers-missing.md)) - 2026-08-10 - Indeed's June 2026 Sourcing Assistant claims a 2.9x hire rate across 370M profiles. Here is why it still misses senior engineers, and what to buy instead.
- [Langfuse Joined ClickHouse at $15B. The Berlin IC Pool Is 11.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/langfuse-clickhouse-acqui-hire-llm-ops-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/langfuse-clickhouse-acqui-hire-llm-ops-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-08-10 - Langfuse's ClickHouse acqui-hire opens a 14-month sourcing window on ~19 LLM observability engineers. Here is the playbook, with real pool numbers.
- [FY2027 H-1B: The OPT Lottery Playbook Is Dead. Source Transfers Instead.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-wage-lottery-fy2027-opt-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-wage-lottery-fy2027-opt-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-08-10 - DHS's wage-weighted H-1B lottery and $100K overseas fee gut the OPT sourcing playbook for FY2027. Here's the transfer-first strategy that replaces it.
- [Anthropic Pulls From DeepMind 11-to-1. The Real Pool Is 48.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-deepmind-11-to-1-visible-pool-48) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-deepmind-11-to-1-visible-pool-48.md)) - 2026-08-10 - Anthropic drains DeepMind at 11:1. The "ex-DeepMind" LinkedIn label finds thousands, but the actually poachable senior research pool is 48 people.
- [EU AI Act Deferral Left Article 50 Live: What Landed Aug 2](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-article-50-recruiting-august-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-article-50-recruiting-august-2026.md)) - 2026-08-10 - The Digital Omnibus deferred high-risk hiring AI to Dec 2027, but Article 50 disclosure and the emotion-AI ban still hit recruiters on Aug 2, 2026.
- [Curl Got 37 AI Slop Reports in 2025. Three GitHub Signals That Still Work.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-ai-slop-three-signals-that-still-work) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-ai-slop-three-signals-that-still-work.md)) - 2026-08-09 - GitHub's 2026 outlook admits AI slop broke commit-count sourcing. Here are three replacement signals maintainers already use, and the pool math behind them.
- [Microsoft's LITE Layoffs Skip WARN. The Signal Is a 14-Day Blind Post.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-lite-silent-layoffs-august-2026-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-lite-silent-layoffs-august-2026-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-09 - Microsoft's August 2026 LITE and GVSA cuts skip WARN filings and layoff.fyi. Here is how to source the invisible cohort before LinkedIn catches up.
- [Oracle Cut 10,000 From Cerner. Only 2.3% Are Findable by Keyword.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-oracle-health-cerner-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-oracle-health-cerner-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-09 - Oracle's 2026 layoffs dumped up to 10,000 ex-Cerner staff onto LinkedIn, but the real EHR-on-OCI engineer pool is tiny. Here is how to find them.
- [ClickUp Cut 22% and Called It AI. The Ex-ClickUp Pool Is 221.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-clickup-engineers-pm-saas-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-clickup-engineers-pm-saas-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-08-09 - ClickUp cut ~285 staff and denied it was cost or demand. Here's how to read the memo and intercept the real ex-ClickUp engineer pool this week.
- [Chime Cut 150 After Going 29% to 84% AI-Authored. Sourcing Playbook.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chime-layoffs-2026-ai-fluent-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chime-layoffs-2026-ai-fluent-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-09 - Chime cut 150 five days before earnings after tripling AI-authored code. How to intercept the 223-person ex-Chime engineering pool in three weeks.
- [The $1.13M-Per-Head Bar Killed the 10-Engineer Seed Plan](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bessemer-supernova-113m-per-head-seed-hiring) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bessemer-supernova-113m-per-head-seed-hiring.md)) - 2026-08-09 - Bessemer's AI Supernova cohort hit $1.13M ARR per employee. Why seed founders now hire 2-3 senior generalists, not 10 specialists, and where to find them.
- [Etsy Cut 220 on a Q2 Beat. The Ex-Etsy ML Pool Is 423.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-layoffs-august-2026-ex-etsy-ml-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etsy-layoffs-august-2026-ex-etsy-ml-pool.md)) - 2026-08-08 - Etsy cut 220 product and engineering roles on Aug 5, 2026 after a Q2 beat. Here is how to source the ex-Etsy marketplace ML pool before Amazon does.
- [Salesforce Named an SVP on the Oct 5 WARN. The Agentforce Pool Is 24.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-oct-5-warn-agentforce-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-oct-5-warn-agentforce-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-08-08 - Salesforce's Aug 6 WARN filing names 133 engineering roles cut Oct 5. Here is how to convert that 60-day window into ex-Agentforce hires.
- [Cognition's Aug 10 Cliff: 200 Windsurf Engineers, 5 Days to Intercept](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-windsurf-buyout-aug-10-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-windsurf-buyout-aug-10-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-08-08 - Cognition gave 200 Windsurf engineers until Aug 10 to accept a 9-month buyout or work 80-hour weeks. Here is how to source the pool before it disperses.
- [FDE Postings Grew 729%. The Real Pool Hides Under Three Other Titles.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-title-fragmentation-agent-engineer-boolean) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-title-fragmentation-agent-engineer-boolean.md)) - 2026-08-08 - Forward Deployed Engineer postings jumped 729% YoY, but Boolean searches miss the Agent Engineer and AI Application Engineer pool. Here is the fix.
- [The Real Ex-TikTok Trust & Safety Engineer Pool Is Under 50](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-tiktok-trust-safety-engineer-pool-adso-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-tiktok-trust-safety-engineer-pool-adso-2026.md)) - 2026-08-08 - TikTok's July 2026 ADSO cuts freed a T&S pool recruiters keep sizing wrong. The real ex-TikTok safety engineer pool is under 50, not 40,000.
- [Uber Blamed AI. Zillow Denied It. Read the Memo, Not the Headline.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-blamed-ai-zillow-denied-it-read-the-memo) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-blamed-ai-zillow-denied-it-read-the-memo.md)) - 2026-08-08 - Uber cited AI for July 2026 layoffs. Zillow refused to. The gap between the two memos tells sourcers where hiring is actually going.
- [Two Crypto Shutdowns in One Week: The Ex-Movement Rust Pool Is 127](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-movement-bitmart-rust-sourcing-august-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-movement-bitmart-rust-sourcing-august-2026.md)) - 2026-08-07 - Movement Labs and BitMart wound down in the same week. Here is how to source the ex-Movement Rust engineers and ex-BitMart trading engineers now.
- [Zillow Cut 500 on an 18% Growth Quarter. The Zestimate ML Pool Is 43.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-layoff-zestimate-ml-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/zillow-layoff-zestimate-ml-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-07 - Zillow's Aug 4, 2026 layoff hit 500+ on an 18% growth quarter. Here's how to source the ~43 Zestimate ML engineers, not the LinkedIn dump.
- [IBM's 14-Day NDA Window Closes Aug 19. The watsonx Pool Is 534.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ibm-voluntary-separation-2026-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ibm-voluntary-separation-2026-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-08-07 - IBM's Aug 5-19, 2026 voluntary separation offer hides departures behind NDAs. Here is the 14-day sourcing playbook for watsonx and Z engineers.
- [Time-to-Hire Hit 67 Days in Q1 2026. Boolean Exact-Stack Is Why.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/time-to-hire-67-days-boolean-exact-stack) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/time-to-hire-67-days-boolean-exact-stack.md)) - 2026-08-07 - Bay Area senior engineer time-to-hire jumped to 67 days in Q1 2026. Boolean exact-stack filtering, not talent scarcity, is the cause. Here is the fix.
- [32% of AI-Cut Roles Get Rehired. The Boomerang Backfill Playbook.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-layoff-rehire-boomerang-backfill-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-layoff-rehire-boomerang-backfill-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-06 - Robert Half says 32% of AI-eliminated US roles got rehired. Here is the ex-employer sourcing playbook, with pool sizes for support, HR, and writers.
- [Visa Cut 2,600 to Fund Stablecoins. The Global Skill Pool Is 618.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/visa-2600-layoffs-stablecoin-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/visa-2600-layoffs-stablecoin-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-06 - Visa's July 2026 layoffs hit the exact teams building stablecoins and agentic commerce. Here is how to source the overlap before Bridge does.
- [LinkedIn Recruiter Hit $12,960 a Seat. Cut to Three, Not Five.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-hike-seat-count) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-hike-seat-count.md)) - 2026-08-06 - LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate renewals in 2026 land near $12,960 per seat. Here is the seat-count math, the hidden 20 to 40% tax, and where to redirect the delta.
- [Ashby Posted Its Own Job on HN Between Its Customers' Reqs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ashby-hn-who-is-hiring-august-2026-engineering-leaders) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ashby-hn-who-is-hiring-august-2026-engineering-leaders.md)) - 2026-08-06 - Ashby, the ATS behind Notion, Linear, and Shopify, listed itself on HN's Aug 2026 hiring thread at $200-275k. Here is what to do about it.
- [2026 Tech Layoffs Passed 2025 in August. "Ex-Google" Finds 11.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/2026-tech-layoffs-ex-faang-search-broken) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/2026-tech-layoffs-ex-faang-search-broken.md)) - 2026-08-05 - 2026 tech layoffs already beat 2025's 245K total. The "ex-FAANG open to work" LinkedIn filter now misses 99.9% of the real pool. Here is the fix.
- [AMD Data Center Hit $6.7B. The US Senior ROCm Pool Is 37.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amd-q2-2026-rocm-hip-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amd-q2-2026-rocm-hip-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-08-05 - AMD's Q2 2026 beat made ROCm/HIP a hard JD requirement. The sourceable US senior pool is 37 people, and AMD already employs 6 of them.
- [Together AI's $800M Series C Wants Kernel Fluency. The Visible Pool Is 6.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-series-c-cuda-inference-hiring-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-series-c-cuda-inference-hiring-pool.md)) - 2026-08-05 - Together AI's $800M Series C funds a hiring push for CUDA-fluent inference engineers. The publicly signaled US pool is 6. Here is how to source the rest.
- [Texas Priced LinkedIn's Ghost Jobs at $17.8B. Sourcing Changes Now.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/texas-linkedin-ghost-jobs-outbound-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/texas-linkedin-ghost-jobs-outbound-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-08-05 - Texas AG Paxton opened a July 14, 2026 investigation into LinkedIn's 27% ghost-job rate. Here is the outbound sourcing workflow that replaces it.
- [Defense Tech VC Doubled to $12.3B. The Cleared Engineer Pool Is 41.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/defense-tech-vc-12-3b-cleared-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/defense-tech-vc-12-3b-cleared-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-08-05 - Defense VC hit $12.3B in H1 2026 but cleared engineer supply grew low single digits. Here is how to source the hidden pool most founders miss.
- [48% of Software Interviews Are AI-Cheated. The Filter Moves Left.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-interview-cheating-sourcing-is-the-filter) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-interview-cheating-sourcing-is-the-filter.md)) - 2026-08-05 - Fabric flagged 48% of software engineering interviews for AI cheating. Detection is losing. Sourcing on verifiable GitHub signal is now the real filter.
- [Polygon Labs' Second 2026 Cut: "Ex-Polygon" Finds 12,546. zkEVM Finds 24.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/polygon-labs-2026-layoffs-ex-polygon-zkevm-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/polygon-labs-2026-layoffs-ex-polygon-zkevm-pool.md)) - 2026-08-04 - Polygon Labs' July 16, 2026 layoffs hit protocol R&D. Here's why "ex-Polygon" on LinkedIn returns 12,546 profiles but only 24 shipped zkEVM.
- [Microsoft Frontier Wants 6,000 FDEs. The US Pool Is 2,974.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-frontier-6000-fde-us-pool-2974) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-frontier-6000-fde-us-pool-2974.md)) - 2026-08-04 - Microsoft Frontier and AWS committed $3.5B to hire thousands of forward deployed engineers. Refolk's index shows the real US pool is 2,974 people.
- [Etched Raised $300M to Hardcode Transformers. The US Pool Is 7.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etched-sohu-transformer-asic-talent-pool-2) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etched-sohu-transformer-asic-talent-pool-2.md)) - 2026-08-04 - Etched's $10.3B Series C bets on transformer-hardcoded silicon. The US engineers who can build it number 7, not 74. Here is how to find them.
- [How to Source Engineers From the Aug 2026 HN "Who Is Hiring?" Thread](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-august-2026-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-august-2026-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-08-04 - The Aug 2026 HN Who Is Hiring thread (item 49156683) is live for 30 days. Here's the role mix, the AI split, and the counter-thread nobody works.
- [Google Quietly Cut 3,000 Engineers in 2026. "Ex-Google" Finds 7.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-2026-layoffs-ex-google-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-2026-layoffs-ex-google-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-04 - Google's 2026 engineer cuts came through four mechanisms with no headline number. Here is how to source the 1,500 to 3,000 person pool.
- [The $100K H-1B Fee Killed Level 1. Source STEM OPT Seniors Instead.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-wage-weighted-lottery-2026-sourcing-strategy) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-wage-weighted-lottery-2026-sourcing-strategy.md)) - 2026-08-04 - The Feb 27, 2026 wage-weighted H-1B lottery and $100K fee reshaped international sourcing. Here is the new pipeline math for Q3 2026.
- [Green Squares Lie: 1 in 10 AI PRs Is Legit. Sourcers, Adjust.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-contribution-graph-ai-slop-sourcing-signals) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-contribution-graph-ai-slop-sourcing-signals.md)) - 2026-08-03 - GitHub PR counts are corrupted by AI slop in 2026. Here are the signals technical recruiters should use to evaluate GitHub profiles instead.
- [Oracle Health Cut 8,000 in Kansas City. "Ex-Oracle" Finds 8%.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-cerner-millennium-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-cerner-millennium-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-03 - Oracle Health's June 2026 layoffs freed 131 Cerner Millennium engineers, but LinkedIn's Ex-Oracle filter misses 92% of them. Here is how to source them.
- [The Aug 2 EU AI Act Deadline Slipped to Dec 2027. Article 50 Didn't.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-recruitment-digital-omnibus-2027-deadline) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-recruitment-digital-omnibus-2027-deadline.md)) - 2026-08-03 - The Digital Omnibus pushed high-risk AI recruitment obligations to December 2, 2027. But Article 50 transparency rules did hit on August 2, 2026.
- [Walden's $300M Bet on Wheels: The Real LBM Pool Is ~47, Not 4,200](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walden-robotics-lbm-diffusion-policy-hiring-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walden-robotics-lbm-diffusion-policy-hiring-pool.md)) - 2026-08-03 - Walden Robotics raised $300M for Large Behavior Models. LinkedIn shows thousands of robotics engineers. The real applied pool is roughly 47. Here is how to source it.
- [Anduril's $61B Round Needs Cleared Firmware. The Real Pool Is 1,334.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anduril-series-h-cleared-firmware-pool-1334) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anduril-series-h-cleared-firmware-pool-1334.md)) - 2026-08-03 - Anduril's $5B Series H, Shield AI, and Saronic are chasing the same 1,334 defense-embedded engineers. Here is why LinkedIn cannot see them.
- [Coinbase Cut 700 Citing AI. The Ex-Coinbase Rust Pool Is ~125.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-layoffs-2026-ex-coinbase-rust-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-layoffs-2026-ex-coinbase-rust-pool.md)) - 2026-08-03 - Coinbase's May 2026 AI-native layoff freed ~700 people. The real ex-Coinbase Rust and protocol pool is roughly 125. Here is how to reach them first.
- [Tsimerman Left Toronto for OpenAI. The Real Math-to-AI Pool Is 11.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tsimerman-openai-math-to-ai-pool-11) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tsimerman-openai-math-to-ai-pool-11.md)) - 2026-08-02 - Jacob Tsimerman's Fields Medal day move to OpenAI put every AI lab on the same tiny list. Refolk's index shows how thin the math-to-AI pool really is.
- ["SDLC Is Out, ADLC Is In": The Stockholm JD Breaking LinkedIn Search](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sdlc-out-adlc-in-stockholm-jd-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sdlc-out-adlc-in-stockholm-jd-sourcing.md)) - 2026-08-02 - A July 2026 Stockholm JD codified Agentic Development Lifecycle for 30-40 engineer teams. Only 15 people globally match its exact skill stack.
- [LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant Hit $450M ARR. It Still Can't See GitHub.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-github-blind-spot-2) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-github-blind-spot-2.md)) - 2026-08-02 - LinkedIn's agentic sourcing product cleared $450M ARR by April 2026. Here is what a LinkedIn-only agent structurally cannot find, quantified.
- [Chime Cut 150 on July 31. The Real Ex-Chime IC Pool Is 234.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chime-layoffs-2026-ex-chime-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chime-layoffs-2026-ex-chime-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-08-02 - Chime's July 31, 2026 layoff of 150 is a floor, not a ceiling. Here's how to source the real ex-Chime engineer pool that "Current Company" filters miss.
- [Oak's $60M Seed Defines a Category. The Senior US Pool Is 14.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oak-60m-seed-ai-agent-identity-pool-14) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oak-60m-seed-ai-agent-identity-pool-14.md)) - 2026-08-02 - Oak raised $60M for AI-native identity on July 15, 2026. The senior US pool who has shipped agent-permission systems is 14. Here is where to find them.
- [Cognition's 200 Windsurf Buyouts Won't Trigger WARN. Here's the Pool.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-windsurf-buyouts-warn-invisible-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-windsurf-buyouts-warn-invisible-pool.md)) - 2026-08-02 - Cognition offered buyouts to ~200 Windsurf engineers. WARN sees zero. Here's how to source the AI-IDE talent pool before it lands elsewhere.
- [Bespoke Labs Raised $40M for Agent Evals. The Title Barely Exists.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bespoke-labs-40m-agent-evals-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bespoke-labs-40m-agent-evals-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-08-01 - Bespoke Labs' $40M round exposed a hiring gap: the "evals engineer" title barely resolves on LinkedIn. Here is how to source the real pool.
- [Expedia's Rumored 1,650 Cut: The 11-Day Window Before WARN](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/expedia-layoffs-2026-sourcing-before-warn) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/expedia-layoffs-2026-sourcing-before-warn.md)) - 2026-08-01 - A TeamBlind rumor of 1,650 Expedia cuts is circulating before any WARN filing. Here is how to build the sourcing list in the 11-day window.
- [CuspAI's $450M Round Just Bought 45 Partners for a 214-Person Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cuspai-450m-equivariant-gnn-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cuspai-450m-equivariant-gnn-pool.md)) - 2026-08-01 - CuspAI is hiring equivariant GNN engineers across six cities. LinkedIn's title filter misses the real pool. Here is where it actually lives.
- [Anthropic's Claude Breached 3 Orgs. The US Containment Pool Is 88.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-claude-breach-agentic-eval-pool-88) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-claude-breach-agentic-eval-pool-88.md)) - 2026-08-01 - Anthropic's July 30 disclosure created a demand shock for agentic eval and containment engineers. The real US titled pool is 88. Here is how to source it.
- [The 996 Clause Is Spreading. The Real Sourceable Pool Is 4,376.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sourcing-ai-engineers-996-clause-cognition) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sourcing-ai-engineers-996-clause-cognition.md)) - 2026-08-01 - Cognition's 80-hour, 6-day mandate is spreading to AI startup JDs. LinkedIn filters miss the signal. Here's how to source the 4,376 engineers who'll accept it.
- [Thomson Reuters Cuts 500 Engineers, Wants 250 AI-Native. Pool Is 47.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/thomson-reuters-500-cuts-ai-native-pool-47) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/thomson-reuters-500-cuts-ai-native-pool-47.md)) - 2026-08-01 - Thomson Reuters plans 250 AI-native hires after cutting 500 engineers. The senior LLM pool at legal and tax incumbents is 47. Here is the sourcing math.
- [Splash's "No Cursor" JD Is a GitHub Problem. Only 62 Engineers Signal It.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/no-cursor-jd-filter-github-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/no-cursor-jd-filter-github-signal.md)) - 2026-07-31 - Splash's July 2026 "No Cursor" job post can't be filtered in any ATS. Here's why sourcing engineers who code without AI needs GitHub, not LinkedIn.
- [Samsung's Texas Move Strands 918 in Bergen County. "Ex-Samsung" Finds 0.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/samsung-texas-move-bergen-county-warn-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/samsung-texas-move-bergen-county-warn-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-31 - Samsung's July WARN filing hides a 918-person Bergen County talent pool that ex-company filters and layoff trackers will miss until Q4. Here's how to source it.
- [FDE Postings Are Up 729%. The Real Pool Is 8,821, Not 2,908.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-07-31 - Forward Deployed Engineer demand jumped 729% YoY and NYC passed SF. Why title search misses two-thirds of the real pool, with numbers from Refolk's index.
- [Together AI's $800M Buys 500MW. The US CUDA Kernel Pool Is 62.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-cuda-kernel-pool-62) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-cuda-kernel-pool-62.md)) - 2026-07-31 - Together AI's $8.3B Series C funds a 50x infrastructure expansion, but the real bottleneck is a US CUDA kernel pool of 62 engineers.
- [Kimi K3 Landed With Open Weights. The US Pool That Can Serve It Is 11.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-kimi-k3-engineers-us-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hiring-kimi-k3-engineers-us-pool.md)) - 2026-07-31 - Moonshot's 2.8T Kimi K3 is downloadable, but only 11 US engineers can actually serve it. Why LinkedIn title search finds zero of them, and where they really live.
- [Cursor's $60B Exit Was Hired From a Discord. LinkedIn Missed All 150.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cursor-60b-discord-hiring-linkedin-missed) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cursor-60b-discord-hiring-linkedin-missed.md)) - 2026-07-31 - SpaceX bought Cursor for $60B. Its ~150-person team came out of a Discord, not LinkedIn. Here's how to source AI engineers where they actually live.
- [Chai Discovery's $400M Round Buys 7 Résumés. The Real Pool Is Alumni.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-400m-ai-biology-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-400m-ai-biology-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-30 - Chai Discovery's $400M Series C targets a talent pool of 7 protein-model researchers worldwide. Here's how to source AI x biology without a war chest.
- [Reverse Recruiters Send 863 Apps per Hire. Your Inbox Is the Landfill.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/reverse-recruiters-863-applications-ghost-written-pipeline) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/reverse-recruiters-863-applications-ghost-written-pipeline.md)) - 2026-07-30 - Reverse recruiters charge $1,500/mo to ghost-write inbound pipelines. Employer ghosting hit 53%. Here is why sourcing must move off LinkedIn now.
- [AI Resume Screeners Agree 14% of the Time. That's Worse Than Random.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-resume-screeners-14-percent-overlap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-resume-screeners-14-percent-overlap.md)) - 2026-07-30 - AI resume screeners produced 14% shortlist overlap on identical data, worse than a coin flip. Here's why sourcing on verifiable signal beats the paper layer.
- [Fireworks AI Needs 400 Engineers in 5 Months. The Senior Pool Is 289.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-400-hires-pytorch-inference-pool-289) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-400-hires-pytorch-inference-pool-289.md)) - 2026-07-30 - Fireworks AI's $1.5B Series D funds 400 hires by December. The global senior PyTorch inference pool is 289. Here's how to source it before NVIDIA does.
- [Magic Leap Just Freed 57% of the US Waveguide Pool in One WARN Filing](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/magic-leap-193-waveguide-engineers-us-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/magic-leap-193-waveguide-engineers-us-pool.md)) - 2026-07-30 - Magic Leap's Oct 1, 2026 layoff of 193 Plantation FL engineers hits a US waveguide pool of just 337. Why title search misses them and how to build the shortlist first.
- [Citi's 20,000 Cuts: 64% of Its Real Engineers Hide Behind VP Titles](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/citigroup-layoffs-2026-vp-titled-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/citigroup-layoffs-2026-vp-titled-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-30 - Citigroup's 20,000-role restructuring hits NYC engineers whose LinkedIn titles say "VP." Here's the sourcing playbook before Goldman and JPM close the window.
- [Cloudflare Cut 1,100 and Grew Engineering 45%. Layoff Trackers Lie.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoff-engineering-grew-45-percent) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoff-engineering-grew-45-percent.md)) - 2026-07-29 - Cloudflare's May 2026 cut looked like a supply signal. BNP Paribas data shows engineering grew 45%. Here is how to read layoffs by function, not headline.
- [LLM Fine-Tuning Demand Is Up 135.8%. The Hugging Face Pool Is 3,177.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hugging-face-sourcing-llm-fine-tuning-hiring) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hugging-face-sourcing-llm-fine-tuning-hiring.md)) - 2026-07-29 - LLM fine-tuning is the hardest AI role to fill in 2026. Here's why Hugging Face contributor activity beats LinkedIn "AI Engineer" titles for sourcing.
- [Meta's 8,000 July 22 Cuts: Why 1,300 Ex-Meta Engineers Still Say "Meta"](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-july-22-layoffs-linkedin-current-company-broken) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-july-22-layoffs-linkedin-current-company-broken.md)) - 2026-07-29 - Meta's July 22, 2026 separations plus a 26-plaintiff AI lawsuit break LinkedIn's current-company filter. Here is how to source the pool that lags.
- [Emergent's 30-40 SF Hires Equal 12% of the US Senior LangChain Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/emergent-sf-hires-vibe-coding-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/emergent-sf-hires-vibe-coding-pool.md)) - 2026-07-29 - Emergent's $1.5B unicorn adds 30-40 SF engineers by year-end. In Refolk's index, that's 9-12% of the US senior LangChain+LLM pool.
- [Anthropic Poaches OpenAI 8:1. The 1,852-Profile Pool You Can't Win.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-poaches-openai-8-to-1-stop-sourcing-alumni) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-poaches-openai-8-to-1-stop-sourcing-alumni.md)) - 2026-07-29 - Anthropic pulls OpenAI engineers 8:1 and DeepMind 11:1. Here's where the actually-winnable frontier-lab talent pool sits in H2 2026.
