Want a jobs report worth leaking? December’s wasn’t it.

On Thursday night, President Donald Trump leaked a graphic in an attempt to brag that the private sector accounted for all job growth in 2025, citing numbers that only added up when the Bureau of Labor Statistics published its normally highly protected monthly employment situation data some 12 hours later. While the president appeared keen to portray the latest jobs report (which has a significant influence on the stock market) as a victory for his administration, the December data was, well, mid.

Employers reported modest gains in December, while the unemployment rate edged down slightly. And taking the entire year into account, the labor market ended 2025 in a worse spot than when it started.

For more on what HR needs to know about the state of the labor market, keep reading here.—PM

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposal to rescind 2024 guidance on workplace harassment is being met by condemnation from former EEOC commissioners and Department of Labor officials.

The proposal was issued as a “final rule” to the White House on Dec. 29, 2025, bypassing the comment period traditionally afforded to the public with the introduction of rule changes. Shortly after, on Jan. 7, 2026, EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said the commission may revoke current voting procedures, Bloomberg Law reported.

“There was a set process by which the commissioners would each get a reasonable amount of time to review a proposed guidance,” Jenny R. Yang, former chair of the EEOC and member of EEO Leaders, a group of former EEOC and Department of Labor officials, told HR Brew. “They (the EEOC) are violating their own regulations that require notice and comment. This was required by the first Trump administration, and those regulations still remain in place, so I guess we’ll see what happens with some of that voting process.”

The harassment guidance, issued during the Biden administration, provided employers with tangible examples to help them prevent and address discrimination if and when it arises. Both workers and employers could be left without clarity around the law, and without an understanding of why the EEOC made the changes.

For more on what HR needs to know about the EEOC’s plan to rescind 2024 workplace harassment guidance, keep reading here.—KP

As the global economy wanes, workers in Ireland appear to be holding on to jobs harder than 1800s-era Waterford, Irish Tech News recently reported.

Where in the world? Job openings at employers in Ireland received fewer applications in October compared to the same period in 2024, LinkedIn found. The application to applicant ratio decreased by -3.9%, while the rest of EMEA-LATAM fell by -1.5%, year over year.

Workers in Ireland may have another reason to hug their roles: 37.3% of employers in the country offer hybrid work options, tying it with the UK for the highest in EMEA, LinkedIn found.

Satellite view. Roughly half (48%) of workers in the US admit to holding on to their jobs for stability or security as unemployment slowly ticks up, according to a recent report from Monster. The trend is expected to continue, as three-quarters of workers also said they will likely remain at their current job for the next two years.

For more on what HR should keep in mind about the job-hugging trend, keep reading here.—KP