U.S. adds over 800,000 fewer jobs than earlier reported, University of Kentucky disbands DE&I center

Greetings, comms pros! Let’s take a look at a few stories from the past week and see what we can learn from them

1. Labor Department revises figures to show U.S. economy added less jobs than earlier reports stated

The Department of Labor said that monthly payroll figures from 2023 and 2024 overstated the number of jobs added to the American economy by about 800,000, a sign of potential economic issues forming earlier than once thought.

The numbers show that job growth is slowing down, but not falling off a cliff. While unemployment might be going up a bit, layoffs are still relatively low, despite many cuts at big-name companies.

According to The New York Times:

“We’ve known that things on net were probably moving gradually in the wrong direction,” said Guy Berger, director of economic research for the Burning Glass Institute, a labor market research and data firm. “This just largely confirms what a holistic view of the labor market data was saying before today.”

There’s both a measurement lesson and an employee comms lesson here.

Remember that transparent measurement methodologies create shared accountability which is key to effective communication. Involve as many internal stakeholders in the data collection process as you can, poke holes in any metrics or outputs that seem suspect, and continue to evaluate your metrics for any patterns or discrepancies.

It’s also important to remember that in uncertain economic times, such numbers also stoke fear among employees—especially junior, new and employees in vulnerable functions that are at risk of being automated or otherwise eliminated. You can mitigate this by speaking to your employees like they’re people who harbor fears and have questions. Do your best to make space during all hands for leaders to answer what they can about your company’s situation, admit it when they can’t, and make your people feel like they’re a valuable part of the company.

Encouraging those making the decisions to be more present, and show a little more humanity in their messaging, will facilitate dialogue that adds stability to the ship during a time that’s looking a little more dire than previously thought.

2. University of Kentucky closes campus DE&I center and places employees elsewhere

The University of Kentucky closed the school’s DE&I center, which oversaw inclusion work in both academics and administration, dispersing employees into other departments following pressure from conservative lawmakers in the state. University president Eli Capatulo said that the changes wouldn’t result in any job losses.

According to Higher Ed Dive:

“This should in no way be construed as impinging upon academic freedom,” Capilouto said. “Faculty decide what to teach as part of formal instruction and where discovery should take them as scholars in their areas of expertise.”

The political backlash against D&EI efforts isn’t anything new. It’s caused many companies to change the names of their inclusion initiatives and the language used within them, while many others have doubled down. But as a public institution, While it’s certainly a shame to see a university, a place whose aim should be to display a universal range of perspectives, it’s not a huge surprise. But that doesn’t mean that the work behind DE&I initiatives needs to stop.

By communicating with your organization’s core values and mission at the center, you can create a space that allows everyone to bring their full selves to work each day. Lean on those values track and measure your progress to support a business case, and the rest will follow suit.

3. CEO of Nothing calls employees back to offices while decrying remote work

Just as the debate on remote work seems to mellow, more companies call employees back to their offices and more leaders give questionable reasons for doing so. Carl Pei, CEO of tech company Nothing, had some interesting comments after ordering his employees to come back to their offices five days a week, claiming it doesn’t work well for his company.

According to The Verge:

“Remote work is not compatible with a high ambition level plus high speed,” Pei said in the email, telling employees who are worried about flexibility that “this is a company for grown-ups.”

“I know this is a controversial decision that may not be a fit for everyone, and there are definitely companies out there that thrive in remote or hybrid setups,” he added. “But that’s not right for our type of business, and won’t help us fully realize our potential as a company.”

Pei’s statement rightfully acknowledges that remote work is successful at some companies, and he provides reasoning for the move. But belittling flexibility with the “grown-ups” comment comes off as cold and uncaring. Just because a person works remotely doesn’t mean their contributions are less or they don’t work as hard.

Leaders need to be cognizant of not just what they say, but how they say it. It’s a direct reflection of the company culture and can have major impacts on recruitment and retention. If you want to call your employees back to the office, that’s one thing. But to make light of employees’ situations is a different thing entirely, and it’s not the right way to lead.

4. How about some good news?

• An ancient grass could prove key to preventing coastal erosion.
• Scientists located a reservoir of liquid water on Mars.
• A Roman mosaic decorated with sea creatures was found in England.
• Ragan Training is great for communications pros to find inspiration and resources.
• You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here!

Have a great weekend comms all-stars!

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports, a good pint and ’90s trivia night.