The employment cost index was up 0.8% in the third quarter, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, below the estimate of 0.9% in a Reuters survey of economists. Costs gained 3.5% in the 12 months through September, the report shows.

Employers are prioritizing cost containment over talent attraction and retention as rising medical and pharmacy costs reshape the benefit landscape, according to Brown & Brown's Employer Health and Benefits Strategy Survey 2026. Employers are implementing tactics such as reviewing stop-loss plan structures and working with digital health companies to manage performance and costs. Despite budget-related pressures, employers are maintaining investments in employee well-being programs and parental leave.

Women continue to face significant challenges in retirement planning, primarily due to pay disparities and caregiving responsibilities, according to a report from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies and the Transamerica Institute. Nearly 40% of women prioritize paying off their credit card debt, and 36% struggle with basic living expenses. Catherine Collinson of the Transamerica Institute commented on women's particular vulnerability to financial setbacks and their often limited options in handling them.

If you want to drive organizational change, empower your middle managers to model and reinforce new behavior with their teams, rather than relying on top-down directives, writes Michel Koopman, the CEO & founder at CxO Coaching. Prepare managers for the role with targeted coaching, peer-based cohorts for accountability and mentoring from senior leaders, Koopman writes.

Enrollment in health plans through the Affordable Care Act is slightly higher than at this time last year, with almost 5.8 million people signing up within the first 29 days, according to the CMS. This increase comes despite the impending expiration of enhanced tax credits, which could at least double premiums for many subscribers.

CFOs anticipate elevated inflation to continue, remaining above the Federal Reserve's 2% target through at least 2027, according to the Q4 CNBC CFO Council Survey. CFOs are upbeat on the broader economy, with two-thirds optimistic about where the economy is heading and 59% saying the US will avoid a recession next year. However, finance chiefs cite consumer demand as a primary business risk, followed by Fed policy and overregulation, and are wary of White House policy.

Wealth transfer from baby boomers to younger generations presents an opportunity for financial advisors to bridge the financial confidence gap. Generation X faces pressures from supporting parents and children while lacking formal financial plans. Millennials are disciplined savers but struggle with debt and retirement confidence. Generation Z is cautious and relies on digital advice. Advisors can build trust by understanding these generational differences and offering tailored guidance.

Eli Lilly & Co. has chosen Huntsville, Alabama, as the location for a new, $6 billion pharmaceutical plant. The facility will produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for peptide and small-molecule drugs such as orforglipron, the much-anticipated GLP-1 weight-loss pill.

Senate Finance Committee leaders have reintroduced a bill to regulate pharmacy benefit managers, with bipartisan support. The bill would require PBMs that work with Medicare Part D to set detailed reporting, require PBMs that serve Medicaid to pass payments to pharmacies directly, and allow patients to use any pharmacy that meets contract terms.

Two studies presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology's annual meeting highlighted the role of social media in spreading misinformation about respiratory and allergic diseases. An analysis of TikTok videos found more than a quarter had partially or fully inaccurate information about asthma, and a review of videos about alpha-gal syndrome found most were anecdotal and sometimes contained inaccuracies about diagnosis, treatment and symptom management.