Quick Hits - June 30, 2021 - American Society of Employers - ASE Staff

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Quick Hits - June 30, 2021

EEO-1 reporting extended to August 23: The EEOC extended the filing deadline to submit and certify your 2019/2020 EEO-1 Component 1 data to Monday, August 23, 2021.  For those filers who have contacted the EEO-1 Component 1 Help Desk and are awaiting a response, the EEOC asks for patience as the Filer Support Team works through these requests. The EEOC will ensure that all filers will be able to file and that no one will be excluded.  The EEOC also asks that filers only contact the EEO-1 Component 1 Help Desk once regarding the same issue. Filers making multiple contacts for the same issue via phone, email, and online inquiry and/or from different email addresses with the same employer are increasing the number of requests into the help desk resulting in further delays.  Source:  EEOC 6/28/21

Michigan unemployment rate update:  Michigan unemployment rate is at 5% for May; down from 20.8% since May 2020 but a slight uptick since April 2021 from 4.9%.  The U.S. rate is currently 5.8%.  To see what potential recruiting trends and unemployment rate are in other states, click here. 

Unfortunately, the labor participation rate isn’t rising, they’re aging out: The last decade was free of recessions and from the opening bell in January 2010 to the closing bell in December 2019, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 soared 173.60% and 189.35%, respectively. The Gross Domestic Product increased from $14.992 trillion to $21.433 trillion.  Yet, during that same period, the labor force participation rate actually declined. So, how could it drop when the economy was booming and labor force participation rates among the working-age population grew in every age category?  The solution to this labor market puzzle: a rise in the percentage of the population ages 65 and over.  The oldest baby boomers were 64 in 2010 and 73 in 2019. As they aged, a large segment of the population shifted into 65 and older age groups.  Because older Americans are less likely than younger ones to be in the labor force, this demographic shift reduced the overall labor force participation rate.  Overall, Michigan is one of the states with a decreasing labor participation rate-meaning hiring will be more difficult in the future, not just today.  Source:  US Census 6/21/21

Dropping unemployment assistance leads to increases in people taking jobs:  The number of unemployment-benefit recipients is falling at a faster rate in Missouri and 21 others states canceling enhanced and extended payments this month, suggesting that ending the aid could push more people to take jobs.  Federal pandemic aid bills boosted unemployment payments by $300 a person each week and extended those payments for as long as 18 months – much longer than the typical 26 weeks or less. The federal benefits are set to expire in early September, but states can opt out before then.  Michigan legislature passed a similar law to drop the pandemic assistance, but the Governor is expected to veto the measure.  Source:  Wall Street Journal 6/27/21

And just when I wanted to go to Canada: The land border restrictions between Canada and the United States have been extended by another month, until at least July 21. Anyone arriving in Canada by land must show a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to departure. Currently, only Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and essential travelers are allowed into the country. Nonessential travelers who enter Canada via land without a negative test result could be fined up to $2,362 U.S. All travelers entering Canada by air currently are required to show proof of a negative PCR Covid-19 test before boarding the plane. In addition, air travelers must take a second Covid-19 test upon arrival and book a three-night stay at a hotel while awaiting the results. All travelers must complete a 14-day mandatory quarantine upon entering the country, even if their test result is negative.  Source: Meetings Group 6/23/21

If you are wondering how your stress levels compare to others: U.S. workers are some of the most stressed employees in the world, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report, which captures how people feel about work and life over the past year. U.S. and Canadian workers, whose survey data are combined in Gallup’s research, ranked highest for daily stress levels of all groups surveyed. Some 57% of U.S. and Canadian workers reported feeling stress on a daily basis, up by eight percentage points from the year prior and compared with 43% of people who feel that way globally, according to Gallup’s 2021 report.  And women feel it the most.  62% of working women in the U.S. and Canada reported daily feelings of stress compared with 52% of men, showing the lasting impact of gendered expectations for caregiving in the household, ongoing child-care challenges, and women’s overrepresentation in low-wage service jobs most disrupted by the pandemic.  For webinars and other mental health resources, visit ASE’s Wellness Resources page.  Source:  CNBC 6/15/21

Should we switch to a four-day workweek? When the switch to remote work first happened at the start of the pandemic, employers were worried about how a digital environment would impact productivity and engagement. As it turned out, employees felt more productive at home than in the office: 83% of employers and 71% of employees considered remote work to be a success. 52% of bosses thought productivity improved during the pandemic, according to PwC research. Experts agree that employers can expect similar results from employees who work just four days a week. The idea that more working hours mean greater productivity is a myth. In 2018, the International Labour Organization at the United Nations conducted a study that showed that shorter work hours can result in greater output thanks to lower fatigue, improved motivation, and reduced turnover.  Longer working hours can be detrimental to employee health. In May 2021, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization estimated that in 2016, 398,000 people died from stroke and 347,000 from heart disease as a result of having worked at least 55 hours a week.  With pandemic, maybe the 5-day to 4-day will change as well.  Source:  EBN 6/22/21

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