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Global News
3 days ago
- Business
- Global News
‘It's just too much': Ontario senior unretires to fight high cost of living
Jane Woodcock says when her husband died in 2018, she quickly realized she did not have enough income to support herself and their five animals. In 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the 68-year-old Woodcock started to see the price of everything rise, leading her to find a job as a cleaner to help cover costs. The Deseronto, Ont., resident told Global News she'd never imagined she would find herself in this position. 'I thought I'd be retired because my husband died seven years ago and before that I wasn't working, he was working and supporting both of us and all the animals,' she said. A 2024 report from Resume Builder found that four in 10 working seniors have unretired. 1:19 'My paycheck might only cover daycare': Ontario family struggles as cost of living climbs The report shows that 39 per cent of seniors who are employed have returned to work after retirement, while the other 61 per cent have never retired. Story continues below advertisement The report says the top reason seniors are returning to work are the cost living increases and insufficient retirement savings. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Woodcock has two dogs, two cats, and a potbellied pig, and says food to feed herself and her pets is getting out of control. 'Every time I go into the grocery store stuff that I was always buying before; it's like double the price and just piss me off,' she remarked. Woodcock estimates she spends $400 a month just for food on the pig, while costs for the other animals also skyrocketed 'ridiculously' high. She has also had to make hard cuts in other areas of her life, like getting rid of cable and being cautious when she runs her heating and air conditioning. 'People should be able to live properly. If you're hot, you should be allowed to turn on the air conditioner, if you're cold turn up the heat…. It's just too much,' she said. Between her job and survivors pension she gets from her late husband, she has about $4,000 a month to cover expenses but she said between still has a mortgage, to paying for insurance and food that quickly disappears. 'It's a mix, and it's still not enough.'
Fast Company
06-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
What job seekers hate (and love!) about your AI hiring process
As the labor market tightens and job seekers leverage AI to apply for jobs en masse, recruiters are receiving hundreds or thousands of applicants for a single position. To deal with the deluge, many employers are adopting new tools, often powered by AI, to make recruiting more efficient, and, in some cases, replace human contact. A Resume Builder survey from last year suggested that nearly 70% of companies would use AI in their hiring process by the end of 2025. Talent acquisition leaders tout the effectiveness of new recruiting tech: virtual assessments, asynchronous and AI-powered interviewing, chatbots, and the like. But what do job seekers think? According to applicants, what new recruiting tech has going for it is speed. What it lacks, often, is clarity. 'IT WAS SHORTER AND MORE SUCCINCT' One of the most common additions is the asynchronous video interview, in which applicants record answers that a recruiter reviews later. It often replaces screening calls, and sometimes, later-stage interviews. While recruiters don't have time to schedule and conduct calls with a hundred applicants, they can review prerecorded answers from as many. The extended deadline for Fast Company's Brands That Matter Awards is this Friday, June 6, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This week in 5 numbers: Gen Z opts for skilled trades
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. U.S. workers report higher levels of stress at work given current economic uncertainty and government policy changes. Here's a look at those and some of the other numbers making headlines in the HR world. By the numbers 12% The percentage of companies that feel effective at skill validation, which could be a cause for concern when trying to implement a skills-first hiring approach, according to a report from Hirevue and Aptitude Research. 42% The percentage of Generation Z adults who are working in or pursuing a blue-collar or skilled trade job, according to a Resume Builder report. 54% The percentage of U.S. workers who say job insecurity has significantly affected their stress levels at work, according to a report from the American Psychological Association. 69% The percentage of hiring managers who say their company looks at relevant experience over a bachelor's degree while making hiring decisions, according to a Resume Templates report. 1,500 The number of Walmart employees whose jobs will be cut as part of a restructuring of the company's global tech and Walmart U.S. operations, according to an internal memo. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Journals
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Gen Z more interested in trade careers; dress codes change post-pandemic
