AI and tariffs cut managers

US firms are flattening hierarchies after pandemic over‑promotion, tariff uncertainty, and AI tools made small‑span supervision less defensible. Google eliminated 35% of managers with fewer than three reports; references to trimming layers doubled on earnings calls versus 2022, and listed firms have cut middle management about 3% since late 2022. — This signals a structural shift in white‑collar work and career ladders as industrial policy and automation pressure management headcounts, not just frontline roles.