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Human Times helps you stay ahead of the latest news and trends that impact the HR industry. Every weekday, our unique blend of AI and team of expert HR and employment editors and researchers monitor 100,000s of articles, and social posts to create summaries of the most relevant and useful content to help you lead, innovate and grow. The award winning Human Times newsletter has four geographical editions with news tailored to your region.
From HR leadership to diversity and inclusion, hybrid working, organisational data, performance management, and retention strategies, Human Times is the only trusted free online news source dedicated to covering the most up to date headlines, articles, reports and interviews to make sure you’re abreast of changes in the HR industry.
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Recent Editions
Human Times
North America
The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August, well above forecasts and marking the strongest monthly gain since March, while July payroll growth was revised up to 21,000 from an initially reported loss of 23,000. The unemployment rate held at 4.1%, labor force participation edged up to 61.6%, and average hourly earnings rose 3.1% from a year earlier to $37.75. Hiring was led by food services and drinking places, local government education, construction, manufacturing, and health care, while information-sector employment declined. Despite the stronger headline figures, economists described the labor market as stable rather than accelerating, with job openings little changed and many workers reluctant to switch jobs. The report could give the Federal Reserve more scope to raise interest rates at its September 16th meeting, although policymakers are expected to weigh the upcoming August inflation data before deciding.
Human Times
UK
Nearly half a million graduates entered the workforce this summer carrying average student debt of £47,730, while graduate vacancies are forecast to fall 7% in 2026. Employers now receive about 140 applications per graduate job, compared with 38 two decades ago, and increasingly use online tests and one-way virtual interviews to manage demand. Graduates describe the process as lengthy, impersonal and uncertain, with 35% believing AI is damaging their career prospects. However, employers including Accenture argue AI could instead shift junior roles towards higher-value work. Raena Connelly, Accenture’s UK and Ireland head of HR, said: “We see AI changing early careers rather than diminishing them.” Universities are also expanding placements, internships and careers support as students increasingly view degrees as routes to employment. Employers continue to emphasise critical thinking, judgment, communication and other human skills, while economic growth remains central to improving graduate opportunities.
Full Issue
Human Times
Europe
Most EU countries missed the June deadline to implement the Pay Transparency Directive, designed to reduce pay discrimination and improve salary visibility for jobseekers. Italy has emerged as a leading adopter, with the share of job postings containing salary information rising from 26% in July 2025 to 61% in July 2026, overtaking the UK at 60%. Germany and Spain remain far behind at 14% and 18%, respectively, while France stands at 43% and the Netherlands at 49.5%. Italy requires employers to include starting salaries or pay ranges directly in advertisements, going beyond the directive’s baseline requirements. Pawel Adrjan, Indeed’s director of economic research, said the country’s experience suggests “regulation is making a real difference.” Advocates argue broader implementation could help address the EU gender pay gap, which stood at 11.1% in 2024. However, delayed implementation elsewhere means salary transparency remains inconsistent across Europe.
Full Issue
Human Times
Middle East
More than 14,000 private sector companies in Dubai will receive specialised Agentic AI training through the new Dubai Chambers Academy, as the emirate accelerates business adoption of the technology. The programme will provide practical guidance on using AI agents to improve productivity, operations, decision-making, efficiency and growth, while helping companies identify suitable applications and prepare for AI’s expanding workplace role. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Dubai Chambers, said Agentic AI “can help manage complex tasks, enable more effective decision making, enhance productivity, and create new opportunities for growth.” The wider initiative also includes support for developing and deploying Agentic AI solutions, incubators, knowledge sharing and capacity building. An Executive Committee for Agentic AI has also been established to accelerate adoption and strengthen Dubai’s position as a global digital economy and future industries hub.
Full Issue
Read the latest HR highlights
How HR is Tackling Long Covid?
Fingers remain tightly crossed around the world that the rampant hospitalization and fatality stage of the Covid-19 pandemic has generally peaked. Vaccination programmes are accelerating, and restrictions are gradually being lifted...
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ESG Is Not Just Another Name For CSR
Back in the distant 1980s if you wanted to demonstrate your environmental and ethical credentials it was sufficient to shop at or purchase shares in retailer The Body Shop. The charismatic Anita Roddick, founder of the “hippy” tinged retail chain, heralded a new age of environmental concern, caring capitalism and corporate awareness that evolved into what became known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR was much talked about and lauded, but in reality often ended up being a lot of a hot air (excuse the pun) and often never progressed much beyond a footnote in the annual report.
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Have Older Workers Paid The Highest COVID-19 Price?
Across the world the pandemic is slowly but surely moving into its next phase. Recovery beckons. As furlough schemes across the U.S. and U.K. are being wound down, restrictions eased or lifted, and workforces moving back up the gears, early signs indicate that older employees are more likely to be casualties of the pandemic aftermath than their younger colleagues. Here at the we have witnessed an increasing number of stories supporting the growing belief that older workers are disproportionately paying the highest Covid-19 price.
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Bosses. What's not to like? Plenty, say employees
“You’ll never have another boss like me, someone who’s basically a chilled-out entertainer”
So said, David Brent, the fictional manager of Slough-based paper merchant Wernham Hogg in the seminal TV comedy The Office. Ricky Gervais’s portrayal of Brent as a flawed, narcissistic, incompetent, and deluded manager was so well observed that many (including me) believed it was a genuine fly-on-the-wall documentary when they alighted accidentally on the first ever episode.
Rolling with the Payroll
To mark National Payroll Week the team at the Human Times has provided some insight into the industry that we hope you’ll find useful.
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