It seems that, unlike the rest of us, the labor market didn’t catch a bout of seasonal depression in January.

The labor market was continually strong in January, even as economic concerns like tariffs loomed overhead, according to latest job openings and labor turnover survey data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “I do think they beat expectations a little bit which goes in line with what I’m seeing on the ground,” Amy Glaser, SVP of business operations at Adecco, told HR Brew. “I’m optimistic about the US labor market and their ability to navigate through what could be considered turbulent times.”

Diving into the data. Employers had 7.7 million job openings posted at the end of January, up from 7.5 million in December, and beating economists’ forecasts. Similarly, total quits jumped to 3.3 million, from 3.1 million in December. Hires were stagnant, though, remaining at a hiring rate of 3.4%, and layoffs decreased slightly to 1.6 million, down 100,000 from the month prior.

Zoom out. Despite January’s strong JOLTS data, uncertainty still looms overhead. If President Trump’s tariffs go into effect, employers might have to pull back on hiring further. That, in turn, could trigger lower consumer spending, Namboothiry said.

Keep reading here.—PM

Most recruiters are familiar with the arduous process of finding the perfect candidate for a role. But how many have turned down a frontrunner?

Before leading talent acquisition at video conference tech company Neat, Talia Hamilton worked as a recruiter in several sectors, including staffing and tech, at companies such as Google. In staffing, she found herself in that scenario.

“I have told people to not take roles before if I don’t think it’s going to be right for them,” Hamilton told HR Brew, later adding, “We’re not selling space here. This is somebody’s life and well-being.” She recalled one such situation, when it was down to the top two candidates. One had a stable job, family to care for, and more to lose if the company failed, while the other was more “free-spirited.”

“I was honest with both candidates, and whereas with one it was like, ‘Well, either way, it’s going to be fun and it’s a party.’ For the other candidate, it was not that mindset at all,” she said. She told the client the same. “I think it was the right thing to do,” she added. “It’s trying to do right by all parties, and being a bit diplomatic in that respect.”

Keep reading here.—PM

Costco’s new employee agreement took effect this week, increasing its minimum wage to $20 per hour and its average wage to more than $31 an hour in the US and Canada.

CEO Ron Vachris told investors the agreement “reflects our continued commitment to provide industry-leading pay and benefits for our employees.”

But the company also acknowledged that its labor investments will come at a cost. Costco estimates the new agreement will create a headwind in the mid-single digits to selling, general, and administrative expenses (SG&A), per CFO Gary Millerchip.

Keep reading on Retail Brew.—AV

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