US raises to average 3% in 2016

Most 2016 pay raises will average around 3%, according to the 2016 Salary Guides released today by Randstad US. However, in-demand jobs are trending up to three times higher.

Certain engineering, IT, manufacturing and logistics, and office and administration jobs can expect compensation increases of 6%...

Oregon joins Department of Labor’s IC misclassification fight

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with the US Department of Labor to combat workers’ misclassification as independent contractors or other non-employee statuses.

The two agencies will provide outreach to employers, employees, and other stakeholders;...

CEO confidence edges up in Q1

CEO confidence edged up in the first quarter after declining in the final quarter of last year. The Conference Board’s measure of CEO confidence rose to a level of 47, up slightly from 45 in the fourth quarter of 2015.

A reading of more than 50 reflects more positive than negative responses.

The survey...

Austin/Round Rock and Denver areas post lowest jobless rates

The Austin-Round Rock area in Texas and the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo., area had the lowest unemployment rates in February, 3.1% each, among US metropolitan areas with populations of 1 million or more, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wis., metropolitan...

US job openings fall 3% in February but hiring up

The number of US job openings in February fell 2.8% from January to more than 5.4 million, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the number of hires rose to the highest level since 2006.

Educational services job openings increased by 48,000,...

California and New York raise minimum wage to $15 per hour

The governors of California and New York yesterday signed legislation that will eventually increase the minimum wage in those states to $15 per hour.

California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. yesterday signed legislation raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour statewide in 2022.

Under the California legislation,...

One-third of workers “boomerang” back to previous employer, survey finds

Nearly one-third of American workers, 29%, returned to a previous employer after leaving for some time, according to the WorkSphere survey released today by staffing company Spherion. An additional 41% of workers surveyed reported they are open to being a “boomerang” employee and potentially making...

Extra Help rebrands as HireLevel

Extra Help Inc., a staffing and payroll services provider headquartered in St. Louis, rebranded as HireLevel effective April 4. 

The new name aligns with the workplace management company’s mission as well as future growth plans, according to the company.

“Our new brand was designed to reinforce...

US nonmanufacturing index edges up in March, employment returns to growth

Economic activity in the US nonmanufacturing sector increased in March at a slightly faster pace than February. The Institute for Supply Management’s nonmanufacturing composite index rose to a reading of 54.5 from February’s reading of 53.4.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector.

The...

Talent dynamic compares to real estate — Staffing quote of the week

“Right now, you can assume that if an employee is talking to a company about a job, they're having a conversation with six other companies,” Melanie Monroe, regional VP for Staffing Solutions/Employbridge, told the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel. “The dynamic between how many job seekers are available...