Merriam-Webster added “Sunday scaries” to its online dictionary last month. The timing makes sense, given that more than half of U.S. workers say they experience the pre-Monday dread, according to a new FlexJobs survey of 2,100 people.
An unfinished task list was the most commonly cited cause in the FlexJobs survey.
Workers spent about 12% of Sundays on work messaging and chats last year, up from 6.6% in 2023, according to workforce analytics firm ActivTrak.
That data covers employees at 336 companies and only captures activity on monitored devices.
A Cleveland Clinic psychiatrist says some Sunday work is fine if it eases Monday stress, as long as workers set a firm limit.
An industrial organizational psychologist suggests shifting the same extra minutes to Friday afternoon or early Monday instead.
People feel like they have to toil away harder in order to make sure they don’t get fired.”
Read more via The Wall Street Journal
More employers are hiring on experience, certifications, and practical abilities instead of diplomas alone, according to career experts.
The shift is most visible in skilled trades, healthcare, technology, and sales.
Some employers are also open to “lived experience” such as caregiving, freelancing, and volunteer leadership.
Many still require certifications, apprenticeships, or demonstrated technical skills.
Communication, adaptability, and critical thinking remain among the most sought-after traits.
Companies are thinking more about the skills and experience they need rather than just the college degree.”
Read more via Scripps News
A Resume.io survey of 1,000 full-time office workers in 36 U.S. metro areas put a price tag on return-to-office mandates.
The average annual cost of commuting, food, parking, coffee, and work attire is 9.3% of a typical salary.
Working parents who pay for extra childcare spend $16,538 a year.
More than half of respondents (53.2%) said their costs rose in the past year.
Austin had the highest total cost at $7,424, while Orlando had the highest share of pay at 11.9%.
Workers lose more than 40 working days a year to commuting and getting ready for the office.
Read more via Inc.
A recruiting veteran says referrals, public work, and personal brands now count for more than skills alone.
Interviews are stretching to a fourth or fifth round, and offers take weeks instead of days.
More than half of employers cited higher costs from replacing or retraining a poor hire, according to a 2025 industry report.
Nearly a quarter of employers encountered a fake or fraudulent applicant in the past year, according to a 2026 report.
Skilled trades are the exception, because there are not enough people to fill those jobs on reputation alone.
If I hire you to do a job for $100,000, and you come in and make one mistake that costs my company a million dollars, well, you were an expensive hire.”
Read more via HCA Magazine
Competition for small-business bankers has intensified over the past 18 months, according to Bank of America’s Sharon Miller.
Job openings for these roles at major competitors are up more than 105% from a year ago, Miller says.
Large banks see business owners as a source of leads for personal banking, wealth management, and workplace benefits.
Bank of America trains branch advisers to help business owners and often promotes them to relationship manager roles.
The bank is also hiring centralized business advisers who work from contact centers.
For all the good AI and all the technologies we have … it doesn’t take the place of those across-the-desk conversations.”
Read more via Banking Dive
Some public and private employers are hiring again after the federal cuts, but qualified candidates far outnumber openings, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
The CDC has lost about a third of its roughly 13,000 employees.
A job dashboard run by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials listed 1,324 openings on Oct. 5.
Colorado’s health department received more than 10,300 applications for 695 positions last year.
Recruiters say they want strong tech skills and grant-writing ability.
Government public health jobs pay 20% to 47% less than comparable private-sector roles.
We’re seeing this influx of qualified people. The future is where I’m concerned.”
Read more via Bloomberg Businessweek
