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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 job market is stabilizing, but workers are losing their advantage. In 2026, the labor market has added an average of 87,000 jobs per month, which is an improvement from 2025 but significantly lower than 2024's figures. "We're a ways off from the days of 8m or more job openings," said Sneha Puri, economist at Indeed Hiring Lab. Job openings have decreased from 12.3m in March 2022 to 7.3m in July 2026. As firms focus on retaining employees, job seekers must be patient and strategic in their approach. Amy Glaser, senior vice president at Adecco, emphasized the importance of soft skills in the current market. The wage gap between job switchers and stayers has narrowed, indicating a shift in hiring dynamics. Industries like healthcare and manufacturing are currently hiring, while others remain volatile. For those employed, it's a time to celebrate, but job seekers should prepare for a more selective market.
Full Issue
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
Germany's job market is facing a significant downturn, with around 15,000 jobs lost monthly in the industrial sector, according to the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). This trend increasingly affects highly qualified professionals, including managers and executives, with a reported 14% rise in unemployment among leaders. Many are struggling to find new roles, often facing emotional challenges and financial pressures. Nils Schmidt, head of the Association for Skilled Workers, noted: "We are experiencing everything," as job seekers navigate a difficult landscape. The situation highlights the need for resilience and adaptability in the current job market.
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, chair 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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