Trying to keep up with the news since President Donald Trump took office (again) on Jan. 20 has been like trying to drink from a firehose. So, in case you chose your own mental health over trying to gulp in the myriad personnel changes and executive orders that could impact nearly every employer, here’s what you may have missed.

DE&I under threat. On his first day in office, Trump ordered that all DEIA efforts across the federal government be abandoned, HR Brew previously reported. The anti-DE&I executive orders have had a ripple effect at federal agencies, government contractors, and private entities.

While the White House has not defined what it considers “illegal DE&I,” several federal contractors, including RTX, Deloitte, and Booz Allen, changed some of their DE&I programming to comply with the executive orders or avoid attention. Other institutions, including the City of Baltimore and the Restaurant Opportunities Center United, sued the administration, claiming the orders violate the first amendment.

Gender identity erasure. The administration has also attempted to erase transgender and nonbinary identities through executive order.

Keep reading here.—KP

In recent years, many have found it tough to land a new job, let alone a better one. As employers have scaled back on hiring, some have also sacrificed the perks that helped them remain competitive during the Great Resignation, such as higher pay.

That might be changing. After a few bleak years, job seekers could be gaining leverage in the market, ZipRecruiter’s most recent new hires survey suggests.

After the storm? Fifty-three percent of the over 1,500 workers surveyed by ZipRecruiter who started their current jobs within the past six months were actively recruited, up from 29% during Q3 2024. And for some, the grass is proving to be greener on the other side: 46% of those surveyed said they were “very satisfied” with their job, compared to 39% who said the same the previous quarter. These changes may reflect recent shifts in employers’ attitudes toward hiring.

Yes, but… It’s still too early to confirm a shift in the labor market. One quarter of data showing an uptick after two years of decline is “insufficient,” the ZipRecruiter survey warned. For HR and recruitment leaders continuing to navigate the uncertain hiring landscape, it might be wise to brace for heightened competition.

Keep reading here.—PM

Target CEO Brian Cornell was unequivocal about the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in 2021.

“As CEOs, we have to be the company’s head of diversity and inclusion,” Cornell told CNBC. “We have to be the role models that drive change and our voice is important.”

So when Target announced on January 24 that it was pulling back on some DE&I efforts, like many companies have as President Donald Trump rails against diversity, it struck some as a sudden reversal for Target.

But Target’s own press releases about issues of racial and social equity tell a different story.

Keep reading on Retail Brew.—AAN