Human Times

European Edition

20th November 2025

THE HOT STORY

WHO to shed over 2,000 jobs by mid-2026

The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts that its workforce will shrink by 2,371 posts by June 2026 after Donald Trump withdrew the US from the agency. “This year has been one of the most difficult in WHO’s history, as we have navigated a painful but necessary process of prioritisation and realignment that has resulted in a significant reduction in our global workforce,” said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a message to staff, adding that the process was now nearing an end. “We are now preparing to move forward with our reshaped and renewed Organisation,” he added.

Reuters

The Guardian

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Few Finns have received employer training on AI

More than half of IT professionals in Finland use AI weekly, yet only a third have received employer training on its use. A survey for global tech firm HP revealed that while 25% of respondents employ AI in their work, most do so independently. Concerns about AI's accuracy and security hinder broader adoption. Nearly half of the professionals expressed a desire to use AI more effectively. Vesa Jukonen, HP's country manager, observed: "The employees are already prepared, but management and guidance have not kept up the pace."

YLE Uutiset

STRATEGY

Swiss chemicals group Clariant warns of more production leaving Europe

Clariant CEO Conrad Keijzer has said the company would expand capacity in China and warned of “more production shifting away from Europe” because of the continent’s higher energy and labour costs.

Financial Times

ECONOMY

The Netherlands 'faces continued risks to its financial stability'

The Netherlands is facing significant risks to its financial stability, according to the latest Financial Stability Report from De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). Economic uncertainty is heightened due to international trade fragmentation and ongoing tariff disputes, particularly between the US and China. DNB President Olaf Sleijpen said: "The chance of economic and financial shocks is still high." Despite strong capital buffers in the Dutch financial sector, vulnerabilities remain, especially with the rise of private credit and stablecoins, which could lead to abrupt market fluctuations.

NL Times

TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft launches tool to help companies manage AI agents

Microsoft has introduced Agent 365, a management platform for businesses to oversee AI agents - automated programs that are expected to reach 1.3bn in use by 2028. The tool allows IT staff to monitor, secure, and control AI agents across platforms including Microsoft and Salesforce. Agents can be quarantined if they misbehave or pose cybersecurity risks. “Business leaders want to measure ROI and manage these agents just like employees,” said Judson Althoff, Microsoft’s commercial CEO. While some firms have seen success with AI agents, others have faced implementation challenges, raising concerns about the technology’s maturity and the potential for an AI market bubble.

CNBC

Reuters

BlackRock moves to take on hedge fund giants

BlackRock is adding stockpickers to Systematic Total Alpha, its top mathematical and data-driven hedge fund, following a strategy pursued by rivals to house human and computer-driven strategies under one roof.

Financial Times

LEGAL

French minister to sue Greybull over collapse of steelmaker

France will take legal action against British private equity group Greybull over the imminent collapse of most of the operations of steelmaker Novasco, which threatens hundreds of jobs. Industry minister Sébastien Martin said Greybull committed to inject €90m into Novasco when it acquired the steel group last year, but only €1.5m had materialised.

Financial Times

The Times

SUSTAINABILITY

Momentum grows at COP30 for 'road map' to quit fossil fuels

Almost 20 government ministers and more than 80 countries at the UN COP30 climate summit in Brazil have called on the almost 200 nations to sign up for a 'road map' away from fossil fuel use. Supporters said that none of the options to accelerate the shift included in a draft agreement were sufficient, and they called on Brazil to do more. Panama’s climate envoy, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez, told the Financial Times that any road map would need a “lot of flexibility” to allow for the different circumstances of countries.

INTERNATIONAL

India plans major HR overhaul

The Indian government plans to improve human resource standards in the services sector to align with global practices. The planned initiative aims to enhance worker mobility amid ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. A study will evaluate hiring and training methods across industries to boost competitiveness and service quality. Experts noted that HR reforms are crucial for India's trade strategy, enabling negotiators to secure better mobility commitments and improved market access. "HR reforms are central to India's trade strategy," said an anonymous source familiar with the discussions.

Livemint.com

Japanese firms relax rules for workers

In Japan, retailers are relaxing hair colour rules amid a tight labour market. Hinako Mori, a 22-year-old employee at Don Quijote, says she appreciates the freedom to dye her hair, unlike in her previous job at a convenience store that enforced strict colour policies. Nearly 25% of Don Quijote's staff now sport bright hair, reflecting a broader relaxed trend among companies including Fuji Yakuhin and Tokyu Store. Reuters notes that Japanese employers have been gradually relaxing their dress codes over the past two decades, precipitated by a 2005 Ministry of Environment "Cool Biz" campaign that encouraged the ditching of jackets and ties to cut down on air conditioning costs during summer months.

U.S. News

Workers take on side jobs as salaries stagnate

Many US workers are taking on side jobs to cope with stagnant salaries, inflation, and job insecurity. This trend, known as "polyworking," sees individuals creating “portfolio careers” where they work a variety of jobs, each building different valuable skills. “We have seen stagnant salaries, we've seen inflation, we've seen the cost of living overall increasing, even beyond our inflation measures,” said Alexandrea Ravenelle, sociologist and gig economy researcher at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “So people are looking for ways to supplement and to build themselves a little bit of a safety net.”

U.S. News

OTHER

Airbnb shifts focus to rural Spain

Airbnb will invest $50m over three years to promote rural tourism in inland Spain as urban rental restrictions tighten. Cities including Barcelona plan to ban short-term rentals by 2028, prompting Airbnb to expand listings in villages and smaller towns. “Rural destinations in Spain attracted fewer visitors than those in France and Britain,” Airbnb noted - but it said it expects a rise in demand, especially ahead of the 2026 solar eclipse. Spain welcomed 94 million international tourists in 2024, yet only a fraction visited inland areas.

Reuters

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