📊 Key Indicators 📊
📊 Key Indicators 📊
🍁 Canada:
Unemployment Rate: 6.70% in March 2025 (a slight increase from the previous month's rate of 6.6%).
Interest Rate: The Bank of Canada maintained the interest rate at 2.75% in April.
Inflation Rate: 2.30% in March (below expectations of 2.6%).
🍎 United States
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% in March 2025 (a slight increase from February's 4.1%).
Inflation Rate: 2.4% in March (down from 2.8% in February).
Interest Rate: The Fed kept the federal funds rate unchanged at 4.25%-4.5% during its March 2025 meeting.
🔔 Global Workforce News 🔔
🔔 Global Workforce News 🔔
Canada | Canadian Employers Continue to Face Significant Hiring Challenges
Canada had 393,400 job vacancies reported in the first quarter of 2025, with private sector job vacancy rate held steady at 2.8% in Q1 2025. The challenging business climate may continue into the second quarter, signalling a weaker economy in the coming three months.
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Canada | Shopify Mandates AI Across Workforce
Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke has established AI usage as a "baseline expectation" for all employees, implementing one of the industry's most aggressive AI adoption strategies. The policy requires managers to prove AI cannot perform a role before requesting headcount, incorporates AI proficiency into performance reviews, and expects daily AI tool usage from everyone.
Legal implications: Employment law experts note this mandate raises important considerations around reasonable accommodation requirements, potential constructive dismissal claims from employees unable to adapt, and data privacy concerns regarding AI tool usage. Organizations considering similar policies should establish clear guidelines on AI output ownership, implement robust training programs, and ensure their performance management systems fairly evaluate employees with varying technological aptitudes.
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Canada | Canadian Small Businesses Struggling with Administrative Burden
Recent ADP Canada research reveals that Canadian small business owners spend an average of 21 hours weekly on administrative tasks, with payroll administration consuming a significant portion of this time. This administrative overload is diverting critical resources away from strategic business growth and core operations. The administrative burden is particularly challenging for businesses with 10-49 employees, who often lack dedicated HR resources but face increasing compliance requirements.
HR service providers like Talencore are addressing these challenges by offering integrated HR services and software solutions specifically designed for small businesses. We strive for streamlining processes across recruitment & onboarding, payroll & benefits, performance management, and compliance regulations - potentially saving businesses up to 15 hours weekly on HR and administrative tasks. Schedule a free consultation with Talencore today →
📜 Legislative Updates 📜
Only collecting personal information that is demonstrably necessary for evaluating candidates
Postponing reference checks until after conditional offers are made, and obtaining explicit consent before contacting references
Avoiding social media screening of candidates as an "unjustified intrusion on privacy rights"
Limiting the use of psychological and psychometric tests to situations where their relevance is "undeniable"
Informing candidates when AI is used in hiring decisions and conducting privacy impact assessments before implementing such technologies
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Canada | Ontario Written Employment Information for New Hires
Effective July 1, 2025, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must provide new hires with specific written information before their first day of work (or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter). The mandatory disclosures include:
- The employer's legal name and any operating/business names
Employer contact information (address, phone number, contact names)The employee's initial anticipated work location
Starting wage information (hourly rate, salary, or commission structure)Pay period and pay day details
A general description of anticipated work hours
The new requirements align with broader transparency trends in employment law and will require many Ontario employers to update their onboarding documentation in the coming months.
Effective July 1, 2025, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must provide new hires with specific written information before their first day of work (or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter). The mandatory disclosures include:
- The employer's legal name and any operating/business names
Employer contact information (address, phone number, contact names)The employee's initial anticipated work location
Starting wage information (hourly rate, salary, or commission structure)Pay period and pay day details
A general description of anticipated work hours
The new requirements align with broader transparency trends in employment law and will require many Ontario employers to update their onboarding documentation in the coming months.
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Pay transparency laws continue to expand, with Illinois and Minnesota implementing new requirements since January 1, 2025, and several states including New Jersey, Vermont, and Massachusetts planning similar regulations.
Pay transparency laws continue to expand, with Illinois and Minnesota implementing new requirements since January 1, 2025, and several states including New Jersey, Vermont, and Massachusetts planning similar regulations.
📚 Monthly Reading Picks 📚
📚 Monthly Reading Picks 📚
Make Work Fair" by Iris Bohnet, Siri Chilazi
A groundbreaking new release focusing on creating equitable work environments and addressing workplace fairness challenges
Employalty by Joe Mul
Essential reading for understanding employee commitment and retention strategies in modern workplaces.
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