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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the share of Americans who were absent from work because of child care difficulties matched the all-time record for August. At the same time, employment in child care services has not been nearly enough to match the demand, according to Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, who highlighted the statistic in a note following Friday’s job report. The issue largely stems from the havoc created by the pandemic, which prompted many child care facilities to shut down, Pollak said. Consumer payments for child care are up at least 32% since 2019, a recent Bank of America study found. Child care advocates say that almost 10% of the state’s day care sites or home-based programs have shuttered since the pandemic.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sen, JD Vance, Vance, Kamala Harris, Julia Pollak, Natalia Lebedinskaia, ” Pollak, Pollak, “, ”, Trump, Ohio, Charlie Kirk, he’d, Harris, ” Vance, Tim Walz, Hannah Anderson, Kirk, Vance “, ” Anderson Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, GOP, Child Care, NBC News, of America, BLS, Economic, of New, Minnesota Gov, Economic Policy Institute Locations: Ohio, of New York, United States, Georgia

☆ Jobs Report Shows the Labor Market Is in Danger, Recession Possible
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The jobs report said the US economy added 114,000 jobs in July, far fewer than the 176,000 jobs that economists expected. The weakness of the jobs report tipped the worry scale and sent markets into meltdown mode. Outside the July jobs report, there were plenty of signs the labor market was cooling off. If that seems confusing, here's the only thing you really need to know: The July jobs report triggered the Sahm rule. Nobody should be losing a ton of sleep over the state of the labor market or over the economy overall.

Persons: it's, Guy Berger, doesn't, Skanda Amarnath, there's, what's, Claudia Sahm, we're, Amarnath, Alí Bustamante, Bustamante, would've, it'll, Jay Powell, Berger, Emily Stewart Organizations: Federal Reserve, Glass, Labor, Survey, New Century Advisors, Worker Power, Economic Security, Roosevelt Institute, Fed, Business

☆ This labor data trend is a 'warning sign,' economist says. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The unemployment rate jumped in July, and there is a detail in the data that has alarmed some economists. So-called marginally attached workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are those who are available to work and want a job, but have not searched for a job in the four weeks preceding the survey. Bustamante assessed marginally attached workers plus unemployed workers as a group, which the BLS refers to as U-6. "That's a warning sign" for the labor market, he said. It is a sign that people want a job, but are having a hard time finding a job, he said.

Persons: Alí Bustamante, Bustamante, Kamala Harris, Nick Bunker Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Worker Power, Economic Security, Roosevelt Institute, Finance, North Locations: New York City, North America

☆ The labor market's soft landing 'is in danger,' economist says. Here's where jobs are still growing
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tom Merton | Ojo Images | Getty ImagesJob seekers have been sour on the job market for a while now — and with good reason. "The soft landing in the U.S. labor market is in danger," Nick Bunker, Economic Research Director for North America for Indeed Hiring Lab, wrote in a statement on Friday. "Yellow flags had started to pop up in the labor market data over the past few months, but now the flags are turning red," Bunker said. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate increased to 4.3%, the highest since October 2021. To pivot, assess 'transferrable skills'Because the labor market is weakening, it might be hard for workers to find opportunities in their preferred industries, Bustamante noted.

Persons: Tom Merton, Nick Bunker, Bunker, Nonfarm payrolls, Alí Bustamante, Julia Pollak, Pollak, NEETS, Bustamante Organizations: Economic, North, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Worker Power, Economic Security, Roosevelt Institute, ZipRecruiter, Health, Finance Locations: U.S, North America, New York City

Klaus Vedfelt | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesAlthough the unemployment rate has spent 30 months at or below below 4% — a near record — not everyone who wants a job has one. Others, alternatively, are well-qualified but often younger candidates who are struggling to find positions, comprising a contingent of "new unemployables," according to a recent report by Korn Ferry. 'NEETS' feel 'left out and left behind'Still, some young adults in the U.S. are neither working nor learning new skills. In 2023, about 11.2% of young adults ages 15 to 24 in the U.S. were considered as NEETs, according to the International Labour Organization. In other words, roughly one in 10 young people are "being left out and left behind in many ways," Bustamante said.

Persons: Klaus Vedfelt, Korn, Alí Bustamante, Bustamante, that's, Biden's, Julia Pollak, Pollak, David Ellis, Korn Ferry Organizations: Digitalvision, Worker Power, Economic Security, Roosevelt Institute, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, International Labour Organization, Finance, Here's, Trump, Employers, National Association of Colleges Locations: New York City, U.S

☆ Blue-collar jobs are booming. White-collar jobs, not so much.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Now, she told me, blue-collar work is an oasis in the fake-email-job desert, with a newfound social cachet. In a survey conducted in late 2021, 67% of blue-collar workers said they believed the pandemic changed how people viewed their jobs, and 75% of white-collar workers agreed. AdvertisementNow, the economy is adding blue-collar jobs at a rapid clip. There is a tendency — particularly among white-collar workers — to look at blue-collar work through rose-colored glasses, to romanticize the hard work and skills it requires. The labor market hasn't completely reversed course; blue-collar jobs may be booming, but a bachelor's degree is still often a prerequisite for roles with high pay and numerous benefits.

