Despite the debate around the merits of the current levels of immigration, economists at major firms on Wall Street argue it has been a major boon for the economy and added trillions of dollars to US gross domestic product. The benefits of this influx have not escaped the attention of policymakers, such as Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell, who say migration has boosted employment, fueled consumer spending and eased post-pandemic labor shortages.

A measure that has passed in the Oklahoma House of Representatives would reduce the state's requirement that social workers accrue 4,000 hours of practical experience as part of their licensure to 3,000. The requirement exceeds that of other states and may be affecting Oklahoma's ability to attract and retain a sufficient mental health workforce.

US life expectancy at birth rose from 76.4 years in 2021 to 77.5 years in 2022 after two straight years of decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the increase was not enough to bring the life expectancy rate back to the pre-pandemic level, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. The rebound in life expectancy was attributed to a roughly 9% decline in the overall age-adjusted mortality rate and decreases in death rates related to COVID-19, heart disease, cancers, homicides and unintentional injuries.

Companies are increasingly offering housing assistance as a recruiting and retention tool, with some employees saying in a new survey that they would exchange vacation time for help with their rent or mortgage. Food processor JBS Foods rents apartments to employees or negotiates mortgages on their behalf, and Elon Musk's Boring is building a 110-home subdivision outside Austin with lease-to-own houses below market value.

HR leaders who are preparing their company for the next chief HR officer should focus on multiple business-minded candidates so the CEO can choose the person who has the type of skills needed at the time of succession, says Bill Strahan, executive vice president of HR at Comcast. "You may be the best benefit expert, the best talent expert, the best comp expert, but CHRO is not the place to learn on the job about how to be a business partner," says Strahan.