AGP Executive Report

Leadership Change: Community National Bank & Trust of Texas says President Tim Stites is retiring after 42 years, with Rusty Hitt named CEO and president. Workforce & Training: Fort Valley State University opened the Lyons Center to bring financial aid, advising, and career services under one roof. AI & Hiring Compliance: Regulators warn that automated hiring rejections may already break EU law on privacy. Job Market Signals: OECD says global employment is at record highs, while China moves to bolster youth employment for the AI era. Career Tech for Students: UT Dallas is running an “agentic AI” class for business analytics students, showing how AI tools can support real-world decision-making. Local Employment Debate: Cedar LNG defends its live-aboard plan, arguing it’s a safety requirement—not a fly-in fly-out strategy that would drain local jobs. Workplace Health Costs: A New Zealand rugby welfare discussion highlights that athletes can face long-term health bills after retirement. Retirement & Talent Pipeline: Justin Verlander announces he’ll retire after the 2026 season, a reminder of how careers end—and what comes next.

Philippines Labor Update: Unemployment in the Philippines rose to 2.5 million in May (4.8%), up from April, as agriculture and forestry shed workers amid El Niño disruptions, while underemployment fell—prompting the labor department to push for “more jobs of better quality.” Disability Inclusion: Sri Lanka’s ChildFund warns that nearly 70% of people with disabilities remain unemployed despite labor shortages, urging employers to treat inclusion as an economic must, not charity. Employment Law & HR Risk: A court ruling on cleaning contracts draws a clear line for HR: if work is regular and part of a business’s ordinary activities, it can be treated as employment, even when firms argue they control only “what” not “how.” Youth Jobs & Training: Bahrain’s labor ministry met the Deaf Society to expand tailored training and employment programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing workers. Gig Work Finance: China is pushing better credit access for gig workers by encouraging banks to build dedicated, inclusive products for drivers and couriers to stabilize employment. Workforce Cost Pressure: UK retail boss Theo Paphitis warns that rising employment costs are squeezing entry-level jobs, threatening the “starting line” for young workers.

Migrant Work & Hiring: Malaysia reopened its labour market for Bangladeshi workers, shifting selection to recruiting agencies to boost transparency and reduce recruitment-fee pressure. Public Sector HR: Alberta reversed a plan to move public health professionals into direct government employment after pushback from workers and unions, keeping wages, benefits and seniority intact. Workforce Signals: The Logistics Manager’s Index hit 71.1 in June—its highest since March 2022—pointing to faster logistics expansion, with inventory and capacity metrics strengthening. Early-Career Pay Gap: Australia’s graduate outcomes survey found women start full-time careers on a median $75,300 vs $79,000 for men, a 4.7% gap. Skills & Career Readiness: SkillsUSA’s national conference drew a record 7,000 students; winners earned Skill Point Certificates tied to career readiness, including welding and collision repair. Workplace Satisfaction: Monster ranked finance among the top occupations for workplace experience (8th of 15), with work-life balance flagged as the biggest improvement area.

AI at Work & Creative Rights: Anthropic is hiring Teresa Carlson to lead public-sector work on AI adoption, while a new AI-produced feature film (“Misaligned”) spotlights how studios want human craft plus AI—at a time when unions and actors push for limits on generative use of copyrighted work. Performance Management Gap: A UK survey finds many employees aren’t getting regular goals or progression reviews, putting HR and line managers under pressure to fix feedback and career pathways. Job Scams & Compliance: A report warns scammers exploit urgency and personalization in competitive hiring; HR is urged to verify listings and company names. Worker Protections Abroad: Spain’s Moroccan seasonal workers say language barriers and rights awareness gaps drive problems, prompting calls for stronger enforcement. Employment Law & Data Requests: L&I is running employment-law webinars, and guidance highlights how HR should handle employee subject access requests fast and proportionately. Global Hiring Signals: NFIB reports small-business job openings are rebounding slightly, but owners still struggle to find qualified workers. Workforce Costs: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will refund meal deductions for foreign workers and revise pay rules after pushback. Public Sector Integrity: Kenya’s EACC secured convictions of former IEBC staff for forged credentials used to get jobs and promotions.

