Jobless claims average rises by 2,250

The US four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 223,750 last week, up 2,250 from the previous week’s unrevised average, the US Department of Labor reported.

The four-week moving average decreases the volatility of the weekly numbers. Total initial claims for unemployment...

Blockchain hyped, says Randstad Innovation Fund exec, AI recruiter raises $14 million, Scout Exchange hires RPO exec and more in Tech Roundup

A Randstad Innovation Fund executive discusses HR tech and artificial intelligence-powered recruiter AllyO announces a $14 million funding round are among technology developments affecting the workforce solutions ecosystem.

Other developments: Scout Exchange announced the hire of a former ManpowerGroup...

CTG proposes declassifying board

Computer Task Group Inc. (NASD: CTG) will recommend to its shareholders a corporate governance initiative to eliminate its classified board structure and transition to a single class of directors to be elected annually.

The Buffalo, NY-based IT staffing and solutions provider reported the proposed initiative...

Amazon, Alphabet rank one and two on LinkedIn most sought-after employers list

Amazon ranked No. 1 on the 2018 LinkedIn Top Companies list. The annual ranking highlights the companies in top markets around the globe that are most sought-after by professionals, based on LinkedIn data on the company’s 540-plus million members.

Here are the 10 most sought-after firms and some of...

Blended paralegal and legal secretary roles becoming more prevalent, Robert Half says

Hybrid, or blended, paralegal and legal secretary positions, have become more prevalent in the last two years, according to 66% of lawyers surveyed by Robert Half Legal. And 15% of lawyers said their organization plans to increase hiring for these roles in the next 12 months.

The research also found that...

Number of nurse practitioners at record high, organization says

The number of nurse practitioners hit a new record high, according to data released by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. More than 248,000 nurse practitioners are currently licensed to practice in the US, up from an estimated 120,000 in 2007.

“This is an important milestone for patients...

Fast processing of H-1B visas for temporary foreign workers on hold again (San Francisco Chronicle)

US Citizenship and Immigration Services is temporarily suspending fast processing of H-1B visa applications from for-profit firms until Sept. 10, the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper reported. The move comes a few weeks before the agency is to begin accepting H-1B applications for the next federal fiscal...

Temporary healthcare staffing revenue growth to decelerate to 6% this year: SIA report

Growth in US temporary healthcare staffing revenue will decelerate to 6% this year from 8% in 2017 as the influx of demand from newly insured levels off, according to the “US Healthcare Staffing Market Assessment: 2018 Update” recently released by Staffing Industry Analysts.

For this year, growth...

Applicants with impressive résumés frequently disappoint in job interviews, Robert Half finds

Applicants with impressive résumés frequently disappoint in job interviews, according to research released today by Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI). More than six in 10 senior managers surveyed, 64%, said it’s common for an applicant with a promising résumé not to live up to expectations...

Hudson Global approves sale of European and Asia-Pacific staffing units, deals to close this month

Hudson Global Inc.’s (NASD: HSON) stockholders today approved the proposed sales of the company’s recruitment and talent management businesses in Europe and Asia Pacific. Hudson announced in December that it entered into agreements to sell the operations to strategic buyers...