Fresh government data show U.S. wage growth trailing inflation, with the Employment Cost Index revealing a 0.4% year-over-year drop in real wages and salaries through June. Meanwhile, labor's share of nonfarm business income hit a record low of 52.8% in the second quarter, prompting economists to ask whether AI is beginning to squeeze pay even before it eliminates jobs outright. Research from Apollo Global Management suggests workers in AI-exposed occupations are already seeing slower real-wage gains.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-13
Homebuilders facing a shortage of roughly 1.2 million homes and hundreds of thousands of unfilled construction jobs are turning to robotics, but the real progress is coming from targeted tools like error-checking systems, trade-coordination software, and factory-built modules rather than humanoid robots on job sites. NAHB data shows residential construction productivity has grown just 16% since 1993, far behind the broader economy's 50%-plus gains, while labor shortages cost builders about $11 billion annually and add two months to build times.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-12
A new Gallup survey finds 47% of Americans now want unions to hold more influence, up from 43% in 2023 and just 25% in 2009. Meanwhile, those wanting less union influence fell to 23%, and overall approval of unions climbed to 71%, matching levels last seen in 1965.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-12
A Wall Street Journal report cites experts recommending anthropology, mathematics and philosophy as college majors better suited to an AI-driven job market than computer science, whose recent graduates face a 6.1% unemployment rate versus a 5.7% overall rate. The experts argue these fields build distinctly human skills—like understanding behavior and abstract reasoning—that AI cannot easily replicate, even as long-term demand for software developers remains strong.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-11
Workers' rights group LaborLab has released new tools letting employees see which consultants and law firms their employers hire to resist unionization efforts, and how much money is being spent. The launch highlights a roughly $1.7 billion industry of union avoidance specialists that, per Labor Department data, about 75% of employers rely on when facing organizing drives.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
Labor force participation among Americans 65 and older has climbed to 19.2%, up from roughly 12% in 2000, and 42% of sitting CEOs are now 60 or older—an unusually high share, according to executive recruiter Cowen Partners. Companies like Boeing, Verizon and Cracker Barrel have repeatedly brought back older or previously retired executives rather than promoting younger leaders.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-08
Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026 program singled out eight companies that depend heavily on skilled tradespeople for their category honors. Judges evaluated how these firms foster innovation specifically among workers in skilled-labor roles rather than traditional office or tech positions.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
Former Opendoor CEO Eric Wu has emerged from a year-long break to found a new company, now out of stealth since May, that builds AI-powered voice assistants for construction and field workers. The tool acts as a hands-free coach guiding laborers through tasks, aiming to address a labor shortfall the industry group Associated Builders and Contractors pegs at roughly 349,000 missing workers this year.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-08
A new economic analysis argues that automation can damage workers psychologically even when it doesn't cost them their jobs. Employees derive meaning not just from producing output but from knowing that output depends on their own effort, and a credible machine substitute undermines that sense of indispensability even if the human worker stays employed. The researchers show this dynamic can raise wages when compensation adjusts fully, or force workers to absorb the loss when it doesn't.
nber.org
· 2026-09-07
WIRED's Labor Day sales roundup highlights discounts on gadgets its reviewers have personally tested, spanning headphones, vacuums, and AirTags. The standout deal cuts the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 laptop to $1,200, a $700 reduction, offering 32GB of RAM in a machine praised for its OLED display and battery life. The list was refreshed on September 5 with additional vacuum and smart home discounts.
wired.com
· 2026-09-07
Retailers including Best Buy, Newegg and Walmart are closing out Labor Day sales with discounts of up to 38% on pre-built gaming PCs, some saving buyers over $1,200. Featured deals include an ABS Kaze II Aqua with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5080 for $2,999.99, and an iBuyPower Y40 with a Ryzen 9 9900X and RX 9070 XT for $2,199.99.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-07
The national average price for regular gasoline reached its highest point ever recorded for a Labor Day weekend, driven by ongoing refinery disruptions and continued instability tied to the Iran conflict. Despite the record for this specific holiday period, prices remain below the all-time high of $5.02 per gallon reached in June 2022.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-07
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