February's US jobs report revealed a modest gain of 151,000 in nonfarm payrolls, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.1%. The labor force participation rate declined, especially among men, reaching its lowest in two years. Health care led job creation with 52,000 new roles, offsetting a 10,000 job loss in federal employment. The data hints at possible rate cuts as financial markets reacted with mixed movements in stock futures and a drop in Treasury yields. Full Story: CNBC (3/7),The New York Times (3/7),Bloomberg (3/7)
A LiveCareer survey of US employees reveals more than 75% would prefer to withdraw from participation in 360-degree feedback because they're concerned about misuse, office politics and biased feedback. The survey found that while 71% of organizations use the reviews -- which include feedback from managers, co-workers and other sources -- 74% of respondents say they've received unfair feedback. Full Story: Human Resources Director (3/5)
Survey: 31M-plus Americans took out loans for health care Over 31 million Americans took out loans in 2024 to cover health care expenses, according to a West Health-Gallup survey. The majority of borrowers were under 50, with only 2% over age 65, indicating that younger adults are disproportionately affected by high medical costs. Full Story: The Hill (3/5)
Leadership can be a lonely venture, so lean into your peer networks to get support managing difficult situations, says Dell Technologies Chief HR Officer Jennifer Saavedra. "Don't isolate yourself. It's so much better to work with your colleagues on these tough problems," Saavedra says. Full Story: LinkedIn (3/5)
Licensed master social worker Silas Kelly was an abandoned and abused three-year-old child in Brooklyn when social workers rescued him and placed him in a foster home in Amityville with Ruth Alexandra Cox. Kelly recalls how he and his brother, undernourished, would take food from breakfast and put in their pockets to eat later. When Cox discovered what the boys were doing, she began telling them daily when to expect their next meal. Cox's compassion, nurturing care, and lessons on forgiveness and resilience helped Kelly overcome his past and begin a journey of emotional recovery. Full Story: The New Social Worker (3/4)
About the Editor
Reflections
(Kanoe Namahoe)
Welcome to Friday Faves! Every Friday, I spotlight books, podcasts, articles, email newsletters, documentaries or other content pieces that I enjoy. I also share suggestions that I get from you. Got a favorite for your peers? Send it to me. I may include it here for a future column. Aloha dear SmartBrief on Workforce readers, Love covers a multitude of sins and fixes broken, damaged lives, as we see in our Workplace Chatter story written by social worker Silas Kelly about his foster mother Ruth Alexander Cox. Her extraordinary compassion set Kelly and his brother on a path of recovery and restoration. Kelly says her most powerful lesson was about forgiveness. “[S]he went out of her way to make sure that my brother and I never harbored any ill will toward our biological mother. She used to say to us, time and time again, ‘Don’t hold it against your mother that she didn’t raise you. She loves you and she did the best that she could. It’s not her fault," Kelly writes. Forgiveness heals. Practicing forgiveness enabled Kelly and his brother to break the shackles of trauma and pain and live in true freedom. May we all live by this wisdom. Enjoy the weekend. I'll see you Monday. Do you enjoy this brief? Share it with others. Want different stories? Something about it bug you? Tell me. In the words of Frasier Crane, “I’m listening.”
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