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Global unemployment to hold steady at 5%, ILO says
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has said global unemployment remained steady last year at an historical low of 5%, where it is set to stay in 2025. However, the ILO said job creation would be limited by a global economic slowdown from 3.3% to around 3.2% last year, and a gradual medium-term deceleration. “The global…
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Walmart faces backlash over DEI cuts
Thirteen state attorneys general and a group of more than 30 shareholders representing $266bn in funds have urged Walmart chief executive Doug McMillon to rethink the company’s recent decision to roll back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In a public letter, the officials expressed concern over Walmart’s closure of its Center for Racial…
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Employers regain upper hand amid return-to-office mandates
As firms clamp down on remote-work policies, reduce benefits and cut travel budgets, the Wall Street Journal argues that there has been a shift in leverage toward employers post-pandemic. The report quotes Michael Gibbs, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, who says: “Firms are trying to reset expectations”…
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Apple stands firm on diversity policies
Apple’s board has urged shareholders to reject a proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes. The board, including CEO Tim Cook, said: “The proposal is unnecessary as Apple already has a well-established compliance program,” saying that it would restrict the company’s operational management. The…
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US labor agency calls for Google to bargain with worker union
The National Labor Relations Board has claimed that Alphabet’s Google, as an employer of contract workers, must bargain with the union representing these employees. Board spokeswoman Kayla Blado said a probe is also underway into a complaint that Google and recruiter Accenture Flex changed working conditions without bargaining first. Should Google be found to be…
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Trump’s return sees social media giant change course on censorship
Social media firm Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is making concessions ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office by doing away with its fact-checking program and reduced regulation of discussions around certain topics. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: “We’ve reached a point where it’s just too many mistakes and too much…
