As U.S. workers earn their first paychecks of 2013, many are finding their post-tax take home sum has decreased by 2 percent or more, The Sacramento Bee reports. Reuters notes the federal tax rate increase mandated by the fiscal cliff deal has already lead many households to cut back on spending. Ben DeCastro from Warren,…

During the last quarter of 2012, retailers hired nearly 730,000 seasonal workers to beef up their staff for the year's holiday shopping peak, The Plain Dealer in Ohio reports. The number of contract workers brought in at the end of the year represents the highest spike in fourth quarter hiring since 2006. Between October 1…

Two recent reports indicate CEO optimism is slowing down. The Vistage CEO Confidence Index was 87 in the fourth quarter of 2012, down from 89 the previous quarter. Vistage, a peer advisory organization for CEOs and other executives, found company leaders have little faith in the economy's potential to improve. Among the 1,601 respondents, roughly…

As businesses expand in 2013, they will face a shortage of talent and leadership, according to Bersin by Deloitte. According to the report, Predictions for 2013: Corporate Talent, Leadership and HR--Nexus of Global Forces Drives New Models for Talent, compliance and core HR programs do not add enough value in today's global business environment. "Nearly…

As economists, politicians and company business leader reflect on the modestly positive numbers released by the Department of Labor last week, company HR administration divisions should consider investing more in training their executives to handle constant shifts in the economy, ManpowerGroup, a human resource software provider, suggests. Faced with a shortage of talent worldwide, business…

The economy added 155,000 jobs in December, with employment increasing in healthcare, food service, construction and manufacturing, according to the U.S. Labor Department. The year ended on a steady unemployment rate of 7.8 percent, the lowest it's been since 2008, reported Fox Business. The private sector gained 168,000 jobs, while government employers cut 13,000 positions.…

Employees in the U.S. are starting off the new year on a positive note, according to two recent employee confidence indexes. The Randstad Employee Confidence Index increased 3.7 points in December to 55.4 points, the highest level of optimism recorded over the last 12 months. The index measures employee insights on jobs, the economy and…

More U.S. companies will hire contract workers in 2013, according to a recent study by CareerBuilder. The job searching website found 40 percent of employers plan to hire temporary workers in 2013, up from 36 percent last year. CareerBuilder's "2013 U.S. Job Forecast" surveyed more than 2,600 hiring managers and HR administration professionals and nearly…

While some executives highly value the role of human resources professionals in the firm, others see it as a set of automated tasks that can easily be outsourced to third-party providers. As a result, many companies are partnering with outsourcing firms to take care of payroll, benefits and recruitment duties without stealing away employees from…

One day before 2013, Congress hasn't answered many questions surrounding the fiscal cliff dilemma. One thing does seems practically certain: Payroll taxes will likely rise after New Years, reports The Wall Street Journal. The payroll tax rate employers have seen for two years expires today and federal decision makers have stopped mentioning the possibility of…