- [Defense Tech Raised $14.6B in 5 Months. Your TS/SCI Search Finds 0.1%.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/defense-tech-14b-tssci-linkedin-search-fails) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/defense-tech-14b-tssci-linkedin-search-fails.md)) - 2026-07-29 - Defense tech is hiring 50% harder than software startups, but LinkedIn's TS/SCI keyword search surfaces 0.1% of cleared engineers. Here's the fix.
- [Intel Cut 2,392 in Oregon. The US Process Engineer Pool Is 623.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-oregon-layoffs-2392-tsmc-arizona-623-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-oregon-layoffs-2392-tsmc-arizona-623-pool.md)) - 2026-07-28 - Intel's July 15 Oregon cuts hit 2,392. The national specialist bench is 623. Here is how to source the process, litho, etch, and yield engineers first.
- [Monday.com Is the 21st AI-Cited Layoff of 2026. The US Pool Is 365.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/monday-com-ai-layoffs-2026-cursor-claude-code-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/monday-com-ai-layoffs-2026-cursor-claude-code-pool.md)) - 2026-07-28 - Monday.com joined 20 other companies blaming AI for 2026 layoffs. In Refolk's index, only 365 US engineers publicly signal Cursor or Claude Code fluency.
- [Xbox's 3,200-Cut Drip: Why "Current Company: Microsoft" Misses the Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-3200-cuts-fy27-game-engine-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-3200-cuts-fy27-game-engine-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-28 - Microsoft's FY27 Xbox cuts drip 3,200 people across ZeniMax, id, Turn 10 and King. Here's how to source the engine and graphics talent LinkedIn hides.
- [Salesforce Turned 15,000 Engineers Into Claude Babysitters. The US IC Pool Is 2,021.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-freeze-claude-300m-poach-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-freeze-claude-300m-poach-window.md)) - 2026-07-28 - Salesforce's 2026 hiring freeze and $300M Anthropic token spend created a restless senior IC cohort. Refolk's index shows 2,021 US Salesforce engineers open to a call.
- [Oracle Cut 30,000. The 17 OCI Engineers Your Title Filter Is Hiding.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-30k-layoff-oci-stargate-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-30k-layoff-oci-stargate-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-07-28 - Oracle's March 31 layoff freed the OCI engineers who built OpenAI's Stargate cluster. Here's the 60-day sourcing map most recruiters will miss.
- [SPCX Is Underwater. The 1,514-Engineer Poach Window Closes Dec 8.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spcx-underwater-spacex-xai-cursor-poach-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spcx-underwater-spacex-xai-cursor-poach-window.md)) - 2026-07-27 - SpaceX's IPO cratered below offer price, unlocking xAI and Cursor engineers on a staggered lockup. Here's how to source the 1,514-person cohort before December.
- [Neko Health's $700M NYC Landing: The US Imaging-AI Pool Is 74](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neko-health-nyc-imaging-ai-pool-74) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neko-health-nyc-imaging-ai-pool-74.md)) - 2026-07-27 - Neko Health's $700M Series C funds a NYC clinic aimed at Prenuvo's turf. The US imaging-plus-ML engineering pool is 74. Here's how to source it.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70 Just Freed 8,750 Veterans. Your ATS Is Filtering Them Out.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-5) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-5.md)) - 2026-07-27 - Microsoft's first-ever voluntary retirement program released ~8,750 senior-tenure engineers into the Seattle market. Here is how to source them before ATS filters do.
- [Meta Just Poached AWS's EC2 Chief. The Follow-On Pool Moves in 90 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-compute-dave-brown-aws-follow-on-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-compute-dave-brown-aws-follow-on-pool.md)) - 2026-07-27 - Dave Brown left AWS for Meta Compute on July 18, 2026. The sourcing target isn't him. It's the 30-60 principals following in 90 days.
- [Google Rehired 1 in 5 of Its AI Engineers. Alumni Is a Channel Now.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-boomerang-ai-engineers-alumni-sourcing-channel) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-boomerang-ai-engineers-alumni-sourcing-channel.md)) - 2026-07-27 - Boomerang hiring hit 35% of March 2025 US new hires. Here's how to operationalize alumni sourcing with queries, timing windows, and a 25% premium rebuttal.
- [Etched Just Hit $10.3B. The US ASIC Pool Meta Already Owns.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etched-sohu-transformer-asic-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/etched-sohu-transformer-asic-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-27 - Etched's $300M Series C throws a new bidder into a US ASIC design pool of 909. Here's where to source transformer-literate RTL talent without fighting NVIDIA.
- [Coinbase's "One-Person Teams" Broke Title Search. The Senior Pool Is 0.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-teams-triple-threat-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-teams-triple-threat-pool.md)) - 2026-07-26 - Coinbase's May 2026 restructuring made eng+design+PM hybrids a category. Refolk's index shows the tenured pool is empty and title search misses the rest.
- [Bespoke's $40M Puts 11 Startups in a Bidding War for 1,288 Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rl-environments-talent-pool-bespoke-labs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rl-environments-talent-pool-bespoke-labs.md)) - 2026-07-26 - Frontier labs will spend $1B+ on RL environments this year. The US builder pool is 1,288 engineers, and 40% already work at Meta or DeepMind.
- [Coinbase's Mux Made "Agent Orchestrator" Real. The US Pool Is 156.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-mux-agent-orchestrator-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-mux-agent-orchestrator-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-07-26 - Coinbase's Mux disclosure proves "agent orchestrator" is a real role with a 3.5x PR multiplier. Here's how to source the tiny US pool of engineers who qualify.
- [CuspAI Just Hit $2.6B on 68 People. The Equivariant-GNN Pool Lives in 3 Labs.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cuspai-2-6b-equivariant-gnn-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cuspai-2-6b-equivariant-gnn-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-26 - CuspAI's $450M Series B opened a seven-city hiring war for equivariant-GNN engineers. Here is where the tiny pool actually sits and how to source it.
- [48% of Tech Interviews Are Flagged for Cheating. Source the Signal Instead.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/technical-interview-cheating-sourcing-verified-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/technical-interview-cheating-sourcing-verified-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-26 - Cluely and Interview Coder broke live coding rounds. Here is why sourcing verified GitHub history is now the only technical signal you can trust.
- [The 60-Day H-1B Window: Why Amazon's 30,000 Cuts Just Rewrote Sourcing](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-60-day-grace-period-amazon-layoffs-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-60-day-grace-period-amazon-layoffs-2026.md)) - 2026-07-26 - Amazon's 30,000 layoffs plus the new $100K H-1B fee and wage-weighted lottery created a narrow window to hire already-sponsored engineers cheaply.
- [HN "Who Is Hiring" Is Down 61%. Agentic Roles Are Up 10,854%.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-decline-agentic-ai-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-decline-agentic-ai-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-07-25 - Hacker News's monthly hiring thread has collapsed while agentic AI postings exploded. Here is where senior AI engineers actually surface in 2026.
- [SpaceX Just Bought Cursor for $60B. The Q3 Anysphere Poach Window Opens Now.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spacex-cursor-anysphere-retention-cliff-q3-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spacex-cursor-anysphere-retention-cliff-q3-2026.md)) - 2026-07-25 - SpaceX's $60B Cursor deal closes Q3 2026. Here is how to source the ~250 Anysphere engineers before Anthropic, Windsurf, and stealth AI startups reach them.
- [Chai Discovery Just Hit $3.8B. The AlphaFold-Fluent Senior Pool Is Zero.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-3-8b-alphafold-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-3-8b-alphafold-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-25 - Chai Discovery's $400M Series C at $3.8B is chasing a talent pool that a keyword search literally returns zero for. Here is the real sourcing plan.
- [LinkedIn Recruiter's 15% Hike: The $64,800 Renewal Trap](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-increase-renewal-math) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-2026-price-increase-renewal-math.md)) - 2026-07-25 - LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate now costs $10,800 to $12,960 per seat in 2026. Here's the five-seat math, the shared-seat workaround, and renewal levers that work.
- [Together AI's $8.3B Round Is Hunting 194 Engineers, Not Thousands](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-vllm-sglang-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-vllm-sglang-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-25 - Together AI just raised $800M at $8.3B to scale open-source LLM inference. The pool that can actually ship the kernels is under 200 engineers worldwide.
- [Meta's 6,000 Phantom Reqs: The Cleanest Ghost-Job Case Study of 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-6000-phantom-reqs-ghost-jobs-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-6000-phantom-reqs-ghost-jobs-playbook.md)) - 2026-07-25 - Meta cut 8,000 jobs and killed 6,000 open reqs on the same day. Here is how sourcers and candidates detect phantom job postings at scale.
- [Nike Cut 1,400 In Tech. The Portland Supply-Chain Pool Is 63.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-tech-layoffs-beaverton-bengaluru-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-tech-layoffs-beaverton-bengaluru-pool.md)) - 2026-07-24 - Nike's Beaverton and Bengaluru consolidation just released 1,400 tech workers. Here's the actual pool of supply-chain-fluent engineers now in play.
- [Block Just Cut 4,000 and Called It AI. The US Ledger Pool Is 41.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-2026-ledger-engineers-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-2026-ledger-engineers-pool.md)) - 2026-07-24 - Dorsey's 4,000-person Block layoff freed the scarcest specialists in fintech. Here is who to source, where they land, and the 20-week window.
- [Inbound Is Dead: 91% Fraud, 800k Recruiter Hours, 214 Senior Sourcers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/inbound-recruiting-dead-candidate-fraud-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/inbound-recruiting-dead-candidate-fraud-2026.md)) - 2026-07-24 - Greenhouse says 91% of recruiters have caught candidate fraud. The real crisis is that only 214 senior sourcers exist to run the outbound pivot.
- [Oak's $60M Seed Is Chasing 210 IAM Engineers. Only 2 Are In The US.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oak-60m-seed-iam-agent-auth-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oak-60m-seed-iam-agent-auth-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-24 - Oak just raised $60M to build IAM for AI agents. The global pool of engineers who can actually ship it is 210, and only 2 sit in the US.
- [Cloudflare Cut 1,100 Measurers. The IC-to-Manager Ratio Is Now 3.6:1.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-layoffs-2026-measurers-ic-poaching-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-layoffs-2026-measurers-ic-poaching-window.md)) - 2026-07-24 - Cloudflare's May 2026 cut kept builders and gutted middle management. Here's how to source the freed measurers and the under-managed ICs before Q3.
- [Fireworks Just Hit $17.5B on 40T Tokens/Day. The US Pool Is 32.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-17b-inference-infrastructure-hiring-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-17b-inference-infrastructure-hiring-pool.md)) - 2026-07-24 - Fireworks AI raised $1.505B to triple headcount. The visible US pool of inference infrastructure engineers is 32. Here is how to source them.
- [India GCCs Just Slashed Hiring 50%. The Bangalore Backfill Is Over.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/india-gcc-hiring-2026-offshoring-playbook-breaking) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/india-gcc-hiring-2026-offshoring-playbook-breaking.md)) - 2026-07-23 - India's global capability centers cut hiring plans up to 50% as US tech layoffs hit 168,704. The "lay off in Seattle, hire in Bangalore" playbook is breaking.
- [Disney Just Cut 100 at Pixar. The US Pipeline TD Pool Is 49.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pixar-layoffs-2026-pipeline-td-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pixar-layoffs-2026-pipeline-td-pool.md)) - 2026-07-23 - Disney's July 21 Pixar cut of 100 in Emeryville hits a US pipeline TD pool of just 49. What AI-video and game studios should do this week.
- [Samsung Just Freed 739 in Englewood Cliffs. The US Display Pool Is 70.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/samsung-englewood-cliffs-739-nj-display-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/samsung-englewood-cliffs-739-nj-display-pool.md)) - 2026-07-23 - Samsung's WARN filing put 739 CE, mobile, and display roles into the NJ tri-state market. Here is exactly which sub-pools got sourceable, and how thin they were.
- [Intel Just Cut Its Best Division. The Xeon RTL Pool Is 3.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-dcg-layoffs-xeon-rtl-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-dcg-layoffs-xeon-rtl-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-07-23 - Intel's July 2026 DCG layoffs released a tiny pool of Xeon and AI accelerator engineers. Here is where they sit and who is already hunting them.
- [Magic Leap Just Freed 193 in Plantation. The US Waveguide Pool Is 1,010.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/magic-leap-193-waveguide-engineers-october-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/magic-leap-193-waveguide-engineers-october-2026.md)) - 2026-07-23 - Magic Leap's July 2026 WARN filing releases 193 AR waveguide and optics staff by October 1. Here is how to source them before Meta and Apple do.
- [Monday.com Cut 630 to Chase AI Agents. Tel Aviv's Strict Pool Is 8.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/monday-com-630-layoffs-tel-aviv-agentic-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/monday-com-630-layoffs-tel-aviv-agentic-pool.md)) - 2026-07-23 - Monday.com's July 2026 cut releases 630 SaaS engineers into Tel Aviv while the agentic AI engineer pool it needs to hire from sits at 8 people.
- [Oracle Just Freed 12,000 Cerner Engineers. The FHIR-Fluent Pool Is 128.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-cerner-layoffs-fhir-fluent-pool-128) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-cerner-layoffs-fhir-fluent-pool-128.md)) - 2026-07-22 - Oracle's March 2026 layoff dumped 12,000 India engineers on the market. The Cerner+FHIR pool that health-AI startups actually need is 128.
- [Norm AI Just Hit $1.2B. The Titled Legal Engineer Pool Is 20.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/norm-ai-legal-engineer-hiring-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/norm-ai-legal-engineer-hiring-pool.md)) - 2026-07-22 - Norm AI's $120M Series C is chasing a Legal Engineer role that barely exists on LinkedIn. Here is how to source the 1,486-person hidden pool instead.
- [TCS Wants 8,900 AI Engineers. India's Fine-Tuning Pool Is 1,533.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tcs-8900-ai-engineers-india-fine-tuning-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tcs-8900-ai-engineers-india-fine-tuning-pool.md)) - 2026-07-22 - TCS plans 8,900 FDE hires as Oracle cuts 12,000 in India. The production-fluent AI pool is 1,533. Here is how to source against that gap.
- [Neko Health's $700M NYC Clinic Is Chasing a Hybrid Pool of 12](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neko-health-700m-nyc-hybrid-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neko-health-700m-nyc-hybrid-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-22 - Neko Health raised $700M to open in New York. The US medical imaging ML pool is 350. In NYC metro it's roughly 12. The math is brutal.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70 Just Put 8,750 Long-Tenured ICs in Play](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-long-tenure-ics) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-long-tenure-ics.md)) - 2026-07-22 - Microsoft's first-ever voluntary buyout targets long-tenure ICs at senior director and below. Here's how to source the Rule of 70 cohort.
- [The 720:1 Gap: Why Boolean Sourcing Can't Find AI-Native Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-native-engineers-boolean-sourcing-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-native-engineers-boolean-sourcing-gap.md)) - 2026-07-22 - JDs demand Claude Code and Cursor fluency, but only 12 U.S. profiles match the full string. Here is why Boolean is broken and what actually works.
- [Google Zero Comes for Careers Pages: The 40% Human Traffic Cliff](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-zero-careers-page-traffic-decline-outbound-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-zero-careers-page-traffic-decline-outbound-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-21 - Cloudflare says AI search cut human traffic to business sites 40% in under a year. Careers pages sit on the same domains. Outbound sourcing is now the only channel.
- [Emergent Hit $1.5B With 200 People. India's LLM Pool Is 1.55x the US.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/emergent-1-5b-bengaluru-vs-sf-llm-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/emergent-1-5b-bengaluru-vs-sf-llm-pool.md)) - 2026-07-21 - Emergent's $130M Series C exposes the AI coding hiring inversion: Bengaluru has 1,327 LLM engineers to the US's 855. What that means for sourcing.
- [Sony's Bungie Just Cut 292 in Bellevue. GitHub Indexes 9 of Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-292-bellevue-layoffs-aaa-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-292-bellevue-layoffs-aaa-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-21 - Sony's Bungie dumped 292 Bellevue engineers into the market on June 25, 2026. Here's why GitHub-first sourcing fails for AAA engine talent.
- [Thomson Reuters Wants 250 AI-Native Seniors. Legal Tech Has 20.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/thomson-reuters-ai-native-senior-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/thomson-reuters-ai-native-senior-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-21 - Thomson Reuters is cutting 500 engineers to hire 250 "AI-native" seniors. Here is the real pool, the boolean that works, and the proof-of-work bar.
- [Bespoke Labs Raised $40M for RL Environments. The Titled Pool Is 48.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bespoke-labs-40m-rl-environments-eval-engineer-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bespoke-labs-40m-rl-environments-eval-engineer-pool.md)) - 2026-07-21 - Bespoke Labs' $40M Series A lands in a category where fewer than 20 US engineers self-identify as evaluation engineers. Here's where the real pool hides.
- [Baseten's $1.5B Round Wants to 3x Headcount. The Global RL Pool Is 107.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/baseten-1-5b-series-f-post-training-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/baseten-1-5b-series-f-post-training-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-21 - Baseten's $1.5B Series F plans to triple headcount, but the global post-training engineer pool is 107. Here's where to actually find them.
- [Monumental's $32M Khosla Round Is Chasing 2,779 FDEs, Almost None in Texas](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/monumental-32m-khosla-fde-bricklaying-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/monumental-32m-khosla-fde-bricklaying-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-20 - Monumental raised $32M to port Palantir's FDE model to bricklaying robots. The US forward deployed engineer pool is 2,779, and Phoenix is empty.
- [Twelve Labs Just Raised $100M for Video AI. The US Pool Is 4.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/twelve-labs-series-b-video-multimodal-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/twelve-labs-series-b-video-multimodal-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-20 - Twelve Labs' $100M Series B has to hire against a US pool of 4 deep specialists in video-native multimodal ML. Here's the real map.
- [Peregrine's $6.8B Round Is Chasing 382 Palantir FDE Alumni](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/peregrine-6b-round-fde-palantir-alumni-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/peregrine-6b-round-fde-palantir-alumni-pool.md)) - 2026-07-20 - Peregrine's $250M Series D targets Forward Deployed Engineers, but the cleared, senior, willing pool is tiny and Palantir isn't shedding alumni. Here's the map.
- [Prime Intellect Raised $130M for Distributed RL. The Shipped-It Pool Is 14.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/prime-intellect-130m-distributed-rl-pool-14) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/prime-intellect-130m-distributed-rl-pool-14.md)) - 2026-07-20 - Prime Intellect's $130M Series A needs distributed RL engineers, but only 14 people worldwide have shipped an INTELLECT-2-style run. Here is how to source them.
- [Sable Raised $45M for Aidan. The Voice + Computer-Use Pool Is 23.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sable-45m-computer-use-voice-agent-hiring-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sable-45m-computer-use-voice-agent-hiring-pool.md)) - 2026-07-20 - Sable's $45M Sequoia round proves real-time browser and voice agents are the next category. Refolk's index shows the global engineering pool is tiny.
- [Chamath's 8090 Raised $135M to Kill COBOL. The Hybrid Pool Is 52.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/8090-cobol-ai-hybrid-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/8090-cobol-ai-hybrid-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-20 - 8090 Solutions raised $135M to translate mainframe code with AI agents. The US pool of mainframe+modernization engineers is 52. How to actually source it.
- [Chai Discovery Just Hit $3.8B on De Novo Antibodies. The Author List Is 31.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-de-novo-antibody-design-hiring-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-de-novo-antibody-design-hiring-pool.md)) - 2026-07-19 - Chai Discovery's $400M Series C makes de novo antibody design the year's hottest specialty. The hireable pool is smaller than one paper's author list.
- [Meta's AI Layoff Suit Just Made Your Sourcing Stack a Defendant](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ai-layoffs-workday-ruling-sourcing-stack-liability) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ai-layoffs-workday-ruling-sourcing-stack-liability.md)) - 2026-07-19 - The July 14 Meta AI lawsuit and June 22 Workday ruling put AI-assisted sourcing tools in legal crosshairs. What to change in your stack this quarter.
- [Ollama's $65M Series B Is a 37-Person Alumni Search, Not a SWE Hunt](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ollama-series-b-docker-desktop-alumni-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ollama-series-b-docker-desktop-alumni-pool.md)) - 2026-07-19 - Ollama serves 8.9M developers with 14 employees. Its post Series B hiring is a Docker Desktop alumni-mapping problem. Here is how to enumerate that pool.
- [GM Just Cut 600 IT Engineers to Hire 82. Warren Beats Austin 5 to 1.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gm-it-layoffs-2026-austin-warren-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gm-it-layoffs-2026-austin-warren-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-19 - GM's May 2026 IT layoffs hit 500 to 600 in Austin and Warren while 82 AI, AV, and motorsports reqs stayed open. Here is how to source that pool.
- [1,200 Amazon Engineers Signed an Open Letter. LinkedIn Sees 36.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-aecj-open-letter-sourcing-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-aecj-open-letter-sourcing-list.md)) - 2026-07-19 - The AECJ open letter is a public roster of dissatisfied Amazon insiders with role and team specificity LinkedIn will never surface. Here is how to source it.
- [HN's "Who Wants to Be Hired" Aged 1.5 Years in 36 Months. Juniors Are Gone.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-juniors-gone) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-juniors-gone.md)) - 2026-07-19 - HireIndex's three-year analysis of HN's hiring thread shows the poster pool aged from 7.5 to 9+ years. What that means for 2026 sourcing.
- [Together AI's $800M Bet Needs 36,000 GB200s. The Kernel Pool Is 15.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-flashattention-kernel-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-flashattention-kernel-pool.md)) - 2026-07-18 - Together AI raised $800M to 50x its GPU fleet. The U.S. pool of engineers who can actually write the kernels is 15 people. Here is where they work.
- [Fireworks Needs 400 Engineers by December. The US vLLM Pool Is 14.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-400-engineers-vllm-sglang-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fireworks-ai-400-engineers-vllm-sglang-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-18 - Fireworks AI closed $1.5B and plans to triple to 600 engineers by year-end. The US LLM inference talent pool is a rounding error. Where to actually source.
- [Walden Hit $1.1B in Six Months. The Diffusion Policy Author List Is 8.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walden-robotics-diffusion-policy-lbm-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walden-robotics-diffusion-policy-lbm-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-18 - Walden Robotics just raised $300M at $1.1B. The real Large Behavior Models talent pool is 8 paper authors and 132 dual-skill professionals.
- [Cloudflare Cut 1,100. It Added 586 Engineers. The Rust Pool Is 2,160.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-586-engineers-builder-pool-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-586-engineers-builder-pool-2026.md)) - 2026-07-18 - Cloudflare's May 2026 layoff was the loudest infra hiring signal of Q2. Here's who they're bidding against for 586 net-new builders.
- [Robinhood Cut 290 to Chase Rothera's 286%. The Engineer Pool Is 4.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robinhood-290-rothera-prediction-market-engineer-pool-4) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robinhood-290-rothera-prediction-market-engineer-pool-4.md)) - 2026-07-18 - Robinhood's June 2026 layoff funds a rehire into a CFTC prediction-market engineer pool that numbers 4 in the US. Here is how to source it.
- [Coinbase Cut 700. The Ex-Coinbase Senior IC Pool Is 293.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-700-layoff-ex-coinbase-senior-ic-pool-293) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-700-layoff-ex-coinbase-senior-ic-pool-293.md)) - 2026-07-18 - Two months after Coinbase's May 2026 cut, here's how to read "AI-native pod" resumes, which teams to target, and why 28-day loops lose.
- [Redis Just Freed 80 Tel Aviv Engineers Into a Senior Pool of 91](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/redis-tel-aviv-layoffs-agent-memory-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/redis-tel-aviv-layoffs-agent-memory-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-17 - Redis cut 80 Tel Aviv R&D engineers on July 13, 2026. Israel's senior AI infra pool is only 91. Here's how to source the agent-memory builders first.
- [Sprout Social's 260 Cuts Hit a Chicago Rails Pool of 93](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sprout-social-layoffs-2026-chicago-rails-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sprout-social-layoffs-2026-chicago-rails-pool.md)) - 2026-07-17 - Sprout Social is cutting 260 in Chicago to fund Trellis AI. The identifiable metro Rails pool is 93. Here is who to source, when, and how.
- [Senra's $65M Bet Needs 10,000 Harnesses/Month. The SpaceX Alum Pool Is 11.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/senra-systems-wire-harness-hiring-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/senra-systems-wire-harness-hiring-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-07-17 - Senra Systems raised $65M to 10x wire harness output by 2027. The SpaceX alumni pool is 11. Here's where the real sourcing lanes actually live.
- [AWS Just Committed $1B to a Talent Pool of 2,740. The Math Doesn't Work.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-supply-crisis-aws-openai-anthropic-palantir) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-supply-crisis-aws-openai-anthropic-palantir.md)) - 2026-07-17 - AWS, OpenAI, and Anthropic committed $6.5B+ to Forward Deployed Engineers. The US pool is 2,740, Palantir owns 20% of it, and the acqui-hires are starting.
- [Oak's $60M Bet on Agent Identity Meets a Boolean Pool of Zero](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oak-60m-agent-identity-iam-llm-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oak-60m-agent-identity-iam-llm-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-17 - Oak raised $60M to govern AI agent access. The IAM-plus-LLM talent pool collapses to zero on LinkedIn boolean. Here is where to actually source it.
- [Microsoft's Rule-of-70 Buyout Freed 8,750 Lifers. LinkedIn Sees 102.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-ex-microsoft-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-ex-microsoft-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-17 - Microsoft's April 2026 Rule-of-70 buyout put ~8,750 long-tenured engineers on the market. Here is how to source them when LinkedIn shows almost nothing.
