Human Times

North American Edition

27th March 2026

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THE HOT STORY

Microsoft announces overhaul of its human resources team

Microsoft is making changes across human resources, and the company's chief diversity officer, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, is leaving to become chief people officer of another organization. Meanwhile, the tech giant is close to hiring a new talent acquisition head who will report to Chief People Officer Amy Coleman. The company is going through an “AI-powered transformation,” wrote Coleman, who took on her role last year. “As technology and the way we work at Microsoft continue to evolve, we are transforming our people function so Microsoft remains a place where our employees can do their best work,” a spokesperson said in an email to CNBC. “The organizational updates we are making today align closely to our business priorities, and help us work more closely across teams, move faster, and simplify how we operate in support of our employees and customers.”

Business Insider

CNBC

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LEGAL

Women have lost ground on pay for the second year in a row

The gender pay gap in the U.S. has widened. Women working full-time, year-round, now earn 81 cents for every dollar men earn, according to the most recent data from the Census Bureau. That's down from 83 cents a year ago, and 84 cents the year prior. It's the first consecutive widening of the wage gap since the 1960s, observes Deborah Vagins, director of the Equal Pay Today. "We are reversing decades of hard won progress," Vagins says. The national coalition organizes nine annual observances, including yesterday's Equal Pay Day, and also Black Women's Equal Pay Day (July 21), Moms' Equal Pay Day (August 6), and Latina Equal Pay Day (October 8).

NPR

United Airlines and flight attendants reach labor deal

United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA have reached a tentative labor deal that will include their first raises since the pandemic. United said the agreement will include immediate raises and top pay of $100 an hour at the end of the contract, as well as pay for flight attendants during boarding and “a signing bonus for every flight attendant worth a total of $740 million.”

CNBC

Reuters

TECHNOLOGY

Senators introduce ban on government use of Chinese robots

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have introduced legislation to ban the federal government from obtaining or operating unmanned Chinese robots. The American Security Robotics Act seeks to bar government use of “unmanned ground vehicle systems” - including humanoid robots and remote surveillance vehicles - made by foreign adversaries such as China. “The Chinese Communist Party has shown that they are willing to lie and cheat to get ahead at the expense of the American people and our national security,” Schumer said, adding: “They are running their standard playbook - this time in robotics - trying to flood the U.S. market with their technology, which presents real security risks and threats to Americans’ privacy and American research and industry.”

The Hill

Reuters

U.S. News & World Report

AI set to reduce clerical roles as CFOs signal modest job impact

A survey of around 750 U.S. chief financial officers, produced with economists from the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta and Richmond, suggests AI will have a limited overall impact on employment in the near term, with companies expecting headcount to decline by just 0.4% in 2026. However, the effects are expected to be uneven, with AI most likely to displace workers in routine, clerical, and administrative roles, while enhancing productivity in higher-skilled positions such as engineering and technical fields. CFOs were notably more likely to anticipate job cuts in office support functions than in more advanced roles, reflecting a broader shift toward skills-based employment. The findings echo past technological changes, where automation reduced demand for routine work but complemented more educated workers, though economists warn displaced workers may struggle to transition into newly created roles. Larger companies appear more focused on using AI to cut costs, while smaller firms are more inclined to use it to expand and hire technical talent, highlighting a divergence in how businesses are deploying the technology.

Wall Street Journal

OpenAI abandons erotic chatbot

OpenAI has shelved plans to release an erotic chatbot “indefinitely” amid concerns from employees and investors about the effect of sexualized AI content on society. “AI shouldn’t replace your friends or your family; you should have human connections,” commented one former senior employee, who said they left OpenAI in part due to the issue.

WORKFORCE

U.S. continuing jobless claims fall to nearly two-year low

U.S. jobless claims increased by 5,000 to 210,000 in the seven days to March 21st, the Labor Department reported on Thursday, in line with the expectations of analysts polled by the Wall Street Journal. The four-week moving average of new filings edged down to 210,500, while the total number of claims, reported with a one-week lag, fell by 32,000 to 1.819m, the lowest since May 2024. “The number of unemployed on permanent layoff had kept rising through February in the employment report, but continuing claims are one sign that you could soon see the unemployment rate level off or decline,” commented JPMorgan Chase & Co. economist Abiel Reinhart. “That depends, of course, on the magnitude and duration of the recent energy shock.”

Bloomberg

Wall Street Journal

LEADERSHIP

Carney reprimands Air Canada head for English-only statement

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has reprimanded Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau for issuing a video statement in English only following a runway collision at LaGuardia Airport that killed two pilots. Air Canada, as a federal government-regulated entity, is subject to the Official Languages Act, and as such it is required to provide equal services in English and French. Quebec Premier Francois Legault said "if [Rousseau] still doesn't speak French, that's disrespectful to his French-speaking employees and customers" and "he should resign." All that Rousseau said in French when he provided an update on the situation in English was “bonjour” at the beginning and “merci” at the end.

Bloomberg

RISK

Russia helps Iran ‘kill Americans’, top EU diplomat says

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas has said Russian intelligence is helping Iran target Americans and U.S. allies. “We see that Russia is helping Iran with intelligence to target Americans, to kill Americans,” Kallas told reporters before a gathering of Group of Seven foreign ministers outside Paris. “Russia is also supporting Iran now with the drones so that they can attack neighboring countries and also U.S. military bases.” Kallas called on the U.S. to boost support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. “It’s very clear to us where the lines are,” she said in an interview with Bloomberg. “Russia is not on the side of America and that’s very clear.”

Bloomberg

INTERNATIONAL

VW in talks to shift from cars to missile defense

Volkswagen is in talks with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems over a deal that would switch production at one of the German group’s factories from cars to missile defense. Hans Christoph Atzpodien, general manager of the German Federal Association of the Security and Defense Industry, has previously told Deutsche Welle that while the qualifications of car industry workers will often meet the requirements of defense companies, retraining and security clearance requirements may slow the process. "The timelines for issuing these authorizations are currently nowhere near fast enough to enable a rapid transition of the relevant personnel," he told DW last year.

Deutsche Welle

Financial Times

China touts itself as safe, reliable and stable

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has pledged to further open the country's economy to foreign businesses and pursue more balanced trade with its global partners. Li told the China Development Forum in Beijing that China will import more high-quality foreign goods and work with all parties to promote optimized and balanced trade development. He also touted China as a safer, and more reliable and stable, partner in contrast to an America embroiled in a war with Iran. Li didn’t directly name the US. Global chief executives including Apple’s Tim Cook, UBS’s Sergio Ermotti and HSBC’s Georges Elhedery attended the annual two-day gathering.

Financial Times

Reuters

Australia at ‘sliding doors’ moment on its AI future

Australia has a narrow window to position itself as a regional hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure, according to a study by Deloitte Access Economics. “This is a sliding doors moment for Australia,” lead author John O’Mahony said. He estimates the country needs about A$52bn ($3bn) in digital infrastructure investment by 2030 to ensure its advantage. “A failure to seize this opportunity would represent a generational economic fumble,” O’Mahony added.

Bloomberg

OTHER

Trump signature to appear on U.S. dollar bills for first time

The U.S. Treasury has confirmed that President Donald Trump’s signature will be added to U.S. paper currency, marking the first time a sitting president’s signature will appear on dollar bills. The move is tied to the country’s 250th anniversary. The decision forms part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to embed the president’s name and image across government initiatives and commemorative items, including proposed coins and federal branding, though some proposals have raised legal and political concerns.

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