A new study reveals that Georgians are most eager to find jobs in the United States, with the highest volume of monthly job-hunting keyword searches per 100,000 people. The localization management platform Centus used Google Keyword Planner to analyze the search volume data for each U.S. state in the past year for keywords related to finding a job. These keywords included “Glassdoor,” “ZipRecruiter,” “Indeed Jobs,” and “Job near me.” To avoid population bias, a monthly search volume per 100,000 people was then calculated. Top 10 most eager states to find a new job Georgia—4,272 monthly Google searches for job-hunting keywords per 100,000 people. On average, the state has a total of 471,142 searches for job-hunting keywords every month. Delaware—3,561 monthly searches for keywords related to finding a job per 100,000 residents, and an average monthly total of 36,743 searches. Florida—3,546 monthly searches for job-hunting keywords for every 100,000 people, and a total of 801,696 searches on average per month. Mississippi—3,516 searches every month for every 100,000 people, and a total of 103,353 job-seeking searches per month. Maryland—3,459 monthly searches per 100,000 people, and a total of 213,755 each month on average. North Carolina—3,428 monthly searches for every 100,000 people, and an average monthly total of 371,397 over the last year. Texas—3,422 monthly searches on average per 100,000 people, and a total of 1,043,728 every month—the second highest on the list. Illinois—3,389 monthly searches for every 100,000 residents, and a total of 425,321 per month over the last year. Arizona—3,360 monthly job-hunting searches for every 100,000 people, and a total of 249,675 searches per month. South Carolina—3,318 monthly searches on average per 100,000 people, and a total of 178,283 searches every month over the last year.
New York is the best state for employees in the United States, with the highest index score for factors related to workers’ safety and well-being, according to new research from StartFleet.io. The business service company analyzed the 2022 and 2023 U.S. Department of Labor Statistics to reveal the best and worst states for employees, with New York at the top. The ranking evaluated the percentage of workers represented by unions, the percentage of workers paid below the minimum wage, and the number of fatal workplace injuries for each state. These factors were weighted evenly, and a total score was calculated, producing an overall score out of 100 for each state on which the final ranking is based. New York recorded the highest index score at 77.7 out of 100. A total of 22.1% of workers are represented by a labor union and 0.6% of workers are paid below the minimum wage, which is $16.00 in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County and $15.00 in the rest of the state. The state has reported an average of 3.1 fatal injuries in the workplace per 100,000 workers in 2022. Washington is in second place, with an overall index score of 75.4 out of 100 in the study. The state is home to 19.1% of workers who are represented by a labor union and 0.4% of workers who are paid below the minimum wage, which is $16.28 per hour—the highest state minimum wage in the country. Washington has recorded an average of 3.1 fatal injuries in the workplace per 100,000 workers in a year. Hawaii takes third spot, with a total index score of 74.5 out of 100. The state reports that 23.4% of workers are represented by a labor union, and 0.6% are paid below the minimum wage, which is $14.00 per hour. In 2022, 4.4 fatal injuries in the workplace were recorded on average per 100,000 people in the state. Ranking fourth is Oregon, with a score of 72.2 out of 100 in the study. The state is home to 16.9% of workers who are represented by labor unions and 0.4% are paid below the minimum wage, which is between $13.70 to $15.95 per hour, depending on the area. Oregan reported an average of 3 fatal workplace injuries in 2022 per 100,000 people. Completing the top five best states for employees is California, scoring 71.9 out of 100. In the Golden State, 17.6% of workers are represented by a union and 0.5% of workers are paid below the minimum wage, which is $16.00 per hour, but higher in some cities and counties, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. California reported an average of 3.1 fatal workplace injuries in 2022 per 100,000 people. Rounding out the top 10 best states in which to work were Minnesota, Connecticut, New Jersey, Alaska, and Illinois. On the other hand, Arkansas is revealed to be the worst state for employees in the U.S., with the lowest index score in the study at 24 out of 100. The state records 5.7% of its workers to be represented by a labor union and 2% of workers who are paid below the minimum wage, which is $11.00 per hour. Arkansas reported an average of 6.2 fatal injuries in the workplace per 100,000 people. Wyoming is the second-worst state for workers, with a score of 27 out of 100 in the study. A total of 7.4% of workers in the state are represented by a union and 1.2% are paid below the minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour. In 2022, 14 fatal injuries in the workplace were recorded on average per 100,000 people in the state. Louisiana is third, scoring 27.7 out of 100 in the ranking. The state is home to 5.2% of workers represented by a labor union and 1.6% of workers who are paid below the minimum wage, which is $7.25. Louisiana reported an average of 6.7 fatal injuries in the workplace per 100,000 people. Completing the 10 worst states for employees is Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, North Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, and Idaho.
