Higher Wages Without Job Losses? California’s $20 Fast Food Minimum Wage is Proving the Skeptics Wrong.

A study from the University of California, Berkeley found that California’s $20 minimum wage for fast food workers increased wages by 18% without leading to significant job losses.

“The policy did not affect employment adversely,” the report noted. Despite fears of job cuts, the study shows that consumers absorbed most of the small price increases caused by the wage hike.

Learn more about how higher wages impacted the California fast food industry.

Boeing Strike and Hurricane Helene Drive Jobless Claims to Year-High

U.S. jobless claims surged to 258,000 last week, the highest in a year, largely due to Hurricane Helene and the Boeing machinist strike. States hit hardest by the storm, like Florida and the Carolinas, saw the biggest spike in claims. Despite the increase, analysts expect these impacts to be temporary, with the Federal Reserve still on track to lower interest rates in November.

Learn more about the factors behind rising jobless claims.

The Great Detachment: Why Workers Feel Disconnected and How HR Can Fix It

As the "Great Detachment" takes hold, 51% of employees are actively seeking new jobs, driven by feelings of disconnection and dissatisfaction. Experts like John Michael Scott, Ph.D. of MasterClass at Work stress the importance of fostering autonomy and workplace relationships, while HR leaders must focus on engagement through learning, career growth, and diversified benefits to retain talent.

Learn how HR can make a difference here.

Hays Braces for Tough Hiring Market and Profit Drop

UK recruitment giant Hays has warned of continued hiring challenges as it forecasts a drop in first-half profits. CEO Dirk Hahn pointed to sluggish market conditions, with net fees falling 14% in Q1. Despite the tough outlook, shares rose 3%, signaling that analysts expected a steeper decline.

Learn more about the market forecast in the full story.

Zeal Secures $15M to Revolutionize Payroll for the Modern Workforce

Zeal, the innovative payroll platform, has raised $15 million in Series B funding, led by Portage with continued support from Spark Capital and Commerce Ventures. This funding will fuel Zeal’s mission to provide flexible, automated payroll solutions for modern workforces, including gig platforms and HR service providers. CEO Kirti Shenoy emphasized, “We’re seeing incredible interest in our platform and new products.”

Get the full scoop here.

Debt Weighs Heavily on Career Choices for Gen Z and Millennials

A new report from The Harris Poll reveals that over half of Gen Z and millennial workers feel their career choices are shaped by debt, with 54% of millennials reporting debt as a major influence. As financial pressures from credit cards, mortgages, and student loans grow, many younger workers are taking on multiple jobs or considering new careers to ease the burden.

Get the full breakdown on how debt is driving career decisions here.

Navigating the Paid Leave Puzzle for HR

HR leaders are juggling compliance challenges as paid leave programs grow more intricate. Mercer’s Rich Fuerstenberg points out, “At one time, employers’ main concern regarding time off was the impact on business operations. As leave programs have become more complex, that has changed.”

With mandates evolving and employers offering more paid leave benefits like flexible PTO and parental leave, the complexity is only increasing.

Curious how HR leaders are staying ahead of the leave game? Find out more here.

AI Meets RPO

At the RPO Association conference in Chicago, Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory, discussed the evolving landscape of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and how AI is transforming the industry.

According to Eubanks, "Employers are 3.5x more likely to say they want their RPO partner to leverage AI than to avoid it." With companies like AMS and Cielo leading the charge, RPO buyers are looking for more than just filling positions—they want innovative recruiting strategies driven by AI.

Get the full breakdown of AI’s impact on RPO here.

High-Volume Hiring Got You Swamped? Let AI Handle the Heavy Lifting

Managing high-volume hiring can feel overwhelming, but AI is changing the game. From streamlining candidate screening to improving the overall experience, AI tools like chatbots and intelligent ATS systems are helping recruiters tackle time constraints and resource limitations. As Recruitics notes, while AI is a powerful ally, “it’s most effective when combined with human expertise.”

Learn more here.

AI Agents Are Rewriting the Rules at Salesforce

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is fired up about AI’s future, claiming, “I’ve never worked on anything more exciting.” As AI agents become the new focus, Benioff and his team aim to integrate them seamlessly into the workforce, shifting low-value tasks to machines and empowering employees to focus on more impactful work. Trust and upskilling are key priorities, ensuring that this transformation benefits both businesses and their people.

Find out more about how AI agents are reshaping the future of Salesforce.