Bare minimum Mondays. Tired Tuesdays. Weak Wednesdays. Employees may show up and get their work done, but a growing number aren’t going above and beyond.

Where in the world? Japan has historically had such a profound work ethic that residents struggle with being overworked, depressed, and not having enough time for their personal lives. However, some (mainly younger) workers in the country are actively pushing back against this cultural norm, and turning to quiet quitting. Roughly 45% of workers in Japan engage in quiet quitting, according to a survey from Mynavi, a recruitment agency. The term, officially coined in 2022, is not a new trend, but workers increasingly adopted it during the strong post-Covid job market, HR Brew previously reported.

Respondents said they were “satisfied” with the quiet-quitting approach and plan to continue the practice. Workers said they do the basics required for their jobs for various reasons, but cite wanting a better work-life balance or feeling indifferent about their career path as prime reasons for losing motivation at work.—KP

For more on the challenges quiet quitting is presenting in Japan and the US, keep reading here.

When KPMG decided to bring generative AI into its hiring process, the professional services firm looked to strategically address issues to improve the experience since the company hires new employees each year from a large pool of campus recruits, experienced professionals, and senior talent.

In August 2023, KPMG launched an internal chatbot system, Kai, short for KPMG AI, in partnership with AI vendor Paradox.

“We have a very wide ecosystem of technology partners that we are always collaborating with to see how we can leverage their solutions to help bring better answers to our clients inside of the firm and outside,” said KMPG’s Sandy Torchia, vice chair of talent and culture. “It was a good collaboration with Paradox.”

The firm’s US recruiting team looked to Kai to help address two specific pain points in the recruiting process: improving how candidates interact with the company’s career site and reducing the time it takes for recruiters to schedule interviews with well-matched candidates.

For more on how KPMG’s AI solution is helping its hiring process, keep reading here.—AD

After this week’s dour economic news—including that the US GDP shrank in the first quarter and businesses lowered or rescinded their 2025 guidance over tariffs uncertainty—expectations for the newest jobs report were modest.

But better-than-expected job growth in April, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, defied those expectations, offering businesses some optimism ahead of tariffs’ predicted disruption to the labor market.

“To be honest, this is a report that we need at this time,” Elizabeth Crofoot, a senior economist at Lightcast, told HR Brew. “Whatever’s happening around us, this is going to help keep us centered, I think, as consumers, as businesses, so that we can focus on what’s important to you and your household, what’s important to you in your business, and to try to adapt to the tariffs.”

For more on the latest BLS jobs report and whether the gains are sustainable, keep reading here.—PM

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