This week and last, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has implemented several new benefits, policies and guidance for the labor market. Check out what’s new below: Mental Health The DOL along with the departments of Health and Human Services and the Treasury issued final rules to strengthen protections to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder care. Released on Sept. 9, the rules build on the departments’ commitment to achieving the full promise of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. The act requires group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group and individual health insurance coverage that offer mental health or substance use disorder benefits to cover those benefits in parity with medical and surgical benefits, without imposing greater restrictions on mental health or substance use disorder benefits as compared to medical and surgical benefits. More than 15 years after the law’s enactment, the departments’ enforcement efforts have shown that many still encounter barriers to accessing mental health and substance use disorder care as compared to medical and surgical care under their health plan or coverage. “Simply put, getting care for anxiety should be as easy as getting medical help for an injured shoulder, and getting medication to treat depression should be as simple as getting medication to treat high cholesterol,” said Lisa M. Gomez, Employee Benefits Security assistant secretary. Investing in America and Investing in Americans Executive Order On Sept. 6, the Biden-Harris administration announced the Investing in America and Investing in Americans Executive Order to drive more federal dollars toward good-paying, safe jobs offering the right to organize and providing critical benefits such as childcare. The Executive Order builds upon the work of the DOL’s Good Jobs Initiative, which provides resources to maximize the creation of good jobs through federal investments. Through the DOL and nine agency partners, around US$240 billion in federal projects are more likely to pay better wages, hire people of color, and offer benefits such as childcare, healthcare, and transportation. Cybersecurity In its continuing effort to protect U.S. workers’ retirement and health benefits, on Sept. 6 the DOL updated current cybersecurity guidance confirming that it applies to all types of plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, including health and welfare plans, and all employee retirement benefit plans. The new Compliance Assistance Release issued by the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration provides best practices in cybersecurity for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, recordkeepers, and plan participants. The release updates EBSA’s 2021 guidance and includes the following: Tips for hiring a service provider. Cybersecurity program best practices. Online security tips. Child Labor On Sept. 5, the DOL’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs published the 11th edition of its List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor and the 23rd edition of the Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor. In addition to identifying the types of products, the industries involved and where they exist, the reports assist foreign governments in developing effective policy responses, and support businesses’ due diligence and risk management in their supply chains. The International Labor Organization estimates millions of people worldwide are working in abusive labor conditions, including 160 million children in child labor and nearly 28 million people in forced labor.
A record high number of 401(k) accounts contained US$1 million or more during the second quarter, according to a new data analysis by Fidelity Investments. As of June 30, nearly half a million 401(k) accounts (497,000) had balances of $1 million or more, up 2.5% from the prior quarter, according to Fidelity’s analysis of 24 million 401(k) accounts across 26,000 employer-sponsored plans. The average balance hit $1.595,200 million, up from $1,581,000 at the end of March. The number of individual retirement account (IRA) participants carrying balances of $1 million or more also hit a record high last quarter, jumping 6% from the first quarter to nearly 399,000. The vast majority of 401(k) participants’ average savings rate was 14.2% of their income in the second quarter, on par with where it was in the prior quarter, Fidelity reported. The good news is that this savings rate is slightly under the 15% retirement experts typically recommend and reflects a combination of employee and employer match contributions, CNN said. The average 401(k) balance rose to $127,100, up 1% from the first quarter, and up 13% from a year ago. “Although increases were modest, retirement savers in the second quarter of 2024 benefited from the continued upswing of the previous quarter when contribution levels and average account balances reached record highs,” said Sharon Brovelli, Fidelity president of workplace investing Investments. “…This quarter, Americans leveraged positive market conditions to build upon their savings and further secure their financial future.”
A new Australian rule, which went into effect on Aug. 26, allows employees to ignore out-of-work hour emails and text messages from employers. For example, employees cannot be punished for refusing to read or respond to late night emails or text messages on vacation. Supporters said the “right to disconnect” law gives employees the right to ignore the invasion of their personal lives by work emails, texts, and calls, a trend that has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic blurred the division between home and work, Reuters reported. The Australian law adds the country to a list of about two dozen countries, mostly in Europe and Latin America, which have similar laws. To cater for emergencies and jobs with irregular hours, the Australian rule still allows employers to contact their workers, who can only refuse to respond where it is reasonable to do so. Inspired by Australia, a San Francisco assemblyman proposed legislation earlier this year that would grant workers the right to disconnect outside of work, with violations punishable by fine. NPR reported it would make California the first state in the country to do so, but the bill was criticized by business groups and shelved in committee this spring.
