US employers added 215,000 jobs in March, according to data from the Labor Department. The unemployment rate reached 5%, up slightly from 4.9% in February, as more Americans started looking for work.

Companies are embracing pet-friendly workplaces as a way to attract millennials and improve company culture, according to a Banfield Pet Hospital survey of employees and HR professionals. Ninety-one percent of HR managers say the policies increase company loyalty, and 86% of employees say they help lower stress levels. "Allowing pets in the workplace can be a real competitive edge," said Banfield's Tami Majer.

Businesses are earning employee loyalty by hiring career coaches, paying for classes and offering them other ways to hone their skills. These practices address one of the main reasons employees give for leaving their jobs: a lack of opportunities for advancement.

Five players on the US women's national soccer team say they were paid far less than men's team players despite having generated about $20 million more in revenue last year, and they have lodged a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Jeffrey Kessler, a lawyer representing the women, said the case "fits squarely into the Equal Pay Act." The US Soccer Federation said Thursday that it is open to pay talks as a new collective-bargaining agreement is negotiated.

Cloud-based software is providing HR with a less expensive and more efficient method of recruitment and talent management, writes Katherine Noyes. Cloud computing and analytics will help transform HR from a cost sink to a value contributor, said Justin Watras, Brooks Brothers' director of talent management and organizational effectiveness.

Companies are increasingly realizing that people who spend all their time at the office burn out, either leaving or seeing their productivity and morale decline. "However people choose to define flexibility, making sure workers tend to their own well-being and that of their families is good business for everyone," writes Susan Milligan.