Persons: Alyssa DeOliveira, didn't, DeOliveira, Chris Collins, Collins, Steven Kurutz, influencers, Eames, Bernie Sanders, Elise Gould, she's, it's, moratoriums —, Gould, Frankie Giambrone, Giambrone, Biden, Lael Brainard, Scott Gove, Michael Kaye, Gove, there's, he's, Sam Pillar, Jeff Goldalian Organizations: Walmart, UPS, Business, The New York Times, Economic, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Economic Council, Teamsters Union, United Auto Workers, Teamsters Locations: Boston, Tennessee, New York City

☆ I'm a Swede who used to work with Americans. These are the main differences I saw in our working cultures.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Megan Carnegie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

These are the main aspects of working in Sweden that other cultures might find surprising. AdvertisementSupport for working parentsIn Sweden, parental leave has become an incubator for new ideas and people often change career direction during their leave. Being on leave gives you time to think with some distance from everyday life. I have been financially supported during my parental leave and as my children grow. Collective bargaining, another tenet of Swedish working culture, prioritizes employee needs and gives more power to the employee.

Persons: —, Sofia Brandt, Ally, There's, they're VAB, I'd, wouldn't, that's Organizations: Service, Accenture, Business Locations: Gothenburg, Sweden, American, San Francisco, America

☆ What kind of 'Barbie' are you? Here are the Barbieland jobs that most real-life women hold, according to government data
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In the "Barbie" movie, the narrator says, "Barbie has a great day every day." As women's participation in the labor force has increased over the years, the group continues to face hurdles along the way. "We have the tightest labor market for women in the past 20-something years," Bustamante said. "As the labor market gets tighter and tighter and tighter, women's employment rises faster than men's," Pollak said. "To think of just the scale of construction employment and women are still such a marginal piece of that sector," he said.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Barbie, Julia Pollak, R, Bustamante, Pollak, " Pollak Organizations: Mattel, Warner Bros, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Roosevelt Institute, Census, National Women's Law, Warner Brothers Pictures Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Maryland has the lowest unemployment rate in American history, at just 1.6%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The mid-Atlantic state registered a record unemployment rate of 1.6% in September — less than half the national unemployment rate of 3.8% that month — Labor Department data shows. That’s the lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of any state on records going back to 1976, according to a CNN analysis. However, Maryland’s job market is still robust, with government and health care employers adding jobs at a brisk pace. Here’s a dive into the labor market of the state with the lowest unemployment rate in American history:Where the jobs areThe biggest industries in Maryland are government, health care, education and professional services. Fort Meade, a military base, is the largest employer in the state, according to Moody’s Analytics.

Persons: ” Christina DePasquale, Johns, Colin Seitz, “, ” Seitz, There’s, ”, Mary Kane, what’s, Kane, ” Daniel Zhao, ” Zhao Organizations: DC CNN, — Labor Department, CNN, Baltimore, Fort Meade, University, of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, Labor Department . State, Health, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Moody’s, Maryland, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Maryland Hospital Association, Labor, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, “, Maryland Department of Labor, DC Locations: Washington, Atlantic, California, Lexington, Maryland, Fort, Florida, Texas, Virginia

☆ Why strikes are working and which industries could be next
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

We asked experts why recent strikes have had success and which industries could be next. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf worker movements pick up in the months and years ahead, it shouldn't be a big surprise. At the same time, an aging US population is expected to increase the demand for healthcare workers. And if the economy remains strong, he said "previously untouchable" corporations like Amazon and Starbucks could see more worker movements and unionization. But in the near term, some labor movements will likely persist even if conditions aren't perfect.

