HR Weekly News

Recently, in HR news 778,000 U.S. workers field for new unemployment benefits during the week ending on 21 Nov. his is a 30,000 increase from he week prior. Around 20 million people are in the process of collecting state or federal unemployment aid. As COVID-19 cases rise, employers brace for another round of layoffs creating an uncertain future.

Separately, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation reauthorizing the National Apprenticeship Act. The NAA has not been updated in the last 80 years. The new NAA of 2020 proposes to authorize $4 billion of new funding over the next 5 years for:
- Expanding registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships and youth apprenticeships
- Support apprenticeships in new fields such as HR and health care
- Support more participation by women, minorities, veterans and people who had been incarcerated.
They would be registered and managed by the DOL and the states. The legislation moves to the U.S. senate and will be pursued after the new President takes office.