Human Times

North American Edition

9th March 2026

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THE HOT STORY

Overhauled visa system to get its first major test

The Trump administration's changes to the U.S. visa system for highly skilled immigrants are set to be tested with the upcoming H-1B lottery. This year, sponsors must pay a $100,000 fee, which is expected to disadvantage IT consulting firms that have previously dominated the visa allocation. “This is going to be a bit of a sea change,” observed Peter Bendor-Samuel, the executive chairman of global research firm Everest Group, which works with companies that routinely use the H-1B program. Companies such as Cognizant have already reduced their reliance on H-1Bs, while others are prioritizing hiring immigrants already in the U.S. Hiba Anver, a partner with Erickson Immigration Group, said: “There are several changes that taken collectively will diminish the tech industry's ability to attract and retain key talent . . . [this] will result in a smaller talent pool for tech companies.”

Los Angeles Times

PAY TRANSPARENCY LAWS

Pay transparency laws by state and locality

Struggling to keep up with pay transparency laws?
Aimed at reducing the information imbalances around pay that can ingrain existing pay disparities, these laws are gaining traction nationwide, varying state by state and locality by locality.
Our 50-state chart covers employer rules, posting requirements, and more state by state, so you can stay compliant everywhere you operate.

Download the complete chart now

REGULATION

FCC proposes English proficiency requirement for overseas employees

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr is proposing English proficiency requirement for overseas employees. Carr said the proposed rules would encourage communications providers regulated by the agency to bring call center jobs back to the U.S. “Americans get frustrated when they call a U.S. business and end up connecting with a call center located abroad,” he said. “Language and communications barriers often make it difficult for callers to promptly and efficiently get the results they want. And these foreign-based call centers often create a heightened security risk as well.” The proposal includes requirements that call center workers “be proficient in American Standard English and otherwise be trained appropriately for resolving issues with U.S. customers.”

Bloomberg

WORKFORCE

U.S. economy loses 92,000 jobs in February as unemployment edges higher

The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, a sharp miss compared with economists’ expectations for a 50,000 increase and a reversal from January’s gain of 126,000 jobs, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.4%, signaling broader weakness across the labor market. Job losses were spread across multiple sectors, including leisure and hospitality down 27,000, healthcare and social assistance down 18,600, manufacturing down 12,000, and construction down 11,000. A large healthcare strike also contributed to the decline in that sector. Jefferies economist Thomas Simons called the report “a perfect storm of temporary drags coming together following an above-trend print in January," adding: “We do not think that this is a harbinger of progressively worse jobs prints coming down the road, but the risk of a downturn has certainly increased.”

Hardship withdrawals from 401(k)s reach record as workers face financial strain

A growing number of Americans are tapping their retirement savings to cover financial emergencies, with 6% of workers in Vanguard-administered 401(k) plans taking hardship withdrawals in 2025, the highest level on record. The figure is up from 4.8% in 2024 and roughly 2% before the pandemic, reflecting rising financial pressures for some households despite a generally strong economy. The most common reasons for withdrawals were avoiding eviction or foreclosure and covering medical expenses, with the median withdrawal totaling $1,900. The increase also reflects policy changes that have made it easier to access retirement funds, including a 2018 rule removing the requirement to take a 401(k) loan first and later legislation expanding the circumstances under which hardship withdrawals are allowed. At the same time, retirement savings overall are growing. Strong stock markets helped push the average 401(k) balance up 13% in 2025 to a record $167,970, while a record 45% of participants increased their contribution rates.

Wall Street Journal

STRATEGY

Capital One lays off another 1,100-plus employees

Capital One is laying off 1,139 employees at the former Discover headquarters in Riverwoods, marking a second wave of job cuts following the company's merger with Discover Financial Services. The layoffs were announced on February 23, with most employees' last day set for May 4. A Capital One spokesperson said: “As part of our continued journey to integrate Discover with Capital One, we announced the difficult decision to eliminate some Discover associate roles across the organization.” This brings the total number of layoffs since the merger to 1,748. The company is providing support to affected employees, including enhanced severance and career transition resources.