- [Intel Just Dumped 867 Fab-Floor Engineers Into a Pool of 1,051](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-oregon-layoffs-tsmc-chandler-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-oregon-layoffs-tsmc-chandler-window.md)) - 2026-07-16 - Intel's July 15, 2026 Oregon cuts churned 82% of the US module engineering pool. TSMC Chandler has a 60-day window before Micron and Samsung close.
- [Spectro Cloud's $1B Series D Is Chasing 96 KubeVirt Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spectro-cloud-series-d-kubevirt-engineers-hiring) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spectro-cloud-series-d-kubevirt-engineers-hiring.md)) - 2026-07-16 - Spectro Cloud's July 15 Series D lands into a US KubeVirt pool of 96. Here is how to source the VMware migration engineers every vendor now wants.
- [Neko Health's $700M Manhattan Bet Meets a US Hardware Pool of 19](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neko-health-nyc-hardware-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neko-health-nyc-hardware-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-07-16 - Neko Health raised $700M and picked NYC. The US medtech hardware and firmware pool is 19 engineers. Here's where to actually source the first 20 hires.
- [Emergent Just Hit $1.5B at 95% AI Code. The Dunzo Alumni List Is 54.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/emergent-1-5b-dunzo-alumni-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/emergent-1-5b-dunzo-alumni-map.md)) - 2026-07-16 - Emergent's $130M Series C makes Mukund Jha the biggest name in vibe-coding. The Dunzo engineering diaspora is a 54-person named-list poach.
- [Thomson Reuters Cuts 500 Engineers to Rehire 250. The Math Doesn't Work.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/thomson-reuters-500-engineers-ai-native-rehire) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/thomson-reuters-500-engineers-ai-native-rehire.md)) - 2026-07-16 - Thomson Reuters is cutting 500 engineers and rehiring 250 AI-native seniors by 2028. The global pool is 4,312. Here's how to intercept the 500 first.
- [Trase Just Raised $107M for 80 Seattle Hires. The Koneru Alumni Pool Is 9.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/trase-107m-seed-aws-bedrock-alumni-seattle) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/trase-107m-seed-aws-bedrock-alumni-seattle.md)) - 2026-07-16 - Trase's $107M seed targets 80 Seattle engineers. The AWS Bedrock Agentic alumni pool is 9. Here is the actual sourcing lane, with numbers.
- [LinkedIn Hiring Assistant Hit $450M ARR. 91% of Power Users Cut Seats.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-91-percent-churn) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-91-percent-churn.md)) - 2026-07-15 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant is on track for $450M ARR while Pin's survey shows 91% of switchers cut Recruiter spend. What to do before 2027 renewal.
- [48% of Technical Candidates Cheat. Your Interview Loop Is the Wrong Fix.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/48-percent-technical-candidates-cheating-sourcing-fix) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/48-percent-technical-candidates-cheating-sourcing-fix.md)) - 2026-07-15 - Fabric's 19,368-interview study shows 48% of technical candidates cheat and 61% pass anyway. Sourcing verified engineers is the only fix that scales.
- [PayPal Will Bleed 1,520 Engineers in Waves. India Is the Real Prize.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-ai-transformation-engineering-diaspora-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-ai-transformation-engineering-diaspora-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-15 - PayPal's 4,500-job AI restructuring will release ~50 engineers a month for 30 months. Here's how to map the diaspora before LinkedIn signals it.
- [Auger Just Raised $50M With 130 People. The Ex-Amazon S-Team Map Is the Playbook.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/auger-series-b-dave-clark-amazon-flexport-alumni-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/auger-series-b-dave-clark-amazon-flexport-alumni-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-15 - Dave Clark's Auger closed a $50M Series B on July 9, 2026. The hire profile he needs has only 163 US profiles. Here is the alumni map that works instead.
- [Meta Runs 50:1. Google Cut 35% of Managers. Skip the Ex-EMs.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/faang-engineering-manager-fallout-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/faang-engineering-manager-fallout-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-15 - FAANG is deleting engineering managers on purpose. Here's how to source the fallout, and why the real player-coach pool is on the IC ladder.
- [Peregrine's 14 FDEs Hit Liquidity August 19. The Palantir-Alum Pool Is 797.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/peregrine-tender-august-19-palantir-fde-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/peregrine-tender-august-19-palantir-fde-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-15 - Peregrine's $250M Series D tender clears cash right as its World Cup deployment ends. Here's the 14-person target list and the 797-profile poach pool.
- [id Software Just Lost 136. The idTech Renderer Team Is a 60-Day Window.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/id-software-layoffs-idtech-renderer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/id-software-layoffs-idtech-renderer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-14 - Microsoft cut 136 id Software engineers on July 6. Here's how to source the idTech renderer, tools, and netcode cohort before Epic and NVIDIA finish.
- [Chai Discovery Just Tripled to $3.8B. The Hire-Ready Pool Is 19.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-400m-alphafold-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/chai-discovery-400m-alphafold-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-07-14 - Chai Discovery's July 2026 $400M Series C tripled its valuation. The de novo protein design talent pool is 19 people. Here is where they actually work.
- [Proxima Fusion Just Raised €411M. The Stellarator Pool Is 66.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/proxima-fusion-411m-stellarator-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/proxima-fusion-411m-stellarator-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-14 - Proxima Fusion's €411M Series A targets a global stellarator engineer pool of just 66. Here's how to source it via arXiv, W7-X, and STELLOPT.
- [July's HN "Who Is Hiring" Has 8 Kernel Roles. The Global Pool Is 30.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-july-2026-gpu-kernel-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-july-2026-gpu-kernel-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-14 - The July 2026 HN "Who is Hiring" thread is full of GPU kernel roles LinkedIn can't fill. Here's the contributor-graph sourcing map that can.
- [Joulent's $1.75B Round Needs 599 Engineers. Apple Already Hired 4.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/joulent-project-kilby-high-voltage-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/joulent-project-kilby-high-voltage-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-14 - Joulent's July 8 raise for Project Kilby exposes the real AI bottleneck: 599 US high-voltage engineers, and hyperscalers are already poaching them.
- [Cisco's WARN Names 471. The 56 Engineers Have a 72-Hour Window.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-warn-471-bay-area-engineers-july-13-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-warn-471-bay-area-engineers-july-13-2026.md)) - 2026-07-14 - Cisco's California WARN filing cut 471 Bay Area workers on July 13, 2026, including 56 software engineers. Here's how to source them before Arista does.
- [Meta's ADO Will Bleed 1,900 Engineers by December. No WARN, No List.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ado-gulag-1900-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ado-gulag-1900-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-13 - Meta's Agent Data Optimization unit is forecast to shrink 30% by year-end without a layoff filing. Here's how to build the shortlist first.
- [Chamath's 8090 Needs 300 Hybrid Engineers. LinkedIn's "COBOL" Filter Won't Find Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/8090-labs-cobol-ai-hybrid-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/8090-labs-cobol-ai-hybrid-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-13 - 8090 Labs raised $135M to translate 18M lines of COBOL into plain English. The engineer they actually need doesn't show up under any keyword filter.
- [Norm AI Just Hit $1.2B. The Global Legal Engineer Pool Is 198.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/norm-ai-legal-engineer-sourcing-shortlist) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/norm-ai-legal-engineer-sourcing-shortlist.md)) - 2026-07-13 - Norm AI's July 7 unicorn round proves Legal Engineering as a category. Here's how to source the 198-person global pool before Harvey and Legora do.
- [Fluidstack's 197 Open Roles Map Anthropic's $50B Gigawatt Buildout](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fluidstack-anthropic-50b-gigawatt-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fluidstack-anthropic-50b-gigawatt-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-07-13 - Fluidstack doubled open roles to 197 in two months to deliver Anthropic's $50B gigawatt buildout. Here is the four-city sourcing map recruiters need.
- [Oracle's 10-K Just Dumped 8,000 Cerner Engineers Into Kansas City](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-cerner-kansas-city-layoffs-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-cerner-kansas-city-layoffs-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-13 - Oracle Health's 8,000 to 10,000 Cerner layoffs are concentrated in Kansas City. Here is where EHR, HL7, and FHIR engineers actually live now.
- [Anthropic's $460K PM Band Is the Floor. The US Shortlist Is 12.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-claude-code-pm-460k-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-claude-code-pm-460k-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-07-13 - Anthropic's Claude Code PM bands hit $305K to $460K base. The engineer-fluent PM pool is tiny. Here's the 2026 sourcing playbook before comp resets.
- [Even Realities Grew From 35 to 400. LINDBERG Is the Sourcing Lane You're Missing.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/even-realities-unicorn-shenzhen-smart-glasses-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/even-realities-unicorn-shenzhen-smart-glasses-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-12 - Even Realities hit a $1B valuation on July 6, 2026. Here's how to map its ex-Apple, LINDBERG, and Shenzhen optics bench for AI wearable roles.
- [1,200 Amazon Engineers Just Signed a Public Flight-Risk List](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-aecj-1200-engineers-sourcing-shortlist) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-aecj-1200-engineers-sourcing-shortlist.md)) - 2026-07-12 - The AECJ open letter and June 3 Seattle City Council testimony turned 1,200+ Amazon engineers into a self-declared sourcing shortlist. Move now.
- [TwelveLabs Tripled to 178. The Marengo Research Org Lives in Seoul.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/twelvelabs-series-b-seoul-video-ai-talent) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/twelvelabs-series-b-seoul-video-ai-talent.md)) - 2026-07-12 - TwelveLabs closed a $100M Series B on July 1. The video-AI talent pool is in Seoul, not SF, and US-centric LinkedIn searches miss it entirely.
- [Ollama Just Raised $65M With 14 People. The llama.cpp Contributor Graph Is the Map.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ollama-series-b-docker-alumni-llama-cpp-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ollama-series-b-docker-alumni-llama-cpp-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-07-12 - Ollama's $65M Series B funds a hiring sprint from 14 people. Here's the Docker alumni, llama.cpp, and vLLM sourcing map recruiters should build now.
- [Bungie's 292 WARN Hides 400. Tiger Engine's Netcode Is the Real Prize.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-292-warn-tiger-engine-netcode-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-292-warn-tiger-engine-netcode-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-12 - Bungie's July 9, 2026 Bellevue WARN released the deepest live-service netcode bench in a decade. Here's the sourcing playbook, by title and surface.
- [Prime Intellect's 21 Angels Are a $1.25M-Per-Head Poach Map](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/prime-intellect-series-a-21-angels-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/prime-intellect-series-a-21-angels-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-07-12 - Prime Intellect's July 8 Series A named 21 operator-angels. Here is how to read that list as a sourcing map for RL, inference, and agent-infra talent.
- [SambaNova Just Doubled to $11B. The 77 It Cut in April 2025 Are the Prize.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sambanova-series-f-alumni-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sambanova-series-f-alumni-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-07-11 - SambaNova raised $1B on July 8 at $11B. The real sourcing list is the ~77 alumni cut in the 2025 training pivot, not the 397 still there.
- [Together AI's $800M Series C Needs 194 People. LinkedIn Shows 13.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-series-c-cuda-kernel-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-series-c-cuda-kernel-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-11 - Together AI raised $800M to grow GPU capacity 50x. The CUDA kernel engineers it needs live in vLLM and SGLang commits, not LinkedIn titles.
- [Cargo Robotics Emerged July 7 With an LOI for Hundreds of Units. Skip Tesla.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cargo-robotics-stealth-physical-ai-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cargo-robotics-stealth-physical-ai-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-07-11 - Cargo Robotics revealed its stealth team on HN July 7, 2026. The 10 alma maters are a physical AI sourcing map, and the arbitrage isn't Tesla.
- [Warsh Put Xbox's Layoff Architect on the Fed. Source 1,600 Before June 30.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-layoffs-fed-task-force-sourcing-timeline-2027) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-layoffs-fed-task-force-sourcing-timeline-2027.md)) - 2026-07-11 - Asha Sharma cut 3,200 Xbox roles, then joined the Fed's AI jobs task force. Here is the sourcing timeline through FY27 for ZeniMax, id, and Obsidian talent.
- [Lucid Shed 1,819 in 2026. The Newark WARN Names Your Shortlist.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lucid-motors-layoffs-2026-newark-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lucid-motors-layoffs-2026-newark-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-11 - Lucid's two 2026 layoff rounds released ~1,819 engineers, including 319 in Newark. Here's how to source the ADAS, perception, and functional-safety talent.
- [Bespoke Labs Raised $40M on July 6. The RL Environment Shortlist Fits on One Page.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bespoke-labs-40m-rl-environment-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bespoke-labs-40m-rl-environment-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-11 - Bespoke Labs, Trase, and Sail Research raised $227M in two weeks for RL environments. Here is the sourcing map for a talent pool small enough to name.
- [The July 2026 MCP Audit: 2 ATS Vendors Shipped Real Servers. Source Both.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/mcp-recruiting-tools-ashby-100hires-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/mcp-recruiting-tools-ashby-100hires-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-10 - A July 2026 audit found only Ashby and 100Hires ship first-party recruiter MCP servers. Here is how to source the tiny pool of engineers who built them.
- [Cognition's SWE-1.7 Named 4 Datacenters. That's Your RL Infra Shortlist.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-swe-1-7-rl-infra-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-swe-1-7-rl-infra-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-07-10 - Cognition's July 8 SWE-1.7 launch disclosed a globally distributed RL pipeline. Here's how to reverse-engineer the sourcing map before December vesting cliffs close it.
- [Ashby's July HN Post Quietly Killed the Junior Sourcing Pipeline](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ashby-hn-july-2026-senior-only-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ashby-hn-july-2026-senior-only-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-10 - Ashby says 80%+ of its engineers are Senior-Staff+. The July 2026 HN thread proves it's the whole market now. Here's how to source for it.
- [Groupon's COO Walked With No Severance. Project Foundry's 400 Cuts Start Today.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groupon-project-foundry-400-cuts-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groupon-project-foundry-400-cuts-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-07-10 - Groupon's COO exit today opens Project Foundry's 12-week engineering layoff window. Here's how to source the 400-role cut through Q3 2026.
- [Cloudflare Fired 1,100 Measurers. The 586 Engineers Aren't the Prize.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-586-engineers-1100-measurers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-586-engineers-1100-measurers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-10 - Cloudflare's May 2026 restructuring added ~586 engineers and displaced 1,100 measurers with paid runway through year-end. Here's the real sourcing list.
- [Sonos Just Released 82 Years of Design Tenure. Source Boston First.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sonos-design-ux-research-layoffs-2026-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sonos-design-ux-research-layoffs-2026-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-10 - Sonos cut its VP of Design, UX research lead, and hardware PM in a single week. Here is how to source the 10-to-15-year veterans now on the market.
- [Coinbase's Mux Has 197 Power Users. That's Your 2026 Shortlist.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-mux-power-users-shortlist) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-mux-power-users-shortlist.md)) - 2026-07-09 - Coinbase's Mux power users ship 3.5x more PRs than baseline. Here's how to find their equivalents at Stripe, Block, and every AI-native company.
- [LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant Just Hit $450M ARR. 74% of Engineers Are Still Invisible to It.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-github-blind-spot) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-github-blind-spot.md)) - 2026-07-09 - LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant cleared $450M ARR, but it can't see GitHub, HN, or 74% of passive engineers. Here's how to adjust your sourcing stack.
- [Microsoft's July 6 Cuts Freed 3,200 MCAPS Sellers. None Say "Engineer"](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-july-2026-mcaps-layoffs-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-july-2026-mcaps-layoffs-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-09 - Microsoft laid off 3,200 sales and consulting staff on July 6, 2026. Boolean strings miss them. Here is how to source the MCAPS cohort before Deloitte does.
- [Nvidia Took Ross. Groq Kept the Cloud. Source Both Sides of the $20B Split.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groq-nvidia-650m-lpu-talent-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groq-nvidia-650m-lpu-talent-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-09 - Nvidia acquihired Groq's founder in December. Six months later Groq raised $650M. Here's how to source the two talent pools the split created.
- [DuckBill Gets 1,000 Applications a Day. Two Are Real. Source the Rest.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/inbound-recruiting-dead-2026-pragmatic-engineer) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/inbound-recruiting-dead-2026-pragmatic-engineer.md)) - 2026-07-09 - Pragmatic Engineer's July 8 survey of 50+ hiring managers confirms inbound recruiting collapsed in H1 2026. Here's the outbound playbook per profile.
- [Walmart's "Next-Gen Workplace" Lasted 15 Months. 412 Engineers Hit Aug 21.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-sunnyvale-crossman-warn-august-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-sunnyvale-crossman-warn-august-2026.md)) - 2026-07-09 - Walmart's WARN filing releases 412 Bay Area engineers on Aug 21-22, 2026. Here's exactly who they are and how to shortlist them first.
- [Prometheus Is 150 Engineers. LinkedIn Only Shows 120. Source the Gap.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/prometheus-150-engineers-physical-ai-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/prometheus-150-engineers-physical-ai-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-08 - Bezos's Prometheus hit 150 engineers building an artificial general engineer. Why physical AI hiring breaks Boolean sourcing, and where to look instead.
- [Scaler Just Committed Rs 25 Crore to Mint 10,000 Forward Deployed Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/scaler-10000-fde-factory-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/scaler-10000-fde-factory-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-07-08 - Scaler is manufacturing FDEs at scale as US postings jump 729% YoY. Here is how to source the pipeline before OpenAI and Palantir do.
- [Meta Keeps 64% of AI Hires. Anthropic Keeps 80%. Source Menlo Park.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-64-percent-ai-retention-anthropic-source-menlo-park) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-64-percent-ai-retention-anthropic-source-menlo-park.md)) - 2026-07-08 - Meta pays the most for AI talent and retains the least. Here is the 2026 sourcing playbook for intercepting FAIR and Reality Labs exits before rivals do.
- [Wix Just Freed 600+ Israeli Engineers. The Shekel Says Move First.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-1000-layoffs-israeli-engineers-shekel-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-1000-layoffs-israeli-engineers-shekel-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-08 - Wix's May 28 layoff cut 1,000 people, 60%+ in Israel. Here's how to source the freed engineers before the next Israeli tech giant follows.
- [Meta's 7,000 AAI Draftees Are the 2026 Sourcing Layup](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-aai-draftees-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-aai-draftees-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-07-08 - Meta reassigned 7,000 engineers into AI roles they call "the gulag," then gave them an off-ramp. Here is how to source that pool before Anthropic does.
- [EquiLibre's $500M Prague Round Turned 25 People Into a Sourcing Map](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/equilibre-prague-rl-trading-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/equilibre-prague-rl-trading-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-07-08 - Creandum's largest-ever check just legitimized self-play RL in trading. Here is how to source the tiny, mostly Central European talent pool before Jane Street does.
- [Cisco Cut 471 in the Bay Area. The 4 Words Robbins Used Are the Shortlist.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-layoffs-2026-silicon-optics-security-ai-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-layoffs-2026-silicon-optics-security-ai-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-07 - Cisco's Q4 2026 layoff hit 471 Bay Area roles under WARN. Chuck Robbins named 4 areas still hiring. Here's the sourcing arbitrage.
- [Column's 10 Engineers Move Trillions. Most Came From HN Comments.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/column-bank-10-engineers-hn-sourcing-fintech-infra) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/column-bank-10-engineers-hn-sourcing-fintech-infra.md)) - 2026-07-07 - Column's July 2026 HN post shows a national bank running on 10 engineers, most hired through Hacker News. Here's how to source that talent pool.
- [Xbox Just Set 350 Devs Loose Across 4 Studios. The Real Prize Is ESO.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-studio-divestment-2026-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-studio-divestment-2026-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-07-07 - Xbox's July 6, 2026 reset cut 3,200 roles and divested four studios. Here's how to source the engineers, designers, and tech artists before Sony gets them.
- [Nike Just Cut 1,400 Roles, Majority in Tech. Beaverton Is Open Season.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-layoffs-2026-beaverton-tech-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-layoffs-2026-beaverton-tech-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-07 - Nike's April 2026 layoffs released hundreds of ex-Nike technology candidates into Beaverton. Here's how to source them before FAANG closes the window.
- [GitHub's June 17 Agent Finder Just Named 15,926 AI-Native Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-agent-finder-ard-sourcing-ai-native-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-agent-finder-ard-sourcing-ai-native-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-07 - GitHub's Agent Finder and the ARD spec turned "AI-native engineer" into a verifiable public artifact. Here's how to source it before LinkedIn indexes it.
- [Microsoft Frontier Wants 6,000 FDEs. Palantir Trained ~800 of Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-frontier-company-fde-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-frontier-company-fde-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-07-07 - Microsoft's $2.5B Frontier Company just poured fuel on the Forward Deployed Engineer talent war. A sourcing playbook for the ~800-person pool.
- [Tokopedia Is Down to 250 People. Source the Other 2,250 Before Shopee Does.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tokopedia-layoffs-2026-sourcing-jakarta-singapore-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tokopedia-layoffs-2026-sourcing-jakarta-singapore-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-06 - TikTok's Tokopedia cuts left ~2,250 Jakarta and Singapore engineers on the market. Here's how to source them by team, not title, before regional rivals close the window.
- [Saffron Put Claude Code in the Interview. Grade the Prompts, Not the Diff.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/saffron-claude-code-interview-attribution-metrics) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/saffron-claude-code-interview-attribution-metrics.md)) - 2026-07-06 - Saffron (YC P26) rebuilt the technical interview around prompt attribution. Here are the three metrics engineering managers should adopt this quarter.
- [Defense Tech Raised $12.3B in H1 2026. There Are 70,000 More Jobs Than Cleared Engineers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/defense-tech-recruiting-cleared-engineers-h1-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/defense-tech-recruiting-cleared-engineers-h1-2026.md)) - 2026-07-06 - Defense tech VC hit $12.3B in H1 2026. Here's how to source cleared engineers when LinkedIn is thin, clearances take a year, and Anduril already won the pipeline.
- [HireIndex Just Aged HN's Hiring Thread to 9+ Years. Source It Like Staff-Plus.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hireindex-hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-staff-plus-channel) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hireindex-hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-staff-plus-channel.md)) - 2026-07-06 - HireIndex's 3-year cut of Ask HN "Who wants to be hired" shows the median poster is now 9+ years in. Here's how to source it, and where juniors actually went.
- [Oracle's June 23 10-K Named AI as the Reason for 21,000 Cuts](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-21000-ai-layoffs-sourcing-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-21000-ai-layoffs-sourcing-pool.md)) - 2026-07-06 - Oracle told the SEC that AI cut 21,000 jobs. Here's how to turn that filing into a Q3 sourcing list of OCI, Exadata, and Cerner engineers.
- [Baseten Just Named Its Recruiting Shortlist. 25 Logos. 7,600 Engineers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/baseten-series-f-customer-logos-sourcing-shortlist) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/baseten-series-f-customer-logos-sourcing-shortlist.md)) - 2026-07-06 - Baseten's $1.5B Series F triples headcount. The customer roster (Cursor, Notion, Abridge, Harvey) is the sourcing map every inference platform now works.
- [Kog Wants a Monokernel Writer. LinkedIn Returns 6 Profiles Worldwide.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kog-cuda-ptx-kernel-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kog-cuda-ptx-kernel-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-05 - Kog's 3,000 tok/s post lit up HN's July 2026 thread. The CUDA/PTX pool is tiny, invisible on LinkedIn, and about to get expensive. Here is where to actually find it.
- [Korn Ferry Paid $1.1B for AMS. The Math Is 22 Placements Per Recruiter.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/korn-ferry-ams-acquisition-rpo-alternatives-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/korn-ferry-ams-acquisition-rpo-alternatives-2026.md)) - 2026-07-05 - Korn Ferry's $1.1B AMS deal locks in $1.5B of RPO contract fees. Here's the buy-vs-build math for in-house sourcing teams in 2026.
- [Microsoft's VSP Clock Ran Out July 2. 8,500 Lifers Just Went Dark.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-vsp-alumni-sourcing-july-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-vsp-alumni-sourcing-july-2026.md)) - 2026-07-05 - Microsoft's Voluntary Separation Program ended July 2, releasing ~8,500 tenured senior ICs with 5 years of healthcare and no non-compete. Here's how to find them.
- [Indeed Matches Every 2.2 Seconds. Robert Half Says Hiring Slowed 2 Weeks.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-2-2-seconds-robert-half-hiring-delays-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-2-2-seconds-robert-half-hiring-delays-2026.md)) - 2026-07-05 - Indeed touts a match every 2.2 seconds while 67% of HR leaders say AI resumes slowed hiring. Why inbound broke in 2026 and what replaces it.
- [Amazon's 1,200-Signature Letter Is the Cleanest Sourcing List of 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-aecj-letter-sourcing-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-aecj-letter-sourcing-list.md)) - 2026-07-05 - The AECJ open letter names 1,200+ current Amazon engineers by team. Here is how to turn it into a passive-candidate pipeline before your competitors do.
- [India's GCCs Will Hire 510,452 Engineers in 2026. Your Sourcing Never Sees Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/india-gcc-hiring-2026-us-sourcing-blind-spot) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/india-gcc-hiring-2026-us-sourcing-blind-spot.md)) - 2026-07-05 - India's Global Capability Centers will hire 510,452 engineers in 2026, 70% for US firms. Here's why US sourcing stacks miss them, and how to fix it.
- [Together AI's $800M Series C Is a Hiring Round. 500 People Are the Target.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-series-c-gpu-kernel-hiring) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/together-ai-800m-series-c-gpu-kernel-hiring.md)) - 2026-07-04 - Together AI raised $800M led by Aramco Ventures on July 1. The scarce input is not GPUs. It is kernel engineers. Here is how to source ahead of them.
- [Intel Drops 2,392 Oregon Fab Engineers July 15. Your Boolean Misses Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-oregon-july-15-2026-layoffs-sourcing-fab-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intel-oregon-july-15-2026-layoffs-sourcing-fab-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-04 - Intel's July 15, 2026 WARN cut releases 2,392 Hillsboro and Aloha fab engineers. Here's how to source module, PI, and yield talent that LinkedIn hides.
