THE HOT STORY

Russia taps India for workers

Russia is facing a significant labour shortage exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Traditional sources of labour from Central Asia have dwindled, prompting Moscow to turn to India for assistance. In 2022, nearly 72,000 work permits were issued to Indian nationals, an increase from 5,000 in 2021. President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime ‌Minister Narendra Modi signed a deal in December to make it easier for Indians to work in Russia. Denis Manturov, Russia's first ‌deputy prime minister, said at the time that Russia could accept an “unlimited number” of Indian workers.

Reuters

EBOOK

Redesign Roles for the AI Era

AI is reshaping how work gets done — and traditional job structures are struggling to keep up. Skills gaps, disengagement and rising turnover are the result.

This preview of The Great Job Redesign of 2026 explores how HR leaders can evolve roles to stay ahead. Learn how hybrid and AI-augmented job models can reduce routine workload and increase engagement. Identify the priority skill clusters that drive retention and performance ROI. Follow practical, step-by-step frameworks to modernise roles without disruptive, large-scale restructures.

Designed for CHROs, executives and HR leaders across Europe, this eBook provides a clear starting point for building more resilient, future-ready teams.

Download the eBook

TECHNOLOGY

AI threatens millions of office jobs, says Microsoft boss

Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's AI chief, predicts that most white-collar jobs could be fully automated within 12 to 18 months. He said that AI is nearing "human-level performance" in tasks including law, accounting, and project management. Suleyman noted that AI-assisted coding is already common in software engineering. The potential job losses could be severe, with estimates suggesting up to 80% of entry-level positions might be at risk.

Fortune

Financial Times

WORKFORCE

UK minimum wage 'is raising youth unemployment'

Bank of England policymaker Catherine Mann has told the Sunday Telegraph that a pronounced increase in the UK's minimum wage for younger workers over the past three years has contributed to a rise in unemployment for that age group. Mann said she believed the increase in youth joblessness reflected disproportionately big increases in the minimum wage for that age group, rather than being a leading indicator for a broader rise in unemployment. "I think we have to be very careful in the storyline about youth unemployment being the canary in the coal mine for a deeper deterioration in the labour market," she said, adding: "The accumulation over three years of the rise in the National Living Wage for that group has been manifested in unemployment for that category of workers. Very unfortunate, but it is true. It is a fact."

Reuters

New Slovenian law aims to boost employee profit sharing

Slovenia's National Assembly has passed a bill to enhance employee profit sharing, increasing the share of profits available for distribution from 20% to 33%. The law aims to improve workforce motivation and corporate loyalty. Companies can now share profits in cash, equity, or stock, with a 100% tax allowance on distributed profits. Employees will face a 30% tax on cash and 25% on equity or stock, with payments excluded from income tax calculations. Economy Ministry State Secretary Matevž Frangež explained: "This [law] enables companies to define the manner in which they will reward employees based on their business model."

The Slovenia Times

CORPORATE

Uber enters seven new European markets in food delivery push

Uber is expanding its food delivery arm into seven new European markets in 2026 - Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Greece and Romania - as it intensifies competition in the multibillion-euro sector and targets an additional $1bn in gross bookings over the next three years. The move pits Uber against DoorDash-owned Wolt in several core markets and comes amid broader consolidation, including Prosus’s €4.1bn takeover of Just Eat Takeaway and DoorDash’s £2.9bn acquisition of Deliveroo. Uber is also acquiring Getir’s food delivery business in Turkey to strengthen its position there. The company has grown market share in key European countries, with UK share rising from 28% in January 2022 to 38% in December last year and Germany increasing from 10% to 26%, according to one estimate. Uber attributes this growth to cross-selling from its ride-hailing platform and its Uber One membership scheme, while also investing in automation through drones, robots and autonomous vehicles to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Financial Times

Helsinki Times

RTÉ

STRATEGY

Volkswagen plans to cut costs by 20% by end of 2028

Volkswagen plans to cut costs by 20% across all of its brands by the end of 2028, according to information obtained by Manager Magazin, which has reported that chief executive Oliver Blume and finance chief Arno Antlitz presented a "massive" savings plan at a closed-door meeting with top executives in Berlin last month.

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

More middle-income US earners seek help from credit-counselling agencies

Financial stress in the US is spreading beyond low-income households, with more middle-income earners seeking help from credit-counselling agencies. The average client now earns about $70,000 annually and carries nearly $35,000 in unsecured debt - around half their income - compared to $40,000 income and $10,000 debt before the pandemic. Rising debt-to-income ratios and missed payments have pushed financial stress to its highest level since 2018. Delinquent household debt has climbed to 4.8%, with serious credit-card and auto-loan delinquencies nearing post-2008 crisis levels. FHA mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures are also increasing. Despite strong job growth and consumer spending, counsellors warn of growing household fragility and a shift from discretionary to "survival" debt.

The Wall Street Journal

China issues labour guidance for platform firms

China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, alongside six other departments, has issued new guidelines to protect workers in the gig economy. The initiative targets companies including Meituan, Didi Chuxing, and YTO Express. Authorities emphasised the need for these firms to fulfil their employer responsibilities and enhance labour management practices. The government said it aims to stabilise and expand employment by safeguarding the rights of individuals engaged in flexible work arrangements. "We will do more to protect the rights and interests of people in new forms of employment," a spokesperson said.

Chinadaily US Edition

Sex workers' earnings hit by World Cup preparations

Preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City are affecting the livelihoods of local sex workers and street vendors. Montserrat Fuentes, a sex worker for 20 years, is among those who say they have seen their earnings slashed amid government projects that are meant to clean up the city before the tournament starts this summer. “What we're seeing in Mexico is something that so much of the world has faced when there's an event of this scale. They always want to fix up their city, make it look nice,” Fuentes said. “But the ones that are hurt are always us at the bottom of the ladder.”

U.S. News

OTHER

Nestlé ramps up formula production to prevent shortages after global recall

Nestlé is running five European factories around the clock to avert infant formula shortages after a contamination crisis triggered a global recall affecting more than 60 countries. The recall began after bacteria linked to cereulide toxin was detected at a Nestlé plant, escalating into the industry’s largest-ever recall and prompting investigations in several countries. Rivals including Danone and Groupe Lactalis were also impacted, while unaffected producers such as HiPP and Holle have increased output to meet rising demand. Despite concerns over supply disruptions, companies say Europe’s broader manufacturing base should prevent shortages on the scale seen in the US in 2022, though the episode has unsettled investors and highlighted the dominance of a handful of global players in the infant formula market.

Bloomberg

The Human Times is designed to help you stay ahead, spark ideas and support innovation, learning and development in your organisation.

The links under articles indicate original news sources. Some links lead directly to the source material. Others lead to paywalls where you may need a subscription. A third category are restricted by copyright rules.

For reaction and insights on any stories covered in the Human Times, join the discussion by becoming a member of our LinkedIn Group or Business Page, or follow us on X.

Online

Advertise

This e-mail has been sent to [[EMAIL_TO]]

Click here to unsubscribe