American productivity fell by the largest amount since 1960

US labor market productivity tanked in the third quarter. Paychecks grew and the number of hours worked jumped, but workers' output increased only at a moderate pace.

Revisions to the data that were initially published a month ago show that the productivity drop was even worse than feared, falling 5.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis. That's the steepest decline in the quarterly rate since the second quarter of 1960 when productivity fell 6.1%. READ MORE

Three Myths of the Great Resignation

The “Great Resignation” remains one of the buzziest economic stories of 2021. But the more people talk about it, the more I wonder whether most people know what they’re talking about. As so often happens with other nifty phrases and neologisms, use of the term and abuse of the term are in equal proportion. READ MORE

Survey on US workers says 39% looking to change jobs in year ahead

Nearly four out of 10 workers in the U.S. are looking to make a job switch in the coming year, according to a new survey from Fidelity Investments, signaling that the Great Resignation might be far from over.

Fidelity's annual Financial Resolutions Study released Thursday found that 39% of employed respondents across all age categories are planning to get a new gig in 2022. READ MORE

5 mistakes to avoid if you have to lay off employees remotely

How you let employees go matters for your company's reputation.

Consider Better.com's CEO, who just fired roughly 900 employees in a very brief Zoom call and quickly faced backlash.

No one will ever react positively to hearing they are terminated -- whether it's due to balance sheet problems or their own performance. So it's incumbent on the person delivering the bad news to be as thoughtful as possible in how they conduct themselves and how they treat the people being let go. READ MORE

Remote working jobs: 5 problems we need to solve in 2022

It's coming up to two years since a global pandemic tore up the traditional model of work, and many of us are still getting used to it.

While some companies have seen employees trickling through their doors again, others continue to spend the week logged in to work from whatever corner of the house offers the most comfort. Meanwhile, the idea of remote, flexible or 'hybrid' working becoming the norm continues to divide opinion. READ MORE

The Great Resignation is Quickly Becoming The Great Revolt

While “The Great Resignation” may seem like a passing phenomenon, it’s more complex and potentially serious than you may think. It’s quickly morphing into The Great Revolt. 

October has seen the launch of worker strikes across a range of industries because the current labor shortage has tipped the balance of power to employees. The Washington Post reported that low-wage workers are revolting against years of poor pay and stressful conditions.  READ MORE

Are teams or individuals better at getting work done?

Do you want to be on a team or do you want to work on the project alone? Or put another way, are two heads better than one?

A new study from Wharton professor Duncan Watts dissects the issue and comes up with a seemingly simple answer. It depends on the complexity of the problem. His argument is that “simple tasks are best accomplished by individuals, while difficult ones are more efficiently completed by a group.” READ MORE

10 of the worst business ideas to steer clear from in 2022

It doesn’t take much for what once seemed a good idea to turn into a bad business. Turning a blind eye on current and predicted market trends can cost you a failed business and bankruptcy. To prevent that from happening in 2022, we’re taking a look at the worst business ideas right now. 

It’s not that they’re really bad business ideas per se. It’s more about how the socio-economic situation is unsustainable to move on with their realisation. We’re sure that once our society gets rid of all social-distancing measures and fear of virus contagion these ideas won’t sound bad. However, in 2022 it’s wiser if you stay away from these bad business ideas. READ MORE

CEOs are joining the 'Great Resignation'

CEO turnover spiked in the first half of 2021, as companies tapped new talent to navigate the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and stressed-out chief executives sought a career change, a study from recruiting firm Heidrick & Struggles found.

The findings illustrate how CEOs are not immune to the exhaustion that has swept hundreds of millions of workers worldwide since the onset of the pandemic and has pushed many to consider a new job or lifestyle in a wave dubbed "The Great Resignation." READ MORE

SEC Chair says he doesn’t support Bitcoin’s “off-the-grid” approach to finance

SEC Chair Gary Gensler finally reveals his stance on Bitcoin by saying he doesn’t support its “off-the-grid” approach to finance.

Given Gensler’s experience teaching blockchain technology at MIT, many billed him as the “right choice” to lead the securities regulator. But coming up to eight months since being sworn in, and it’s fair to say his tenure to date hasn’t advanced the cryptocurrency sector how many imagined. READ MORE

Why return-to-office headlines don't reflect the messy reality

Major tech and media companies have set their third attempt at returning to the office en masse in early 2022. But with no end to the pandemic in sight, and with the shadow of uncertainty cast by the Omicron variant, some of those plans might be changing. Google on Thursday told staffers that the company will not be fully returning to offices in early January, after all. It will wait until 2022 to assess when workers will head back to a "stable, long-term working environment." READ MORE

3 jobs trends to look out for next year

Three important trends are likely to dominate the US labor market in 2022: the ongoing economic recovery from the pandemic, the severe labor shortage, and the increasing adjustment to remote work. But there is one wildcard that could upend everything: A new Covid-19 surge, driven by Omicron or another variant. READ MORE