RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

Getty Images

So much for a September surge. August’s unexpected yet strong job growth was not matched in September, according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Payroll gains were quite meager in September, coming in well below analysts’ expectations, as myriad economic challenges likely had employers pumping the brakes on hiring.

Diving into the data. Employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, around two-thirds of the average monthly gains of 45,000 over the last year. Downward revisions for prior months now estimate that the labor market lost 10,000 jobs in July, and while adding 133,000 in August.

While employers treaded with caution in September, workers were seemingly optimistic. The labor participation rate rose slightly to 61.8%, suggesting more people returned to the labor force during that period. As such, the unemployment rate rose to 4.2% in September, from 4.1% in August, which experts said is likely the result of more people looking for work than employers shedding jobs.

Zoom out. Hiring will likely continue to slow through the rest of 2026 due to economic pressures, according to Bachaud. However, employers shouldn’t move slowly with their talent strategies just because fewer hires are being made right now. Despite labor participation ticking back up, the labor force is shrinking, as fertility and immigration rates decline. Employers have to be prepared for that.

For more on what the latest jobs report means for HR teams, keep reading here.—PM

      

Sponsored By LHH

Career transitions used to be tied to recessions or mass layoffs. Now—even at healthy, growing companies—they’re a normal part of doing business, often driven by automation, restructuring, and shifting skill needs.

Most small and midsize businesses don’t have a workforce transition team on standby for when a role changes or an employee leaves. That’s why LHH created the guide Leading Through Career Transitions: Practical Support for Real-World Businesses.

The guide offers practical, right-size ways to handle career transitions without requiring companies to build out enterprise-level HR infrastructure. It’s built around the premise that you don’t need a big budget to support people well—and structured transition support can scale from one departure to an entire team.

Take a look and start setting up a practical plan for helping your people move forward.

COMPLIANCE

Getty Images

There’s a new (labor) sheriff in town.

The US Senate late Wednesday confirmed (47–41) President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Labor, Keith Sonderling, ahead of an expected recess scheduled until after the midterm elections.

Sonderling was nominated by the president in June. He was a commissioner of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from September 2020 to August 2024, and acting administrator and deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division from 2017 to 2020.

In an emailed statement shared to HR Brew on Thursday, Emily M. Dickens, SHRM’s chief administrative officer, said Sonderling’s “leadership across the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides valuable perspective as workforce policy keeps pace with changes in technology, skills, and the way work gets done.”

For more on Sonderling’s confirmation, and what HR can expect from his leadership, keep reading here.—AD

      

COMPLIANCE

Morning Brew

The UK is expanding bereavement leave eligibility, the government announced on Sept. 22.

Where in the world? Starting in April 2027, workers in the UK can take up to two weeks of unpaid bereavement leave for “step, half, adoptive, kinship care and foster relationships,” who were not previously covered. Extended family, including aunts and uncles, cousins, and nieces and nephews, as well as close friends are not covered, according to the Financial Times.

The new regulation also extends leave to workers and their partners who experience pregnancy loss including miscarriage and abortion; the previous rule only allowed time off for people who lost a child under 18.

Zoom out. Bereavement leave is not widely guaranteed for most workers around the world, and just a handful of countries provide miscarriage leave.

For more on bereavement leave around the world, keep reading here.—KP

      

Sponsored By Justworks

Just worry less. When you partner with Justworks to unburden your brain from administrative tasks like payroll, benefits, and hiring, everything can run smoother. Let go and focus on the parts of running your business you actually enjoy, because you don’t have to worry when it Justworks. Learn more.

Level up your career with these resources from our sponsors!

work perks

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Roughly 11 million workers may need to change occupations in the next decade as AI continues to transform the workplace. (McKinsey & Company)

Quote: “People are struggling, and it’s hard to make it paycheck to paycheck.”—Lauren Saunders, a senior lawyer at the National Consumer Law Center, on why workers use pay advance apps to cover expenses between paychecks (the New York Times)

Read: Three OpenAI workers were fired for “mishandling information” amid widespread scrutiny over AI safety. (BBC)

^{*A message from our sponsor.}