Human Times
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North American Edition
6th October 2025
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THE HOT STORY

Mass federal worker exits deepen U.S. job woes

About 100,000 federal workers left government payrolls last week under President Trump’s deferred-resignation program, deepening concerns about a weakening U.S. labor market. The buyouts, part of a broader government downsizing effort alongside hiring freezes and layoffs, come amid a shutdown affecting 750,000 more employees. Many who accepted the offers say they felt pressured as projects and jobs were cut. Economists warn the mass departures could worsen job losses nationwide. Some ex-workers are struggling to find new employment, facing a crowded job market, while others brace for delayed pensions and financial strain. Analysts predict the combined impact of resignations, furloughs, and layoffs could produce a grim upcoming employment report, further clouding economic prospects.
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WORKPLACE CULTURE

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LEGAL

Court allows junior banker to sue over long hours

A New York federal court has allowed a junior investment banker to pursue claims that Centerview Partners violated U.S. disability laws when the elite boutique fired her in 2020 after she said she could not work late into the night. Shiber was fired just weeks after she showed the firm a medical diagnosis of a mood and anxiety disorder that her medical provider said required eight hours of sleep a night.

Federal workers sue over email edits

The American Federation of Government Employees has sued the Trump administration over language that it said was inserted without consent in the out-of-office emails of furloughed workers during the government shutdown. “Going far beyond the traditional and lawful use of the presidential bully pulpit, the Trump Administration is unlawfully compelling agencies and civil servants across the federal government to engage in political rhetoric to serve the interests of the governing party,” the complaint by the largest labor union for federal workers, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said.
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WORKFORCE

Union Pacific rail engineers agree new contract

Locomotive engineers at Union Pacific have ratified a new five-year contract that will benefit nearly 6,000 members with an 18.8% pay raise and improved health benefits. The agreement, announced by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, follows the approval of Union Pacific's $85bn acquisition of Norfolk Southern, which will create the first coast-to-coast freight rail operator in the U.S. Both companies are expected to file a formal merger application by late October or January 2026.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Night shifts linked to kidney stones

Research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings reveals that night shift workers face a 15% to 22% higher risk of developing kidney stones. The study, led by Yin Yang from Sun Yat-sen University, analysed data from over 220,000 participants in the U.K. Biobank. It found that those who consistently worked shifts had a 19% increased risk. Factors like smoking, poor sleep, and low fluid intake also contribute to this risk. Dr. Felix Knauf noted that shift work disrupts circadian rhythms, which may further promote kidney stone formation. Yang emphasised the importance of healthy lifestyle habits for shift workers.
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CORPORATE

Pace of Chapter 7, 11 filings accelerates

A new report from Cornerstone Research has found that 117 "large" companies, with $100m-$1bn in assets, made Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 filings over the 12 months to June 30th - 81% above the annual average rate of 44 from 2005 through 2024. The higher pace of bankruptcies began in early 2023 and has remained elevated since then. “Mega-bankruptcies,” or those by companies with more than $1bn in assets, increased to 32 during the studied period, up from 24 in the prior 12 months. In their first-day declarations the largest filers commonly cited factors including reduced demand or increasing costs due to inflation, reduced demand due to consumer preference, market competition or industry factors, increasing operational and financing costs due to high interest rates, and challenges in the regulatory, legal and policy landscape. Manufacturing had the highest share of bankruptcy filings, making up 30% of the total, followed by services at 24%, finance/insurance/real estate at 13%, transportation/communications/utilities at 10%, and retail trade at 10%. 

 
CFO
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ECONOMY

S&P, ISM surveys indicate stagnant services sector

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said on Friday that employment contracted in the service sector for the fourth straight month in September, with business activity in the sector as a whole shrinking for the first time since the pandemic. The ISM's index of services declined two points to 50, a level that indicates stagnation, and weaker than all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Ten services industries reported growth in September, led by accommodation and food services, as well as health care and social assistance. Seven industries contracted. Six industries reported an increase in employment, while eight noted a decrease. Relatedly, S&P Global's September U.S. Services Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 54.2, down slightly from 54.5 in August. The reading marks the 32nd consecutive month of expansion and was higher than the forecast of 53.9. 
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TECHNOLOGY

Walmart steps up automation with labor-saving sensors

Walmart plans to use sensors to track the location and condition of the 90m pallets of groceries it ships to stores each year. Sensors using Bluetooth connections attached to the pallets will reduce routine work at Walmart, which has been able to increase revenues by $150bn in the past five years without taking on more workers. Walmart executives said last week that the retailer's workforce will stay roughly flat over the next three years. As well as the new pallet-tracking tech, it is deploying artificial intelligence agents to perform an increasing number of functions, including automating the process of complying with accessibility requirements, and modernizing its legacy software code, some of it written decades ago in computer mainframe language.
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INTERNATIONAL

Australian state conducts poll on working from home

The Australian state of Victoria has conducted a major survey on working from home amid plans to mandate flexible work arrangements. The country's second most populous state is proposing a law giving workers in both the private and public sectors the right to work from home for at least two days a week. The survey received 36,770 responses. Initial findings found that more than 74% said working from home is "extremely important" to them. A further 13% said WFH was "very important" to them. In the Financial Times, Pilita Clark says the state's move "is shaking the politics of remote working in a way that governments elsewhere may find hard to ignore."

Gaza protests paralyse Italy

Workers in Italy joined a general strike on Friday in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Large crowds took to the streets of several cities amid a growing wave of protest across Europe at Israel's bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Italy's Interior Ministry says up to 400,000 protesters came out in total in 29 locations; trade unions claim the number was four times that. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the strike, arguing that it would not advance the Palestinian cause and only hinder Italian people trying to go about their lives. She suggested the unionists just wanted a long weekend. Prof Giovanni Orsina, a political scientist at Luiss University, told the BBC that he sees the protests as "an awakening" of Italy's left-wing forces. "It's a very clear demonstration that there's a surge in militancy and that involves a very significant number of people. The government is under pressure."

‘Singaporeans-first assurance' needed after population report

Singapore's population reached 6.11m in June, growing by 1.2% over the past year, driven by an influx of foreign workers. Analysts have highlighted the need for effective urban planning and frameworks to prevent discrimination against local people. Meanwhile, Mathew Mathews, head of the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, noted the importance of integrating newcomers into local culture. As such, the Ministry of Manpower is piloting a cultural orientation program for work pass holders. Sociologist Tan Ern Ser observes that anxiety over immigration could lead to social tension, and urges the government to ensure public services meet the needs of the growing population.

China’s visa scheme for global tech workers draws backlash at home

China’s launch of a tech visa to attract technology workers has immediately sparked opposition at home as young Chinese voice concern over more competition in the deteriorating local labor market.
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OTHER

Nirvana again defeats lawsuit over 'Nevermind' cover

The man who was photographed as a baby on the cover of Nirvana's classic album 'Nevermind' has failed in his attempt to sue the band for distributing child pornography. A four-month-old Spencer Elden was pictured swimming naked underwater on the 1991 LP's cover. He sued the band and photographer Kirk Weddle, but U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin ruled that "neither the pose, focal point, setting, nor overall context suggest the album cover features sexually explicit conduct." Elden originally filed a lawsuit in 2021, arguing that his identity and name were "forever tied to the commercial sexual exploitation he experienced as a minor which has been distributed and sold worldwide." The case was dismissed in 2022 because Elden submitted it after the 10-year limit for filing a civil case. An appeals court overturned that decision, allowing him to refile the case.
 
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