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European Edition
19th June 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

AI 'is splitting the job market in two'

AI is splitting the global labour market in two, according to a PwC study of data including over one billion job postings across 27 countries and territories. The technology is rewarding companies that use AI to enhance human skills, but those who use it merely to cut costs are being left behind, the study suggests. “The companies seeing the greatest returns on AI are using it to amplify human expertise, accelerate innovation and create entirely new sources of value,” observed Joe Atkinson, PwC’s global chief AI officer. “They’re pulling further ahead on productivity and growth than companies that focus primarily on automation.” Entry-level AI-exposed roles that require what have traditionally been senior human competencies, such as judgment, empathy, ethics, creativity and leadership, have grown 35% since 2019, while so-called “non-seniorised” entry-level positions, which don’t require such skills, have shrunk by 10%, PwC said.  
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STRATEGY

Evonik to cut 3,200 jobs by 2029

German chemicals group Evonik is to cut 3,200 jobs worldwide between 2027 and 2029, most of them in its home market of Germany. Evonik is also to discontinue its global polyester ‌business ⁠in 2027, affecting about 350 roles at its German sites in Witten and Marl and the Chinese site in Shanghai. "Global competitive pressure, structural disadvantages in Europe, and ​declining market ​dynamics mean that ⁠none of the alternatives examined would have been economically viable for Evonik in the ​long term," executive board member Lauren Kjeldsen, who ​is ⁠responsible for the unit, said.

Norsk Hydro to shut two US plants

Oslo-headquartered aluminium company ​Norsk Hydro is to shutter two of its metal ​extrusion facilities ​in the US next ⁠year. The closures will affect ​around 350 ​jobs. The ​two plants, at ‌California's ⁠City of Industry and in Delhi, Louisiana, ​face ​low ⁠capacity utilisation and would ​require significant ​capital ⁠investment to meet operational standards, ⁠the company ​said.
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WORKFORCE

ECB wage tracker indicates muted pay pressure

European ​Central Bank (ECB) data suggests euro zone negotiated wage growth appears to be slowing as forecast, relieving policymakers who feared an Iran war-induced inflation surge would precipitate a fresh round of self-reinforcing pay demands. The ECB's own ​wage tracker, which includes data up to the end ​of last month, was unrevised and indicates negotiated wage growth at around 2.6% by end-2026, below the 3.2% in 2025.
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HIRING

Job interviews are becoming AI tests

AI tests are increasingly becoming part of interviews for candidates applying for non-technical roles. “[Hiring managers] want to see it being used,” says Ken Schumacher of recruitment verification service Ropes.
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LEGAL

Temper gig workers could be owed back pay

Dutch work platform Temper, which enables people to sign up for short shifts in hospitality, retail and logistics, is legally a temp agency, an Amsterdam appeal court has ruled, meaning those who have worked through it were wrongly treated as self-employed and may be owed back pay. Temper said it was “very surprised” and disagreed “fundamentally” with the court's decision and may take the case to the Supreme Court. The platform says the appeal court has ignored the freedom and entrepreneurship of the tens of thousands of people who use it to earn extra money.
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RISK

France drops Palantir’s AI data tools in favour of domestic provider

The General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), France’s domestic intelligence service, has ditched AI data tools from Palantir in favour of domestic provider ChapsVision to avoid “strategic dependency”, French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu has said. “We must use our own AI models; we cannot accept new strategic dependencies in ‌the digital sphere,” Lecornu posted on social media. “We cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers. France must have its own tools.” The DGSI has worked with Palantir since 2016; it renewed its contract in December 2025, which was due to run until 2028.
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HEALTH & SAFETY

Danish unions criticise anonymity rules for at-risk staff

Several Danish trade unions including the Danish Nurses’ Council and FOA are unhappy that healthcare workers can only have their names blurred after experiencing a specific threatening, violent, or harassing incident. Simply feeling unsafe is insufficient, and extending the blurring requires a new incident within 90 days, according to the anonymity rules for at-risk staff.
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INTERNATIONAL

Work from home is here to stay

The Wall Street Journal reports that the amount of time Americans work remotely is barely budging despite the efforts of big companies - including Home Depot, Target, Microsoft, 3M, and Intel - to herald return-to-office mandates. Data from a monthly work-from-home survey run by economists Jose Maria Barrero, Nicholas Bloom and Steven Davis indicates that remote work has reached an equilibrium, with 26% of paid, full days worked from home in May, similar to two years earlier. Bloom, a Stanford University economist, believes that more work will be done remotely in the future, rather than less of it: older bosses will, over time, retire, and be replaced by younger people who are more comfortable with staff working from home some of the time.

Unions urge workers to stay away from anti-migrant protests

South Africa's major labour unions have advised workers to avoid participating in anti-immigrant protests scheduled for June 30. "We urge ​workers to report for duty and not place their employment at risk," the unions said. They ⁠echoed President Cyril Ramaphosa's call ⁠on Tuesday ​not to scapegoat migrants for South Africa's problems. "Removing foreign nationals from workplaces, communities or public ​spaces will not reopen ⁠factories, repair municipalities, strengthen public healthcare or create sustainable jobs, " said the unions COSATU, FEDUSA, SAFTU and NACTU.

China's AI boom sounds alarm about labour rights

China's rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to a call from the Workers' Daily for stronger labour protections. The state-run newspaper has urged regulators to enhance labour standards and involve trade unions in oversight. It warns that AI could displace 70m workers, exacerbating existing job market weaknesses. “The benefits of technological advancement should be shared by society as a whole, rather than becoming a tool for a small number of employers to undermine workers' rights,” an editorial said. Beijing has reportedly started to warn employers, particularly tech companies, not to cut jobs as they adopt AI.

Telegram challenges India ban over exam paper leak fears

Telegram has taken the Indian government to court over its decision to temporarily ban the messaging app days before millions of students retake a crucial medical entrance examination. The company challenged the decision a day after officials blocked access to the platform over concerns it had been used to distribute leaked exam papers. The government said the move will protect the integrity of the exam, which is due to be held again on Sunday after last month's test was cancelled over allegations of a paper leak.  The Internet Freedom Foundation said the ban was a “disproportionate answer to exam fraud,” adding: “The block of Telegram is reactive and ineffective and will punish ordinary users instead of addressing the systemic source of exam leaks.”
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OTHER

Shein and Paris department store BHV end controversial partnership

French department store BHV has ended its partnership with fast-fashion retailer Shein just seven months after opening a permanent shop in Paris, following criticism over the Chinese group's business practices and product standards. The decision comes as BHV changes ownership, with current management taking control from operator Société des Grands Magasins. New leader Karl-Stéphane Cottendin described the partnership as a mistake, while Shein said the collaboration had always been intended to be temporary. The tie-up sparked protests when it launched in November and prompted some brands to leave BHV in opposition to Shein's low-cost business model. Customer reaction was also mixed, with shoppers complaining that prices in the physical store were significantly higher than those available on Shein's online platform.
 
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