COVID-19 and the Workforce: January 8, 2021

COVID-19 and the Workforce: January 8, 2021

TOP HEADLINES 

DOL Issues Guidance on the Expired FFCRA 
SHRM – January 4, 2021 
Employers are not required to provide Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) leave after Dec. 31, 2020, but may voluntarily decide to do so, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced. 

Weekly Jobless Claims Little Changed Despite Signs That Hiring is Slowing 
CNBC – January 7, 2021 
First-time filings for unemployment insurance were little changed over the past week despite other indicators that the labor market weakened at the end of the 2020. 

Here’s Who’s Hiring Right Now 
LinkedIn – January 6, 2021 
Companies from industries spanning from technology to retail are hiring to meet increased demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Here is a regularly updated list of companies hiring right now. 

What’s New from the CDC 
Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

GLOBAL NEWS 

AUSTRALIA 
Return to Work Plans Delayed in Victoria Due to COVID-19 Outbreak 
Nine News – January 6, 2021  
Plans for Victoria’s public workforce to return to the office have been delayed by a week due to the state’s coronavirus outbreak. 

CANADA 
Why Canada’s Vaccine Rollout is Slower Than Other Countries’ — and What Can be Done to Fix it 
CBC – January 6, 2021  
Canada is falling behind in its initial rollout of COVID-19 vaccines at a critical time in the pandemic, and experts say the most vulnerable populations are being left at risk. 

INDIA 
India Embarks on One of the World’s Most Ambitious Vaccine Rollouts After Emergency Use Approval 
CNN – January 4, 2021 
India is embarking on one of the world’s most ambitious mass immunization programs ever undertaken, after regulators approved the country’s first two COVID-19 vaccines for restricted emergency use. 
 
UNITED KINGDOM 
UK – Prime Minister Announces Third National Lockdown, Small Business to Receive Further Support 
Staffing Industry Analysts – January 5, 2021 
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday a third national lockdown, instructing people to stay home amid a rapid rise in cases attributed to the new variant of COVID-19. 

UNITED STATES 
These Three States Have the Worst COVID Infection Rates of Anywhere in the World 
NBC News – January 5, 2021 
Arizona, California and Rhode Island are among the hardest-hit places in the world at this stage of the pandemic, with the highest rates of COVID-19 infections per capita, according to a data analysis by NBC News. 

POLAND 
Number of Confirmed Coronavirus Cases in Poland Reaches 1,344,763 
The First News – January 6, 2021 
The number of Poland’s confirmed coronavirus infections has reached 1,344,763, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. So far, 1,087,744 people have recovered. 

Post by Jasmine Patel

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