AI & Hiring: A Virginia founder says she used AI to build a business plan, pitch investors, and launch a mental health platform for foster children—now employing 16 staff and expanding Medicaid-funded counseling. Workforce Inclusion: Zain’s Kuwait “GROW” program is graduating fresh graduates with disabilities via a three-month paid internship with telecom and business training. Job Market Signals: Analysts point to falling U.S. labor force participation as a sign the post-pandemic recovery is being erased, even as unemployment looks better on paper. Education-to-Work Pipelines: SkillsUSA recognized a Saltville student with a CNC 3-axis milling programmer certificate at its national championships, highlighting career-ready credentials. Employee Upskilling: ACHS partnered with Tuition.io to route employer tuition support to accredited online healthcare programs for working adults. Return-to-Work: Utah’s “Return Utah” program is helping people restart careers after life breaks, from parents to veterans. Employment Policy: Jamaica will rehire about 50 Cuban nurses under individual contracts after a long bilateral medical cooperation ended.

Skills-to-jobs push (Pakistan): Punjab Skills Development Fund and FPCCI signed an MoU to link training with employers, expand internships/apprenticeships, and widen women’s access to technical and export-oriented pathways under the Punjab Industrial Clusters Programme. Workforce development in schools (US): Chandler Unified School District’s outgoing superintendent retired after 44 years, highlighting new courses tied to cybersecurity, drone piloting, and semiconductors to build career-ready talent. Rural jobs funding debate (India): A new rural employment scheme (VB-G RAM G) raises guaranteed work and wages, but analysts warn the higher state cost burden could limit impact. Employment fraud crackdown (Nepal): Police arrested two men accused of defrauding job seekers of Rs 3.9 million with promises of overseas work in Ireland and Dubai. Labor relations (US higher ed): A judge dismissed a lawsuit involving Rutgers unions, while St. John’s sought to block a labor board charge—another sign of how employment disputes can spill into campus governance. Older workers trend (EU): Eurostat reports about 1 in 8 EU pensioners keep working, driven by finances and labor shortages.

Job Market & HR Policy: India’s EPFO/EPF-EPS-EDLI rules are being updated under the Code on Social Security, with wide impact for about 80 million members, including how contributions and pensions are handled. Employment & Skills Programs: Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp is getting UNESCO and Buni Media’s animation training to help youth build pathways into education and work through storytelling. Career Support Locally: New York’s Bronx is kicking off “Future Focus Bronx” employment fairs with the state Department of Labor and EmblemHealth, offering resume and interview help for healthcare sales/service roles. Entry-Level Hiring Reality: A report highlights how AI resume screening is thinning first-pass opportunities for new grads, pushing job seekers toward keyword-optimized applications. Workforce & Inclusion: A UN update says returning migrants in Afghanistan face shelter gaps and limited jobs, with “Cash for Work” used to support reintegration. Leadership & Career Growth: AMD CEO Lisa Su credits a chance part-time lab job at MIT for sparking her semiconductor career.

Employment & Training: An Orange County Senior Job Fair (July 8) is set to match older adults with local employers across health care, manufacturing, retail, transportation and government, aiming to help people re-enter work or pivot to roles that fit their experience. AI & Jobs: A workplace expert says AI’s impact on employment is likely gradual, with technology driving most job creation historically, but AI still raising anxiety about displacement. Hiring Practices: Job seekers are noticing longer, more demanding job descriptions—some so packed they feel unrealistic—fueling a push for clearer, more human hiring expectations. Labor Rights: A Saudi labor court ordered a barber to pay SR40,866 for breaching a fixed-term employment contract after leaving for another job without proper transfer steps. Career Change Advice: “Dear Eric” tackles the mid-40s urge to make a second-act leap, stressing planning so you’re not starting over after quitting. Youth Employment: New reporting highlights rising youth unemployment and the scale of under-25s not in education, employment or training.

