- Tech Giants Lead the Way: Unsurprisingly, technology firms dominate the top spots. Companies like Amazon, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), and Microsoft continue to set the pace, offering robust career paths and cutting-edge skill-building programs. Their focus on innovation keeps them ahead in attracting ambitious professionals.
- Finance and Consulting Stay Strong: Big names in banking and professional services, such as JPMorgan Chase and Deloitte, rank high thanks to their structured advancement opportunities and global reach. These firms appeal to those seeking long-term career growth in competitive fields.
- Emerging Sectors Shine: Beyond the usual suspects, industries like healthcare and manufacturing are making waves. Companies such as CVS Health and General Motors are recognized for their efforts to upskill employees and adapt to modern demands, proving that career growth isn’t limited to tech.
Microsoft has overtaken Apple as the world’s most valuable company, as the iPhone maker’s stock price continues to plunge.
Apple surpassed Microsoft in June after the two tech giants jockeyed for the top spot earlier last year, thanks to surges in their market capitalization values. In June, Apple’s market cap was $3.29 trillion to Microsoft’s $3.24 trillion.
But it has been a different story for Microsoft, Apple and other tech companies for the past week. President Donald Trump’s announcement of broad tariffs on all imported goods, with heavier rates levied on certain countries, has wiped out trillions of dollars in market value.
Market cap measures the size and value of a company traded on the stock market, multiplying the total number of shares by the stock price.
Tech is among the industries hit hardest, with share prices for Apple, Microsoft, and others tumbling since Trump’s tariff announcement last week. Apple had lost an eye-popping $773 billion in value since the announcement, a 23% plummet, as markets closed Tuesday. Microsoft was down $200 billion.
Share prices and market cap value for both companies fluctuated on Tuesday thanks to a mini-rally in the morning, followed by losses through the rest of the day. After China retaliated last week with trade restrictions, Trump said he would impose an additional 50% rate to tariff against China starting at 9:01 p.m. Pacific time Tuesday. That would bring the total tariff imposed on Chinese goods to 104%.
Microsoft’s market cap ultimately hit $2.64 trillion to Apple’s $2.59 trillion when the markets closed Tuesday.
As global companies, both Microsoft and Apple are exposed to rifts in trade, but Apple is especially vulnerable because most of its products are built overseas. As a consequence, it’s taken the biggest hit among the Magnificent Seven stocks — Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla.
“A bunch of people have exposure to this through their 401(k) accounts,” said Philip Bond, a finance professor at the University of Washington. “I’m guessing that’s especially true in Seattle, since high-income earners are more likely to have 401(k)s.”
Microsoft has had the least severe drop among tech companies that have a market cap above $200 billion, with Google a close second. Almost all of Microsoft’s revenue comes from cloud computing and software services.
Tesla has fared almost as poorly as Apple, with a nearly 22% plunge since Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement.
As losses piled up earlier this week, some in the finance world warned that increased inflation and a possible recession could be the consequences of Trump’s tariffs.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said in an annual letter to shareholders on Monday that the recent tariffs “will likely increase inflation and are causing many to consider a greater probability of a recession.” Goldman Sachs raised the risk of a recession from 35% to 45% on Monday.
“It’s always tempting to think the stock market is moving around randomly, but it really does tend to forecast the future,” Bond said. “The fact that it’s down so much, people should take that seriously.”
Alphabet snagged the top spot on LinkedIn’s 2025 Top Companies list, a data-backed ranking of the best workplaces for career growth in the U.S. Amid workers’ waning confidence in their career prospects, the list surfaces employers that stand out in their ability to attract and retain talent — whether through upskilling programs or shifting to skills-based hiring. The honorees span sectors from tech (Alphabet, Amazon) to finance (Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase) to consulting (PwC, EY).
And it’s more than a who's who of big names.
It’s a blueprint for how innovative companies are winning the talent game.
Amazon, Alphabet, and Wells Fargo are among the 50 companies listed.
And they all have something in common:
They’re not just hiring fast.
They’re building systems to grow and keep top talent.
Here’s what they’re doing right:
• Clear internal career paths
• Heavy investment in leadership development
• Skills-based advancement—not just job titles
• And yes—AI-powered tools that personalize learning, map growth, and accelerate potential
This isn’t about replacing people with tech.
It’s about scaling people with tech.
The most represented industries are:
• Financial Services
• IT Consulting
• Software Development
• Hospitals and Healthcare
These aren’t just high-growth sectors.
They’re leaning hardest into AI, upskilling, and future-proofing their workforce.
In 2025, top talent doesn’t want to just work for a great company.
They want to GROW within one.
The best employers are making that happen with a real hiring strategy.
And they’re using modern tools and methods to act on that strategy.
And for those of us in Pittsburgh, this hits close to home.
These companies aren't just operating in far-off tech hubs.
They have a large workforce here too:
• Google (Alphabet) at Bakery Square
• Amazon with multiple facilities in Allegheny County
• Wells Fargo downtown at One Oxford Centre
