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Recent Editions

Human Times
North America
President Trump's immigration policies are significantly impacting the job market, particularly for low-wage workers. Monthly hiring has dropped to an average of 29,000 jobs from June to August, a stark contrast to the 400,000 jobs added during the post-pandemic boom. Economists warn that the loss of foreign workers could lead to near-zero job growth in the coming years. Lee Branstetter, an economist at Carnegie-Mellon University, emphasized: “Immigrants are good for the economy,” highlighting their role in mitigating inflation. The Congressional Budget Office has downgraded its economic growth forecast, attributing it to the fallout from Trump's immigration policies. Goodwin Living's CEO, Rob Liebreich, noted the challenges of filling roles after laying off immigrant workers, stating, “We need all those hands.”
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Human Times
UK
The tightening UK labour market has driven Christmas job searches to a nine-year high, up 28% from last year, with growing numbers of professionals and graduates seeking seasonal roles as a pathway to permanent employment. Petra Tagg of Manpower UK estimates that a quarter of applicants are recent graduates, while John Lewis has seen a 50% rise in applicants for its 13,700 festive positions. Jo Rackham, interim chief people officer for the John Lewis Partnership, said: "There shouldn’t be any stigma about seasonal roles - they're so important and they both require and teach some really valuable skills." Experts also highlight that seasonal roles, particularly in retail, logistics, and hospitality, can help employers identify future high-performing staff. Tesco is hiring for 28,500 festive roles, with Elzbieta Golab, group people services director, describing Christmas jobs as a "key pipeline for our future leaders."
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Human Times
Europe
The ECB’s staff union IPSO has filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Justice, accusing the bank of silencing representatives and violating free expression rights. The case stems from letters sent to union leader Carlos Bowles after he publicly criticised a “culture of fear” at the ECB. The bank argues Bowles breached loyalty duties, while IPSO says this suppresses valid concerns and media engagement. IPSO claims retaliation fears have already led to cancelled interviews. ECB management denies wrongdoing, asserting adherence to EU staff rules, but IPSO warns that censorship undermines trust and institutional credibility.
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Human Times
Middle East
On Sunday, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels detained two dozen United Nations employees in Sanaa, Yemen, following a raid on a UN facility. Jean Alam, a UN spokesperson, confirmed that the detained staff included five Yemenis and 15 international workers. The Houthis released 11 others after questioning. The rebels confiscated all communications equipment from the facility. The U.N. is in contact with the Houthis to resolve the situation and restore control over its facilities. The Houthis have previously accused UN staff of espionage, claims the UN has denied.
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