Editor's Note: Welcome to The Playbook Edition, a look at stories, trends and changes that could affect your business. Want more stories like this in your inbox? Sign up for The Playbook newsletter. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events Here's why Gen Zers are increasingly drawn to trade careers Some Generation Z adults are becoming more interested in trade careers as economic pressures mount and concerns about artificial-intelligence tools persist. That's according to a recent survey from Resume Builder, which found 42% of Gen Zers are working in or pursuing a skilled-trade job, including 37% of those with a bachelor's degree. The report surveyed 1,434 adults ages 18 to 28. Regardless of education level, Gen Z men surveyed were significantly more likely than women to choose trade careers, with 48% of men saying they worked in or planned to enter the trades, compared to 30% of women. Top factors cited for choosing work outside of white-collar professions included avoiding student-loan debt and reducing the potential risk of being replaced by AI tools. The shift, according to the report, is especially prevalent among Gen Z men with degrees, as 46% of them are working in or pursuing trades compared to 27% of women with degrees. Key quote: "More Gen Z college graduates are turning to trade careers and for good reason. Many are concerned about AI replacing traditional white-collar roles, while trade jobs offer hands-on work that's difficult to automate. Additionally, many grads find their degrees don't lead to careers in their field, prompting them to explore more practical, in-demand alternatives." — Resume Builder's Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller FULL STORY: Here's why Gen Zers are increasingly drawn to trade careers Casual dress codes were a post-pandemic perk. That's starting to change. Companies have pulled back on advertising casual dress codes in 2025, but that doesn't mean the days of relaxed in-office attire workers have enjoyed post-pandemic are coming to an end. The Playbook's senior reporter Andy Medici writes that an analysis of job postings by job-matching platform Adzuna that was shared exclusively with The Playbook found the percentage of listings in April that mentioned a casual dress code came in at 61.1%, the lowest April figure since the onset of the pandemic. In April 2019, casual dress code mentions were part of 58.5% of job listings. Per Medici, that number rose to 63% in April 2020 and reached a peak of 80.6% in April 2022 before coming back down. Medici notes that references to business-casual dress codes, which stood at 40.2% of job postings in April 2019, fell all the way to 18.6% of job postings in April 2022 before rising back up to 37.2% this year, according to Adzuna. Key quote: "During the pandemic, it was common for employers to advertise casual dress and remote work to attract candidates. But now that casual dress has become the standard, companies no longer feel it's necessary to drive recruitment. So even though fewer job listings directly advertise their casual dress code, it's still very much the standard in most workplaces." — Sam Debase, a career expert at ZipRecruiter FULL STORY: Casual dress codes were a post-pandemic perk. That's starting to change. Office returns are hitting their new normal As more corporate titans have pushed for employees returning to the office in 2025, the rate of in-person work is inching toward pre-pandemic levels in some major metros. The Business Journals' Joanne Drilling writes that April 2025 was the third-busiest in-office month since the pandemic — outpaced only by October and July 2024 — with office visits down 30.7% nationally compared to April 2019. The data comes from the most recent Nationwide Office Building Index, which leverages cellphone location data to analyze foot traffic and visits from about 1,000 office buildings across the country. Despite the robust traffic numbers recorded in April, a full return to pre-pandemic visitation levels hasn't yet materialized in most cities, Drilling notes. Key quote: "Consumers are just not spending 40 hours a week in the office. They're still embracing this hybrid model, but with a lot of companies heading into the office, we have some improvement in the percentage of visits compared to pre-pandemic levels." — R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at FULL STORY: Office returns are hitting their new normal The blitz: Workers feel stigma around disability accommodations has worsened … The pay raise picture is shifting. Here's where wages are rising the most. … SBA launches portal to boost Made in America Manufacturing Initiative … SBA overhauls another loan program amid rising defaults
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
4 Forces Fueling Gen Z's Shift To Blue‑Collar Jobs
Gen Z college grads are choosing blue-collar jobs that offer job security. A dramatic shift is reshaping both higher education and skilled trades. According to new research from 37% of Gen Z college graduates are now working in or actively pursuing blue-collar jobs—representing the most significant talent influx into trades in decades. For the first time in generations, college-educated Gen Z workers are voluntarily choosing skilled-trade jobs over traditional white-collar careers, driven by a combination job market realities and evolving definitions of career success. Let's explore the four forces driving this shift, how employers can respond and what steps job seekers can take to capitalize on this workforce trend. Skilled trade jobs are experiencing unprecedented demand across multiple sectors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects faster-than-average growth for electricians, plumbers and wind turbine technicians through 2033. Deloitte research indicates that U.S. manufacturing alone could need 3.8 million additional