- [Coinbase's "One-Person Team" Memo Just Voided 90% of Engineering JDs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-team-ai-native-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-team-ai-native-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-04 - Brian Armstrong's May 5 memo collapsed eng, PM, and design into one role. Here's how to source and screen for AI-native pod engineers before YC does.
- [Ashby Outed Itself in HN's July Thread. Turn It Into a Sourcing Pipeline.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ashby-hn-july-2026-sourcing-pipeline) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ashby-hn-july-2026-sourcing-pipeline.md)) - 2026-07-04 - Ashby's July 2026 HN post said to cmd+F its name. Here's how to turn that into a scrapable Ashby ATS sourcing pipeline before roles hit LinkedIn.
- [LinkedIn's $150/Hour Trainer Gig Is Now Bidding Against Your InMail](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-ai-labor-marketplace-150-hour-passive-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-ai-labor-marketplace-150-hour-passive-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-04 - LinkedIn's April 2026 AI labor marketplace pays senior engineers $150/hr to train models. Here is how to source around a poisoned passive pool.
- [286 Minutes on the Phone: The ASA Report That Kills the AI Recruiter Layoff Story](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/asa-prodoscore-286-minutes-recruiter-call-time-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/asa-prodoscore-286-minutes-recruiter-call-time-2026.md)) - 2026-07-04 - ASA/Prodoscore Q1 2026 data shows recruiter call time doubled to 286 min/week as AI tool use rose 36%. Here's the 2026 stack that captures the dividend.
- [LinearB's 5.3x Number Means You're Hiring the Wrong Engineer in 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linearb-2026-agentic-pr-reviewer-hiring) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linearb-2026-agentic-pr-reviewer-hiring.md)) - 2026-07-03 - LinearB's 2026 benchmarks show agentic PRs sit 5.3x longer before review. Here's how to source the reviewer archetype your boolean filters keep missing.
- [Greenhouse MCP Goes Open Beta July 6. The ATS Just Became Optional.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-mcp-open-beta-july-6-workflows) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-mcp-open-beta-july-6-workflows.md)) - 2026-07-03 - Greenhouse MCP hits open beta July 6, 2026. What Workday's June launch, a 412% application flood, and three week-one workflows mean for TA.
- [Xbox's July 6 Reset: Source the ATG and Slipspace Devs, Not the Studios](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-july-2026-reset-source-atg-slipspace-engine-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xbox-july-2026-reset-source-atg-slipspace-engine-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-03 - Xbox layoffs start the week of July 6, 2026. The real sourcing arbitrage is platform, ATG, and ex-Slipspace engine engineers, not the named studios.
- [Walmart's 381 Sunnyvale Cuts Include 103 From a Lease Signed After the Layoffs Started](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-global-tech-layoffs-2026-sunnyvale-warn-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-global-tech-layoffs-2026-sunnyvale-warn-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-03 - Walmart's June 19 WARN cuts 381 Bay Area engineers across four addresses. Here's the role mix, the H-1B clock, and where to source before August 21.
- [Virginia's July 1 Law Turned Every Internal Req Into a Comp Leak. You Have 15 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/virginia-pay-transparency-sb-215-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/virginia-pay-transparency-sb-215-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-07-03 - Virginia's Pay Transparency Act just made every internal posting a sourcing signal and every "what are you making?" a lawsuit. Here's the recruiter playbook.
- [June 2026 Layoffs Fell 53%. Hiring Plans Just Beat H1 2025 by 10%.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/june-2026-layoffs-53-percent-hiring-plans-beat-2025) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/june-2026-layoffs-53-percent-hiring-plans-beat-2025.md)) - 2026-07-03 - Challenger's H1 2026 report shows the passive candidate glut is over. Rewrite your Q3 sourcing plan before your competitors do the same math.
- [Meta's ADO Gulag Holds 6,500 Engineers. 1,900 Will Vanish Off WARN by December.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ado-6500-engineers-quiet-exits-no-warn) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ado-6500-engineers-quiet-exits-no-warn.md)) - 2026-07-02 - Meta's 6,500-person ADO unit will shed ~1,900 engineers in 2026 via voluntary attrition. None will trigger WARN. Here's how to source them first.
- [HN's July 2026 Thread Is a Staff-Plus Channel Now. Stop Sourcing Juniors There.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-july-2026-staff-plus-channel-stop-sourcing-juniors) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-july-2026-staff-plus-channel-stop-sourcing-juniors.md)) - 2026-07-02 - HN's July 2026 hiring thread caps a three-year shift: candidates now average 9+ years experience. Here is how to source it in 2026.
- [Wix Just Cut 920 Israelis at a 33-Year Shekel Peak. Your Dollar Wins.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-layoffs-2026-israel-shekel-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-layoffs-2026-israel-shekel-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-02 - Wix laid off ~1,000 with 60%+ in Israel, blaming AI and a 21% shekel surge. Here is how to source the cohort before Tel Aviv reabsorbs them.
- [LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant Hit $450M ARR. Your Recruiter Seat Just Became an Agent Seat.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-agent-seat) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-agent-seat.md)) - 2026-07-02 - Microsoft disclosed $450M ARR for LinkedIn's agentic hiring on April 29, 2026. Here's what it means for 2026 Recruiter renewals and sourcing strategy.
- [Bending Spoons Kept 15 of Vimeo's 1,000. AOL and Eventbrite Are on the Same Clock.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-aol-eventbrite-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-aol-eventbrite-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-07-02 - Bending Spoons cuts acquired engineering orgs in 60 to 120 days. Here's how to pre-source the AOL and Eventbrite rosters before the RIF headlines drop.
- [Microsoft's July 7 Cut Is the First Forced Exit for MSFT Quota-Carriers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-july-2026-sales-consulting-layoffs-solutions-bench) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-july-2026-sales-consulting-layoffs-solutions-bench.md)) - 2026-07-02 - Microsoft's July 2026 layoffs hit sales, consulting, and Xbox, not engineering. Here is how to source the ~5,700-person solutions bench before it prices.
- [AES Just Told HN "The Bar Is NOT Coding." Screen for CLAUDE.md Instead.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/aes-hn-job-post-claude-code-screening) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/aes-hn-job-post-claude-code-screening.md)) - 2026-07-01 - A June 2026 HN job post deprioritized coding entirely. Here's how to source and screen the AI-director engineer archetype without breaking your funnel.
- [Groupon's 8-K Just Certified 400 AI-Native Operators. The Window Is 90 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groupon-project-foundry-ai-native-bench) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groupon-project-foundry-ai-native-bench.md)) - 2026-07-01 - Groupon's Project Foundry cut ~400 people who shipped production AI agents on a public marketplace. Here's how to source the bench before Q3 2026 ends.
- [The PSE Wind-Down Just Freed ~49 ZK Engineers. None Will Post on LinkedIn.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pse-ethereum-foundation-layoffs-source-zk-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pse-ethereum-foundation-layoffs-source-zk-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-01 - The Ethereum Foundation cut 54 on June 23, 2026 and wound down PSE. Here is how to source the ZK cryptographers before Ethlabs and Aztec grab them.
- [BAT Just Cut 9,000 for "AI Transformation." The Omni Engineers Are Live.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bat-june-29-ai-transformation-omni-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bat-june-29-ai-transformation-omni-engineers.md)) - 2026-07-01 - British American Tobacco's June 29 cut hides a real Azure and MS Fabric engineering org. Here's how to source it before Accenture absorbs the second wave.
- [Bungie's 292-Person WARN Names "Goliath" and "Run." Source Off the Codenames.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-warn-marathon-goliath-run-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-warn-marathon-goliath-run-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-01 - Bungie's June 26 WARN filing lists 292 Bellevue roles with titles intact. Here's how to decode Marathon's "Goliath" and "Run" codenames before July 9.
- [Nike Just Released 800 Engineers. Your Boolean Filter Skipped Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-layoff-majority-technology-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-layoff-majority-technology-sourcing.md)) - 2026-07-01 - Nike's April 2026 cut of 1,400 was "majority technology." Here's how to source the 800 to 1,000 engineers, data scientists, and PMs WARN missed.
- [Block Cut 4,000 and the Stock Jumped 24%. Source the Duplicate Org.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-2026-source-the-duplicate-org) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-2026-source-the-duplicate-org.md)) - 2026-06-30 - Block's 40% AI-justified cut got a 24% stock pop and Dorsey told every CEO to copy it. Here is how to source the senior bench before H2 2026 copycats hit.
- [Indeed Just Called Boolean "Tedious." LinkedIn Recruiter Is Next.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-sourcing-assistant-boolean-linkedin-recruiter-next) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-sourcing-assistant-boolean-linkedin-recruiter-next.md)) - 2026-06-30 - Indeed's June 15 Sourcing Assistant demotes boolean to a fallback across 370M profiles. Here's what changes for recruiters before LinkedIn ships the same thing.
- [HN's June Thread Closed at 359. The Demand Didn't Vanish, It Moved.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-359-january-2015-low) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-359-january-2015-low.md)) - 2026-06-30 - June 2026's "Ask HN: Who is Hiring?" hit a January 2015 low of 359 posts. Here's where engineering demand actually went, and how to source it.
- [Oracle's 10-K Just Outed 8,000 Cerner Engineers. WARN Won't See Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-cerner-layoffs-hl7-fhir-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-cerner-layoffs-hl7-fhir-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-30 - Oracle's June 23 10-K disclosed 21,000 cuts with healthcare hit hardest. Here is how to source the ex-Cerner HL7/FHIR bench WARN trackers will miss.
- [Cloudflare Cut 1,100 and Added 586 Engineers. Source the Inbound Bench.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-engineering-hiring-2026-builders-bench) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-engineering-hiring-2026-builders-bench.md)) - 2026-06-30 - BNP Paribas LinkedIn data shows Cloudflare's engineering headcount grew 45% after the May 2026 cut. The real sourcing pool is the new builders.
- [June's HN Thread Split "AI Engineer" in Two. One JD Won't Hire Either](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-engineer-job-description-split-two-roles) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-engineer-job-description-split-two-roles.md)) - 2026-06-30 - The June 2026 HN "Who is Hiring" thread exposed a JD defect: AI Engineer is two jobs. Here's how to source both as parallel searches.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70 Drops 8,750 Silent Exits by August. WARN Won't See Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-playbook-2) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-playbook-2.md)) - 2026-06-29 - Microsoft's first-ever voluntary buyout pushes 8,750 Level 67-and-below veterans out by August 2026. Here's how to source them before LinkedIn catches up.
- [SpaceX Just Filed Cursor's Engineer List. The Unlock Starts August 4.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spacex-cursor-acquisition-sourcing-anysphere-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spacex-cursor-acquisition-sourcing-anysphere-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-29 - SpaceX's $60B all-stock buy of Cursor turns ~200 engineers into the most sourceable cohort of Q3 2026. Here is the lockup-driven outreach map.
- [GitLab's 22-Country Exit Hides 350 Engineers WARN Trackers Will Never See](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gitlab-22-country-exit-warn-blind-spot) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gitlab-22-country-exit-warn-blind-spot.md)) - 2026-06-29 - GitLab cut 350 engineers across 22 countries on June 2, 2026. None will appear on US WARN trackers. Here's how to source the bench before competitors notice.
- [Salesforce Cut 86 on June 10 and Kept the Core. The Adjacent Layer Is the Bench.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-june-2026-layoffs-agentforce-mulesoft-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-june-2026-layoffs-agentforce-mulesoft-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-29 - Salesforce's June 10, 2026 WARN spared core Agentforce but cut 86 MuleSoft, Marketing Cloud, and sales-eng roles. Here's the sourcing arbitrage.
- [OPM Vetted 35,000 to Place 250. The Tech Force Off-Ramp Opens in 2028.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/opm-tech-force-private-sector-pipeline-2028) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/opm-tech-force-private-sector-pipeline-2028.md)) - 2026-06-29 - OPM's Tech Force is a pre-screened pipeline with 35 named partners and a two-year clock. Here's how to map the cohort before 2028.
- [Fabric's 19,368 Interviews: 61% of Cheaters Still Passed. Redesign the Loop.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fabric-19368-interviews-cluely-gpu-overlay-redesign-loop) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fabric-19368-interviews-cluely-gpu-overlay-redesign-loop.md)) - 2026-06-29 - Fabric's 19,368-interview dataset shows 38.5% of candidates triggered cheating signals and 61% still passed. Why detection loses and what to run instead.
- [ServiceNow's June 11 Cut Has No WARN. The SC Bench Leaked on Reddit.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-june-11-silent-layoff-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-june-11-silent-layoff-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-28 - ServiceNow's June 11, 2026 silent layoff left no memo and no WARN filing. Here's how to source the solution consulting bench before competitors do.
- [TalentBin Paid $1.15M in 2017. Kistler v. Eightfold Is the Sequel.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kistler-eightfold-fcra-talentbin-precedent) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kistler-eightfold-fcra-talentbin-precedent.md)) - 2026-06-28 - Kistler v. Eightfold AI is the first FCRA test of an AI sourcing platform. The 2017 TalentBin settlement is the leaked answer key for what comes next.
- [Rackspace's 8-K Just Named the FDE Role. The 2,450 Are a Trap.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rackspace-8k-forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rackspace-8k-forward-deployed-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-28 - Rackspace's June 10 8-K names forward-deployed engineering as a reinvestment bucket. Here is how to source FDEs without fishing the same 2,450-person pool.
- [LinkedIn's June 18 Connected Apps Killed the Self-Declared Skill](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-connected-apps-verified-skills-sourcing-2) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-connected-apps-verified-skills-sourcing-2.md)) - 2026-06-28 - LinkedIn's June 18, 2026 Connected Apps launch made tool usage uneditable. Here is what changes for sourcing, and what GitHub still won't fix.
- [SignalFire's 12 Tech Majors Now Hire 55% Engineers. Stop Mining WARN.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/signalfire-tech-majors-55-percent-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/signalfire-tech-majors-55-percent-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-28 - SignalFire's June 24 data shows engineers are 55% of Tech Major hires. The densest passive engineering pool is inside the 12, not on layoff trackers.
- [Coinbase's "One-Person Pod" JD Breaks Every Boolean String You Own](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-pod-jd-boolean-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-pod-jd-boolean-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-28 - Coinbase's May 5 memo codified the "AI-native pod" JD. Here is why title-based sourcing fails on it and where the real candidates actually live.
- [Lucid's June 22 Cut Reads as Factory. The 14 Named SVPs Say Otherwise.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lucid-june-22-2026-layoff-ev-software-bench) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/lucid-june-22-2026-layoff-ev-software-bench.md)) - 2026-06-27 - Lucid's June 22, 2026 layoff hit 1,500 roles and flattened engineering. Here's how to source the powertrain, embedded, and SDV talent trackers will miss.
- [Colorado's AI Act Died May 14. Mobley v. Workday Is the Real Regime.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/colorado-ai-act-mobley-workday-vendor-liability) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/colorado-ai-act-mobley-workday-vendor-liability.md)) - 2026-06-27 - Colorado delayed its AI Act to 2027, but Mobley v. Workday already made your sourcing vendor a co-defendant. Three contract terms to demand now.
- [HN's June 2026 Job Threads Inverted 2 to 1. The Seniors Are Public.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-2x-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-2x-gap.md)) - 2026-06-27 - June 2026's Hacker News hiring threads flipped 2 to 1 toward candidates. Here's how to source the senior engineers inside before LinkedIn catches up.
- [SignalFire's June 24 Report: The Best New Grads Are Founders, Not Applicants](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/signalfire-2026-new-grad-founders-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/signalfire-2026-new-grad-founders-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-27 - SignalFire's 2026 State of Talent Report shows top-school CS grads are 2x more likely to be founders than apply. How to rewire new-grad sourcing now.
- [Ubisoft's June 10 Cut Was 380. The Real Bench Is 170 Reassigned Montrealers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ubisoft-june-10-2026-reassigned-montreal-bench) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ubisoft-june-10-2026-reassigned-montreal-bench.md)) - 2026-06-27 - Ubisoft's June 10, 2026 restructuring closed two studios and cut 380 roles. The bigger sourcing opportunity is 170 reassigned Montreal developers. Here's how to find them.
- [The Copilot Paradox: Adopter Firms Hire 5% More Juniors, Not Fewer](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/copilot-paradox-juniors-hire-more) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/copilot-paradox-juniors-hire-more.md)) - 2026-06-27 - A peer-reviewed April 2026 study found Copilot-adopting firms hire 3-5% more entry-level SWEs. Here's how to rewrite your 2026 junior JD around it.
- [LinkedIn's $450M Hiring Agent Is a Denominator Story. Read the Other 94%.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-denominator) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-arr-denominator.md)) - 2026-06-26 - LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant hit $450M ARR and 8,000 recruiters. Here's what the agent can't see, and what it means for your 2026 sourcing stack.
- [The 48-Point Gap: Why "AI-Cut" Is Mispricing 156,000 Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-cut-tag-mispricing-2026-layoff-bench) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-cut-tag-mispricing-2026-layoff-bench.md)) - 2026-06-26 - SkillSyncer says 56% of 2026 layoffs cite AI. TechJack says 7.8%. The 48-point gap is the sourcing arbitrage of the year.
- [June 30 Closes FY2027 H-1B. The "Submitted" Pool Is a Level I List.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-fy2027-submitted-pool-level-i-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-fy2027-submitted-pool-level-i-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-26 - FY2027's wage-weighted H-1B lottery closes June 30, 2026. The "Submitted but not selected" cohort is now a structurally Level I sourcing list.
- [Bullhorn's GRID 2026: Applications Up 51%, Orders Flat. Screen or Drown.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bullhorn-grid-2026-51-percent-applications-flat-orders) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bullhorn-grid-2026-51-percent-applications-flat-orders.md)) - 2026-06-26 - Bullhorn's 2026 GRID report shows applications up 51% on flat job orders. Why bolt-on AI screening is a trap and what top-decile agencies are doing instead.
- [AES Just Posted a $30/hr Intern JD That Kills the Leetcode Screen](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/aes-intern-jd-kills-leetcode-screen) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/aes-intern-jd-kills-leetcode-screen.md)) - 2026-06-26 - The June 2026 HN "Who is hiring" thread surfaced an intern JD that replaces leetcode with a CLAUDE.md. Here's how to rewrite your screen.
- [The NY Fed Just Reframed the CS Bench: 64% Remote, Not AI](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ny-fed-june-2026-remote-not-ai-cs-new-grad-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ny-fed-june-2026-remote-not-ai-cs-new-grad-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-26 - The NY Fed's June 2026 paper blames remote work, not AI, for 64% of the new-grad unemployment spike. Here is how to source the juniors other teams skip.
- [Elastic's June 24 Cut Eliminated the CPO Seat. The Product Bench Is the Pool.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/elastic-june-2026-cpo-exit-product-bench) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/elastic-june-2026-cpo-exit-product-bench.md)) - 2026-06-25 - Elastic's 7% RIF and Ken Exner's July 17 exit free a PM and design bench, not an engineering one. Here is how to source it before Q3.
- [Anthropic's June 12 Directive Locked 26% of Its Own Bench Out of Fable 5](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-june-12-export-directive-foreign-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-june-12-export-directive-foreign-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-25 - Commerce's June 12, 2026 export directive made frontier-model access a citizenship test. Here is how it reshapes AI lab hiring, mobility, and rival pipelines.
- [Meta's ADO Gulag Bleeds 1,900 by December. The Cliff Opens July 15.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ado-gulag-msl-vesting-cliff-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ado-gulag-msl-vesting-cliff-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-25 - Meta's Agent Data Optimization unit holds 6,500 drafted engineers. The one-year MSL vesting cliff opens July 15. Here is how to source the bleed.
- [Unit 42 Built a Deepfake Hire in 70 Minutes. Gartner Says 1 in 4 by 2028.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/unit-42-deepfake-candidate-70-minutes-cross-platform-verification) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/unit-42-deepfake-candidate-70-minutes-cross-platform-verification.md)) - 2026-06-25 - Unit 42 built a working deepfake candidate in 70 minutes. Why cross-platform footprint verification is now the floor for remote technical hires.
- [Oracle's June 23 10-K Logged 21,000 Cuts. WARN Trackers Saw 3,602.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-10k-21000-cuts-warn-tracker-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-10k-21000-cuts-warn-tracker-gap.md)) - 2026-06-25 - Oracle's fiscal 2026 10-K disclosed a 21,000-person headcount drop. WARN trackers logged 3,602. Here is how to rebuild the missing name list.
- [Coinbase's May 5 Cut Hit 700. The Onchain Bench Splits Four Ways.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-may-2026-layoffs-onchain-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-may-2026-layoffs-onchain-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-25 - Coinbase cut 14% on May 5, 2026, citing AI. Here's how to source the four distinct ex-Coinbase engineer profiles before LinkedIn lights up.
- [Indeed's June 15 Sourcing Assistant Made 370M Activity Signals Queryable](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-sourcing-assistant-june-2026-vs-linkedin-recruiter) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/indeed-sourcing-assistant-june-2026-vs-linkedin-recruiter.md)) - 2026-06-24 - Indeed's June 15, 2026 Sourcing Assistant exposes recent candidate activity across 370M profiles, the intent signal LinkedIn Recruiter never made queryable.
- [Microsoft's First Buyout in 51 Years Is a Tenure List. Trackers Will Miss 8,750 Names.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-4) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-4.md)) - 2026-06-24 - Microsoft's Rule-of-70 voluntary buyout creates 8,750 long-tenured exits that won't hit layoffs.fyi. Here is how to source them before May 7.
- [286 Minutes on the Phone. Tech CPH Doubled. Same Story.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/recruiter-call-time-286-minutes-tech-cph-doubled) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/recruiter-call-time-286-minutes-tech-cph-doubled.md)) - 2026-06-24 - Q1 2026 recruiter call time hit a record 286 min/week and tech cost-per-hire doubled. Here's why outbound broke and what to change this quarter.
- [Stanford's April 2026 Canaries Refresh: The 26-29 Dev Is the Arbitrage](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stanford-canaries-april-2026-26-29-developer-arbitrage) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stanford-canaries-april-2026-26-29-developer-arbitrage.md)) - 2026-06-24 - Stanford's Canaries Dashboard refreshed through April 2026. The 22-25 cohort cratered, but the 26-30 slice is the real mispriced supply for sourcers.
- [Oracle Just Moved "AI" Into the Workforce Paragraph. Read Item 1.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-10k-ai-workforce-reduction-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-10k-ai-workforce-reduction-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-06-24 - Oracle's June 22 10-K codified AI as a stated cause of headcount cuts. Here's how to read SEC filings as a 60 to 90 day sourcing signal.
- [SB 947 Cleared the Senate 29-9. Your Sourcing Tool Owes 12 Months.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-947-no-robo-bosses-ai-sourcing-audit) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-947-no-robo-bosses-ai-sourcing-audit.md)) - 2026-06-24 - California's No Robo Bosses Act SB 947 forces AI sourcing tools to hand candidates a year of their own data. Audit your stack before Newsom signs.
- [Robinhood's June 16 Cut Lands Mid-World Cup. The Integration Layer Is the Prize.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robinhood-layoffs-june-2026-prediction-market-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robinhood-layoffs-june-2026-prediction-market-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-23 - Robinhood cut ~290 staff into record event-contract volume. Here's how to source the Predictions Hub integration engineers before July 7.
- [ServiceNow's June 11 Cut Just Untethered Bengio's Montreal Bench](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-june-11-element-ai-bengio-researchers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-june-11-element-ai-bengio-researchers.md)) - 2026-06-23 - ServiceNow's June 11, 2026 layoff and AI-efficiency freeze put ex-Element AI researchers in play. Source them by arXiv, not LinkedIn title.
- [Gallup's 3x Layoff Gap Just Made Your Inbound a Trap](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gallup-ai-layoff-study-inbound-adverse-selection) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gallup-ai-layoff-study-inbound-adverse-selection.md)) - 2026-06-23 - Gallup's June 18 finding means inbound applicants skew toward the 18% layoff cohort. Here is how to source the 6% using commit signals, not resumes.
- [Mercor's $10B Rests on 30,000 Names. APEX Just Printed Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/mercor-30000-experts-sourceable-apex-breach) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/mercor-30000-experts-sourceable-apex-breach.md)) - 2026-06-23 - Mercor's $10B valuation depends on AI labs not reaching its 30,000 domain experts directly. The APEX papers and March breach made the roster sourceable.
- [GitLab's June 2 Cut Flattened 3 Layers. The Ex-Managers Are the Rare Asset.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gitlab-june-2026-layoffs-duo-agent-platform-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gitlab-june-2026-layoffs-duo-agent-platform-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-23 - GitLab's June 2, 2026 restructure freed Duo Agent Platform engineers and ex-managers across 22 countries. Here is how to source them before competitors do.
- [Cisco Cut Fewer Than 4,000 on May 14. Silicon One Is Hiring the Same CCIEs Back.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-q4-fy26-ccie-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-q4-fy26-ccie-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-23 - Cisco's Q4 FY26 cuts surfaced 15-year CCIEs with clean exit stories. Here's how to source them before Silicon One, Nvidia, and Arista close the window.
- [Groupon's Project Foundry Just Trained 400 Voice-Agent Hires. Bland Has Until July 10.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groupon-project-foundry-voice-agent-hiring-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groupon-project-foundry-voice-agent-hiring-window.md)) - 2026-06-22 - Groupon's May 21 AI-native restructuring frees the merchant-outreach pool Bland, Vapi, Retell, and Sierra have been trying to script. Here's the window.
