The federal government is pouring billions of dollars into efforts to strengthen the US’s domestic capacity to produce semiconductor chips.

These chips, which power everything from cars to computers, were in short supply during the Covid-19 pandemic, as supply-chain issues brought into focus how dependent the US was on other countries for the technology. The US aims to produce 20% of the world’s most advanced chips by 2030 as part of the CHIPS and Science Act, and the government is tapping companies like Intel to help it achieve this goal.

Intel will receive $8.5 billion from the Department of Commerce to bolster semiconductor manufacturing, the company announced in March. The investment is expected to create 10,000 new jobs for the technology company, which is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, but has semiconductor facilities across the US. Chief People Officer Christy Pambianchi said Intel has been investing in partnerships with post-secondary education programs to strengthen the pipeline of available talent to fill these jobs.

Keep reading here.—CV

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On February 14, a TikTok user posted a video from behind a counter in her workplace, where she explains that she is hiding from three men who have been loitering in and around the store, where she was working alone. In a follow-up video, she shared that they made her feel so uncomfortable that when it was time to close the business for the night, she called security to escort her to her car.

This worker is not alone. TikTok is filled with posts about similar experiences. Around nine in 10 (89.7%) of the 1,063 US customer service workers surveyed in October 2023 by telecom company Ringover said they had experienced an increase in customer abuse (including swearing, yelling, or threats of violence) over the last year. Some 84.5% of those employees said they were looking for a new job as a result.

It is an employer’s responsibility to provide employees with a safe work environment. Doing so can give employees a sense of security, and make them more likely stay with their employer. HR can play a role in ensuring that happens.

Keep reading here.—AS

Germany has 1.57 million job openings and a working-age population that’s expected to drop by at least 2% by 2045.

But thanks to a program called Chancenkarte (or Opportunity Card), German employers in industries including IT, engineering, and healthcare could soon have access to a larger swath of qualified job applicants.

The program, which began on June 1, allows non-European workers to live in Germany for up to a year while they look for a job, EuroNews reported. They will be allowed to work part-time and take on trial jobs, which allow employers and workers to test each other out for up to two weeks.

Obtaining a card won’t necessarily be a walk in the park (or a Spaziergang).

Keep reading here.—KP

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