Jobs & Rates: U.S. payroll growth cooled sharply in June (57,000 jobs added), easing rate-hike fears as markets pushed odds of a July hike down and watched unemployment and labor-force participation. Employment Fraud: Nigeria’s Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital says it will pursue staff accused of job racketeering—collecting N200,000 to N600,000 for fake appointment letters. AI Career Tools: Job seekers are increasingly using AI resume builders as “on-demand” coaching, combining resume optimization, skill-gap checks, mock interviews, and salary guidance. Higher-Education-to-Work: Delhi University’s FYUP four-year program shows uneven uptake and access concerns, with students weighing research value against the need to start earning. Federal Hiring Backlog: As DOGE’s mandate ends, agencies are scrambling to rehire and rebuild capacity, with federal job postings rising again. Workplace Rights: EEOC rescinded decades-old affirmative action guidance, urging employers to review DEI and employment practices.

Workplace fairness spotlight: Kerala’s CorroHealth mass termination dispute puts Kerala IT welfare warnings back in focus, after nearly 900 medical coding professionals in Kochi and Kozhikode received separation letters by email amid claims of ongoing hiring elsewhere. Hiring pressure and health: A recruiter’s LinkedIn post went viral after a candidate interviewed right after hospital discharge, fearing rescheduling would cost the job—raising fresh calls for more humane hiring. Digital skills push: Delaware expands free Grow with Google training via employer-backed Google career certificates and AI courses, aiming to close the digital skills gap for in-demand roles. Labor market stress signals: A survey says 51% of Indian tech professionals returning from the US can’t find jobs, with visa uncertainty and rising competition from GCCs blamed. Rural employment reform: India’s VB-G RAM G rural employment scheme rolls out with a guaranteed 125 days and new wage rates, as states issue guidelines and wage updates. Career pathways for people with disabilities: A new $10M HQ targets employment for adults with disabilities, while multiple local career fairs and recruitment events keep showing up across the week. Skills-to-work link: Employers and training providers keep leaning on practical pathways—like aviation recruitment evenings and library/college career hubs—to move people from learning into roles.

US Job Market Watch: New reporting says US hiring slowed sharply in June, with job growth cooling to about 57,000—another sign employers are tightening up. EEOC & Hiring Rules: The EEOC rescinded long-standing guidance tied to workplace discrimination risk, a reminder for HR teams to review hiring and screening practices. AI and Work: Research argues AI may be shifting demand back toward blue-collar roles as white-collar tasks get automated—so workers should focus on skills AI can’t easily replace. Skills-to-Jobs Push: Australia is funding Fiji and Timor-Leste skills programs to close local employment gaps, aiming for jobs at home, not migration. Inclusive Employment: Nominations are open for the ICE (Inclusive Community Employment) Awards, spotlighting employers building real pathways into work. HR Compliance in Practice: Teladoc announced a NYSE Rule 303A.08 inducement award for a new BetterHelp head of product, a useful example of how companies structure executive hiring incentives.

Labor Market Watch (US): U.S. employers added just 57,000 jobs in June, with hiring slowing sharply and the unemployment rate slipping to 4.2%—a drop partly tied to fewer people actively job searching. Unemployment Aid: Weekly filings for jobless benefits edged down to 215,000, still pointing to a fragile, low-hiring environment. Workforce Policy (Germany): Germany unveiled a “Relaunch and Employment Program” that tightens sick-leave rules, adjusts dismissal and retirement-age settings, and pairs labor changes with tax and family-benefit moves. Employment & Skills (Oman): Oman’s Ministry of Labour reported 56.82% achievement on its first-half employment and training plan, with tens of thousands placed in jobs and programs. New Jobs (China): China plans to recognize 12 new occupations tied to emerging industries, including AI and digital roles, as it expands employment in the digital, green, and “silver” economies. Career Pathways (California): California’s AB 2324 heads to the governor, aiming to turn youth caregiving experience into recognized career and technical education credits. Fraud Alert (India): A Jammu and Kashmir case targets job seekers duped with forged overseas employment documents, including fake visas and offer letters.

