An annual review of 2018 and early 2019 job numbers from the US Department of Labor shows job gains were lower -- by a half million -- than originally reported. The revision shows that hiring during 2018 averaged fewer than 200,000 jobs per month -- rather than the 223,000 initially reported -- and that the largest job drops occurred in consumer-oriented markets, such as retail and hospitality.
A proposed initiative in Arizona, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana, also would provide protections to employers who want to prohibit such use of marijuana at work. Some companies already have zero-tolerance policies for alcohol or prescription drugs, and recreational marijuana would be treated similarly, says Stacy Pearson of Strategies 360, which consulted on the initiative.
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Employers are embracing telehealth but employee adoption lags, according to data and experts. Teladoc Health's Stephany Verstraete said three reasons why employees are slow to participate are not knowing they have the benefit, not remembering they have it when they need it, and hesitancy due to questions about quality care.
Increased use of artificial intelligence in the financial-services industry is expected to eliminate certain human jobs. However, recruitment agencies report an increase in opportunities for people with AI expertise, while LinkedIn reports a surge in banks' search for such personnel.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear a challenge to no-poach agreements that businesses use to prevent other companies from hiring away their employees. In 2016, a court ruled that one such provision "was unenforceable as a matter of law," and the finding was later affirmed by a higher court.