- [HN's June Thread Split "AI Engineer" Into Two Roles. Your JD Hires Neither.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-engineer-two-archetypes-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-engineer-two-archetypes-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-06-22 - The June 2026 HN thread exposed two non-overlapping AI Engineer archetypes. Here are the Boolean strings, GitHub signals, and tools to source each.
- [GitHub's June 17 Agent Finder Just Made AGENTS.md a Higher Signal Than LinkedIn](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/agents-md-github-agent-finder-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/agents-md-github-agent-finder-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-06-22 - GitHub shipped Agent Finder and the ARD spec on June 17, 2026. AGENTS.md authors and MCP maintainers are now the sourceable AI-native pool.
- [Kistler v. Eightfold Turned 1B Profiles Into an FCRA Class Action](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kistler-eightfold-fcra-ai-sourcing-liability) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kistler-eightfold-fcra-ai-sourcing-liability.md)) - 2026-06-22 - Kistler v. Eightfold reframes AI candidate scoring as consumer reporting. Here is what recruiters and founders should change before the next vendor demo.
- [Sierra Killed the Algorithms Round. Your Boolean String Still Grades for It.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sierra-ai-native-interview-sourcing-filter-mismatch) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sierra-ai-native-interview-sourcing-filter-mismatch.md)) - 2026-06-22 - Sierra, Meta, and Google now grade AI fluency, not LeetCode. Here's why recruiter Boolean strings still source the wrong engineer, and what to search instead.
- [HN's June 2026 Candidate Thread Is 2x the Job Thread. That's a Senior List, Not a Recession.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-wants-to-be-hired-senior-list) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-wants-to-be-hired-senior-list.md)) - 2026-06-22 - June 2026's Hacker News "Who wants to be hired?" thread doubled "Who is hiring?" Here's how to mine it for senior engineers before aggregators catch up.
- [OpenAI Posted 3 FDE Roles on June 18. The Real Pool Is Titled "Delta."](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-fde-june-18-palantir-delta-alumni-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-fde-june-18-palantir-delta-alumni-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-21 - OpenAI's June 18 UAE/Stockholm/Madrid FDE postings expose a sourcing trap: the real Forward Deployed Engineer pool sits inside Palantir's alumni network.
- [ASML's June 10 Social Plan: The 3,000 Number Is a Sourcing Trap](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/asml-june-10-social-plan-sourcing-3000-managers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/asml-june-10-social-plan-sourcing-3000-managers.md)) - 2026-06-21 - ASML's June 10, 2026 social plan looks like 3,000 managers in market. The real ASML layoffs sourcing pool is smaller, smarter, and gated until May 1, 2027.
- [LinkedIn's June 18 Connected Apps Killed the Skills Filter. Boolean Is Next.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-connected-apps-verified-skills-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-connected-apps-verified-skills-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-21 - LinkedIn's Connected Apps replaces self-declared skills with verified tool usage. What sourcers and engineering managers should change this week.
- [Wix Cut 1,000 on May 28. The Velo Multi-Tenant Team Is the Real Prize.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-layoffs-2026-tel-aviv-frontend-velo-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-layoffs-2026-tel-aviv-frontend-velo-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-21 - Wix's largest-ever layoff frees a niche Tel Aviv talent pool that Lovable, Bolt, v0, and Replit need. Here is how to sequence outreach before Base44 absorbs them.
- [SB 951 Cleared Committee 5-0. The EDD Will Name Your Next Hire 90 Days Early.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-951-california-edd-ai-layoff-sourcing-dataset) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-951-california-edd-ai-layoff-sourcing-dataset.md)) - 2026-06-21 - California's SB 951 would force employers to publish AI-displacement notices 90 days early, naming workers, functions, and AI vendors. A sourcing goldmine.
- [Amazon's RTO Compliance Number Hides Your Best Senior Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-rto-non-compliance-senior-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-rto-non-compliance-senior-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-21 - Amazon's 5-day RTO mandate looks like a compliance win. The non-compliant minority is where senior AWS engineers are quietly checked out and sourceable.
- [Bungie's June 9 Sunset Frees 400 Bellevue Engineers. Sony Gets First Pick.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-june-9-sunset-400-bellevue-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-june-9-sunset-400-bellevue-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-20 - Destiny 2's June 9, 2026 sunset and Marathon's flop set up ~400 Bungie layoffs. How to reach live-service C++ engineers before Sony absorbs them.
- [The Trackers Logged 185,894 Exits. Microsoft, ServiceNow, and Uber Added 12,000 More Off-Book.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/layoff-trackers-miss-voluntary-buyouts-no-backfill-reorgs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/layoff-trackers-miss-voluntary-buyouts-no-backfill-reorgs.md)) - 2026-06-20 - Layoff trackers miss voluntary buyouts, no-backfill attrition, and "reorg" exits. Here's how to find the hidden talent pool they ignore.
- [AES Just Wrote the Cleanest AI-Native JD on HN. Your Boolean String Is Wrong.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/aes-hn-june-2026-claude-code-diff-readers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/aes-hn-june-2026-claude-code-diff-readers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-20 - An AES intern post on HN's June 2026 thread admits the bar is not coding. Here is how to rewrite intake and sourcing strings for diff-readers.
- [Andrew Ng Just Priced the "AI-Forward Recruiter" at $90K. The Title Is a Trap.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deeplearning-ai-forward-recruiter-jd-90k) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deeplearning-ai-forward-recruiter-jd-90k.md)) - 2026-06-20 - DeepLearning.AI's new "Recruiter (AI Forward)" JD codifies a new archetype at $90 to 130K, below the Bay Area technical recruiter average. Here is what it means.
- [HN's June Thread Hid 6 RCM Startups. The Epic Talent Is Titled "Analyst."](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-rcm-startups-epic-bridges-analysts) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-rcm-startups-epic-bridges-analysts.md)) - 2026-06-20 - Why LinkedIn Boolean searches miss Epic Bridges, Mirth, and Cloverleaf talent, and where healthcare RCM startup recruiters should actually look.
- [Uber Cut 23% of People & Places on June 3. The Senior Closers Are Gone.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-people-places-cut-june-3-senior-recruiters) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-people-places-cut-june-3-senior-recruiters.md)) - 2026-06-20 - Uber's June 3, 2026 People & Places cut hit senior recruiters hardest. Here's what survivors inherit, and where ex-Uber sourcers land next.
- [Odyssey Just Raised $310M. LinkedIn Returns 9 World-Model Engineers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/odyssey-310m-world-model-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/odyssey-310m-world-model-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-19 - Odyssey closed a $310M Series B for interactive world models. Title search is dead for this niche. Here are four hunting grounds that actually work.
- [Oracle's June 15 WARN Window Closed. 12,000 OCI Engineers Are Mispriced.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-warn-june-15-oci-engineers-mispriced) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-warn-june-15-oci-engineers-mispriced.md)) - 2026-06-19 - Oracle's 30,000-person cut hit its final WARN separation date June 15, 2026. Here is why OCI engineers in Bengaluru and Seattle are sourceable now.
- [Nike Cut 90% of SNKRS. Beaverton's Drop Engineers Are in Play.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-layoffs-snkrs-engineers-beaverton-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-layoffs-snkrs-engineers-beaverton-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-19 - Nike's 1,400 April 2026 layoffs are "majority Technology." Here's how to source the SNKRS, Nike App, and Beaverton platform engineers before anyone else does.
- [Rivian Cut 300 on June 16. Figure and Optimus Will Take the Diagnostics IC.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rivian-june-2026-layoffs-service-engineers-robotics) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/rivian-june-2026-layoffs-service-engineers-robotics.md)) - 2026-06-19 - Rivian's June 16, 2026 layoff hit "service and customer" teams. Inside that label sit OTA, HV, and ADAS engineers humanoid robotics will hire fast.
- [94 Reddit Threads Say Candidates Ghost. The Inputs Ghosted First.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/candidate-ghosting-2026-sourcing-signal-failure) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/candidate-ghosting-2026-sourcing-signal-failure.md)) - 2026-06-19 - Mediapod's 94-thread, -0.10 sentiment Reddit study calls 2026 a ghosting epidemic. The data says it's a sourcing-signal failure, not a candidate problem.
- [Salesforce Cut 86 on June 10. The MuleSoft Ring Has Until August 7.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-86-layoffs-mulesoft-agentforce-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-86-layoffs-mulesoft-agentforce-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-19 - Salesforce's June 10, 2026 WARN spared core Agentforce and hit MuleSoft and Marketing Cloud. Here's how to source the 86 before the August 7 payroll cliff.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70 Drops 8,750 Seniors July 2. None Are "Open to Work."](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-july-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-july-2026.md)) - 2026-06-18 - Microsoft's first-ever voluntary buyout exits ~8,750 senior engineers and managers July 1-2. Here is how to source a cohort that won't show up on LinkedIn.
- [Robinhood Cut 290 on June 16 and Refused to Blame AI. Source the Managers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robinhood-june-16-flattening-manager-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/robinhood-june-16-flattening-manager-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-06-18 - Robinhood's June 16, 2026 "flattening" cut 290, mostly managers, with no AI excuse. Here's the sourcing playbook for displaced fintech EMs and directors.
- [Ubisoft's June 10 Embargo Hid 65 Anvil Engineers Robotics Wants Now](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ubisoft-winnipeg-belgrade-anvil-engine-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ubisoft-winnipeg-belgrade-anvil-engine-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-18 - Ubisoft closed Winnipeg and Belgrade on June 10, 2026 under press embargo. Here's how to source the Anvil and Snowdrop engine programmers before NVIDIA does.
- [HN's June 1 Thread: The Founders Posting Jobs Just Called Inbound Cooked](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-inbound-cooked-outbound-strategy) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-inbound-cooked-outbound-strategy.md)) - 2026-06-18 - In the June 2026 HN "Who Is Hiring?" thread, the founders posting roles declared inbound dead. Here is what that means for your Q3 outbound plan.
- [Coinbase's 15-to-1 Memo Created a Player-Coach Pool LinkedIn Can't See](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-player-coach-purge-sourcing-displaced-engineering-managers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-player-coach-purge-sourcing-displaced-engineering-managers.md)) - 2026-06-18 - Coinbase, Block, and Meta are deleting "pure managers." The displaced cohort has recent IC chops but no title sourcers actually filter for. Here's how to find them.
- [Citi's Week-of-Jan-12 Cut: Tampa and Belfast Engineers Are the Real Pool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/citi-20000-cuts-tampa-belfast-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/citi-20000-cuts-tampa-belfast-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-18 - Citigroup's 20,000-role restructuring just began with 1,000 cuts. Here's where the banking-trained engineering pool actually sits, and how to source it first.
- [Eagle's 85/5 Pitch: Lightspeed's MEP Roll-Up Is a Two-Sided Sourcing Event](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eagle-lightspeed-mep-rollup-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eagle-lightspeed-mep-rollup-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-17 - Eagle's June 2026 HN post is a live playbook for the AI services roll-up. Here's where to find the engineers it will shake loose, and the FDEs it can't.
- [LinkedIn's 81% Is a Denominator Trick. GitHub Replies at 30 to 40%.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-review-2026-cross-platform-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-review-2026-cross-platform-gap.md)) - 2026-06-17 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant's January 2026 numbers look great until you check the baseline. Why cross-platform sourcing still wins technical hires.
- [Stanford's Canaries Dashboard Just Killed the New-Grad Funnel](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stanford-canaries-dashboard-junior-swe-collapse) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stanford-canaries-dashboard-junior-swe-collapse.md)) - 2026-06-17 - Stanford's Canaries Dashboard confirms 22-25 SWE employment is down ~20% while 30+ engineers keep growing. How to re-target your pipeline now.
- [1,115 Layoffs a Day, and the "AI" Label Is Lying to Your Pipeline](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-layoff-attribution-gap-sourcing-edge-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-layoff-attribution-gap-sourcing-edge-2026.md)) - 2026-06-17 - 2026 tech layoffs hit 1,115 a day, but Challenger and Nikkei disagree by 2x on AI's share. Sourcers who read the gap right win the candidates.
- [HN's June Thread Inverted 2 to 1. Most Sourcers Are Reading the Wrong Side.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-june-2026-2x-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-june-2026-2x-gap.md)) - 2026-06-17 - June 2026's "Who wants to be hired?" runs 2x "Who is hiring?" The senior-skewed supply side is the quarter's most underused sourcing pool.
- [ServiceNow Just Broke McDermott's Pledge. 63 Senior Now Engineers Are Free Aug 17.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-san-diego-63-senior-now-platform-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-san-diego-63-senior-now-platform-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-17 - ServiceNow's June 14 San Diego WARN released 63 senior Now-platform staff. Here is how to source them before the August 17 separation date.
- [Amdocs' May 28 Cut: 1,800 Pune BSS Engineers Hit the Market First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amdocs-2026-layoffs-bss-engineers-india) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amdocs-2026-layoffs-bss-engineers-india.md)) - 2026-06-16 - Amdocs is cutting 3,000 roles under new CEO Shimie Hortig. The real story is India, BSS domain rarity, and a 60-day sourcing window.
- [Kastle's 66% Tuesday Is a Sourcing Calendar. Send Wednesday at 7am.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kastle-tuesday-peak-rto-super-commuter-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/kastle-tuesday-peak-rto-super-commuter-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-16 - Kastle's 66% Tuesday badge peak plus Ma and Ding's RTO attrition research point to a 6 to 8 week sourcing window for senior engineers. Here is how to work it.
- [Pleo Shipped 5 Finance Agents June 11. The Engineers Who Built Them Were Cut June 12.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pleo-layoffs-2026-agentic-finance-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pleo-layoffs-2026-agentic-finance-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-16 - Pleo's June 12 cut released ~50 engineers from the team that just shipped its agentic-finance suite. Here's how to source them before Ramp's London office opens.
- [June's HN Thread Split "AI Engineer" in Two. Your JD Hires Neither.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-engineer-archetypes-hn-june-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ai-engineer-archetypes-hn-june-2026.md)) - 2026-06-16 - The June 2026 HN hiring thread exposed two AI engineer archetypes. Here is how to split the req, rewrite the JD, and source against both.
- [Expeditors Edited "No Layoff" to "Short-Term No Layoff." 230 Devs Are in Play.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/expeditors-warn-230-logistics-engineers-august-8) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/expeditors-warn-230-logistics-engineers-august-8.md)) - 2026-06-16 - Expeditors broke a 47-year no-layoff streak on June 8, releasing 230 freight-tech specialists across five WA offices. Here's how to source them before Aug 8.
- [HN's June Thread Just Inverted. 9-Year Seniors Are Raising Their Hands.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-inversion) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-who-wants-to-be-hired-inversion.md)) - 2026-06-16 - June 2026's "Who wants to be hired" HN thread is 2x "Who is hiring" for the first time ever. Here's how to source it without getting named.
- [286 Minutes on the Phone: The ASA Report Is a Sourcing Indictment](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/asa-286-minutes-recruiter-call-time-sourcing-quality) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/asa-286-minutes-recruiter-call-time-sourcing-quality.md)) - 2026-06-15 - The ASA/Prodoscore report says AI freed recruiters to talk more. The math says they're dialing a noisier list. Here's what to fix instead.
- [Snap's August 15 Severance Cliff: 1,000 Engineers Who Shipped at 65% AI Code](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/snap-layoffs-august-15-severance-cliff-ai-code) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/snap-layoffs-august-15-severance-cliff-ai-code.md)) - 2026-06-15 - Snap's April 15 cut put 1,000 engineers on a four-month clock that ends August 15. Why this AI-native cohort is the highest-signal hiring window of Q3.
- [GitHub Now Ships 275M Commits a Week. Your Green Squares Are Noise.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-275m-commits-week-sourcing-signals-broken) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-275m-commits-week-sourcing-signals-broken.md)) - 2026-06-15 - GitHub's Kyle Daigle says agent commits grew 1,400% in 2026. Here is what technical sourcers should filter on now that the contribution graph is dead.
- [AES Just Posted the New Technical Screen on HN: Show Us the PR, Not the Algorithm](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/aes-hn-hiring-thread-screen-the-pr-not-the-coder) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/aes-hn-hiring-thread-screen-the-pr-not-the-coder.md)) - 2026-06-15 - A June 2026 HN "Who is hiring?" post from AES is the cleanest public template yet for screening AI-fluent engineers. Here is how to copy it.
- [The 60-Day Layoff Window Is Dead. Tech Re-Hire Now Takes 4.7 Months.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tech-reemployment-47-months-layoff-window-myth) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tech-reemployment-47-months-layoff-window-myth.md)) - 2026-06-15 - Tech re-employment now takes 4.7 months, not 3.2. Here is how to re-sequence post-layoff sourcing outreach across a bimodal 2026 cohort.
- [Bungie's June 9 Sunset: The Bellevue Netcode Team Belongs in Fintech](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-destiny-2-sunset-bellevue-netcode-fintech) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-destiny-2-sunset-bellevue-netcode-fintech.md)) - 2026-06-15 - Bungie's June 9, 2026 Destiny 2 sunset frees a senior Bellevue netcode org with no internal landing spot. Here is who to source and how to pitch them.
- [Wix's May 29 Cut Puts 920 Velo and React Engineers in Tel Aviv in Play](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-may-29-layoff-velo-frontend-tel-aviv-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-may-29-layoff-velo-frontend-tel-aviv-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-14 - Wix's May 29, 2026 layoff of ~1,000 opens a 60-90 day window on senior frontend and Velo engineers in Tel Aviv. Here is the sourcing plan.
- [Colorado Gutted Its AI Hiring Law 47 Days Early. Keep These 4 Things.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/colorado-sb-26-189-ai-hiring-compliance-2027) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/colorado-sb-26-189-ai-hiring-compliance-2027.md)) - 2026-06-14 - Governor Polis signed SB 26-189 on May 14, 2026, replacing Colorado's SB 24-205. Here's what TA teams should shelve, keep, and re-paper before January 1, 2027.
- [Oracle's $19.2B Quarter Shipped 12,000 OCI Engineers to Bengaluru's Door](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-june-2026-layoffs-oci-engineer-sourcing-india) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-june-2026-layoffs-oci-engineer-sourcing-india.md)) - 2026-06-14 - Oracle's June 15 final separation date drops 12,000 India OCI, ERP, and DBA engineers into the market five days after a record Q4. Here's how to source them.
- [Uber Cut 23% of Its People Team June 3. The 800 Open Reqs Don't Care.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-people-places-cut-june-2026-800-open-reqs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-people-places-cut-june-2026-800-open-reqs.md)) - 2026-06-14 - Uber cut 23% of its People and Places team on June 3, 2026 while carrying 800+ open reqs. What it signals for in-house recruiting in 2026.
- [Block's 4,000 Cut Wraps in Q2: 3 Diasporas, 3 Different Playbooks](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-2026-cash-app-square-bitkey-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/block-layoffs-2026-cash-app-square-bitkey-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-14 - Block's February 2026 cut finishes hitting the market this quarter. Cash App, Square seller, and Bitkey engineers need three different sourcing playbooks.
- [Intuit's July 31 Clock: The ~1,000 Mailchimp Engineers Aren't in the Bay](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-mailchimp-atlanta-engineers-july-31) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-mailchimp-atlanta-engineers-july-31.md)) - 2026-06-14 - Intuit's May 20 cut singled out Mailchimp. The ~1,000 engineers exiting July 31 are in Atlanta, not Mountain View, and most sourcing tools have them mislabeled.
- [Greenhouse's 411% Scissors: Why Inbound Screening Just Structurally Broke](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-411-percent-scissors-inbound-broken) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/greenhouse-411-percent-scissors-inbound-broken.md)) - 2026-06-13 - Greenhouse's April 2026 Hire Standard shows applications per recruiter up 411% while teams shrank 55%. Prompt injection is the symptom, not the disease.
- [Neura's $1.4B Round Has 4 Cities to Poach. None of Them Is San Francisco.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neura-robotics-1-4b-humanoid-talent-pool-europe) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/neura-robotics-1-4b-humanoid-talent-pool-europe.md)) - 2026-06-13 - Neura Robotics closed a $1.4B Series C on June 10. The humanoid talent pool it now needs sits in four European cities, not on LinkedIn.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70 Releases 8,750 Veterans July 2. Half Aren't Retiring.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-3) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-3.md)) - 2026-06-13 - Microsoft's Voluntary Retirement Program pushes 8,750 Level 67 and below veterans out July 2. Here is how to source the cohort before LinkedIn catches up.
- [OpenAI Just Made It 7 Buyers for 45 Engineers. Title Search Is Done.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-humanoid-bidding-war-sourcing-robotics-engineers-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-humanoid-bidding-war-sourcing-robotics-engineers-2026.md)) - 2026-06-13 - OpenAI's June 2026 robotics hiring push turned humanoid recruiting into a 7-buyer fight for a 45-person U.S. pool. Title search no longer works.
- [Gartner Said AI-First for Drivers. Vendors Are Selling It for Staff Engineers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/850m-profile-pitch-excludes-senior-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/850m-profile-pitch-excludes-senior-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-13 - The 850M-profile agentic sourcing pitch from Pin, Juicebox, and hireEZ systematically misses the senior engineers worth hiring. Here's where they actually live.
- [Meta's May 20 Cut Released 8,000. The Integrity Team Is Anthropic's Window.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-may-20-integrity-team-anthropic-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-may-20-integrity-team-anthropic-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-13 - Meta's May 20, 2026 layoff freed a rare cohort of integrity engineers. Here's why AI labs should wait until September to reach out, and how to map them.
- [LinkedIn's May 6 Scam Report Just Killed the Cold InMail Opener](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-may-6-scam-report-inmail-trust-collapse) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-may-6-scam-report-inmail-trust-collapse.md)) - 2026-06-12 - LinkedIn's May 6, 2026 research shows a third of recruiters impersonated and 29% of candidates always question job legitimacy. What sourcers should do now.
- [June's HN Hiring Thread Hit a 359-Post Floor. The Survivors Want Claude Code.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-hiring-june-2026-claude-code-requirement) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-hiring-june-2026-claude-code-requirement.md)) - 2026-06-12 - The June 2026 HN hiring thread shrank to 359 posts, an 11-year low. The roles left demand Claude Code fluency. Here is how to source for it.
- [Coinbase's May 5 Cut Put ~200 "Pure Managers" in Play. Most Won't Code.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-pure-manager-layoffs-player-coach-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-pure-manager-layoffs-player-coach-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-12 - Coinbase's May 5, 2026 restructuring killed the pure manager. Here's how to source the ex-Coinbase EMs worth hiring, and why the player-coach filter changes Q3.
- [The Fed Just Blamed Zoom, Not GPT, for 64% of the Junior Dev Freeze](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fed-remote-work-junior-dev-unemployment-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fed-remote-work-junior-dev-unemployment-2026.md)) - 2026-06-12 - A June 1, 2026 NY Fed study pins 64% of young grad unemployment on remote work, not AI. What that means for engineering managers still not hiring juniors.
- [Salesforce's June 9 WARN Isn't an Agentforce Cut. It's a MuleSoft Fire Sale.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-june-9-warn-mulesoft-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-june-9-warn-mulesoft-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-06-12 - Salesforce's June 9 WARN filing cut 86 roles across Agentforce, MuleSoft, and Marketing Cloud. The MuleSoft engineers are the real opportunity.
- [The EU Just Gave You 16 More Months on Your AI Screener. Don't Take Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-hiring-deferral-december-2027) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eu-ai-act-hiring-deferral-december-2027.md)) - 2026-06-12 - The May 7 trilogue pushed the EU AI Act's high-risk hiring deadline to December 2027. Why US founders using LinkedIn Hiring Assistant still lose if they wait.
- [Cloudflare's May 7 Cut: 1,100 Alumni You Shouldn't Email Until August](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-layoffs-2026-august-vesting-cliff-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-layoffs-2026-august-vesting-cliff-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-11 - Cloudflare's May 7 layoff pays full base through Dec 31 and vests equity to Aug 15, 2026. Here's how to time outreach to 1,100 alumni without burning the list.
- [Amdocs' 4th Cut in 4 Years: The BSS Talent Is in Ra'anana, Not LinkedIn](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amdocs-layoffs-2026-bss-oss-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amdocs-layoffs-2026-bss-oss-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-11 - Amdocs is cutting up to 3,000 jobs on May 28, 2026. Here is how to source the BSS, OSS, and 5G charging engineers LinkedIn under-indexes.
- [June's HN Hiring Thread Quietly Repriced "Senior Engineer" as an Intern](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-hiring-june-2026-ai-native-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-hiring-june-2026-ai-native-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-11 - The June 2026 HN "Who is hiring?" thread shifted JD language to agent-direction work. Fewer than 12% of resumes match. Here's how to actually source it.
- [Google's June 3 GTIG Cut Hands Wiz Its Missing Threat Intel Team](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-gtig-mandiant-layoffs-june-2026-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/google-gtig-mandiant-layoffs-june-2026-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-11 - Google quietly cut GTIG and Mandiant analysts on June 3-4, 2026. Here is how to source the Log4Shell and SolarWinds veterans before Wiz and CrowdStrike close.
- [LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant Saves 1.5 Hours. It Skips 30% of Engineers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-coverage-gap-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-coverage-gap-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-11 - LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant cuts profile reviews 81% inside its own graph. Here's what it structurally misses and how to source the other 30%.
- [Expeditors' 47-Year Streak Just Broke. 230 Walk Aug 8, And You Have 60 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/expeditors-layoffs-2026-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/expeditors-layoffs-2026-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-06-11 - Expeditors filed a WARN on June 8 cutting 230 Seattle-area engineers. Here's the sourcing playbook for supply-chain software talent, by office and by date.
- [xAI's June 10 Lawsuit Is a Warm Roster for Anthropic, Apollo, and METR](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xai-safety-lawsuit-sourcing-signal-june-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xai-safety-lawsuit-sourcing-signal-june-2026.md)) - 2026-06-10 - Reuters' June 10 report on xAI firing a safety engineer turns the co-founder exodus into a named sourcing list for AI safety hiring leads.
