DOGE AND YOUR BUSINESS As of November 2024, the federal workforce in the United States was just over 3 million people. With all the talk about an out-of-control federal workforce, it is interesting to note that the federal government (excluding the Postal Service) accounts for 1.5% of total civilian employment, a share that – except for a temporary bump in mid-2020 for the decennial census – has been largely constant for more than a decade. The federal government is the single largest employer in the U.S. As such, it employs 12% of all government employees. State-level government employees make up 24%, while...

Industry 4.0 and Your Workers Ready or not, we are now deep into the beginning of the 4th Industrial Revolution, often referred to as Industry 4.0, or 4IR. On the heals of the recent World Economic Forum, Charlotte Edmond, Senior Writer for Forum Agenda, provides the following definition of Industry 4.0   WHAT IS INDUSTRY 4.0   "The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Industry 4.0, or 4IR as it is variously called, is the next phase in manufacturing. It will be characterized by smart technologies and automation, which allow manufacturers to produce goods more efficiently, quickly, cheaply and/or sustainably. It will be a step-change in the digital...

When to Hire In House and When to Not According to a recent article in Inc. by Sarahd Lynch, one of the leading workplace trends for 2025 will be a greater emphasis on hiring from within. Even though the 2024 labor market is cooling, job openings are slowing in some sectors, and with a decrease in quit rates, some companies find themselves in an unusual position.   Labor Hoarding   With the anticipation of a recession, many companies engaged in “labor hoarding” rather than hiring new employees. One of the results of this strategy is that many companies have an ample, experienced labor force...

Tariff Survival Strategies for Small Businesses WHAT IS A TARIFF?   A tariff is a tax on the import of goods between countries as a form of foreign trade regulation. The simple explanation of the goals behind tariffs are: 1. Raise revenue 2. Protect domestic industries by increasing the price of imported goods, which provides domestic products with a price advantage. 3. Address unfair practices, such as when the exporter is subsidized by their government, thus artificially lowering the cost of production.   There are three primary methods of assessing tariffs: 1. Ad valorem – a percentage of the value of the import 2. Specific – a fixed amount on each imported...

Job-Hopping is Paying Off   Just when we thought we were beginning to understand Gen Z, a new study tells us that we don’t know them at all. We’ve read time and time again that Gen Z wants meaningful work and is willing to pass up more lucrative positions to achieve it.   Although this is obviously true for some, the new report by H&R Block reveals that nearly one-third of Gen Z workers changed jobs last year. Thirty-five percent of them did it for the money. In fact, out of all the generations studied, 30% of Gen Z workers made 30% more...