The Bosses Are Back in Charge

America’s bosses are starting to feel bossy again.

Many executives say that they are no longer scrambling to retain workers, after several years of doing whatever it took to keep people on staff. Pay increases are slowing. For some jobs, hiring is getting easier. Executives are seizing on this moment to streamline operations or cut projects, shedding staff that until recently they couldn’t afford to lose.

A wave of corporate layoffs that began in technology is now flowing through other industries. In recent weeks, employers as varied as toy maker...