Chicago Sun Times

Chicago Tribune

Oracle plans thousands of job cuts amid rising data center costs

Oracle is planning thousands of job cuts as the enterprise software company faces a cash crunch from a massive AI data center expansion effort. The job reductions will affect divisions across the company and may be implemented as soon as this month, according to people familiar with the matter.

Bloomberg

LEGAL

Real estate group sued over climate risk to worker retirement savings

Real estate giant Cushman & Wakefield is being sued by a former employee over claims the company failed to protect its workers’ retirement savings from climate-related risk. If successful, the lawsuit could precipitate a fundamental shift in how risk is managed across the entire $12 trillion U.S. retirement market. The complaint alleges that Cushman & Wakefield failed to evaluate, monitor and remove the Westwood Quality SmallCap Fund, which exposes retirement savers to dangerous levels of climate-related financial risk while at the same time underperforming and charging unreasonably high fees. Cushman & Wakefield declined to comment.

ClientEarth

Law360

TECHNOLOGY

U.S. draws up strict AI guidelines amid Anthropic clash

The Trump administration has drawn up strict rules for civilian AI contracts requiring companies to allow "any lawful" use of their models amid a stand-off between the Pentagon and Anthropic, ‌the Financial Times has reported. The Pentagon had on Thursday designated Anthropic as a "supply chain risk," prohibiting government contractors from using the AI firm's technology in work for the U.S. military. A draft of new government guidelines from the General Services Administration mandates that AI groups that want to do business with the government grant the U.S. an irrevocable licence to use their systems for all legal purposes.

Financial Times

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Europol says Iran crisis raises threat of terror, cyberattacks

Europol has warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict will have "immediate repercussions" for European Union security, leading to an increased threat of terrorism, organized crime, and cyberattacks. Europol spokesman Jan Op Gen Oorth said that he anticipates a rise in cyberattacks targeting European infrastructure, alongside sophisticated online fraud driven by artificial intelligence. He observed that groups linked to Iran may engage in "destabilizing activities" within the EU, including terrorist attacks. "The level of terrorist threat and violent extremism in EU territory is considered high," he said, noting that the rapid spread of polarizing content online could accelerate radicalization among diaspora communities.

U.S. News

Singapore employers face crackdown on phantom workers

About 100 employers in Singapore have been penalised for fraudulently inflating their foreign worker quotas through "phantom worker" schemes, according to Manpower Minister Tan See Leng. These arrangements involve false Central Provident Fund contributions for non-existent local workers, allowing firms to exceed their foreign worker entitlements. Dr Tan said the Ministry of Manpower investigates such arrangements based on complaints as well as proactive on-site checks, and these are what led to the enforcement actions against the errant employers.

Business Times SG

Setback for union in works council election at Tesla's Berlin plant

IG Metall, Germany's top industrial union, has failed to win a majority in the works council elections at Tesla's plant near Berlin. The union, which has been fighting for more influence at the U.S. automaker's gigafactory in Gruenheide, the company's only European production site, said it secured 13 of the ⁠works council's 37 seats, leaving the committee's majority in non-unionized hands. "Unfortunately, it was not enough to secure a . . . majority," IG Metall's lead candidate Laura Arndt said. "We will continue to do our utmost in the new works council to bring about change for us and our colleagues at the Gigafactory."

Reuters

OTHER

Brothers of Virginia Giuffre demand unredacted Epstein documents

Brothers of the late Virginia Giuffre have visited Jeffrey Epstein's former New Mexico ranch to demand the release of unredacted documents revealing the identities of men who allegedly abused their sister. Sky Roberts said during a rally near the ranch to mark International Women's Day: "All those names are in the files and right now the government is covering those up." New Mexico has launched a "truth commission" to investigate Epstein's activities, and Amanda Roberts, Sky's wife, expressed her hope that other states will follow suit.

U.S. News

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