Category: Employers

Employers

44% of Small Business Owners Unable to Fill Job openings

NFIB (05/06/21) WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 6, 2021) – A new NFIB’s jobs report for April shows a record 44% of all small business owners report having job openings they could not fill, 22 points higher than the 48-year historical average, and two points higher than the 42% figure from March. April is the third consecutive month with a record-high reading of unfilled job openings among small businesses. “The

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Strongest Improvement in Operating Conditions on Record Amid Marked Uptick in Client Demand

IHS Markit News Release (05/03/21) April data indicated a robust improvement in the health of the U.S. manufacturing sector, and the steepest since data collection began in May 2007, according to IHS Markit. Overall growth was supported by quicker expansions in output and new orders, with the latter rising at the sharpest pace since April 2010. The headline index also was pushed higher by unprecedented

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US Wages and Benefits Jump as Economy Reopens

AP News (04/30/21) Rugaber, Christopher  In the first quarter of the year, wages and benefits for U.S. workers saw a notable increase of 0.9%, marking the largest gain in over 13 years, according to the Labor Department. This uptick suggests that businesses are beginning to offer higher pay to attract employees for newly-available positions. Despite the pandemic’s initial impact on unemployment rates, which soared to

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U.S. Recovery Gains Steam as Spending Fuels 6.4% GDP Growth

Bloomberg (04/29/21) Pickert, Reade U.S. economic growth accelerated in the first quarter as a rush of consumer spending helped bring total output to the cusp of its pre-pandemic level, foreshadowing further impressive gains in coming months. Gross domestic product expanded at a 6.4% annualized rate following a softer 4.3% pace in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department’s preliminary estimate showed Thursday. Personal consumption, the biggest

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Biden to Sign Order Requiring $15 Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors

Wall Street Journal (04/27/21) Lucey, Cartherine President Joe Biden today will sign an executive order mandating that federal contractors pay a $15-per-hour minimum wage. Under the order, beginning Jan. 30, 2022, all agencies must include a $15 minimum wage in new contract solicitations. By March 30, 2022, all agencies must implement it into new contracts. Agencies also must incorporate it into existing contracts when they

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Businesses Scramble for Help as Job Openings go Unfilled

Associated Press (04/21/21) Rosenberg, Joyce Businesses are having trouble filling the jobs, which in turn hurts their ability to keep up with demand for their products or services. Owners say that some would-be workers are worried about catching Covid-19 or prefer to live off unemployment benefits that are significantly higher amid the pandemic. A Census survey taken in late March shows that 6.3 million did

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