UKG Newsroom

LOWELL, Mass., and WESTON, Fla. | Workforce activity remained steady overall across most sectors, creating a “pleasantly boring” month for the labor market, according to the August 2023 Workforce Activity Report published by UKG. Although shift work decreased 0.8% in August 2023, the decline mirrored August 2022 activity and historic seasonal trends, and the labor market remains relatively strong as summer comes to a close.

LOWELL, Mass., and WESTON, Fla. | Healthy growth in demand for manufactured goods and services, as well as year-over-year increases in production capacity, revenue, and shift work, highlight a positive outlook for the U.S. manufacturing sector in the second half of 2023, according to a new survey from the UKG Workforce Institute. Still, 76% of manufacturers are struggling to fill critical labor gaps, and 2 in 3 (66%) said it takes longer now to fill open positions.

The Wall Street Journal | American companies are in the midst of an AI recruiting frenzy, and some are willing to pay salaries approaching seven figures to hire top talent.

LOWELL, Mass., and WESTON, Fla. | Businesses with 100 or fewer employees experienced a decline in workforce activity for the 12th time in 13 months, according to the July 2023 Workforce Activity Report published by UKG. Smaller businesses will likely continue to struggle amid the tight labor market, which may create additional wage inflation as businesses of all sizes and across all industries compete to hire and grow.

Reuters | Time management firm UKG here estimates that shift work across a range of industries remains about 18% below pre-pandemic levels, and may struggle until the health crisis ebbs.

Chain Store Age | Despite dire predictions, three in five retailers either reported an increase in year-over-year holiday sales in stores (37%) or no significant change (22%) from 2019, according to the second annual “Retail 2020 Post-holiday Season Review” from UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group).