Workplace Dispute at Ireland’s Inland Fisheries: A former HR head told the WRC she was “pestered” by the agency’s CEO for assurances about a right of return to a senior post, setting up a high-stakes employment tribunal fight. US Labor Market Slows: New data showed June job growth at about 57,000—below expectations—with unemployment slipping to 4.2% as people leave the labor force, not because they’re finding work. Small Business Hiring Cautious: NFIB reported small-business job openings essentially flat, but 32% of owners still can’t fill roles—especially skilled positions. Job Scam Crackdown (India): Mumbai Police arrested 11 after busting a fake airline recruitment call center that allegedly cheated job seekers out of about Rs 2.5 lakh. Rural Jobs Push (India): Madhya Pradesh launched the 125-day VB-G RAM-G rural employment guarantee, promising faster payments and unemployment support. Youth Employment Training (Nepal): Nepal’s youth and labor minister said the government is prioritizing jobs at home, highlighting awards for entrepreneurs who returned from overseas work. Labor Rights Compliance (US): Washington fined a farm labor contractor $692,750 for transporting workers without required insurance and for failing to inform them of employment terms.

Workforce & HR Policy: The U.S. EEOC is reshaping its employment enforcement posture, including rescinding long-standing guidance on gender identity discrimination, signaling employers should review DEI and hiring practices. AI & Hiring: Employment Hero data points to AI skills becoming mainstream across sectors, while HR leaders warn that AI-assisted applications are flooding inboxes and weakening the “signal” recruiters get from CVs. Job Market Watch: North Carolina’s Alamance County stayed steady in May with unemployment at 3.6%, and investors are eyeing the U.S. June nonfarm payrolls for clues on rates. Skills & Training: Qatar’s QCDC opened registration for “My Career – My Future” job-shadowing for high schoolers, and the UK’s Newhay Feeds is partnering with the IoT to plug skills gaps in modern agriculture. Rural Employment (India): India’s VB-G RAM G rural employment scheme is rolling out with a 125-day guarantee, plus new wage-rate details and state guidelines. Hiring Events: USAntibiotics will host a July 8 career fair for technical manufacturing roles in Bristol, Tennessee. Workplace Inclusion: Tanzania faces major economic losses from excluding people with disabilities from education and jobs, with estimates tied to GDP impact.

Workplace rights & dismissal: An Irish tribunal heard claims from former Inland Fisheries Ireland chief Francis O’Donnell that his dismissal followed protected disclosures and blocked access to an enhanced sick-leave scheme, with him saying he’s struggled to find work since. Overtime pay dispute: A court backed Ventia in a case over whether contract terms and company policies barred claims for overtime/allowances, and said the employer didn’t need to keep records for benefits the worker wasn’t entitled to. Training for in-demand jobs: Madisonville Community College expanded its paramedic pipeline with added scholarships and stipends via West Area Health Education Center, aiming to tackle EMS shortages. Youth job market pressure: Canada’s latest figures show youth unemployment at 14.3% (ages 15–24), with more young people competing for fewer low-skilled roles amid higher costs and weaker hiring demand. Employment authorization update: USCIS says Haitian TPS holders can keep working through July 10 while lower courts align with a Supreme Court ruling affecting TPS review. Career funding for short training: Wisconsin is preparing for the new Workforce Pell grant, but rollout timing may be slow as the state selects “high-demand” programs. Labor market signals: ADP reported June private payroll growth of 98,000, below expectations, with healthcare/education adding jobs while mining fell.

Rural Jobs Overhaul (India): India’s new VB-G RAM G Act kicks in, replacing MGNREGA and boosting the rural employment guarantee from 100 to 125 days per eligible household, with a July 2 launch in Andhra Pradesh. Youth Employment Reform (Nigeria): Nigeria’s NYSC gets its first major overhaul since 1973: longer orientation (three phases), 11 specialized career streams, and a shift toward civilian control. Workplace Safety Crackdown (South Korea): Labor authorities plan emergency inspections of 1,000 manufacturing sites after a run of machine entrapment accidents, including during maintenance. Pay Transparency & Wage Policy (US/Philippines): California moves to expand AI-focused employment oversight, while the Philippines’ labor committee pushes regional wage boards to match Metro Manila minimum-wage hikes. Skills-to-Work Pipeline (Singapore): Singapore launches the Skills and Workforce Development Agency to merge training and employment services under one roof. Job Market Pressure (US/South Africa): US consumer confidence ticks up but labor-market perceptions soften; South Africa’s workforce shrinks by 80,000 in early 2026, deepening employment stress. AI and Entry-Level Work: A new study flags AI risk for some white-collar entry roles and highlights “AI-resistant” paths like air traffic control and certain healthcare jobs.