IT services firms that hire U.S. workers and don't offshore work are looking forward to President-elect Donald Trump's crackdown on H-1B visa use. This includes firms such as Rural Sourcing Inc. (RSI), an Atlanta-based domestic software development company. RSI employs about 350 people and doesn't hire workers on temporary visas.
British budget fashion chain Primark recently said it was constantly on the watch for any slavery in its supply chain while dismissing the idea that low cost meant exploitation.
Companies in the U.S. added a solid 216,000 jobs in November, the most since June and evidence that the incoming Trump administration is inheriting a solid economy. Payroll provider ADP said that nearly all the gains occurred in service sectors such as retail, hotels and restaurants, as well as higher-paying professional services. Construction firms added 2,000 jobs, while manufacturing shed 10,000.
Donald Trump railed against the shifting of U.S. jobs overseas during his campaign, but it remains to be seen whether the President-elect will make good on his promises to reign in offshore outsourcing. The Indian-dominated offshore IT services market was already struggling to find its place in a market increasingly ruled by smaller and shorter term deals, cloud computing options, increased automation and intense competition.
Wal-Mart has announced it will change employee scheduling systems and processes across 650 of its U.S. stores - with the goal of improving peak hour staffing and provide more predictability over hours for employees.
Deep inside a sprawling glass-and-cement edifice the size of an airplane hangar in the Spanish town of Arteixo, 10 designers swarm around a model dressed in cropped gray trousers and a double-breasted navy blazer. Sweaters, shirts and suits are spread out on the white-tile floor, while seamstresses in white labcoats stitch prototypes nearby. "It's classic, but it's new at the same time," says a woman from China. "I'm not sure about the bold patterns," counters a British woman, dressed in white sneakers and a flowing skirt. Others nod their assent or express doubt.
A federal judge last week ordered pilots for a cargo airline that delivers Amazon packages to go back to work. The judge in Cincinnati said it was in the public's interest to end the strike because holiday shoppers expect to receive their packages on time.
It can be hard to ignore the lure of Forever 21, where fall jackets go for $18 and a halter dress can be had for $9. But U.S. Labor Department investigators contend that those deals are costly for people like Pedro Montiel, who said he makes $4.50 an hour putting the labels and other finishing touches on blouses for one of the retailer's suppliers.
Trump's victory was enabled by technology - everything from his use of social media to Clinton's email scandals to Russian hacking. But advancements in technology and how they reshape our economy may also keep him from delivering on some of the major promises that made him so popular during the campaign season.
The EU is frontrunner in the world's robotic race, but by 2019 China will have taken over, according to the latest forecast from the International Federation of Robots. More than 1.4 million new industrial robots will be installed in factories around the world by 2019.