Weekly briefing
US freezes tech green cards as Google makes Gemini an agent
The US froze green card sponsorship at eight tech firms, Google turned Gemini into a work agent, and Portugal had a big month for startup funding.
Published
- Hiring market
The US freezes green cards at eight tech firms
On 8 October the US Labor Department stopped accepting or processing green card applications from eight tech and IT companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys and TCS. Sponsoring a green card is the usual way for foreign engineers on H-1B work visas to stay in the US for good. No end date was given, and Amazon, Google and Meta are not affected.
What it means for hiringEngineers at these firms who were counting on a green card now have a real reason to look elsewhere, including Europe. If you want senior US-trained engineers, this is a good moment to start that conversation.
- Data & engineering
Norway’s biggest bank cuts 400 tech jobs as AI agents write code
DNB, Norway’s largest bank, will cut about 400 roles in its technology unit by the end of the year. It says AI agents now handle work people used to do by hand, including checking customer data and writing code. It has not said which teams will be affected.
What it means for hiringThis is one of the first big European employers to name coding as work AI agents are taking over. Expect fewer routine engineering roles at large companies, and more demand for people who can build and oversee these agents.
- Funding
European startups raise €15.8bn in September, Portugal over €500m
European tech startups raised €15.8 billion in September, a big jump after a quiet August, according to Tech.eu figures reported by Euronews. The UK took about half. France came second, Germany third, and Portugal raised more than €500 million, a strong month for its size.
What it means for hiringMoney raised in September turns into job ads over the next few months. Expect more competition for engineers in Paris, Berlin and Lisbon going into early 2027.
- AI
Google turns Gemini into an agent that does the work
Google announced that Gemini for businesses can now take on whole tasks, not just answer questions. It plans the work, connects to tools such as Slack, Jira and Snowflake, and gets its own work email account so colleagues can hand it jobs. Consumers will get it later.
What it means for hiringCompanies will need people who can connect these agents safely to their own systems and data. Engineers with integration, data and security experience become more valuable.
- Regulation
OpenAI will watermark ChatGPT text in the EU
OpenAI will add a hidden watermark to text written by ChatGPT and its coding tool Codex for users in the EU, rolling out over the coming weeks. It is doing this to meet the EU AI Act’s rules on labelling AI-generated content. The mark survives copy and paste, but rewording part of the text makes it harder to spot.
What it means for hiringEU rules are now shaping how AI products are built, not just how they are sold. Companies selling AI in Europe need engineers and product people who understand the AI Act.
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