A new research report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found the prime working age population (25 to 64 years old) has significantly fallen and is being filled by older workers. At the same time, the labor force participation rate of those ages 65 or older has not reached its pre-pandemic level, while that of the prime working age population has reached that level. The report examined the U.S. civilian labor force through December 2023, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey. As the Baby Boom generation has aged, the American labor force has also grown older. Key findings in the report include: • The share of the labor force that is of prime working ages (ages 25–64) has significantly fallen since the mid-1990s despite the labor force participation rates of individuals of these ages remaining near mid-1990s levels. The decrease is being driven by the smaller number of people of these ages (meaning that younger and older Americans are needed to cover this decrease). So far, the older population has been filling the gap in the labor force, as those younger than age 25 are at near record-low levels for their share of the labor force. Beginning in 2008, the U.S. population (ages 16 or older) became increasingly composed of those ages 65 or older. By 2023, this age category made up the largest share of the population. Americans ages 16-24 made up the smallest proportion of this population, while those ages 45-54 made up the second smallest share. When analyzing the U.S. population ages 16 or older by age and gender, females ages 65 or older made up the largest proportion by a sizable margin. However, males of the same ages tended to make up a comparatively larger share of the labor force than females, with the labor force gaps being smallest among the youngest and oldest age ranges. The labor force participation rates of those ages 16 or older were overall relatively constant from 1975-2023. However, participation rates rose for females and fell for males, though both genders had lower participation rates in 2023 than in 2008. Labor force participation rates of White Americans ages 16 and older declined from 2000-2023, with the rates for Black and Hispanic Americans also being lower in 2023 than in 2000. However, the labor force participation rates for Black and Hispanic Americans increased sharply from 2021–2023 after falling in 2020, while this was not the case for White Americans. “Despite the difference in labor force participation (LFP) rates between 1975 and 2023 being less than 2 percentage points, significant changes in labor force patterns and composition have occurred over the past several decades,” Craig Copeland, EBRI wealth benefits research director said. “The LFP rates decreased for men and increased for women over this timespan, though female LFP rates have trended down since the 1990s, resulting in a lower overall LFP in recent years. A large decline in the LFP rate was observed among those ages 16-19 at the beginning of the 2000s, while those ages 65 and over have had an increase in the LFP rate. The age of the labor force will play an important role in companies’ work force development. “At present, the aging of the Baby Boom generation has resulted in an increased share of older individuals in the labor force,” Copeland said. “However, members of this generation are almost all at least in their 60s, and the next generation, Gen X, is much smaller. So, a decrease in the share of workers ages 55 or older is imminent. How quickly this outcome results will be determined by whether the Baby Boom generation has continual higher labor force participation rates at ages over 65 than what has occurred in the past.”
According to a recent Labor Day survey, most workers (67%) believe they are working harder this year than last year. Still, 67% of Americans said they are doing better financially than they were last Labor Day. These mixed results show the impact inflation has on workers. Most Americans (74%) think inflation is erasing their hard work, and 93% want a raise to keep up with inflation. Additionally, nearly two in three Americans said inflation will affect their Labor Day plans. “There is not a lot that workers and employers can do individually to reverse the rate of inflation, but there are ways to stay afloat,” said Cathy Carey, University of Southern Indiana professor of economics. “Some ways to do this are to rein in excess spending, save in ways that take advantage of higher interest rates and market returns, and hold off on more significant purchases until wages catch up or prices fall. “This is not a time to lose hope and give up on hard work. Quite the contrary—this is the time to stand out so that when the benefits of hard work pay off, they pay off bigger, particularly in occupations that are commission-based or use merit pay. Employees might seek additional training or education to enhance their skills. Employers can help workers through training programs, which can lead to internal promotions and pay raises, allowing employees to keep pace with inflation.”
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Texas barred a U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule banning noncompete agreements from being enacted. Reuters reported the judge said the FTC, which is an antitrust law watchdog, does not have the authority to ban practices it deems unfair methods on competition. This same judge had temporarily blocked the rule in July. In response, the FTC said it is considering an appeal. The ban was set to go into effect Sept. 4. While the FTC's rule would have been the first nationwide ban, California, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and North Dakota have already banned noncompete agreements. At least a dozen other states have also passed laws limiting their use. The FTC said an estimated 30 million workers—nearly one in five Americans—are subject to a noncompete clause. Last week, a U.S. district judge in Ocala, Florida, also blocked the FTC from applying the rule to real estate developer Properties of the Villages, pending the outcome of the company's lawsuit claiming the commission lacked the power to institute a ban, Reuters reported. At least three lawsuits have been filed challenging the ban.
Startups have lost their luster, according to a new report. Nearly a quarter (24%) of workers and 27% of women said startup culture is toxic in the report. In turn, 69% of respondents believe it’s harder for startups to succeed in 2024. The report found that the landscape has shifted as more workers value work-life balance over the traditional startup allure of potential wealth and trendy office perks. The study found: 21% would never work for a startup, citing a lack of job security, layoff risk, and toxic work environments. 30% say office perks are less appealing than they used to be. One in four believe startups are boys’ clubs. With more than one in 10 respondents declaring startup culture dead, the survey highlighted the significant deterrents to startup appeal: 75% cited long hours. 43% said the high-risk/reward model. 36% named the necessity of living in a tech hub city. Interestingly, the survey also found three in four people prefer remote work to office perks. Most (89%) would join a startup if they could work remotely.
