In this week’s food industry news in 2 minutes, we examine how AI might impact the labor sector in the near-term and beyond.
Could the next labor crisis be too few workers, and will AI pick up the slack? New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests the U.S. labor force will only expand by 9.1M in the next decade, which could usher in an unprecedented era of labor scarcity, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story
U.S. small business confidence rose in June as expectations for both better business conditions and real sales improved substantially, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. June’s index score of 97.4 approached the 52-year average of 98. Full Story
Retailers are rolling out back-to-school deals earlier than usual to boost traffic. Inflation, private-label demand, and AI-assisted shopping are reshaping seasonal buying and creating new opportunities for CPG and retail brands to capture spending before classes begin. FI Focus
JBS and National Beef have agreed to a settlement in a beef price-fixing lawsuit in Canada. The settlements were not meant as an admission by JBS or National Beef of wrongdoing and must still be approved by courts, reported Just Food. Full Story
And lastly, Pink Bearista cups are now available at select Starbucks locations. The latest iteration of the glass cups are pink and feature a bear wearing a hat with a strawberry straw topper. The original Bearista cups set social media ABLAZE in Nov. 2025 and sold out quickly, reported USA Today. Full Story
