Another ‘whiplash’ month for the labor market as August beats expectations

The market remains in a “fragile” state, one economist said, as sensitivity to inflation, interest rates and geopolitical tensions remains high.

By Kathryn Moody • Sept. 4, 2026

Lowe’s Foundation launches skilled trades coalition to train 1M workers by 2035

The move comes amid a significant skilled trades labor shortage in the U.S.

By Lara Ewen • Sept. 4, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from HR Dive: Talent

HR Dive Talent’s top stories feature a number of evolving trends, including shifting cultural norms and emerging hiring challenges.

By HR Dive staff

This week in 5 numbers: The right personality could make up for a skills gap

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week — including how many work-related jams HR Dive compiled for readers to listen to this Labor Day weekend.

By Ginger Christ • Sept. 3, 2026

Data center employers face acute shortage of skilled workers, report finds

Recruiting from adjacent sectors like telecommunications and utility grid operations can help build a sustainable talent pipeline, Kelly Services said.

By Laurel Kalser • Sept. 3, 2026

Employees say only 60% of onboarding materials are necessary

Workers receive an average of 13 onboarding documents in their first week, an Adobe survey found.

By Lara Ewen • Sept. 3, 2026

Schedule flexibility may be key in keeping mothers in the workforce

New research questions the belief that what working mothers want most is remote work.

By Lara Ewen • Sept. 2, 2026

The wavering economy ticks up as a factor in executive benefits decisions

Retention and succession planning remain the key priorities, although many companies have no benefits strategies designed to support leadership transition.

By David McCann • Sept. 2, 2026

Almost half the time spent on AI is on fixing its output, BambooHR says

U.S. employees still remain largely positive about the technology at work, though younger workers are wary that it could limit their growth potential.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 2, 2026

EY earmarks $100M in rewards for ‘future-focused’ employees

The Big Four accounting firm is looking to reward employees who drive “meaningful change” through innovation, disruption, technology or growth.

By Alexei Alexis • Sept. 1, 2026

Worker personality may matter more than skills, hiring managers say

Hiring managers and job seekers agreed that the traits with the highest value are reliability, honesty, adaptability, flexibility and self-motivation.

By Kathryn Moody • Sept. 1, 2026

22 songs about work to jam to this Labor Day

This upcoming long weekend, stream the following songs about labor and the joys and pains that come with it.

By Caroline Colvin • Sept. 1, 2026

As costs mount, employees say they want financial, not wellness benefits

Pay growth and long-term incentives matter most at the moment as well as spot bonuses with increased frequency, Gartner said.

By Kathryn Moody • Sept. 1, 2026

Williams-Sonoma to spread tariff refunds to vendors, employees

The kitchenware retailer is funneling $10 million toward the retirement accounts of workers who helped it navigate tariffs while also reimbursing vendors for discounts. 

By Phil Neuffer • Sept. 1, 2026

The Washington Post-Karen Attiah saga raises questions about worker social media policies

An arbitrator ordered the Post to reinstate Attiah and provide back pay after firing her for social media posts. Here’s what HR can learn from the situation.

By Caroline Colvin • Aug. 31, 2026

Week in review: Healthcare costs may rise nearly 10% next year

We’re rounding up last week’s stories, including a new H-1B visa fee proposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

By Kathryn Moody • Aug. 31, 2026

Biotech companies bring on new HR talent in August

Krispy Kreme and regional grocery chain Giant also promoted HR talent into top leadership roles.

By Emilie Shumway • Aug. 28, 2026

There are three skilled trade job openings for every qualified worker

The supply of skilled workers only continues to tighten as more reach retirement age amid rising demand, a Lightcast report said.

By Lara Ewen • Aug. 28, 2026

Why HR departments run with AI agents will still require humans

Despite flashy headlines, companies are not wiping out their HR departments — not even to implement AI, experts told HR Dive.

By Kathryn Moody • Aug. 28, 2026

District HR leaders: Keep humans in decision-making as AI’s presence grows

With artificial intelligence gaining steam in school districts, some HR leaders also say the technology can help them be more efficient.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 27, 2026

Hiring managers say they trust AI — but actively manage issues with it

The volume of applications tripled in recent years, and while artificial intelligence tools help manage the influx, automation can only do so much, per a new study. 

By Lara Ewen • Aug. 27, 2026

AI-related growth edges out job cut fears in finance execs’ tech outlook

In an informal CFO Dive poll, 54% said they see AI’s biggest workforce impact being higher employee productivity.  

By Danielle McLean • Aug. 26, 2026

AI is evolving faster than humans can assess how best to use it

Existing frameworks aren’t equipped to understand what performance will look like in the artificial intelligence era, Talogy said in its report.

By Lara Ewen • Aug. 26, 2026

What mentorship looks like in the disconnected era

Successful mentorship programs are often guided but not too structured, and they don’t rely on managers being default mentors, experts told HR Dive.

By Jen A. Miller • Aug. 25, 2026

Looks matter more than resume in first impressions, study says

“People want to think that they are making really high-level analytical decisions based on effectively evaluating evidence,” but that’s not what is happening, one professor said.

By Caroline Colvin • Aug. 25, 2026

Healthcare costs could rise by nearly 10% in 2027

Employers cover more than 80% of the burden, but employees will also be hit by rising costs, an Aon report found.

By Lara Ewen • Aug. 25, 2026