US sees another 860K first-time unemployment claims Some 860,000 more Americans applied for first-time unemployment benefits last week. The figure represents a slight reduction from the previous week but the overall number of claims remains a concern, with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell commenting "it's a long way from maximum employment." Full Story: CNN (9/17)
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Recruiting & Retention
Startup BrightHire aims to eliminate hiring bias Software startup BrightHire has received $3 million in seed funding this week, and Wharton School professor Adam Grant, who will be advising, describes it as "the most compelling platform I've seen to help companies run fair and inclusive hiring processes." Among the platform's features are data analytics uncovering bias in recruiting patterns and the automatic recording of interviews to challenge hiring managers' initial reactions to candidates. Full Story: Quartz (tiered subscription model) (9/15)
Walmart's refresh means raises for 165,000 workers Walmart will overhaul leadership roles in its stores as it focuses further on digital operations and tries to retain more of its workforce, and the retailer's revamp will mean raises for approximately 165,000 employees. Starting wages for deli and bakery workers will increase by $4 an hour in October -- other workers will see a $1 an hour pay bump -- and Walmart US COO Dacona Smith said all associates "will have more room for career and pay growth" as the company introduces additional cross-training opportunities. Full Story: USA Today (9/17),Bloomberg (tiered subscription model) (9/17),The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (9/17)
Hard times can help people rethink their worldviews and how they should live their lives, writes LaRae Quy, who recommends taking a page from philosophers such as Socrates and Epictetus. Even as you name and write down your obstacles, remember that people need "five positive bits of information to overcome the impact of one negative bit." Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (9/16)
