Job openings totaled 10.05 million in August, down significantly from 11.17 million in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The August number represents the largest monthly decrease since April 2020 and is among the first signs a tight labor market is cooling as job seekers and openings come closer into balance.

Some school districts that are struggling to hire enough teachers are recruiting from the Philippines, with US schools hiring more than 1,000 teachers in the past several years. The teaching profession in the Philippines is highly competitive, with some top educators making their way to US schools, which share similar school calendars and grading systems as those in the Philippines.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported a median drop in real wages of over 8.5% during the past year due to inflation. "The current time period is unparalleled in terms of the challenge employed workers face," the report states.

More women age 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher are employed now than before the pandemic, accounting for 50.7% of the college-educated workforce, according to Pew Research Center data. "One of the factors bolstering the growth of the women's college-educated labor force is that college-educated women are the only gender and education group whose labor-force participation rate is back at its pre-pandemic level," says Richard Fry, a senior researcher for Pew.

Developing emotional intelligence, or EQ, skills can help leaders build trust with employees and boost retention by creating a fulfilling and purposeful company culture, writes Greg Sloan, co-founder of Go Beyond. Sloan outlines the four pillars of EQ and how it can be used to help team members realize their goals, dreams and purpose.

Eighth-grade teacher Rose Jean Obreque had a rough first day on the job. Her opening activity of making name tags went south as students broke pencils, left the classroom to use the restroom, or folded the paper she gave them into paper airplanes and flew them in class. When she attempted to regain control of the classroom, students jeered and talked over her. It took the PE teacher, who was observing her class, blowing his whistle to get students to settle down.

Days two and three were equally chaotic. Students disrupted lessons, played with toys, engaged in games, chewed their clothing and spit water at each other. Some walked about the room. To top it all off, she got berated by a teacher from another classroom who could hear the noise in Obreque's room. "You think it's funny that I can hear you through the wall?" he said. "It's not funny. It's embarrassing. Do better."

Obreque is not a rookie teacher. She is one of the best in her field in her home country, the Philippines. She is among 20 teachers recently hired from the Philippines to teach in Bullhead City School District in Arizona. Our Recruiting & Retention story today gives a detailed account of their experience teaching here in America.

It would be easy to pass judgment as you walk through their stories. Please don't. Schools across the country are battling teacher shortages. More teachers are leaving the field -- 370,000 since the start of the pandemic -- and fewer are coming in to fill their positions. Traditional teacher education programs say enrollment has declined 35% over the past 10 years.

You see why as you read this story. Disrespect from students has skyrocketed. That coupled with high stress, low pay, limited resources and increased expectations has pushed many to look for work elsewhere. It's a shame.

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going" as the saying goes. And nowhere is that more evident right now than in the field of education. Hats off to the teachers, site staff and school administrators who toil in the trenches daily to serve our students.

How can I serve you better with this brief? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.