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Human Times
North America
Sunbelt cities lead graduate hiring

ADP’s analysis of 53 major U.S. metros found Sunbelt cities leading a still-uneven rebound in graduate hiring, with Birmingham ranked first and Tampa second. Six of the top 10 are in the South, including Raleigh, Tulsa, Nashville, and Charlotte, while San Jose and Columbus also scored strongly due to hiring strength, wages, or affordability. Researchers reviewed payroll data for more than 400,000 workers in their 20s and compared degree-level hiring rates with affordability-adjusted pay. “If you can get that right mix of hiring, pay and affordability, it’s a really attractive launch point for a young person,” said Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist. Birmingham benefited from bioscience, automotive, and advanced-materials hiring, while Tampa gained from healthcare, finance, and technology demand.

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Human Times
UK
More firms in 'critical distress' as costs climb

Research from BTG reveals a 36.9% increase in UK businesses facing "critical financial distress," with the total hitting 62,193 in Q1. The latest quarterly red flag report also notes a 9.6% rise in "significant" financial distress, affecting 634,867 businesses. Hotels and leisure firms are particularly impacted by rising labour costs and tax burdens, including a hike in National Insurance contributions. Ric Traynor, executive chair of BTG, said: "After initial signs that the UK's GDP was improving at the very start of the year, it now feels like after taking a step forward, the UK has taken a few steps backwards following one of the most severe energy shocks in living memory." Julie Palmer, managing partner at BTG, observed: "Inevitably we expect to see an increasing number of ‘zombie' businesses tipped over the edge this year."

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Human Times
Europe
We thank Italians with employment decree, Meloni says

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says she has launched an employment decree featuring a "fair" wage and youth work incentives and the government is thanking Italians with the decree. "We believe this is the best way to thank the Italians who contribute every day with their work to make our nation great," she said. The decree contains almost €1bn in incentives for jobs, Meloni said. Employment incentives will only be granted if a fair wage is paid, and "there will be no incentives for pirate contracts or those who underpay their workers," she said.

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Human Times
Middle East
Saudi Arabia urged to ditch foreign labour system

UN rights experts have called on Saudi Arabia to abolish its kafala sponsorship system ahead of the 2034 World Cup, citing ongoing abuse and exploitation of migrant workers. Despite some easing of restrictions in 2021, many workers remain vulnerable. "Five years after the encouraging announcement of labour reforms, we continue to receive reports of abuse and labour exploitation of the estimated 16m migrant workers in the country," the UN experts said in a joint statement. "Migrant worker deaths have allegedly occurred under unclear circumstances and without accountability. Wage theft, workplace violence, retention of identity documents and the imposition of extortionate recruitment fees are all reported to continue. These practices must stop." They urged Riyadh to ensure migrant workers can change jobs freely and receive full national labour protections, emphasising the need for accountability and safe reporting channels.

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