RECRUITMENT & RETENTION If you’re looking for a sign of hope from the labor market, don’t get too excited about January’s job gains. The newest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed strong job gains for last month, following significant cooling in 2025. But experts warn that some statistical wonkiness, and employment growth concentration in just a few sectors, is likely impacting the January jobs data. Employers added another 130,000 jobs in January, beating some pretty dour forecasts from economists. The unemployment rate edged down slightly to 4.3%, from 4.4% in December. On the surface, experts who spoke to HR Brew said those top-line numbers were a pleasant surprise following a cooling in the labor market. January’s strong job gains could be a sign of stabilization, they said. But new benchmark revisions likely have created some statistical noise with January’s initial employment estimates. As a result, employers will want to take January’s employment growth with a very tiny grain of salt. For more on what HR needs to know about January job gains, keep reading here.—PM | | |
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Presented By Spark Hire Have you started using the Modern Hiring Toolkit from Spark Hire yet? It’s a free AI workspace with custom GPTs made for recruiters and hiring teams, designed to take that overwhelming feeling out of using AI. The toolkit focuses on the parts of hiring that usually fall apart. Think unclear kickoff meetings, rewritten job descriptions, and misaligned interview feedback. Rather than handing over hiring decisions to AI, these tools simply help recruiters do better work, faster, without adding meetings or noise. There’s no setup, no maintenance, and no tools to babysit. And the cherry on top? It’s free to use with an existing ChatGPT account. Awesome. Give it a try. |
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RECRUITMENT & RETENTION After six months without a leader, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) may soon have a commissioner. On Jan. 30, President Trump named Brett Matsumoto as his nominee to lead the BLS. Matsumoto is a longtime statistician at the government statistical agency, who is known by economists for his nuanced takes on data and also served on the White House Council of Economic Advisors during both Trump administrations. The BLS hasn’t had a permanent commissioner since early August, when Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, claiming, without any evidence, that the jobs report had been “manipulated for political purposes” under her watch. In some ways, Matsumoto’s nomination might be a breath of fresh air for politicians and those who rely on BLS data, including business leaders. For more on Matsumoto, and the challenges he may face should he be confirmed to lead the BLS, keep reading here.—PM | | |
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COMPLIANCE Reforms included in a spending bill recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump could transform how employers interact with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The reforms, which build on other federal efforts to rein in the intermediaries that work with health plans and the pharmaceutical industry to negotiate drug prices, are set to take effect in 2028–2029. Here’s what could change for employers as a result of the new requirements. For more on the new PBM reforms, and whether they could help employers cut costs, keep reading here.—CV | | |
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Together With ADP New tax breaks could boost employee savings. Did you know that recent IRS guidance covers a new federal income tax deduction for qualified overtime compensation and cash tips? Provide clarity to your employees with our communication template, which explains eligibility, calculations, and next steps, making complex tax changes easier to understand and act on. Download now. |
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WORK PERKS Today’s top HR reads. Stat: A growing number of retirees are worried they don’t have enough savings to last the rest of their lives. More than half (51%) of retirees with money remaining in a defined contribution plan like a 401(k) are worried they’ll run out of money, up from 30% in 2017. (MetLife) Quote: “The idea is that we want to bring people together in a connected way for those first couple of years.”—Yolanda Seals-Coffield, PwC US’s chief people and inclusion officer, on why entry-level hires are now assigned to one of just 13 locations, instead of any of the firm’s 72 offices across the country (Business Insider) Read: Large employers are planning to avoid the $100,000 H-1B fee by relying on workers who are exempt from paying it, or can work on a different type of visa. Small businesses may not be able to turn to the same tactics. (the Wall Street Journal) Try these tools: The Modern Hiring Toolkit was made to address the fault lines in the hiring process. It’s a free AI workspace of custom GPTs that helps create clarity, alignment, and efficiency. Try it.* *A message from our sponsor. |
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JOBS More focus, less fluff. CollabWORK filters out the noise and delivers jobs that actually match what HR Brew readers are looking for. Click here to see the full board of curated roles. |
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