- [Cisco's May 14 Cut Is a Talos and Splunk Sourcing List With a 4-Week Clock](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-may-14-talos-splunk-layoffs-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-may-14-talos-splunk-layoffs-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-10 - Cisco's May 14, 2026 layoff targets Talos and Splunk specifically. Here's how to source the displaced security and SIEM talent before competitors do.
- [OpenAI's 7th Acqui-Hire of 2026 Closed April 13. The Pattern Is a Calendar.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-2026-acqui-hire-sourcing-calendar) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-2026-acqui-hire-sourcing-calendar.md)) - 2026-06-10 - OpenAI's 2026 acqui-hire pace (7 deals in 5 months) is a predictable sourcing signal. Here's how to work the unacquired engineers in each vertical.
- [Anthropic's June 1 S-1 Flipped the Org Chart: 72 Sales vs 67 Research](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-ipo-hiring-sales-flipped-research) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-ipo-hiring-sales-flipped-research.md)) - 2026-06-10 - Anthropic filed confidentially on June 1, 2026 with 72 open Sales roles and 67 in Research. Here is the 90-day window to source AEs and SAs.
- [GitHub's June 9 .agent.md Files Are a Sourcing List for AI-Native Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-june-9-agent-md-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-june-9-agent-md-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-06-10 - GitHub's June 9, 2026 custom agents for Copilot CLI created a public artifact that identifies engineers shipping agentic workflows before LinkedIn catches up.
- [SPCX Prices at $135 for June 12. The Lock-Up Has Three Doors, Not One.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spacex-ipo-spcx-june-12-lockup-recruiting) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spacex-ipo-spcx-june-12-lockup-recruiting.md)) - 2026-06-10 - SpaceX trades June 12 as SPCX at a $1.75T valuation. The staged lock-up creates three liquidity waves, and most recruiters will time outreach wrong.
- [Apple Just Outsourced Siri to Gemini on June 8. The AIML Org Has 90 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-siri-gemini-aiml-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/apple-siri-gemini-aiml-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-09 - Apple's WWDC 2026 Siri-on-Gemini reveal and Tim Cook's farewell created a 90-day window to source Apple's AIML and Siri engineers before competitors finish.
- [Bungie's June 9 Sunset Stranded ~400 Bellevue Engineers Today](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-destiny-2-sunset-bellevue-live-ops-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-destiny-2-sunset-bellevue-live-ops-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-09 - Destiny 2 ships its last update June 9, 2026. Here's the live-ops, sandbox, and seasonal narrative cohort recruiters can reach before Sony files the RIF.
- [Flourish's $500M Bezos Round Is Chasing ~800 People LinkedIn Can't See](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flourish-500m-brain-inspired-ai-talent-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/flourish-500m-brain-inspired-ai-talent-pool.md)) - 2026-06-09 - Flourish AI raised $500M on June 5, 2026 to build brain-inspired models. The hireable neuro-AI pool is roughly 800 people. Here's where to find them.
- [DeepMind Took 20 From Contextual AI on May 19. The Other 40 Are Reachable.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/contextual-ai-deepmind-stranded-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/contextual-ai-deepmind-stranded-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-09 - Google DeepMind's $80M Contextual AI deal stranded ~40 senior engineers LinkedIn still calls employed. Here's the reverse acqui-hire sourcing playbook.
- [Uber Cut 23% of People & Places on June 3. Source the Seniors by August.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-people-places-layoffs-source-senior-ta-leaders) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-people-places-layoffs-source-senior-ta-leaders.md)) - 2026-06-09 - Uber's June 3 cut and Bolt's "fire HR" playbook put senior TA leaders on the market. Here's how to build a shortlist before the window closes.
- [Gem's 2026 Report Says Mine the ATS. The Math Says Don't.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gem-2026-benchmarks-ats-rediscovery-open-web) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gem-2026-benchmarks-ats-rediscovery-open-web.md)) - 2026-06-09 - Gem's 2026 benchmarks show 46% of sourced hires now come from ATS rediscovery. That's a top-of-funnel confession, not a sourcing strategy.
- [The 22-25 Dev Cohort Didn't Disappear. It Reappeared as "Founding Engineer."](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/founding-engineer-new-grad-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/founding-engineer-new-grad-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-06-08 - Stanford says junior dev jobs fell 20%. Gusto says "Founding Engineer" is up 390% for new grads. Here's how to source the cohort that left LinkedIn.
- [All 11 xAI Co-Founders Are Gone. Anthropic Already Got Nordeen.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xai-cofounders-departed-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xai-cofounders-departed-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-08 - xAI lost every original co-founder and at least nine engineers by March 2026. Here is how to source the cohort before Anthropic and Meta MSL close them out.
- [Oracle's June 15 Cliff: 12,000 India Engineers, And LinkedIn Won't Show You Most of Them](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-june-15-cliff-india-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-june-15-cliff-india-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-08 - Oracle's final separation window closes June 15, 2026 across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Noida. Here is how to source the cohort before it disappears.
- [Helion's $465M Just Started a Fight Over 1,200 People LinkedIn Can't Find](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/helion-465m-fusion-hiring-war-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/helion-465m-fusion-hiring-war-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-08 - Helion's June 2026 Series G at $15.5B turned fusion hiring into a war. Here's how to source the 1,200 plasma physicists and HTS engineers actually in play.
- [Microsoft's June 8 Rule of 70 Just Closed. 8,750 Names Are Walking by July 2.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-vrp-sourcing-window-2) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-vrp-sourcing-window-2.md)) - 2026-06-08 - Microsoft's first-ever Voluntary Retirement Program closed June 8. Here's who's actually in the pool, why they're not your usual layoff cohort, and how to source them.
- [Intuit's 3,000 Walk July 31 With 26 Weeks of Pay. Don't Inbox Until August.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-layoffs-july-31-turbotax-quickbooks-credit-karma-mailchimp-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-layoffs-july-31-turbotax-quickbooks-credit-karma-mailchimp-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-08 - Intuit's May 21 cuts and same-day Anthropic/OpenAI deal created a named pool of TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp engineers. Here's the calendar.
- [June's HN "Who Wants to Be Hired" Is the Cleanest Senior Pool of 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-wants-to-be-hired-june-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hacker-news-who-wants-to-be-hired-june-2026.md)) - 2026-06-07 - The June 2026 Hacker News "Who wants to be hired?" thread is a live opt-in list of senior engineers, and recruiters are still buying LinkedIn seats.
- [FY2027's Level I Wipeout: 60% of OPT Engineers Are on a 12-Month Clock](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fy2027-h1b-level-i-opt-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fy2027-h1b-level-i-opt-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-07 - The first wage-weighted H-1B lottery rejected 60% of Level I petitions. Here is how to source the stranded OPT engineers before their clocks expire.
- [Meta Cut 8,000 on May 20. Fintech Has Until July 22 to Move.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-may-20-integrity-cybersecurity-fintech-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-may-20-integrity-cybersecurity-fintech-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-07 - Meta's May 20 layoffs hit Integrity, cybersecurity, and content design. Here is how fintech recruiters should source the cohort before August.
- [Mailchimp's July 31 Scale-Back: The 10-Week Klaviyo Trade Most Recruiters Will Miss](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-mailchimp-july-31-klaviyo-trade) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-mailchimp-july-31-klaviyo-trade.md)) - 2026-06-07 - Intuit's May 20 memo singled out Mailchimp for reduced investment. Here is how to source the Atlanta and Brooklyn engineering cohort before severance turns them passive.
- [OQC's £260M Just Started a Bidding War for 3,000 People](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oqc-260m-quantum-sourcing-europe) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oqc-260m-quantum-sourcing-europe.md)) - 2026-06-07 - Oxford Quantum Circuits closed Europe's largest quantum round on June 3. Here is how to source the talent pool LinkedIn keyword searches will miss.
- [Tech Cut 38,242 in May and Posted 11,250 Reqs. Source the Lateral.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tech-layoffs-may-2026-same-day-sourcing-trade) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tech-layoffs-may-2026-same-day-sourcing-trade.md)) - 2026-06-07 - Challenger's June 4 report shows tech leading both layoffs and hiring in May 2026. Here's the 72-hour sourcing workflow that converts the trade.
- [Ramp's $750M at $44B Closed June 5. Brex's Inspect Trade Has 30 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ramp-750m-44b-brex-counter-recruit-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ramp-750m-44b-brex-counter-recruit-window.md)) - 2026-06-06 - Ramp's $750M Series F at $44B lands while Brex is mid-acquisition. Here's the 30-day counter-recruit playbook for fintech sourcing teams.
- [Salesforce's 1,000 FDEs Are the Most Underpriced AI Hires of 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-fde-army-1000-engineers-anthropic-palantir-poaching) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-fde-army-1000-engineers-anthropic-palantir-poaching.md)) - 2026-06-06 - Salesforce redeployed 4,000 support engineers into a 1,000-person Forward Deployed Engineer army. Here's how to source them before Anthropic does.
- [Disney Cut Andy Park and 16 Years of MCU Visual Language on April 14](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/marvel-visual-development-layoffs-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/marvel-visual-development-layoffs-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-06 - Disney's April 14 layoffs gutted Marvel's visual development team. Here's how to source the named cohort before Riot and Netflix Animation close offers.
- [Coinbase's 700 Walk June 30 With 22 Weeks of Pay. Don't Call Until July 15.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-700-layoffs-june-30-sourcing-crypto-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-700-layoffs-june-30-sourcing-crypto-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-06 - Coinbase's $60M severance cliff lands June 30, 2026. Here's how to source the 700 crypto-native engineers by capability before Q3 picks them off.
- [AES Closed Apps June 8 With "No Leetcode." The Bake-Off Is the New Screen.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-paid-bake-off-interview) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-june-2026-paid-bake-off-interview.md)) - 2026-06-06 - The June 2026 HN "Who is Hiring" thread normalized paid bake-offs and AI-built portfolios. Here is what that breaks in sourcing, and how to fix it.
- [Anthropic Bought Stainless on May 18. The SDK Sourcing Window Closes in 60 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-stainless-acquisition-sdk-engineer-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-stainless-acquisition-sdk-engineer-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-06 - Anthropic's $300M Stainless acquisition forced OpenAI, Google, and Cloudflare to in-house SDK teams. Source the engineers before reqs post.
- [Uber's 95% AI Adoption Is a Sourcing List. June 3 Removed the Guards.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-95-percent-ai-adoption-sourcing-window-june-3) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-95-percent-ai-adoption-sourcing-window-june-3.md)) - 2026-06-05 - Uber cut 23% of People and Places days after capping Claude Code at $1,500. Here's how to source the leaderboard cohort before Anysphere does.
- [Meta's 1,500 MCI Signers Are a Pre-Built Shortlist. The May 20 Layoffs Made It Live.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-mci-petition-sourcing-list-may-2026-layoffs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-mci-petition-sourcing-list-may-2026-layoffs.md)) - 2026-06-05 - More than 1,500 Meta engineers signed the anti-surveillance petition. Then 8,000 got laid off and 7,000 reassigned into the AI org they protested. Source them off LinkedIn.
- [ClickUp Released 290 Agent Operators on May 21. Asana Just Bought the Rails.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/clickup-290-layoffs-agent-operators-asana-monday-notion) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/clickup-290-layoffs-agent-operators-asana-monday-notion.md)) - 2026-06-05 - ClickUp cut 290 to build Zeb Evans' 100x org. Asana, Monday, and Notion have 45 days to source the agent-fluent operators before $1M bands reset comp.
- [Oracle Health's June 15 Cliff: 8,000 Cerner Engineers Are Reachable Now](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-june-15-cerner-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-june-15-cerner-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-05 - Oracle Health is separating 8,000 to 10,000 ex-Cerner engineers by June 15. How to source the cohort during the 60-day WARN paid leave window.
- [Atlassian Cut 900 R&D Roles and Kept Every 2026 Grad. Source the Trade.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-layoffs-2026-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-layoffs-2026-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-05 - Atlassian's March 11 cut hit 900+ R&D roles with 35% in Sydney. Here is the US-addressable Forge, Jira admin, and platform cohort before June closes.
- [Bending Spoons Just Bought Eventbrite. Brightcove Lost 85% in Two Months.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eventbrite-bending-spoons-layoff-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/eventbrite-bending-spoons-layoff-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-05 - Bending Spoons' $500M Eventbrite deal triggers the same playbook that gutted Vimeo and Brightcove. How to pre-source the bench before WARN.
- [Bezos Spent 6 Months Letting Reporters Call Prometheus a Robotics Lab](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/project-prometheus-cad-ml-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/project-prometheus-cad-ml-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-04 - Project Prometheus isn't robotics. It's CAD. Why LinkedIn inference misread Bezos's $38B lab, and where the real CAD plus ML talent actually lives.
- [Wix Just Released 600 Tel Aviv Engineers at a 33-Year FX High](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-layoffs-2026-israeli-engineers-shekel) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-layoffs-2026-israeli-engineers-shekel.md)) - 2026-06-04 - Wix cut 1,000 on May 28, 2026. The shekel made the displaced Israeli engineers the most expensive vintage in a decade. Who can actually close them.
- [LinkedIn Recruiter's 2026 Bill: $129K Buys You 1st-3rd Degree](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-cost-2026-129k-coverage-gap) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-cost-2026-129k-coverage-gap.md)) - 2026-06-04 - LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate's 2026 renewal hits $10,800 to $12,960 per seat. Here's what 15% more actually buys, and what it still won't index.
- [Cognition's $26B Round: Devin Writes 89%. Source the 369-Person 11%.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-series-d-devin-89-percent-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognition-series-d-devin-89-percent-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-04 - Cognition's $1B Series D validates a tiny headcount strategy. Here's where the sourceable Devin-adjacent talent actually lives after the raise.
- [June's HN "Who Is Hiring" Killed the Coding Screen. AES Wrote It Down.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-june-2026-bar-is-not-coding) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-is-hiring-june-2026-bar-is-not-coding.md)) - 2026-06-04 - The June 2026 HN "Who Is Hiring" thread explicitly demotes raw coding. Here's how to source the "direct the AI" talent LinkedIn can't see.
- [Uber Just Cut 250 Recruiters. You Have 10 Days Before Meta Calls Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-people-division-cut-senior-recruiter-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/uber-people-division-cut-senior-recruiter-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-04 - Uber cut 23% of its People division June 3. Senior in-house sourcers are the rare arbitrage. Here's how to source the cohort before competitors do.
- [Oracle's 539 in Kansas City: The VA EHR Cohort LinkedIn Lost](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-layoffs-2026-cerner-va-ehr-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-health-layoffs-2026-cerner-va-ehr-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-03 - Oracle's WARN window closes June 15, 2026, releasing 539 Cerner veterans in Kansas City. Here's how to source them before federal contractors do.
- [Bungie's June 9 Sunset: LinkedIn Returns 31 of the 400 Engineers in Play](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-june-9-sunset-sourcing-bellevue-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-june-9-sunset-sourcing-bellevue-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-03 - Bungie's Destiny 2 sunsets June 9, 2026, triggering a third layoff wave in Bellevue. Here's how to source the engineers LinkedIn boolean misses.
- [Cisco's $1B Cut Names What's Safe. Webex, Splunk SEs, and Talos Don't Make the List.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-layoffs-2026-sourcing-pool-webex-splunk) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-layoffs-2026-sourcing-pool-webex-splunk.md)) - 2026-06-03 - Cisco's May 13, 2026 restructure protects silicon, optics, security, and AI. Here's the actual ex-Cisco sourcing pool, with severance and timing.
- [Brynjolfsson's 20% Cut: The Junior Devs Still on Payroll Are 2026's Trade](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/brynjolfsson-adp-junior-developer-survivors-2026-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/brynjolfsson-adp-junior-developer-survivors-2026-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-03 - The Stanford AI Index shows junior dev employment fell 20% since 2022. The 22 to 25-year-olds still on payroll are the highest-leverage sourcing trade.
- [Nike Just Sent 700 SAP Engineers Home in Beaverton. Adidas Has 12 Reqs.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-layoffs-beaverton-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-layoffs-beaverton-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-03 - Nike's April 24 cut consolidates tech into Beaverton and Bengaluru. Here's the 60-day sourcing window before Infosys and TCS rebadge the senior bench.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70: 8,750 Azure Lifers Won't Interview Until September](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-voluntary-retirement-sourcing-2) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-voluntary-retirement-sourcing-2.md)) - 2026-06-03 - Microsoft's June 8 voluntary retirement deadline opens a one-shot pool of 8,750 long-tenured Azure and platform engineers. Here is how to source it.
- [Cognizant's Project Leap: The 12,000 Aren't the Product Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognizant-project-leap-not-product-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognizant-project-leap-not-product-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-02 - Cognizant's Project Leap will cut 12,000 to 15,000 jobs, mostly in India. Here's why the displaced pool isn't product talent, and where it actually fits.
- [Meta's 6,000 Cancelled Reqs: The Stranded Finalists No Layoff Tracker Sees](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-6000-cancelled-requisitions-stranded-finalists) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-6000-cancelled-requisitions-stranded-finalists.md)) - 2026-06-02 - Meta cancelled 6,000 open requisitions on May 20. The stranded late-stage candidates are invisible to LinkedIn and WARN. Here's how to source them.
- [Colorado Just Killed Its Own AI Hiring Law. California Didn't.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/colorado-sb-189-ai-hiring-law-california-feha) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/colorado-sb-189-ai-hiring-law-california-feha.md)) - 2026-06-02 - Colorado's SB 189 delayed the AI Act to 2027 and gutted it. Why your resume screener is still exposed under California FEHA and DOJ pressure.
- [ServiceNow's Silent 3,300: The Layoff That Files No WARN](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-silent-cut-3300-now-platform-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/servicenow-silent-cut-3300-now-platform-engineers.md)) - 2026-06-02 - ServiceNow's no-backfill policy will shed 3,300+ Now Platform engineers a year with no layoff announcement. Here's how to source the invisible pool.
- [Oracle Cut 12,000 in India. NetSuite IDC Is the Trade, Not OCI.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-india-layoffs-netsuite-idc-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-india-layoffs-netsuite-idc-sourcing.md)) - 2026-06-02 - Oracle's March 31 sweep dumped 12,000 senior engineers in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Here's how to source the NetSuite IDC bench before Deloitte absorbs it.
- [Fast Company Found 80 xAI Exits. Source the 69 Meta Isn't Bidding On.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xai-exodus-69-unbranded-engineers-source-before-spacex-roadshow) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/xai-exodus-69-unbranded-engineers-source-before-spacex-roadshow.md)) - 2026-06-02 - Meta will outbid you for the 11 xAI co-founders. The other 69 engineers, TPMs, and infra leads are sourceable before the SpaceX June 8 roadshow.
- [May's HN "Who Is Hiring" Wants Cursor Fluency. LinkedIn Returns 4 People.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cursor-lovable-replit-may-2026-hn-hiring) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cursor-lovable-replit-may-2026-hn-hiring.md)) - 2026-06-01 - The May 2026 Ask HN thread made Cursor, Lovable, and Replit hard JD requirements. LinkedIn Boolean returns 4 profiles globally. Here's the fix.
- [Intuit's 162 in Reno Walk July 31 With 26 Weeks of Pay. No Buyers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-reno-woodland-hills-layoffs-july-31-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-reno-woodland-hills-layoffs-july-31-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-06-01 - Intuit's May 20 layoff hits Reno and Woodland Hills with a July 31 exit. Why Reno is a clean sourcing window and Mountain View survivors are a trap.
- [Meta's 50:1 and Coinbase's 15:1: The EM-to-IC Reverter Is 2026's Best Sourcing Trade](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-50-1-coinbase-15-1-em-to-ic-reverter-sourcing-trade) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-50-1-coinbase-15-1-em-to-ic-reverter-sourcing-trade.md)) - 2026-06-01 - Coinbase capped at 15:1 and Meta's AI team runs 50:1. Here's how to source the engineering managers being squeezed back into IC roles in 2026.
- [Benioff's 2,000 Agentforce AEs Are the Trade. Engineers Aren't.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/benioff-agentforce-aes-sourcing-trade) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/benioff-agentforce-aes-sourcing-trade.md)) - 2026-06-01 - Salesforce capped engineering at 15,000 and grew sales 20%. The real sourcing target is the 2,000 Agentforce AEs trained on consumption pricing.
- [LinkedIn's 81% Efficiency Win Is a Saturation Tax. The Off-Platform Trade.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-saturation-tax) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-saturation-tax.md)) - 2026-06-01 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant cuts profile reviews 81% while Recruiter Corporate jumps 15%. Why the math collapses sourcing differentiation, and where to go instead.
- [BILL Cut 709 the Same Day It Greenlit $1B in Buybacks. Ramp Is the Trade.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bill-holdings-layoffs-2026-divvy-engineers-ramp-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bill-holdings-layoffs-2026-divvy-engineers-ramp-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-31 - BILL Holdings cut 30% of staff on May 7, 2026 while authorizing $1B in buybacks. Here is the 60-day window to source ex-Divvy AP engineers.
- [Strada Asked 1,500 Execs and AI Literacy Came Last. Hire Juniors.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/strada-1500-execs-ai-literacy-last-hire-juniors) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/strada-1500-execs-ai-literacy-last-hire-juniors.md)) - 2026-05-31 - Strada surveyed 1,500 execs and ranked AI literacy dead last for juniors. Here is how to source the entry-level pool the headlines say does not exist.
- [Walmart's 719,000 sq ft Sunnyvale Office Just Became a 60-Day Sourcing Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-sunnyvale-bentonville-relocation-sourcing-60-days) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-sunnyvale-bentonville-relocation-sourcing-60-days.md)) - 2026-05-31 - Walmart's May 12 Bentonville-or-Sunnyvale ultimatum created a time-boxed Bay Area pool of product and platform refusers. Source them before Instacart does.
- [Meta Cut Its Integrity Team May 20. Trust & Safety Has 4 Real Buyers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-integrity-layoffs-trust-safety-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-integrity-layoffs-trust-safety-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-31 - Meta's May 20 layoffs hit Integrity, cybersecurity, and content design first. Here is how to source the niche pool before TikTok and Discord absorb it.
- [Coinbase Just Cut 700. The 4,300 Survivors Are the Trade.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-4300-survivors-ai-native-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-4300-survivors-ai-native-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-31 - Coinbase's May 5 layoff fired 700 people. The 4,300 still there already passed Armstrong's "use AI or leave" filter. Source the retained.
- [OpenAI Bought 7 Teams by May. The Sourceable Pool Is 1,981 People.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-acqui-hires-2026-hiro-finance-sourcing-pattern) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-acqui-hires-2026-hiro-finance-sourcing-pattern.md)) - 2026-05-31 - OpenAI's April 13 Hiro Finance deal was its 7th acqui-hire of 2026. Here's the pattern, and the ~10-person teams to source before OpenAI calls them.
- [Anthropic's CCO Wants "Very Nontraditional." Boolean Returns 1,700 Palantir Alumni.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-nontraditional-hires-fde-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/anthropic-nontraditional-hires-fde-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-30 - Anthropic's CCO Paul Smith says he wants "very nontraditional" hires. The FDE title pool is 1,700 and Palantir-heavy. Here is how to source the edge case.
- [ClickUp Cut 290. "Agent Manager" Returns UnitedHealth on LinkedIn.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/clickup-290-agent-manager-boolean-blind-spot) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/clickup-290-agent-manager-boolean-blind-spot.md)) - 2026-05-30 - ClickUp laid off 290 on May 21 and coined "Agent Manager" as the new role. LinkedIn boolean returns 127 insurance supervisors. Source the real pool now.
- [Groupon's Project Foundry: The 377 in Chicago Are a Sales Trade, Not an Engineering One](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groupon-project-foundry-chicago-merchant-acquisition-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/groupon-project-foundry-chicago-merchant-acquisition-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-30 - Groupon's Project Foundry cuts up to 400 by Sept 30. The cohort is merchant-acquisition AEs in Chicago, not SWEs. Here's how to source them.
- [Wix Cut 600 in Tel Aviv on May 28. You Have 60 Days Before Amdocs Saturates the Pool.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-tel-aviv-layoffs-shekel-arbitrage-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wix-tel-aviv-layoffs-shekel-arbitrage-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-30 - Wix's May 28 cut released ~600 Tel Aviv ICs. Here is how to source senior Israeli software engineers before Amdocs, Rapyd, and SentinelOne flood the same pool.
- [Nvidia Just Backed Ineffable. The AlphaGo Zero Author List Is the Trade.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ineffable-nvidia-deepmind-coauthor-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ineffable-nvidia-deepmind-coauthor-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-30 - Sourcing the next wave of AI lab hires means mining founder co-author networks and alumni chats, not LinkedIn titles. Here is the playbook.
- [Booz Allen Just Released 3,300 Cleared Engineers. LinkedIn Returns 9.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/booz-allen-cleared-engineers-sourcing-fy26) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/booz-allen-cleared-engineers-sourcing-fy26.md)) - 2026-05-30 - Booz Allen's $922M civil collapse pushed thousands of TS/SCI engineers into the market. Here's how to source them before Anduril and Palantir do.
- [Bending Spoons' 132-Day Clock: Source Eventbrite Before July 10](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-132-day-clock-eventbrite-aol-vimeo-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-132-day-clock-eventbrite-aol-vimeo-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-29 - Bending Spoons has cut majority staff at five portcos within four months of close. Here's how to source Eventbrite, AOL, and Vimeo engineers in time.
- [GitHub Shipped .agent.md on May 13. LinkedIn Still Returns 14 People.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/agent-md-mcp-engineer-sourcing-github) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/agent-md-mcp-engineer-sourcing-github.md)) - 2026-05-29 - GitHub's May 13 Copilot release made .agent.md a public sourcing signal for MCP and agent engineers. LinkedIn has no field for it. Here's how to search it.