Half of U.S. workers indicated they prefer working for an organization that provides flexibility when it comes to remote and hybrid work, according to a new poll from Eagle Hill Consulting. Additionally, half of workers said they would consider looking for a new job should their employer reduce remote and hybrid work flexibility. Specifically, 61% of Gen Z workers said they would—the highest among the generations. Further, only 30% of workers said their employer has solicited their input on what remote and hybrid work flexibility they would prefer, while 67% said remote work improves corporate culture. Workers also said their top concerns about more in-person work include work-life balance (48%), commute time (41%), increased costs (36%), stress (33%), and happiness (26%). This research comes as many employers continue to increase in-person work, while other organizations are leveraging flexible-work arrangements to recruit and retain workers in a continued tight labor market. The survey also found that employees see the value of in-person work. A large share of workers (56%) said those who work more in the office than remotely are more likely to be successful in their jobs. The vast majority (85%) of workers said team building is managed better in person, as is integrating new team members (84%), training and managing teams (78%), onboarding (74%), kicking off a new project (76%), getting a project back on track (74%), performance discussions (68%), meetings (65%), giving and receiving feedback (63%), brainstorming (62%), and IT support (54%). The research also found: Employees say the benefits of returning to the workplace would include increased socialization (46%), the ability to leave work at work (35%), improved collaboration (33%), and more productivity (32%). Workers are split on employers tracking their attendance to ensure compliance with company remote work policies. More than half (51%) want their attendance tracked, while 49% don’t. More than one-third (34%) of workers are willing to sacrifice a dedicated workspace in exchange for more remote work. Only 17% would sacrifice pay for increased remote work. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of employees said someone they work with directly makes their remote work flexibility decisions.
Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event held each August that recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep workers safe. This year, Safe + Sound Week takes place Aug. 12 to 18 and will provide resources for businesses on Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). Successful safety and health programs can proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness—improving sustainability. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor, Safe + Sound Week aims to help start work programs, energize existing ones, and recognize safety nationwide. Last year, more than 3,900 businesses helped to raise awareness about workers' health and safety. As of Aug. 12, more than 5,300 participants have registered. Safe + Sound 2024 Week organizers include: OSHA – U.S. Dept of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration NIOSH – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health AIHA – American Industrial Hygiene Association VPPPA – Voluntary Protection Programs Participants Association ASSP – American Society of Safety Professionals NSC – National Safety Council CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training Partners are organizations responsible for communication and outreach throughout the year to promote Safe + Sound to their stakeholders are listed here.
Most Americans (70%) have reported having a particularly unpleasant experience in a public restroom due to the poor condition of the facility, according to a recent Bradley Co. survey. The top restroom aggravations include clogged or unflushed toilets; an old, dirty or unkempt appearance; and unpleasant smells. Unfortunately, businesses that neglect restroom cleaning and maintenance jeopardize customers' repeat business and sales. Almost 60% of respondents believe an unclean restroom shows poor management, 56% are left with a tarnished opinion of the business, and 50% vow not to return or will think twice about doing so. On the other hand, 62% of Americans make a point to stop at businesses with clean and well-maintained bathrooms when they need to use the facilities—with nearly 60% willingly to spend more money there. "While 43% of Americans believe the overall condition of public restrooms has improved over the past 15 years, that leaves 57% who remain unimpressed," said Jon Dommisse, Bradley Co. vice president of business development and strategy. "Our research shows that business owners with subpar restrooms are leaving untapped sales opportunities on the table." Top restroom pet peeves include used paper towels left on the floor or sink; water splashed around the floor or sink; and careless or reckless behavior that results in damage. The survey also queried participants' attitudes when they observe someone in a public restroom not washing their hands before exiting. Almost 70% of Americans recall seeing somebody use a restroom without washing their hands, which creates a negative impression about that person, as CMM previously reported. Additionally, people remain in an elevated state of germ consciousness. In fact, most Americans (80%) said they are now more conscious about germs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Like the iPod forever changed music and 9/11 changed air travel, COVID will forever change public bathroom design," Dommisse said. "People want clean, well-stocked restrooms that they don't have to touch." People go to great lengths to avoid encountering germs in public restrooms. Almost 70% of Americans use a paper towel as a barrier between themselves and flushers, faucets, and doors. Nearly half (46%) use their foot to flush a public toilet. With so many people cautiously avoiding contact with restroom surfaces, it follows that 86% believe it is important to have touchless fixtures in a public restroom. The majority (70%) are more likely to return to a business that offers touch-free technology such as faucets, flushers, soap, and towel dispensers in its restrooms.
