The US unemployment rate ticked slightly upward to 3.6%, according to Labor Department data released Friday. The US added 311,000 nonfarm payrolls in February, exceeding the 225,000 Dow Jones estimate and signaling continued strength in the labor market. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (3/10),CNBC (3/10),The New York Times (3/10)
Help employee caregivers — and morale. When you create a more caregiver-friendly workplace, you can increase productivity and lower turnover. And that makes everyone feel better. AARP has free tips, tools and helpful insights. You'll find them in the AARP Employer Resource Center. Learn more
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Recruiting & Retention
Research indicates job layoffs on the rise in the US An analysis showed that US employers' layoffs rose from 15,245 in February 2022 to 77,770 in February of this year, and total layoffs for January and February 2023 were 180,713, marking the highest level seen at the beginning of a year since 2009. About one-third of the layoffs announced this year have been at technology companies, the report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas noted. Full Story: Employee Benefit News (free registration) (3/9)
Help your working caregivers thrive. 73% of U.S. employees are also caregivers. You can help support those in your workplace with a range of tip sheets, tools, and guides available at no cost. See how they can lead to higher productivity and lower turnover. Learn more.
Meal planning key to healthful eating, RD says Meal planning is the "most essential thing to healthy eating," says registered dietitian Nina Struss, adding that having a weekly plan sets you up for successfully balancing your nutritional needs and saving time and money. Struss offers several meal ideas focused on salmon as a healthful protein and source of omega-3 fatty acids including frozen salmon burgers with vegetables on a whole grain bun, topping a salad with salmon, and using frozen salmon filets and vegetables for a quick dinner. Full Story: KWQC-TV (Davenport, Iowa) (3/10)
Benefits & Compensation
White House budget proposal includes health care measures President Joe Biden's fiscal 2024 budget request includes proposals to permanently extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, provide "Medicaid-like" coverage for eligible people in states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility under the ACA and invest $150 billion over a decade to improve Medicaid home- and community-based services. The administration also proposed several drug price reforms, including increasing the number of drugs whose Medicare prices can be negotiated by the CMS, limiting cost-sharing to no more than $2 for certain high-value generic drugs in Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans and extending the $35 cap on monthly insulin costs to the private sector. Full Story: The Hill (3/9),Fierce Healthcare (3/9)
Remaining calm and composed in the face of challenging or exciting events, demonstrating empathy and being able to influence others are among the ways to improve and harness emotional intelligence, writes Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor of business psychology at University College London and Columbia University and chief innovation officer at ManpowerGroup. "What matters most is not to come across as emotionally intelligent, but to learn to control and improve your personality," Chamorro-Premuzic writes. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (3/10)
Planning your meals can mean the difference between having a productive week or flying off the food rails before Wednesday. Our Health & Wellness story today shares recipes and tactics for meal planning. I'd love to hear your favorite ideas too. Here are a few of mine: keeping a large tub of spinach on hand, for smoothies and salads blending a can of full fat coconut milk until it’s smooth, then storing it in my fridge for easy retrieval throughout the day keeping all the fruits and veggies I use frequently in clear plastic storage containers on the top shelf of my fridge. Another one: pour olive oil into a Zip lock bag, toss in your favorite herbs and spices -- thyme and lemon or rosemary and garlic -- then add 2-3 chicken breasts. Shake up the bag and store it in the freezer. Be sure to mark on the bag what herbs and spices you used. For me, eating well comes down to organization -- planning and then making it easy to keep the plan. What about you? What do you do to keep a healthy eating regime through the week? How does eating well affect your work? Let me know! Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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