- [Cloudflare's 1,100 Get Paid Through December 31. Source Them in September.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoffs-severance-window-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoffs-severance-window-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-29 - Cloudflare's May 2026 cuts come with severance through year-end. Here's the right timing window, and which "measurers" are actually worth pursuing.
- [SB 947 Passed 29-9. Your AI Screener's Real Problem Is the October FEHA Rule.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-947-no-robo-bosses-feha-ads-screening) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-947-no-robo-bosses-feha-ads-screening.md)) - 2026-05-29 - California's No Robo Bosses Act cleared the Senate 29-9, but FEHA's ADS rules are the live wire today. Here's what TA leaders should fix now.
- [Breslow Cut Bolt to 100. The Survivors and Tallinn Are the Trade.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bolt-breslow-100-survivors-tallinn-trade) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bolt-breslow-100-survivors-tallinn-trade.md)) - 2026-05-29 - Ryan Breslow fired Bolt's HR and pivoted People Ops to Tallinn and Budapest. Here's how to source the ~100 wartime survivors and the EU feeder pool.
- [Bungie's Third Cut Hits June 10. Two and a Half Buyers in Bellevue.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-2026-layoffs-seattle-live-ops-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-2026-layoffs-seattle-live-ops-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-29 - Sourcing the Destiny 2 live ops engineers about to hit Seattle after Bungie's 2026 layoffs, and naming the realistic buyers before the window closes.
- [Stanford's 20% Cliff: The 22-25 Cohort Meta Just Cut, Series A Should Hire](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stanford-ai-index-junior-developer-cliff-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stanford-ai-index-junior-developer-cliff-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-28 - Stanford HAI's 2026 AI Index shows a 20% drop in 22-25 dev employment. Here is how to source the cohort Big Tech released using GitHub, not LinkedIn.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70: 8,750 Senior ICs Exit July 1, and WARN Never Fires](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-vrp-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-vrp-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-05-28 - Microsoft's first-ever Voluntary Retirement Program releases 8,750 senior ICs by July 1, 2026. Here's how to source the cohort layoff trackers will miss.
- [GCCs Out-Hired Indian IT Services 200K to 110K. Your Boolean Misses 583 Mid-Market Captives.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/india-gcc-vs-it-services-fy26-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/india-gcc-vs-it-services-fy26-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-28 - India's GCCs added 200,000 net hires in FY26 vs 110,000 for IT services. Here is how to source the mid-career engineers moving into 2,117 captive centers.
- [Nolan Church Was Right: Outreach Automation Just Broke the Inbox](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nolan-church-outreach-automation-broke-the-inbox-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nolan-church-outreach-automation-broke-the-inbox-2026.md)) - 2026-05-28 - AI outreach fatigue is real in 2026. Response rates hit 3.43%, InMail caps fell 87%, and engineers now auto-summarize recruiters. Here is the new playbook.
- [PayPal's 4,760 Is a Trap. The 58 Venmo Engineers Are the Trade.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-venmo-spin-out-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-venmo-spin-out-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-05-28 - PayPal's April 29 reorg looks like a 4,760-person layoff story. The real sourcing list is Venmo eng, the PAI team, and PYUSD. Here is the playbook.
- [Newsom's 180-Day WARN Clock: The Last Clean Cal-WARN Sourcing Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/newsom-warn-180-days-ai-layoff-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/newsom-warn-180-days-ai-layoff-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-28 - California's May 21 AI executive order puts Cal-WARN filings on a 180-day clock. Here's how sourcers should mine the last clean window before mid-November.
- [IIITDM Jabalpur Placed Under 25%. The Offshore Pyramid Just Broke.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/iiitdm-jabalpur-india-fresher-hiring-collapse-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/iiitdm-jabalpur-india-fresher-hiring-collapse-2026.md)) - 2026-05-27 - India's entry-level tech hiring fell to 15% in 2025 and IIITDM Jabalpur placed under 25% of its May 2026 class. Where to source the displaced cohort.
- [Walmart's 4 Super Agents: Source Sparky, Marty, and the Instacart Pipeline](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-four-super-agents-danker-instacart-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-four-super-agents-danker-instacart-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-27 - Walmart cut 1,000 corporate tech roles to stand up four AI super agents. Here is the org chart, the Instacart pipeline, and who to source first.
- [Broadcom Cut 19,000 VMware Engineers Under the WARN Line. Three Buyers Caught Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/broadcom-vmware-19000-diaspora-nutanix-azure-google) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/broadcom-vmware-19000-diaspora-nutanix-azure-google.md)) - 2026-05-27 - Broadcom's VMware restructuring quietly displaced 19,000 engineers below the WARN threshold. Here's where they actually landed, and how to source them.
- [Intuit's 3,000: Mailchimp Deliverability Is the Trade, Not TurboTax](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-3000-mailchimp-deliverability-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-3000-mailchimp-deliverability-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-05-27 - Intuit's May 20 cut gives sourcers a 10-week window before the July 31 exit. Here's which Mailchimp, TurboTax, and ML teams to target first.
- [3,000 GTM Engineer Jobs, 274 Profiles: Why Boolean Is Broken Here](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gtm-engineer-sourcing-3000-jobs-274-profiles) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gtm-engineer-sourcing-3000-jobs-274-profiles.md)) - 2026-05-27 - GTM Engineer postings hit 3,000 by January 2026, but only 274 US profiles carry the title. Here's where the 20,000-person practitioner pool actually lives.
- [Only 93 People Call Themselves "AI Agent Engineer." Awesome-Copilot Has 346.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/awesome-copilot-346-contributors-ai-agent-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/awesome-copilot-346-contributors-ai-agent-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-27 - LinkedIn lists fewer than 100 US "AI Agent Engineers." The github/awesome-copilot repo has 346 contributors who shipped real agent code. Source there instead.
- [Cisco's 4,000 Cuts Hide Acacia and Luxtera Photonics. Source by June 30.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-layoffs-2026-photonics-quantum-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-layoffs-2026-photonics-quantum-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-26 - Cisco is cutting 4,000 while optics revenue grows 200%. Here's how to source the displaced silicon photonics and quantum networking engineers Boolean misses.
- [LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant Hides 62% of Profiles. 8,000 Recruiters Share the Slice.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-62-percent-hidden-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-62-percent-hidden-pool.md)) - 2026-05-26 - LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant filters out 62% of profiles for 8,000 recruiters querying the same model. Here's how to source the pool nobody else sees.
- [Arkin Took the Anthropic CISO Job. The 112 He Left at Salesforce Are the Trade.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/arkin-anthropic-ciso-salesforce-trust-112-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/arkin-anthropic-ciso-salesforce-trust-112-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-26 - Brad Arkin joined Anthropic as CISO. The 112 ex-Salesforce Trust engineers he didn't backfill are the real sourcing opportunity for AI security teams.
- [The May 2026 HN Hiring Gate: 60 Minutes in Lovable, Or You're Out](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-may-2026-lovable-replit-live-build-interview-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-may-2026-lovable-replit-live-build-interview-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-26 - The May 2026 HN "Who is Hiring" thread added a 60-minute live build gate. Here is how to source candidates who can actually pass it.
- [Meta Just Drafted 7,000 Into Three Orgs LinkedIn Can't See](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-may-2026-applied-ai-engineering-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-may-2026-applied-ai-engineering-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-26 - Meta's May 20, 2026 restructuring cut 8,000 and reassigned 7,000 into three new AI orgs. Here's how to source them before LinkedIn titles catch up.
- [Coinbase's "One-Person Team" Has No Boolean. The 29,800 Already Exist.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-team-sourcing-ai-native-pods) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-team-sourcing-ai-native-pods.md)) - 2026-05-26 - Brian Armstrong invented a role LinkedIn can't filter for. Here's how to source the engineer-designer-PM hybrid before Q3 hiring plans copy the spec.
- [EY's April 2026 FDE Launch Just Reset the UK Comp Ladder at £130K](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ey-fde-practice-big-four-comp-reset-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ey-fde-practice-big-four-comp-reset-2026.md)) - 2026-05-25 - EY opened a UK FDE practice in April 2026. Here's how the Big Four arrival reshapes Forward Deployed Engineer sourcing, comp, and outreach math.
- [Vibe Coding Is in Adobe and JPMorgan JDs. Boolean Returns 7 People.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/vibe-coding-jds-boolean-zero-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/vibe-coding-jds-boolean-zero-signal.md)) - 2026-05-25 - Adobe, JPMorgan, and TikTok now require vibe coding in JDs, but the skill is invisible on LinkedIn. Where the real Cursor and Lovable signal lives.
- [46% of Sourced Hires Now Come From Your Own ATS. Mine It First.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ats-rediscovery-46-percent-sourced-hires-gem-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ats-rediscovery-46-percent-sourced-hires-gem-2026.md)) - 2026-05-25 - Gem's 2026 benchmarks show 46% of sourced hires are rediscovered from the CRM. Here's how to operationalize ATS mining before buying another seat.
- [Marvel's 1,000 Cuts Hide 198 Unreal Pipeline Engineers. Epic Just Cut Theirs Too.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/disney-marvel-layoffs-2026-virtual-production-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/disney-marvel-layoffs-2026-virtual-production-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-25 - Disney's April 2026 Marvel layoffs released a small cohort of virtual production engineers whose titles break every standard sourcing Boolean. Source them now.
- [OpenAI's 7th 2026 Acqui-Hire: The Hiro Pattern Sourcers Keep Missing](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-hiro-finance-acqui-hire-pattern-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-hiro-finance-acqui-hire-pattern-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-25 - OpenAI's Hiro Finance deal is its 7th 2026 acqui-hire. The cadence is now a leading indicator. Here is how to source the next alumni network early.
- [Benioff Just Created 15,000 Agent Supervisors. LinkedIn Has No Title For Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-anthropic-agent-supervisor-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-anthropic-agent-supervisor-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-25 - Salesforce's $300M Anthropic bet reassigned 15,000 engineers and 1,000+ sales hires into roles LinkedIn can't search. Here's how to source them now.
- [Defense Hiring Just Beat Software. Your Boolean Misses 824 Profiles.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/defense-tech-hiring-surge-april-2026-fpga-radar-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/defense-tech-hiring-surge-april-2026-fpga-radar-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-24 - Aerospace/Defense tech postings jumped 30% MoM in April 2026. Here is why standard LinkedIn Booleans miss the FPGA, radar, and Simulink talent driving it.
- [StanChart's 7,800 AI Cuts Drip for 5 Years. WARN Never Sees Chennai.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/standard-chartered-7800-ai-layoffs-chennai-bengaluru-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/standard-chartered-7800-ai-layoffs-chennai-bengaluru-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-24 - Standard Chartered's 7,800 AI-driven cuts hit Chennai, Bengaluru, and KL with no WARN equivalent. Here's how to source the displaced engineers anyway.
- [Walmart's Reston Office Has 90 Days. AWS and Capital One Have Less.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-reston-tech-office-90-day-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-reston-tech-office-90-day-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-05-24 - Walmart's May 12 memo gives Reston engineers 90 days to relocate to Bentonville or take severance. Here is how to source them before mid-August.
- [Nike's 1,400 Cut Isn't Consolidation. It's an Offshore With a Relocation Fig Leaf.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-tech-layoffs-2026-two-hub-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-1400-tech-layoffs-2026-two-hub-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-24 - Nike's two-hub tech reorg pushes 1,400 supply-chain and retail-platform engineers out. Where to find the ones who won't move to Beaverton or Bengaluru.
- [Cloudflare's 1,100 Get Paid Through December. Source Them in September.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoffs-source-september-not-q4) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoffs-source-september-not-q4.md)) - 2026-05-24 - Cloudflare's May 7 cut of 1,100 has full pay through Dec 31. Here's why Q4 is too late and how to source this AI-native cohort now.
- [FDE Postings Jumped 729%. The Title Hides Five Different Jobs.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-hiring-729-percent-five-jobs-one-title) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-hiring-729-percent-five-jobs-one-title.md)) - 2026-05-24 - Forward Deployed Engineer postings hit 5,330 in April 2026. Here's how to decode the title at Google, Deloitte, and OpenAI before you source the wrong pool.
- [Bungie's $766M Write-Down: Source the Tiger Engine Team Before June 16](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-tiger-engine-sourcing-june-9) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bungie-tiger-engine-sourcing-june-9.md)) - 2026-05-23 - Bungie ends Destiny 2 development on June 9, 2026. Here's how to source the Tiger Engine netcode and anti-cheat team in the 21-day window.
- [Coinbase Just Invented a Role LinkedIn Has No Title For. Source the 700.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-teams-source-700) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-teams-source-700.md)) - 2026-05-23 - Brian Armstrong's May 2026 "one-person teams" memo created an engineer-designer-PM hybrid no boolean string can find. Here's how to source it.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70: 8,750 Self-Selecting Exits. Source by June 8.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-voluntary-retirement-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-voluntary-retirement-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-23 - Microsoft's first-ever voluntary retirement program puts ~8,750 long-tenured L67-and-below employees on the market July 2. Here is the sourcing playbook.
- [Bending Spoons' Third Vimeo Cut in 7 Months: AOL Is the Next Trade](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-vimeo-aol-sourcing-calendar) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bending-spoons-vimeo-aol-sourcing-calendar.md)) - 2026-05-23 - Vimeo's April 2026 WARN hit 132 engineers. Bending Spoons runs the same playbook on every acquisition. Here's the sourcing calendar through 2026.
- [BILL's 700 Cuts Aren't an AI Story. Source Draper and Houston by June 30.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bill-holdings-layoffs-2026-ap-ar-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bill-holdings-layoffs-2026-ap-ar-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-23 - BILL Holdings' May 7 layoff isn't AI displacement. It's Starboard-driven margin work, and the AP/AR engineering talent flushes out by June 30.
- [Coinbase's 15:1 Ratio Just Pushed 180 EMs Off the Org Chart](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-ai-native-engineering-managers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-ai-native-engineering-managers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-22 - Coinbase's May 5 "AI-native" cut deletes the pure manager role. Here's how to source the 180 displaced engineering managers before competitors find them.
- [PayPal's 4,760 Cuts Will Trickle for 36 Months. Stop Watching WARN.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-4760-trickle-layoff-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-4760-trickle-layoff-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-05-22 - PayPal's phased 4,760-person cut breaks the 14-day sourcing playbook. Here's how to build a multi-quarter pipeline against a 24-36 month trickle layoff.
- [WTW Promoted Newfront's Founders to Run AI. The Title Doesn't Exist on LinkedIn.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wtw-newfront-head-of-ai-acceleration-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/wtw-newfront-head-of-ai-acceleration-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-22 - WTW named Spike Lipkin CAIO and Gordon Wintrob Head of AI Acceleration. The candidate pool isn't in LinkedIn title search. Here's where it actually lives.
- [SB 947 Cleared the Senate 29-9. Your AI Sourcing Stack Is Already Out of Compliance.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-947-no-robo-bosses-recruiter-audit) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sb-947-no-robo-bosses-recruiter-audit.md)) - 2026-05-22 - California's No Robo Bosses Act just passed the Senate 29-9. Here's what it means for AI sourcing and screening, and the audit recruiters need now.
- [Newsom's 180-Day WARN Rewrite: The Sourcing Window Closing in November](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/newsom-warn-act-180-day-ai-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/newsom-warn-act-180-day-ai-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-05-22 - California's May 21 executive order puts a 180-day clock on the WARN Act. Here's how sourcing signals will shift, and what to build before November.
- [Google Writes 75% With AI. Source the 25% Who Approve It.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-pr-reviewers-not-coders-ai-code-era) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/source-pr-reviewers-not-coders-ai-code-era.md)) - 2026-05-21 - Snap, Google, and Meta just repriced "writes code" to near zero. The scarce role is the engineer who reviews and ships AI code at scale.
- [Intuit's 3,000 Cuts: The 14-Day Window on Tax-LLM Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-3000-layoffs-tax-llm-engineers-reno-woodland-hills) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/intuit-3000-layoffs-tax-llm-engineers-reno-woodland-hills.md)) - 2026-05-21 - Intuit is cutting 3,000 on July 31 and closing Reno and Woodland Hills. Here is how to source the tax-LLM engineers before competitors do.
- [GM Just Released ~100 Teamcenter Engineers in Warren. Ford Has 90 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gm-600-it-layoffs-teamcenter-iam-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gm-600-it-layoffs-teamcenter-iam-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-05-21 - GM's May 11 cut of 500 to 600 IT workers named the exact skills it's dumping. Here's the sourcing map for Ford, Stellantis, and Tier 1 recruiters.
- [Oracle's March 31 Layoff: 25,000 Engineers, 491 WARN Filings, Zero Badges](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-march-2026-layoffs-sourcing-oci-fusion-cerner) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-march-2026-layoffs-sourcing-oci-fusion-cerner.md)) - 2026-05-21 - Oracle cut up to 30,000 in March 2026 with no WARN paper trail and no Open to Work badges. Here's how to source the cohort before Meta's wave buries it.
- [Innovaccer Just Cut 340. The 43 FHIR Engineers Inside Are the Trade.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/innovaccer-layoffs-2026-fhir-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/innovaccer-layoffs-2026-fhir-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-21 - Innovaccer's May 2026 "AI-native" layoff freed 340 staff. The FHIR and HL7 integration engineers in that group are the real healthtech sourcing trade.
- [Dune Just Released 35 MCP-Native Data Engineers. Surf Bid in 4 Hours.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dune-layoffs-mcp-data-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/dune-layoffs-mcp-data-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-21 - Dune's May 14 layoffs aren't a crypto bust. They're the first public release of agent-facing data engineers, and the bidding window is days, not months.
- [HN's May Candidate Thread Is Live. 321 Recruiters Are Mining the Wrong One.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-may-2026-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-who-wants-to-be-hired-may-2026-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-20 - The May 2026 "Who Wants To Be Hired" HN thread is a self-declared sourcing goldmine. Here is how to mine it before the spam wave arrives.
- [Upwork Just Killed "Two Pizza Teams." Source the 145 Before Fiverr Does.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/upwork-145-layoffs-two-pizza-teams-dead-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/upwork-145-layoffs-two-pizza-teams-dead-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-20 - Hayden Brown's May 7 memo cut 24% of Upwork and redefined "senior." Here's how to source the 145 Palo Alto alumni before the diaspora closes.
- [Meta's 8,000 Cuts vs 7,000 AI Transfers: Source the Inverse List by Friday](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-layoffs-may-2026-source-inverse-pool) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-layoffs-may-2026-source-inverse-pool.md)) - 2026-05-20 - Meta laid off 8,000 and moved 7,000 into four AI orgs on May 20. Here's how to source the inverse pool before the WARN clock and severance window close.
- [Cisco Just Cut Talos. Six Shops Will Absorb Them in Three Weeks.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-talos-layoffs-2026-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-talos-layoffs-2026-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-05-20 - Cisco's May 14, 2026 RIF hit Talos. Here's the sourcing playbook for ex-Talos threat researchers before CrowdStrike, Mandiant, and MSTIC close offers.
- [LinkedIn's 875 Cuts: Source the GBO PMs Before Microsoft Redeploys Them](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-875-layoffs-graz-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-875-layoffs-graz-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-05-20 - LinkedIn just cut 875 people and closed its Graz office. Here is how to source the ex-Recruiter PMs and EU engineers before Microsoft reabsorbs them.
- [May's HN Thread Wants Two-Track Engineers. LinkedIn Has ~106,000 Wrong Profiles.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/two-track-engineer-sourcing-hn-may-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/two-track-engineer-sourcing-hn-may-2026.md)) - 2026-05-20 - The May 2026 Ask HN hiring thread keeps asking for one engineer to ship core systems and LLM prototypes. Here is how to actually source them.
- [Walmart's May 12 Memo: The 400 Sunnyvale Decliners Won't Hit "Open to Work"](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-bentonville-relocation-sourcing-sunnyvale-400) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-bentonville-relocation-sourcing-sunnyvale-400.md)) - 2026-05-19 - Walmart told ~1,000 corporate tech staff to relocate to Bentonville or exit. Here's how to source the Sunnyvale and Hoboken decliners before the market sees them.
- [Decart's $300M Round Hires for One Skill LinkedIn Can't Find](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/decart-300m-cuda-kernel-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/decart-300m-cuda-kernel-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-19 - Decart raised $300M on May 18 to scale DOS across NVIDIA, Trainium, and TPU. The engineers who can actually build it don't show up in title search.
- [Sierra Killed the Coding Round. Now Source for Spikes, Not Titles.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sierra-ai-native-interview-source-for-spikes) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sierra-ai-native-interview-source-for-spikes.md)) - 2026-05-19 - Sierra's new AI-native interview loop grades spikes, not weaknesses. Here's how to source for it when "agent engineer" isn't a real LinkedIn title.
- [IBM Research's Mellea Hire: Find the 60 Engineers Who Speak LLM and Coq](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ibm-research-mellea-hiring-formal-methods-llm-rust) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ibm-research-mellea-hiring-formal-methods-llm-rust.md)) - 2026-05-19 - IBM Research is hiring LLM plus formal methods plus Rust engineers for Mellea. LinkedIn returns about 60. Here's where the real pool actually lives.
- [OpenAI Bought 150 FDEs. The Real Pool Is 5,100 SAs at Bain and Capgemini.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-deployco-fde-sourcing-solutions-architects) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-deployco-fde-sourcing-solutions-architects.md)) - 2026-05-19 - Google Cloud, OpenAI, and Anthropic all opened FDE units the same week. Here's why the sourceable supply lives inside SI partners, and how to find it.
- [Firestorm's $82M xCell Stack: Why 7 Skills Don't Fit One LinkedIn Title](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/firestorm-labs-82m-container-drone-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/firestorm-labs-82m-container-drone-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-19 - Firestorm Labs raised $82M to ship drone factories in containers. The engineer profile crosses 7 skills and no LinkedIn title catches it. Here's where to look.
- [Pendo's 30 Raleigh Cuts Are the PLG Sourcing Trade of the Quarter](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pendo-layoffs-2026-raleigh-plg-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pendo-layoffs-2026-raleigh-plg-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-18 - Pendo laid off 90, with 30 in Raleigh. Here's how PLG startups should source the alumni on GitHub and LinkedIn before competitors close the window.
- [DeepL Cut the Layer Between Engineering and the DAX 40. Source It in Cologne.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deepl-cologne-layoffs-source-the-layer-between) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/deepl-cologne-layoffs-source-the-layer-between.md)) - 2026-05-18 - DeepL's May 7 cut of 250 in Cologne protected engineers and exposed a rare bench of multilingual PMs and EU AI compliance leads. Source them now.
- [Tiger Tracks' "Top 1% in Cursor" JD: 34 Profiles Match on LinkedIn](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiger-tracks-cursor-lovable-replit-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/tiger-tracks-cursor-lovable-replit-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-18 - A May 2026 HN job post replaced YoE with AI-tool fluency. LinkedIn surfaces 34 candidates. Here's how to source for it.
- [6 Million Fake Stars: Why GitHub Sourcing in 2026 Needs a New Rubric](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-sourcing-2026-fake-stars-behavioral-signals) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-sourcing-2026-fake-stars-behavioral-signals.md)) - 2026-05-18 - A 2026 ICSE paper found 6M fake GitHub stars across 18,617 repos. Here is the behavioral sourcing rubric that replaces stars-based filters.
- [Cognizant's 1,000 "Context Engineers" Is a Vendor SKU. Source the Real Skill.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognizant-1000-context-engineers-source-by-skill) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognizant-1000-context-engineers-source-by-skill.md)) - 2026-05-18 - Cognizant pledged 1,000 Context Engineers tied to a vendor's ContextFabric product. The title is empty. The skill is everywhere. Here's how to source it.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70 Buyout: How to Source the 8,750 Before AWS Does](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-2) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-2.md)) - 2026-05-18 - Microsoft's first-ever voluntary buyout puts 8,750 tenured engineers on the market with no non-compete. Here is how to source them by stack, not tenure.
- [Recursive's $650M Stealth Exit: The 14-Day Sourcing Window Before LinkedIn Catches Up](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/recursive-superintelligence-650m-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/recursive-superintelligence-650m-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-05-17 - Recursive Superintelligence launched May 14, 2026 with $650M and 25 researchers. Here's how to source the second wave before LinkedIn titles update.
- [Tradeify Posted "Vibe Coder" on HN. LinkedIn Has Zero of Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/vibe-coder-hn-may-2026-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/vibe-coder-hn-may-2026-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-17 - The May 2026 HN thread made "Vibe Coder" a real title. Title and tool-keyword search miss the pool. Source by shipped artifact instead.
- [Coinbase Named the "One-Person Team." LinkedIn Title Search Returns Zero.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-team-vibe-coder-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-team-vibe-coder-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-17 - Coinbase's May 2026 AI-native restructuring named a profile that doesn't exist in any ATS. Here's how to source it by skill and evidence, not title.
- [Salesforce Tripled Its FDE Bench to 1,000. The Feedstock Was Support Engineers.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-1000-fde-bench-source-support-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/salesforce-1000-fde-bench-source-support-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-17 - Salesforce built a 1,000-person FDE org from redeployed support engineers in six months. Here's how to source the same profile from this year's layoff wave.
- [T-Mobile's Third Cut in Five Months: 60-Day Window on Bellevue SDEs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/t-mobile-bellevue-sde-layoffs-q2-2026-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/t-mobile-bellevue-sde-layoffs-q2-2026-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-17 - T-Mobile filed its third WARN in five months, hitting 363 more Washington workers. Here's how to source the Bellevue SDEs before Q2 closes.