workers by 2033, with 1.9 million positions potentially unfilled. This surge in demand explains why, according to the Resume Builder survey, 30% of Gen Z college graduates considering blue-collar jobs cite better long-term prospects as their primary motivation, while 19% made the switch because they were unable to find work in their field of study. While most college graduates face months-long job searches and unpaid internships, skilled trades offer immediate employment and job security. Median wages for skilled-trade jobs now rival entry-level salaries for white-collar positions while avoiding the crushing burden of student debt. This economic reality is reflected in the Resume Builder survey, where 16% of college graduates who switched to trades said they weren't earning enough with their credentials. The average federal student loan debt exceeds $38,000, resulting in payments that consume a significant portion of entry-level salaries for years. Meanwhile, apprenticeship programs offer paid training from day one. Experienced electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians routinely earn between $60,000-$80,000 annually, with top performers commanding six-figure incomes. Having grown up with technology, Gen Z workers understand the potential of automation to disrupt knowledge work. This explains why the survey indicates that 25% of college graduates entering trades specifically chose blue-collar work because they believe these jobs are less likely to be replaced by AI. The physical, problem-solving nature of skilled trades makes them inherently resistant to automation. While AI can assist with design and planning, it can't wire a house, fix a broken pipe or troubleshoot complex mechanical systems in unpredictable environments. Many Gen Z workers are drawn to the tangible nature of skilled trades. This generation values purpose and impact, and trades offer immediate, visible results. The collaborative nature of construction and manufacturing also appeals to workers from team-oriented educational environments. Unlike isolated office jobs, skilled trades require constant coordination and mentorship, creating social connections many remote workers feel are missing. Companies must update their recruitment messaging to appeal to college-educated workers who have multiple career options. For example, today's electricians work with smart building systems and renewable energy technologies, while manufacturers utilize advanced robotics and AI-assisted quality control, which requires continuous learning. Effective recruitment should showcase these technological aspects while emphasizing the problem-solving and innovation that skilled trades demand. Case studies of college graduates who've built successful careers in trades can be effective in countering misconceptions about blue-collar jobs. Forward-thinking employers are implementing several approaches: One of the biggest barriers is the pressure from family and society to pursue white-collar careers. Actively counter the "college-only" mindset by providing data on wages, career progression and job security to parents, guidance counselors and career advisors. Industry associations should develop materials for career counselors, including salary data, growth projections and success stories. Many are unaware that skilled trades can lead to entrepreneurship opportunities and specialized consulting positions that rival traditional professional careers. 1. Research Program Outcomes: Investigate the track records of apprenticeship programs in terms of job placement rates, wage progression timelines and graduate satisfaction. Quality programs should provide transparent data on employment outcomes and career advancement opportunities. 2. Target High-Growth, Tech-Forward Trades: Focus on the fastest-growing categories, such as electricians, wind turbine technicians and HVAC specialists. Prioritize trades that incorporate advanced technology, solar installation, smart building systems and renewable energy for better long-term prospects. 3. Evaluate Entrepreneurship Pathways: Consider trades offering clear routes to business ownership. Many skilled trades offer a natural progression from apprentice to independent contractor to business owner, with lower startup costs compared to most traditional businesses. 4. Leverage Your College Background: Seek programs designed for college graduates or highlight transferable skills such as analytical thinking, communication and project management. Some employers offer accelerated tracks for educated workers. 5. Use Proven Resources: Start with the Department of Labor's apprenticeship finder and the National Center for Construction Education and Research. Many states also offer scholarship programs and financial assistance specifically for trade education. Gen Z's pivot toward blue-collar jobs isn't a retreat from ambition. It's a rational response to economic reality and evolving definitions of success. This generation has witnessed traditional career path limitations and is choosing alternatives that offer better financial returns, job security and personal satisfaction. For companies facing chronic skill gaps, this represents the best talent news in years. However, capitalizing on it requires updating recruitment strategies, compensation and workplace cultures to appeal to educated workers with options. Companies successfully attracting college-educated trade workers will gain significant competitive advantages in an increasingly constrained labor market.