Persons: —, that's, Matthew Johnson, Victor Chen, Johnson, COVID, Caroline Lucas, Dave Young, VCU's Chen, Biden —, Eunice Han, Duke's Johnson, Jake Rosenfeld Organizations: UAW, UPS, Hollywood, Healthcare, Service, Permanente, Workforce, Teamsters, Duke University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Kaiser Permanente, National Council of State, of Nursing, Coalition, Kaiser Permanente Unions, United Food, Commercial Workers, University of Utah, Research, Washington University

☆ VIEW Ford reaches tentative deal with striking UAW workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers (UAW) union reached a tentative labor deal on Wednesday with Ford Motor (F.N), the first of Detroit's Big Three car manufacturers to negotiate a settlement to strikes joined by 45,000 workers since mid-September. DANIEL IVES, ANALYST AT WEDBUSH SECURITIES"It's a relief for investors that this UAW nightmare is now over for Ford. JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT"I applaud the UAW and Ford for coming together after a hard fought, good faith negotiation and reaching a historic tentative agreement tonight. GENERAL MOTORS STATEMENT"We are working constructively with the UAW to reach a tentative agreement as soon as possible." STELLANTIS STATEMENT"We remain committed to working toward a tentative agreement that gets everyone back to work as soon as possible."

Persons: Rebecca Cook, HARLEY SHAIKEN, DANIEL IVES, Farley, Ford, JOE BIDEN, JEFFREY SCHARF, SHAWN FAIN, Abhirup Roy, David Shepardson, Joe White, Peter Henderson, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Auto Worker, Ford Michigan Assembly Plant, Wayne , Michigan U.S, REUTERS, United Auto Workers, UAW, Ford Motor, UNIVERSITY OF, TIM, Ford, GM, U.S, Big, ACT, Thomson Locations: Wayne , Michigan, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, Detroit

☆ The boss is back in charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After a brief transition of power to workers, it feels like bosses are back in charge. Between the rise of AI, return-to-office mandates, and layoffs — employee anxiety is high. Between the rise of job-threatening AI, strict return-to-office mandates, and sweeping layoffs, it feels like bosses are clawing back what little remains of employees' power . The economic trend began in early 2021 in the wake of the pandemic and saw millions of workers quit their jobs . AdvertisementAdvertisementThe charge is largely being led by Big Tech and banks, with varying degrees of severity and pushback.

Persons: didn't, Peter Cappelli, Cappelli, Erin Kelly, Stanford, Nick Bloom, they're, Raj Choudhury, OpenAI's ChatGPT Organizations: Service, Companies, Wharton Business School, MIT Sloan, Big Tech, Amazon, Web Services, Harvard Business School, Octopus Energy Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Will AI be an economic blessing or curse? History offers clues
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Backers of AI predict a productivity leap that will generate wealth and improve living standards. The productivity gains it was once lauded for have slowed across many economies. In a globalised economy, there are other reasons to doubt whether the potential gains of AI will be felt evenly. That is just one of several factors that will help determine how AI shapes our economic lives - from antitrust policies that ensure healthy competition among AI suppliers through to re-training of workforces. "The question is: will AI exacerbate existing inequalities or could it actually help us get back to something much fairer?"

Persons: Richard Erkhov, Yiannis, Simon Johnson, Johnson, Daron Acemoglu, jenny, Natixis, Stefano Scarpetta, MIT's Johnson, Mary Towers, Eva Mathews, Mark John, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, MIT Sloan School of Management, McKinsey, Hollywood, Reuters, Labour, Social Affairs, Economic Cooperation, Development, UN, POWER, Britain's Trades Union, OECD, Thomson Locations: Pascal, Nicosia, Cyprus, U.S, American, Paris, Bengaluru

Uber and Lyft drivers protest during a day-long strike outside Uber’s office in Saugus, Massachusetts, U.S., May 8, 2019. "The best antidote to unchecked corporate greed and rising inequality is building worker power through a union," Roxana Rivera, the head of the union in Massachusetts, said in a statement. The measures' proponents would then need to gather thousands of signatures to secure their placement on the ballot. The industry-backed proposal follows a similar 2020 measure in California, where the companies persuaded state voters to solidify ride-hail and food delivery workers’ status as independent contractors with some benefits. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by David Gregorio and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Uber, Roxana Rivera, Andrea Campbell, Nate Raymond, David Gregorio, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, BOSTON, Uber Technologies, Massachusetts Drivers, Labor, SEIU, 32BJ, Thomson Locations: Saugus , Massachusetts, U.S, Massachusetts, California, Boston

☆ Biden meets labor organizers from Starbucks, Minor League Baseball
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders met with young labor organizers from Starbucks and Minor League Baseball among others at the White House on Monday as a growing number of worker strikes grip the country. In a tweet on Monday night, Biden said he and Sanders met with young labor leaders to discuss their fight for better pay and benefits. And organizing or joining a union - that's democracy in action," Biden tweeted. Administration officials in Monday's meeting included Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, White House National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, and White House Director of Governmental Affairs Tom Perez, the official said. Biden, who is often referred to as the most pro-union president in U.S. history by labor leaders, had a similar meeting with union activists from Amazon and Starbucks at the White House last year.