- [Atlassian's 900 R&D Cuts: The Late-Summer Window on Tenured Jira Talent](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-900-rd-cuts-senior-jira-rovo-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/atlassian-900-rd-cuts-senior-jira-rovo-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-17 - Atlassian cut 900+ R&D roles March 11, 2026 and spared the grads. Here's how to source the senior Jira and Confluence engineers before September.
- [May's HN Thread Made "Design Engineer" the Title. The Pool Is ~190.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/design-engineer-hn-may-2026-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/design-engineer-hn-may-2026-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-16 - May 2026's HN "Who is hiring?" thread is saturated with Design Engineer roles. Here is the real skill stack, the false-positive trap, and how to source it.
- [Cloudflare's Aug 15 Cliff: 1,100 Alumni With Cash Through December](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoffs-aug-15-vesting-cliff-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoffs-aug-15-vesting-cliff-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-16 - Cloudflare's first mass layoff hands recruiters 1,100 alumni with eight months of pay and an Aug 15 vesting cliff. Here is how to source them before July.
- [Coinbase Just Killed the Pure Manager. You Have 10 Days to Source the Survivors.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-player-coach-em-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-player-coach-em-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-05-16 - Coinbase, Meta, and Block are dumping hundreds of player-coach EMs into the market. Here's how to source them and rewrite the JD before competitors do.
- [Cowboy Space Needs 42 More in Seattle. The Pool Is 750 Nationwide.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cowboy-space-seattle-hiring-propulsion-orbital-gpu-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cowboy-space-seattle-hiring-propulsion-orbital-gpu-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-16 - Cowboy Space (formerly Aetherflux) raised $275M and wants 40-60 Seattle hires. Here's the propulsion plus orbital GPU sourcing map.
- [FDE Hiring 2026: Why "Forward Deployed Engineer" Search Misses 7 of 8](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-hiring-2026-title-search-misses-seven-of-eight) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fde-hiring-2026-title-search-misses-seven-of-eight.md)) - 2026-05-16 - FDE postings jumped 800% in 2025. Title search now misses most qualified engineers. Here is how to source Forward Deployed Engineers on signal, not strings.
- [Standard Intelligence Raised $75M With 6 Engineers. Title Search Finds 1.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/standard-intelligence-75m-sourcing-gui-agent-researchers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/standard-intelligence-75m-sourcing-gui-agent-researchers.md)) - 2026-05-15 - Standard Intelligence just raised $75M from Sequoia and Spark with six engineers. Here's how to source the next 24 hires by skill, not LinkedIn title.
- [OpenAI's 7th Acqui-Hire Deletes Its Data May 13. Source the Rejects.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-hiro-finance-acqui-hire-source-the-rejects) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-hiro-finance-acqui-hire-source-the-rejects.md)) - 2026-05-15 - OpenAI's Hiro Finance acqui-hire deletes user data May 13, 2026. Here is how to systematically source the engineers, designers, and contractors left behind.
- [Nike Cut the CTO Seat and 1,400 Roles. Source the SNKRS Bench Now.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-snkrs-engineers-sourcing-1400-layoffs) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-snkrs-engineers-sourcing-1400-layoffs.md)) - 2026-05-15 - Nike's April 2026 tech cuts gutted SNKRS, closed Atlanta, China, and Gdańsk, and eliminated the CTO seat. Here's how to source the displaced engineers.
- [Vapi's 88-Person Title Pool: Source Voice-AI Engineers by Skill, Not Title](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/vapi-series-b-voice-ai-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/vapi-series-b-voice-ai-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-15 - Vapi just raised $50M and Ring routes 100% of calls through it. Here's the skill-based sourcing map for voice-AI engineers before Series B closes.
- [Meta Lays Off Its Own Recruiters May 20. Hire the Pipeline, Not Just the People.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-may-20-recruiters-layoff-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-may-20-recruiters-layoff-playbook.md)) - 2026-05-15 - Meta's May 20 layoff hits its own recruiting org and cancels 6,000 reqs. Here's the 72-hour playbook to source ex-Meta recruiters before competitors do.
- [BILL Cut 709 and Authorized $1B the Same Day. Source the AP/AR Core.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bill-holdings-layoffs-sourcing-ap-ar-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bill-holdings-layoffs-sourcing-ap-ar-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-15 - BILL Holdings paired a 30% cut with a $1B buyback on May 7, 2026. Here's how to source the AP/AR automation and payments engineers before Ramp does.
- [Cisco's 75% Placement Clock: Source the Acacia and Silicon One Leavers First](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-layoffs-2026-silicon-optics-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cisco-layoffs-2026-silicon-optics-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-14 - Cisco cut under 4,000 on May 13 to fund silicon, optics, and AI. The hardware-side window closes in weeks. Here's how to source it.
- [Microsoft's 30-Day Window: 8,750 Tenured Engineers Decide by June 8](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-14 - Microsoft's first-ever Rule of 70 buyout releases 8,750 tenured, non-compete-free engineers on July 1. The sourcing window closes June 8. Here is how to work it.
- [GitHub's May 13 Agent API Just Made 346 Engineers Sourceable](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-copilot-agent-api-awesome-copilot-contributors) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/github-copilot-agent-api-awesome-copilot-contributors.md)) - 2026-05-14 - GitHub shipped the Copilot Cloud Agent REST API on May 13. Here is how to turn the 346 awesome-copilot contributors into a named AI-native pipeline.
- [PayPal's 4,760 Won't Drop on a Friday. Source the Braintree Middle.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-4760-layoffs-lores-hp-playbook-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-4760-layoffs-lores-hp-playbook-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-14 - PayPal's 20% cut is a 24-36 month rolling RIF. Use Enrique Lores' HP playbook to predict which functions spill first across the three new units.
- [Walmart's 30-Day Door #3: Sourcing 1,000 Hoboken and Reston PMs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-hoboken-reston-relocation-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/walmart-hoboken-reston-relocation-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-05-14 - Walmart gave 1,000 Hoboken and Reston tech, product, and design staff 30 days to move to Bentonville or quit. Here is how to source door #3.
- [Upwork Cut 24% While Its AI GSV Hit $315M. That's Your Pipeline.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/upwork-layoffs-2026-ai-freelancer-pipeline) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/upwork-layoffs-2026-ai-freelancer-pipeline.md)) - 2026-05-14 - Upwork's CEO killed the two pizza team while AI freelancer spend grew 40% past $315M. Here's how to convert that outcome-validated pool into FTE hires.
- [LinkedIn Cut 5% While Recruiter Revenue Grew 12%. You Have Until Tuesday.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-layoffs-may-2026-source-recruiter-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-layoffs-may-2026-source-recruiter-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-13 - LinkedIn laid off ~900 product and engineering staff on May 13, 2026. Here is how to source the people who built Recruiter before Meta's May 20 cuts steal attention.
- [The 72-Hour Window on LinkedIn's Own Recruiter Team](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-layoffs-may-2026-source-recruiter-team) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-layoffs-may-2026-source-recruiter-team.md)) - 2026-05-13 - LinkedIn cut about 1,000 roles on May 13, 2026. Here's how to source the PMs and engineers behind Recruiter and Hiring Assistant before Microsoft redeploys them.
- [GM's 600-Out, 82-Open Day: Source the Skills Swap Before FAANG Does](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gm-layoffs-austin-warren-ai-skills-swap-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gm-layoffs-austin-warren-ai-skills-swap-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-13 - GM cut 500-600 IT workers in Austin and Warren on May 11 while leaving 82 AI, AV, and cloud reqs open. Here's how to source both sides of that trade.
- [59% of Hiring Managers Admit the AI Excuse. Source the Section 174 Window.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/section-174-junior-engineer-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/section-174-junior-engineer-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-05-13 - Junior tech hiring fell 7% in 2025 while seniors rose 4%. It's a tax story, not an AI story, and the arbitrage window is closing fast.
- [Goldman's 25K vs 9K: The Sourcing Map Hiding in the AI Layoff Math](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/goldman-sachs-ai-25k-9k-sourcing-map) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/goldman-sachs-ai-25k-9k-sourcing-map.md)) - 2026-05-13 - Goldman Sachs says AI cuts 16,000 net US jobs a month. For technical recruiters, the 25K displaced and 9K augmented split is a pipeline arb, not a doom stat.
- [Codex Hit 3M WAU. Claude Code Owns 75% of Startups. Source Accordingly.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/codex-3m-wau-claude-code-75-percent-startups-sourcing-signal) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/codex-3m-wau-claude-code-75-percent-startups-sourcing-signal.md)) - 2026-05-13 - Codex jumped to 3M weekly users while Claude Code dominates 75% of tiny startups. Here is how to read coding agent mentions as a seniority and tier signal.
- [Snap's 16-Week Wall: 1,000 Out at Snapchat, ~100 Open at Specs Inc.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/snap-specs-inc-layoffs-sourcing-lens-studio) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/snap-specs-inc-layoffs-sourcing-lens-studio.md)) - 2026-05-13 - Snap cut 1,000 at Snapchat but kept Specs Inc. hiring Lens Studio engineers. How to source both sides of the wall before August 5.
- [Meta's AI Capex Is 5x Its Payroll. Stop Sourcing for the Boomerang.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ai-capex-5x-payroll-stop-sourcing-boomerang) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-ai-capex-5x-payroll-stop-sourcing-boomerang.md)) - 2026-05-12 - Meta's 2026 capex is 4-5x its total comp bill. Why hyperscaler layoffs won't reverse, and where the $725B in AI spend is actually hiring.
- [LinkedIn Recruiter's June 30 Window: Cap the 15% Hike, Decouple Hiring Assistant](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-renewal-june-30-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-renewal-june-30-window.md)) - 2026-05-12 - Microsoft's FY26 closes June 30. Here's how to use it to cap LinkedIn Recruiter renewals and refuse the undisclosed Hiring Assistant upsell.
- [Starbucks' SoDo 61: A 70-Day Window on Notified, Still-Employed Tech](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/starbucks-sodo-61-warn-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/starbucks-sodo-61-warn-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-05-12 - Starbucks' May 7 WARN filing puts 61 Seattle tech workers on a 70-day clock. Here's how to source the cybersecurity analysts, sysadmins, and scrum masters.
- ["Top 1% With Lovable or Cursor": May's HN Thread Rewrote the JD](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/top-1-percent-lovable-cursor-hn-may-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/top-1-percent-lovable-cursor-hn-may-2026.md)) - 2026-05-12 - The May 2026 HN "Who is Hiring" thread made Lovable, Cursor, and Replit fluency the hard screen. Here's how to source for it without keywords.
- [Ashby Is Hiring 60 More Engineers While Greenhouse Cut 120. Source the Runners-Up.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ashby-hiring-recruiting-tech-layoffs-source-runners-up) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ashby-hiring-recruiting-tech-layoffs-source-runners-up.md)) - 2026-05-12 - Ashby is doubling engineering to 120 at $153K-$275K while recruiting tech keeps cutting. Here is the exact talent pool to source from the bifurcation.
- [Oracle Forfeited $1M in RSUs Four Months Pre-Vest. Lead With Equity Terms.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-layoffs-2026-rsu-forfeiture-sourcing-pitch-vesting) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-layoffs-2026-rsu-forfeiture-sourcing-pitch-vesting.md)) - 2026-05-11 - Source the 20,000+ Oracle workers cut March 31 with outreach that opens on accelerated vesting and WARN equivalence, not your mission deck.
- [Spirit's 551 Dania Beach Engineers Have 14 Days. American Wants the Pilots.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spirit-airlines-dania-beach-tech-talent-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/spirit-airlines-dania-beach-tech-talent-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-11 - Spirit Airlines shut down May 2 with no WARN notice. Here's how to source the 1,347 HQ and ops-center tech workers before legacy carriers absorb them.
- [Sydney Is the World's #3 Layoff City. WiseTech and Atlassian Just Built You a Pipeline.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sydney-wisetech-atlassian-layoffs-senior-engineer-pipeline) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sydney-wisetech-atlassian-layoffs-senior-engineer-pipeline.md)) - 2026-05-11 - Sydney has 3,600 tech layoffs in 2026, mostly senior ICs from WiseTech and Atlassian. Here is how US founders should source the wave before Canva does.
- [Cloudflare's 1,111 Interns: The Junior Freeze Cracks at Named Firms](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1111-interns-junior-hiring-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1111-interns-junior-hiring-2026.md)) - 2026-05-11 - Cloudflare, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Netflix are reopening junior hiring in 2026. Here's how to source the new-grad pool before the rest of the market wakes up.
- [Senior Devs Distrust AI 8x More Than They Trust It. Stop Screening for "AI-Native."](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stop-screening-ai-native-senior-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/stop-screening-ai-native-senior-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-11 - Stack Overflow's 2025 survey shows senior engineers are AI's biggest skeptics. Screening for "AI-native" filters out your best hires. Source for verification skill.
- [Coinbase's One-Person Team: How to Source 30,400 Engineer-Designer-PMs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-team-sourcing-hybrid-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-one-person-team-sourcing-hybrid-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-11 - Brian Armstrong wants engineer-designer-PM hybrids running AI agents. Here's how to source the real ones using GitHub, LinkedIn, and side-project signals.
- [Cognizant's Project Leap: 15,000 Mid-Level Cuts, 20,000 Freshers, One Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognizant-project-leap-mid-level-engineers-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cognizant-project-leap-mid-level-engineers-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-10 - Cognizant's Project Leap pushes 12,000-15,000 mid-level engineers onto the market while hiring 20,000 freshers. Here's how to source the squeezed layer.
- [The $100K H-1B Fee Has a Sunset and a Carve-Out. Source the F-1 Pool.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-100k-fee-change-of-status-f1-opt-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/h1b-100k-fee-change-of-status-f1-opt-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-05-10 - The $100K H-1B fee skips change-of-status petitions. With FY2027 wage-weighted lottery live, F-1 OPT engineers are the 2026 arbitrage.
- [Half the May 2026 Layoffs Are Coming Back Offshore. Don't Plan a Surplus.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/may-2026-layoffs-rehired-offshore-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/may-2026-layoffs-rehired-offshore-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-10 - May 2026's layoffs look like a US talent flood, but Forrester says half get rehired offshore. Here's how to adjust sourcing for a repricing event.
- [Amazon's Seattle Postings Fell 80%. Milan and Pisa Took Them.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-seattle-layoffs-milan-pisa-offshore-arbitrage) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/amazon-seattle-layoffs-milan-pisa-offshore-arbitrage.md)) - 2026-05-10 - Amazon Seattle job posts dropped 80% while Milan and Pisa became its #2 and #3 hiring cities. The AI layoff wave is offshore arbitrage. Source accordingly.
- [Freshworks Just Broke GitHub Screening. Here's What to Measure Instead.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/freshworks-ai-code-github-screening-broken) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/freshworks-ai-code-github-screening-broken.md)) - 2026-05-10 - Freshworks cut 500 jobs while admitting AI writes over half its code. Here's why GitHub screening stopped working and what senior recruiters should measure now.
- [OpenAI Posts 177 SF Jobs a Month. The Bottleneck Is Relocation.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-177-sf-jobs-stop-filtering-on-location) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/openai-177-sf-jobs-stop-filtering-on-location.md)) - 2026-05-10 - OpenAI alone lists 412 SF-only roles. The 2026 SF AI hiring problem isn't sourcing local engineers, it's persuading the other 50% to move.
- [BILL Cut 700 to Fund a $1B Buyback. Don't Pitch Them as AI Roadkill.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bill-holdings-layoffs-2026-source-fintech-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bill-holdings-layoffs-2026-source-fintech-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-10 - BILL Holdings cut up to 30% of staff the same day it authorized a $1B buyback. Here's how to source ex-BILL engineers in the next 30 days.
- [The 60-Minute Build: How May 2026's HN Hiring Thread Buried the Take-Home](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-may-2026-live-build-killed-take-home) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/hn-may-2026-live-build-killed-take-home.md)) - 2026-05-09 - May 2026's HN "Who is Hiring?" thread shows take-homes are dead. Here's how to retrofit your loop to a 60-minute live build without losing seniors.
- [Meta Cut Recruiting 4x Harder Than Engineering. The In-House Sourcer Is Over.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-recruiting-layoffs-2026-source-without-recruiter) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-recruiting-layoffs-2026-source-without-recruiter.md)) - 2026-05-09 - Meta's May 2026 layoffs cut recruiting and HR 35-40% versus 10% company-wide. Why founders should plan to source senior engineers directly, without a TA team.
- [Nike's Atlanta Hub Is Closing. You Have About 14 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-atlanta-tech-hub-layoffs-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/nike-atlanta-tech-hub-layoffs-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-05-09 - Nike cut 1,400 tech roles on April 23 and is shutting Atlanta. A tactical playbook for sourcing the cohort before LinkedIn flips to Open to Work.
- [X-Ray Search in 2026: What Google Killed, What Still Works](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/x-ray-search-google-2026-what-still-works) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/x-ray-search-google-2026-what-still-works.md)) - 2026-05-09 - Google killed num=100, AI Overviews ate the SERP, and LinkedIn de-indexed snippets. Here's what x-ray search actually looks like in 2026.
- [PayPal's 4,760 Won't Have a Window. Source the Drip Instead.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-4760-phased-layoff-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/paypal-4760-phased-layoff-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-05-09 - PayPal's 4,760-cut, 36-month phased layoff breaks the post-RIF sourcing sprint. Here's the playbook for a multi-year talent drip.
- [Fidelity's June 1 Squad Purge: A 60-Day Window on 800 Boston EMs](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fidelity-squad-leads-boston-sourcing-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/fidelity-squad-leads-boston-sourcing-window.md)) - 2026-05-09 - Fidelity is killing its agile squads on June 1 and cutting 800 tech roles. Here's how to source the squad leads and EMs before September RTO.
- [Microsoft's Rule of 70: 8,750 Engineers, 32 Silent Days, One Window](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/microsoft-rule-of-70-buyout-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-05-09 - Microsoft sent 8,750 voluntary retirement offers on May 7, 2026. Here's the 32-day playbook for sourcing them before LinkedIn lights up July 1.
- [Upwork Just Released the Only Team Shipping Agents Inside ChatGPT](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-upwork-uma-ai-engineers-hiring-window) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/ex-upwork-uma-ai-engineers-hiring-window.md)) - 2026-05-08 - Upwork cut 145 staff on May 7, 2026, including engineers who built Uma AI and the ChatGPT app. Here's how to source them before they re-sign.
- [Pin's 850M Profiles Can't Find 800 Rust Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pin-vs-refolk-850m-profiles-rust-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pin-vs-refolk-850m-profiles-rust-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-08 - Pin's $100/mo full-funnel AI recruiter wins on volume. For niche technical hires across GitHub and the open web, discovery beats throughput.
- [Gem vs Refolk in 2026: Buy the CRM or Buy the Funnel First?](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gem-vs-refolk-2026-pick-the-right-stack) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/gem-vs-refolk-2026-pick-the-right-stack.md)) - 2026-05-08 - Gem's 800M profiles solve funnel management. Refolk solves technical discovery. Here's which one engineering-led startups should buy first in 2026.
- [Oracle's Second Wave Hits June 15. The Cerner Talent Won't Last 30 Days.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-second-wave-warn-cerner-netsuite-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/oracle-second-wave-warn-cerner-netsuite-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-08 - Oracle's WARN-protected layoff cohort hits the market between May 30 and June 15. Here's how to source the Cerner, NetSuite, and OCI talent before it's gone.
- [Cloudflare's 1,100 Have 30 Weeks of Runway. Your Pitch Has 30 Seconds.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoffs-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cloudflare-1100-layoffs-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-05-08 - Cloudflare's 1,100 layoffs come with pay through 2026. Here's the 6-month sourcing playbook for ex-Cloudflare edge and security engineers.
- [38 to 67 Days: The Bay Area Senior Hire Got Slower in the Layoff Flood](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bay-area-senior-engineer-time-to-hire-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/bay-area-senior-engineer-time-to-hire-2026.md)) - 2026-05-08 - Bay Area senior engineer time-to-hire jumped from 38 to 67 days during the 2026 layoff wave. Here's why the flood is a sourcing trap.
- [Pindrop Got Deepfaked Twice. Your Inbound Funnel Is Next.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pindrop-deepfake-outbound-sourcing-beats-inbound-verification) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/pindrop-deepfake-outbound-sourcing-beats-inbound-verification.md)) - 2026-05-08 - Fake AI candidates now hit ~12.5% of dev applications. Outbound sourcing of verifiable engineers beats trying to filter deepfakes from inbound.
- [The 33,361 Mirage: Why April's Layoff Wave Won't Fill Your Senior IC Pipeline](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/april-2026-tech-layoffs-senior-ic-mirage) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/april-2026-tech-layoffs-senior-ic-mirage.md)) - 2026-05-08 - April 2026 tech layoffs hit a 3-year high, but the cohort composition is wrong for senior IC sourcing. Here's how to find the real signal.
- [Meta Priced a Sourcer Against a GPU. The GPU Won.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-recruiter-layoffs-sourcing-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/meta-recruiter-layoffs-sourcing-2026.md)) - 2026-05-07 - Meta's May 20 layoff cut recruiting 35-40%, four times deeper than the company average. Here's what it means for your sourcing org in 2026.
- [LinkedIn's $450M Agent Can't See 75% of the Developer Market](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-walled-garden-limits) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-hiring-assistant-450m-walled-garden-limits.md)) - 2026-05-07 - LinkedIn Hiring Assistant just hit $450M in revenue. Here's what its agent can't see, and why cross-platform sourcing still wins technical roles.
- [Hire on Hooks, Not Skills: The New Senior Engineer Bar on HN](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/claude-code-hooks-senior-engineer-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/claude-code-hooks-senior-engineer-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-07 - A May 2026 Hacker News job ad rewrote the senior engineer bar around Claude Code hooks and skills. Here's how to source for it.
- [The 800% FDE Spike: Why LinkedIn Title Search Is the Wrong Tool](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/how-to-source-forward-deployed-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/how-to-source-forward-deployed-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-07 - Forward Deployed Engineer postings jumped 800% in 2025. Here's how to source FDEs by hunting dual signals instead of chasing a LinkedIn title.
- [The 1,000-Result Cap: Why LinkedIn Recruiter Loses to Agentic Sourcing](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-1000-cap-agentic-sourcing) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/linkedin-recruiter-1000-cap-agentic-sourcing.md)) - 2026-05-07 - LinkedIn Recruiter caps results at 1,000 and exports at 25. Here's how agentic sourcing tools route around both for technical hiring in 2026.
- [The Founding AI Engineer Isn't an ML Engineer. Source Differently.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/founding-ai-engineer-sourcing-not-ml-engineer) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/founding-ai-engineer-sourcing-not-ml-engineer.md)) - 2026-05-07 - Founding AI Engineer listings cleared 4,000/month with comp past $300K. Here's why ML-engineer sourcing fails and what GitHub signals to chase instead.
- [Juicebox's $99 Sticker, $400 Reality: 6 Alternatives Worth a Look](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/juicebox-alternatives-real-cost) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/juicebox-alternatives-real-cost.md)) - 2026-05-07 - Juicebox's $99 plan balloons to $400+ with AI Agents and phone numbers. Here are 6 Juicebox alternatives compared on price, data freshness, and outreach.
- [Only 82 Engineers List "Cursor" as a Skill. Screen Differently.](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sourcing-cursor-fluency-coinbase-copilot-mandate) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sourcing-cursor-fluency-coinbase-copilot-mandate.md)) - 2026-05-06 - Coinbase made Cursor and Copilot fluency a firing-grade bar. Here is how to source AI-native engineers from artifacts, not resume keywords.
- [Sourcing the Player-Coach EM: What Coinbase's 15:1 Memo Means for Hiring](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sourcing-player-coach-engineering-managers-coinbase) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sourcing-player-coach-engineering-managers-coinbase.md)) - 2026-05-06 - Coinbase killed pure-manager roles. Here's how to source engineering managers who still ship code, using GitHub, LinkedIn, and reference signals.
- [The 72-Hour Playbook for Sourcing 700 Ex-Coinbase Engineers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-layoffs-72-hour-sourcing-playbook) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/coinbase-layoffs-72-hour-sourcing-playbook.md)) - 2026-05-06 - Coinbase just cut 700 engineers and revoked access the same day. Here is how to source the cohort without losing to the LinkedIn InMail flood.
- [Why Engineers Ignore Your Cold Email (and How to Fix It)](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cold-email-developers-without-being-ignored) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/cold-email-developers-without-being-ignored.md)) - 2026-05-06 - Cold email developers who actually reply. A senior practitioner's guide to recruiting outreach that beats 4.1% response rates and the InMail tax.
- [The Comp Conversation Playbook for Senior Engineer Offers](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/comp-conversation-playbook-senior-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/comp-conversation-playbook-senior-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-06 - How to run engineer salary negotiation with senior candidates without losing the hire or poisoning your pipeline. Specific moves, real numbers, named tools.
- [How to Negotiate With Senior Engineers Without Burning the Hire](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/negotiating-with-senior-engineers) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/negotiating-with-senior-engineers.md)) - 2026-05-06 - A practical playbook for the offer call with senior engineers: levers, counter-offers, pay transparency, and the mistakes that quietly kill hires.
- [Where Senior Rust Engineers Actually Are in 2026](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/where-to-find-senior-rust-engineers-2026) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/where-to-find-senior-rust-engineers-2026.md)) - 2026-05-06 - Rust tops every developer wishlist but the hireable pool is tiny. Here's where senior Rust talent actually congregates and how to separate signal from noise.
- [Sourcing TypeScript Engineers: Quality Signals That Actually Matter](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sourcing-typescript-engineers-quality-signals) ([Markdown](https://www.refolk.ai/blog/sourcing-typescript-engineers-quality-signals.md)) - 2026-05-06 - Star counts and follower totals tell you almost nothing about TypeScript quality. Here are the real signals to look for when sourcing TS engineers.