State of the union(s): Taking stock of organized labor movements in America
This week, Microsoft recognized the company’s first ever labor union , formed of 300 employees in their videogame unit, ZeniMax. The tech giant now joins the list of other major organizations, such as...
The employment recovery: Not every industry has rebounded equally
Long COVID It’s been almost three years since the WHO declared that COVID-19 was a global health emergency and, whilst life has largely returned to normal for many — with Biden declaring in Septembe...
Pandemic trends: Remote jobs are in, online yoga is out
Here to stay Last week we explored the topic of remote work . If you missed it, the short version of the story is that roughly half of all job applications on LinkedIn last month were for remote work...
Out of office: There aren't enough remote jobs to go around
Two-and-a-half years on from when the pandemic shuttered workplaces and offices around the globe, the demand to retain one major element of the ‘new normal’ remains very high: remote work. Not a week ...
Amazon's elves: The company is hiring 150k seasonal workers
Amazon's seasonal army As the busy holiday season gets underway (see above for Black Friday data), retailers have been hiring in preparation for all the sale-seeking shoppers. The king of online reta...
Strikes: America's railroads could grind to a halt
Not working on the railroad American heavy industry could be facing a bleak midwinter as a national rail strike looks increasingly likely to bring US freight lines to a grinding halt, just as we hea...
Name-dropping: The number of babies named Alexa is dropping quickly
Last week Amazon commenced its layoffs, with 10,000 employees set to lose their jobs — the largest cuts in the company’s history. Name-dropping The cuts hit the Alexa voice assistant division especi...
Flipping hard: Redfin's home-buying business is shutting down
Real-estate brokerage Redfin announced on Wednesday that they would be sunsetting their home-flipping business, RedfinNow, and joining the long list of companies with layoffs, cutting 13% of their wor...
Layoffs: Tech companies and startups have overhired
A flurry of layoffs at high-growth companies and startups have again swept over the tech ecosystem in the last 2 days. Fintech company Stripe, one of the world’s most valuable startups, was one of the...
Ten-year tenures: Jobs aren't for life anymore
Jump around Tenures of ten years or longer are down across the board in the US and, with younger generations reportedly more restless than predecessors, it seems that being in it for the long run may...
Made in America: The US manufacturing industry is hiring again
Made in America Last week's job report was good for fans of all things “made in America”. September showed that the US now has the largest manufacturing workforce since the Global Financial Crisis of...
Ubernomics: The economics of Uber
The gig is up A new proposal from the US Department of Labor could uproot the way the gig economy operates by forcing companies to recognize workers as employees rather than contractors if they meet ...
Hiring slowdown: Companies are cutting back on hiring plans
New data out yesterday showed that job openings in the US fell by more than 1.1 million in August. That's the second largest monthly decline in two decades, only eclipsed by the 1.2 million drop in Ap...
Minimum wage: The lowest pay rates across the states
Fast food workers in California might be looking at a hefty pay rise after the Golden State governor signed a bill that could see minimum wage within the industry jump to $22 an hour. As charted above...
Out of focus: Snapchat’s losses keep mounting
Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, is reportedly set to layoff 20% of their employees, putting 1,200+ people at risk of losing their jobs. Snap's core business — selling ads — has matured sign...
Quiet quitting: The latest trend that sets boundaries at work
One of the hottest topics on social media in the last few weeks has been "quiet quitting", with videos using just one associated hashtag racking up nearly 40 million views on TikTok. The movement — o...
Elevator down, stairs up: US employment is back to where it was pre-pandemic
In April 2020 the US economy saw more than 20 million people lose their jobs or exit the workforce. The word "unprecedented" certainly had its day in the sun, with some of the most memorable — if worr...
Stay or go: Moving jobs has been a prudent strategy — now more than ever
Stay or go? If you're one of the 40% of Americans that are considering quitting their jobs at the moment, the data suggests it might be worth taking the plunge — analysis from the Atlanta Fed shows a...
The big tech big freeze: Big tech's hiring spree is slowing down
The big tech big freeze Yesterday Google announced a hiring freeze, with the search engine giant putting a pause on all hiring for 2 weeks as the company reviews their "headcount needs". That announc...
Lego: A simple product with a remarkable business behind it
The Lego factory This week iconic toymaker Lego announced its plan to build a new 1.7 million square-foot factory in Virginia, creating up to 1,800 jobs once complete. The Danish company plans to spe...