Are you underpaid? Maybe or maybe not: Nearly 7 in 10 workers believe they’re underpaid, even when their compensation is at or above market rates, according to a new Payscale report.  That’s a leap from the 51% of employees earning at or above market who felt underpaid four years ago. “Employee expectations around pay remain elevated, fueled by both expectations of pay fairness and anxiety about inflation and cost of living,” Lexi Clarke, Payscale’s chief people officer, told Yahoo Finance. “Workers feel underpaid, but it’s more nuanced than just inflation.” Payscale’s report found that wage growth has cumulatively outpaced inflation across most sectors since 2019, but workers don’t always perceive that progress, she said.  This disconnect exists even though 1 in 3 U.S. employees are now covered by pay transparency regulations. According to Indeed, 6 in 10 job postings in the U.S. included salary information.  And workers can use ChatGPT to get an estimate based on publicly available data as to their position’s salary, whether accurate or not. “Being transparent about compensation can strengthen trust with both current staff and potential hires, enhance an employer’s competitive edge, and make it easier to draw in new talent,” Indeed career expert Priya Rathod said.  Source: Yahoo Finance 7/13/25

New benefit for Gen Z-mortgage assistance: For Gen Z workers in particular, financial stability is top of mind, and homeownership remains a key milestone. Yet rising housing costs, high interest rates, and low savings are making that benchmark increasingly difficult to achieve.  Today, nearly 43% of employees live paycheck to paycheck, and almost one-third have less than $1,000 in savings, according to data from Multiply Mortgage, a mortgage solution platform. For Gen Z, who are still early in their careers and often managing student loan debt, homeownership can feel entirely out of reach. Only 20.8% of survey respondents feel "very confident" navigating the homebuying process, with many citing confusion about mortgage options and difficulty finding trustworthy professionals. According to the report, 67% of employees say access to lower interest rates through employer-provided benefits is "extremely valuable." That kind of direct financial impact can make the difference between "someday" and "now" when it comes to buying a home. Mortgage benefits aren't just about helping employees buy homes. They're also a powerful recruitment and retention tool. The Multiply Mortgage survey found that 75% of employees would be more likely to join a company that offers mortgage benefits, and 23% say these benefits could be a deciding factor in accepting a job offer.  Source: EBN 7/10/25

Are people mischaracterizing college costs to their detriment? According to Strada’s latest report, 1 in 5 people “substantially overestimate” the cost of attending community college, reporting that the cost is more than $20,000 annually. A majority estimated that it costs more than $10,000 a year. In actuality, the average student pays about $6,000 annually, the report said, citing College Board data.  For public four-year institutions, just 22% of the survey’s respondents correctly identified that it costs the average student between $20,000 and $30,000 annually to attend, with about 35% believing it costs $40,000 or more.  These misperceptions are often fueled by the complex financial aid process and a lack of transparency surrounding the true cost of attending college, as many students are unaware that the price of attendance is often much less than the sticker price, the report added. That’s an issue that many colleges have tried to address in recent years. Strada’s findings follow a host of other research papers and surveys indicating that a growing number of adults say the value of a college degree is not worth the cost. However, research has shown that college graduates often have better financial outcomes than those who did not receive a diploma beyond high school.  Source: HR Dive 7/14/25

Gen Z relies on parents for career advice: In a recent survey conducted by Gallup, Jobs for the Future, and the Walton Family Foundation, 90% of Gen Z students said they trust their parents to advise them on next steps after high school. Teachers were a distant second at 54%, and social media didn’t even crack double digits.  The bad news?  Parents say they don’t know enough about the vast majority of valuable education and training options for their children could pursue. They’re especially in the dark about anything that isn’t either pursuing a career directly or getting a bachelor’s degree. And parents aren’t alone. The survey found that even school counselors, specifically tasked with providing this kind of guidance, say they feel underprepared to help students adapt to the future labor landscape. Further, A 2023 survey by JFF and American Student Assistance found that nearly one-third of high school graduates who weren’t pursuing college said they lacked confidence in knowing the steps they needed to take to transition into a post-high school career or education. About two-thirds said they would have considered alternative pathway programs if they had more information about them. Employers need to insert themselves into the conversation and assist the new workers.  Source: Time 7/11/25

California and Texas now join jurisdictions regulating AI: California’s new AI regulations are set to go into effect on October 1.  According to California lawmakers, automated decision-making systems that might rely on algorithms or AI are increasingly being used in employment settings to make recruitment, hiring, and promotion decisions. But that technology could exacerbate existing biases and contribute to employment discrimination, the council said. The final version of the rules, which interpret the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act, added language aimed at encouraging employers to test the AI tools they use to make employment decisions to ensure they don't lead to biased results.  "It is unlawful for an employer or other covered entity to use an automated-decision system or selection criteria (including a qualification standard, employment test, or proxy) that discriminates against an applicant or employee or a class of applicants or employees on a basis protected by" FEHA, the rules say.  The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRIAGA) was signed into law June 22. TRAIGA prohibits persons from developing and deploying AI systems "with the intent to unlawfully discriminate against a protected class in violation of state or federal law," including race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or disability.  Source: Littler 7/3/25, Law360 6/30/25