Category: General Interest

February 1, 2023

Brag at Work Without Sounding Like a Jerk

Brag at Work Without Sounding Like a Jerk

By Rachel Feintzeig Jan. 30, 2023 12:01 am ET Nobody likes a braggart. But what if your inability to thump your chest, even just a little, is holding you back? Talking yourself up can make your boss and team look good, make clear what you actually do all day, and maybe prompt someone to putRead More

January 25, 2023

The Job Market for Remote Workers Is Shrinking

The Job Market for Remote Workers Is Shrinking

Remote job opportunities are dwindling as fewer employers feel the need to lure talent with the promise of working from home By Ray A. Smith Jan. 24, 2023 2:52 pm ET Many prospective workers who were determined to get a remote job just a few months ago are hitting a wall as remote listings rapidlyRead More

January 23, 2023

One of the Hottest New Jobs Aims to Tackle Employee Burnout

One of the Hottest New Jobs Aims to Tackle Employee Burnout

More companies hire ‘employee-experience managers’ to help improve worker productivity, loyalty and retention   By Ray A. Smith Jan. 18, 2023 One of the fastest-growing roles at U.S. companies aims to address a rise in worker burnout and disengagement. The job of employee-experience manager barely existed several years ago. Now the position ranks fifth in LinkedIn’s 2023 list of theRead More
FTC Plan to Ban Noncompete Clauses Shifts Companies’ Focus

FTC Plan to Ban Noncompete Clauses Shifts Companies’ Focus

Ban could prompt employers to use alternative mechanisms such as nondisclosure agreements   By Lauren Weber Jan. 17, 2023 Businesses and lawyers are beginning to assess what the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed ban of noncompete clauses in employment contracts could mean for worker mobility, wages and the way future compensation agreements are structured. While a fullRead More

January 20, 2023

Are You Listening, or Talking Through a Megaphone?

Are You Listening, or Talking Through a Megaphone?

Jan. 19, 2023 Broadcasting vs. communicating: Only one of these messaging approaches builds trust. Carl Livesay Effective communication is critical in a manufacturing environment. Communication, good and bad, directly impacts the bottom line. It can be the difference between a successful year and a prosperous one. Too often, leaders and managers broadcast instead of communicating,Read More

January 9, 2023

Latest Reports Show Manufacturing Jobs Overall Stable Despite Persistent Churn

Latest Reports Show Manufacturing Jobs Overall Stable Despite Persistent Churn

Jan. 6, 2023 Manufacturing added a net 8,000 jobs last month, but with serious discrepancies between hiring in durable and nondurable goods industries. Ryan Secard A pair of reports released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics this week shows that manufacturing employment remains stable despite significant churn and persistently high job openings. The latest ofRead More
Hiring, Wage Gains Eased in December, Pointing to a Cooling Labor Market in 2023

Hiring, Wage Gains Eased in December, Pointing to a Cooling Labor Market in 2023

The unemployment rate edged down to match a half-century low of 3.5% Employers in many sectors were still struggling late in the year to fill open positions, pushing up wages. By David Harrison   The U.S. labor market is losing momentum as hiring and wage growth cooled in December, showing the effects of slower economic growth and theRead More

January 6, 2023

A Talent Shortage Is the Perfect Time to Invest in Your Existing Team

A Talent Shortage Is the Perfect Time to Invest in Your Existing Team

Jan. 4, 2023 With competition for talent fierce in the New England biotech industry, medical device manufacturer KMC Systems tried a different approach. Scott Leon The med tech and biotech industries are booming in New England. In Massachusetts alone, the biopharma sector grew 13.2% last year, and the state is the largest recipient of NIHRead More

January 3, 2023

Stay for Pay? Companies Offer Big Raises to Retain Workers

Stay for Pay? Companies Offer Big Raises to Retain Workers

Recent record-high wage gains for workers who remain in their jobs are a factor contributing to inflation Employers are giving existing employees more merit and other pay increases to defend against poaching by rivals and avoid the drain of training new workers.PHOTO: RACHEL WOOLF FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL By Gabriel T. Rubin Follow andRead More

December 5, 2022

Wage Growth Bounces Back

Wage Growth Bounces Back

Wall Street Journal Wages are probably the best indicator of underlying inflation and they’re going up. Average hourly earnings jumped 0.6% in November from October and 5.1% from a year earlier, up from 4.9%. While that’s in line with the range for 2022, there’s been a recent acceleration: Wages surged at 5.8% annual rate inRead More