The labor market continues to impress with the 40th straight month of job growth and an unemployment rate that ticked lower. Job gains in Q1 2024 averaged 276,000 per month, compared to the Q4 2023 average of 212,000 jobs added each month. The jobless rate fell as more people entered the workforce. Gains were broad-based. Wages, an important inflation metric, increased slightly, up 0.3% to 4.1% year-over-year (YOY). It was the lowest annual gain since June 2021 ..read more

Now in its fifth edition, the 2024 Job Seeker Survey Report is based on responses from 1,500 job seekers surveyed in February 2024. This report analyzes the perceptions and preferences of active and passive candidates across all major industries and provides important insights into what candidates want and can influence your organization’s talent acquisition and retention strategies to optimize success ..read more

Do you know the differences between Recognition, Reward and Award? Recognition is an intangible acknowledgment of people’s behaviors, personal efforts or contributions. Reward is something tangible given in return for service or effort, and an Award is a symbol of recognition for an achievement or milestone ..read more

February marked the 39th straight month of job growth, reflecting an exceptionally strong recovery from the widespread job losses during the pandemic. Unemployment rose to 3.9%, a two-year high, but remained under 4% for the 25th consecutive month. This is the longest stretch of unemployment below 4% since the 1960s. While we have a strong labor market, fears that it was getting too hot again were somewhat allayed this month with the rise in unemployment, the revision of the January and December job numbers, and a weak rise in wages ..read more

In today’s dynamic modern workplace, one concept stands out as a foundation for organizational success: employee engagement. Beyond just a buzzword, employee engagement holds the key to unlocking productivity, fostering innovation and cultivating a thriving company culture ..read more

The U.S. labor market started 2024 with the strongest jobs report in recent history by adding 353,000 jobs in January, far above the Dow Jones estimate of 185,000. In addition, November and December job gains were revised, adding a combined 126,000 more jobs to the 2023 year-end total. Job growth was widespread across sectors in January (e.g., health care, retail trade, government, social assistance, and manufacturing), showing a healthy market on solid ground. The unemployment rate remained at 3.7% for the 3rd consecutive month and under 4% for the 24th consecutive month ..read more

In today's changing business environment, upskilling employees has become essential to meet market demands and create a more agile workforce. Upskilling provides training and development opportunities to expand an employee's abilities and existing skill set. These additional skills can enhance employee performance in their current role and help advance them in their career journey ..read more

Now that the holiday season has ended, many companies face the question of what to do with their temporary holiday hires. While some employees are only there for the season and are aware of this, organizations may have others eager to stay on long-term. The strategic management of these employees can greatly impact organizational success and employee satisfaction, making your approach to seasonal staffing an important one.   ..read more

In 2023, market growth continued – December marked the 36th consecutive month of job creation – but slowed. There were 2.7 million jobs added in 2023 vs. 4.8 million in 2022. The U.S. labor market ended the year strong, with 216,000 jobs added in December, far above the Dow Jones estimate of 170,000. Average hourly earnings rose 4.1% from 2022, higher than the 3.9% forecast. As we head into 2024, the market continues to look strong. Job openings still significantly outnumber the amount of people looking for a job ..read more

Assessment, motivation to improve, and following through with on-target development experiences are critical. In my September column, I shared research results showing that 67 percent of a manager’s overall effectiveness can be explained by how they are rated on the eight attributes that define an employee-centric manager. This means the best pathway for managers seeking to improve their overall effectiveness is to become more employee-centric ..read more