Persons: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Biden, Sanders, Karine Jean, Pierre, Labor Julie Su, Lael Brainard, Tom Perez, Nandita Bose, Sonali Paul Organizations: Starbucks, Minor League Baseball, White, Apple, House Press, Labor, National Economic, Governmental, Amazon, Thomson Locations: U.S, dockworkers, Washington

☆ Biden to meet labor organizers from Starbucks, Minor League Baseball
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders will meet young labor organizers from Starbucks and Minor League Baseball among others at the White House on Monday as a growing number of worker strikes grip the country. Biden and Senator Sanders, who chairs a committee on labor issues, are expected to congratulate organizers for the work they have done and discuss the president's "belief that worker power is essential to growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Administration officials in Monday's meeting include Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, White House National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, and White House Director of Governmental Affairs Tom Perez, the official said. Biden, who is often referred to as the most pro-union president in the history of the United States by labor leaders, had a similar meeting with union activists from Amazon and Starbucks at the White House last year. Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Biden, Sanders, Karine Jean, Pierre, Labor Julie Su, Lael Brainard, Tom Perez, Nandita Bose, Sonali Paul Organizations: Starbucks, Minor League Baseball, White, Apple, House Press, Administration, Labor, National Economic, Governmental, Amazon, Thomson Locations: U.S, dockworkers, United States, Washington

Tens of millions of Americans changed jobs over the past two years, a rare moment of worker power as employees demanded higher pay, and as employers, short on staff, often gave it to them. The tidal wave of quitting became known as the “great resignation.” Now, as the phenomenon seems to have fizzled out, the Times economic writer Ben Casselman discusses whether there have been any lasting benefits for American workers.

Persons: ”, Ben Casselman

☆ Work-Life Balance Is Harder to Find Thanks to Pandemic and Office Mandates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Kelli María Korducki | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

The insidious creep of job burnout was inescapable when I spoke with more than a dozen ambitious midcareer women for an article last winter. While work friendships can stifle loneliness, the centrality of a job in American social life does not bode particularly well for Americans' work-life balance. For those who've put all their eggs in the proverbial basket of their job, Koretz said, these times of transition can trigger a kind of identity crisis. The idea is that you just work and work and work and work and work. Workers can also take small steps toward improving their work-life balance by setting aside time each day and each week for nonwork priorities.

☆ The US economy has been 'more than fine' without your student debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Her story shows the extra juice that delaying — or as some would argue, canceling — student debt can provide to people's lives and the economy as a whole. "If we cancel student debt, what that really means is the federal government is choosing not to collect payments from debtors on the debt that's already issued," Steinbaum said. Biden's student loan bailout will cost every taxpayer, even those who never went to college, at least $2,500." But to be clear, we don't have the most concrete data about the effects of student loan relief — since, well, it hasn't been done. Do you have a story to share about student debt?

☆ Federal Trade Commission proposes banning noncompetes for workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday said it is proposing a rule to ban employers from imposing noncompete agreements on workers and to rescind all existing noncompete agreements. “Research shows that employers’ use of noncompetes to restrict workers’ mobility significantly suppresses workers’ wages — even for those not subject to noncompetes, or subject to noncompetes that are unenforceable under state law,” said Elizabeth Wilkins, Director of the Office of Policy Planning. “The proposed rule would ensure that employers can’t exploit their outsized bargaining power to limit workers’ opportunities and stifle competition.”The proposed rule was cheered by the liberal-leaning Economic Policy Institute. The only source of power nonunionized workers have vis-à-vis their employers is their ability to quit and take a job elsewhere. The proposed rule will be open for public comment for 60 days after which the FTC will review the comments and possibly amend the rule before issuing a final version.

☆ Employees took advantage of the Great Resignation. Now employers are about to take revenge.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Jake Rosenfeld | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The 2008 financial crisis spared no one — income gains halted for nearly everybody as the economy plunged into the worst recession in almost a century. A tight labor market is good for workersThe main culprit behind these gains in worker power has been the tight labor market. A tight labor market also means companies have to offer higher wages to attract new employees or get people to switch jobs. And the iconic coffee maker isn't the only big-name corporation to raise pay in the face of rising worker unrest. So without a contract to lock in economic gains, workers may have won a series of battles, but they risk losing the long-term war.

☆ Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labor blames soaring corporate profits for inflation and says the US government should consider directly controlling prices
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Corporate greed, not wages, is fueling inflation, says former President Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labor. Some experts say government antitrust enforcement and even price controls deserve consideration. "Profit-price inflation" — caused by companies "raising their prices above their increasing costs" — is the key factor fueling inflation, Reich wrote in a Guardian op-ed Sunday. Still others, like Reich, believe cracking down on record-high corporate profits is the best way to cool prices in the US. "This is why corporate profits are close to levels not seen in over half a century," he wrote.

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