Workspan Daily News Bytes for June 19, 2026

CHRO Confidence Remains Near Record High

Confidence among U.S. chief human resource officers (CHROs) remained strong in the second quarter of 2026, according to a survey by The Conference Board, a global nonprofit think tank.

The CHRO Confidence Index declined by one point to 58 in Q2 from a series high of 59 in Q1. (The metric reflects the sentiment, hiring plans and strategic priorities of these executives. A reading above 50 equates to more positive than negative responses.) While confidence around hiring eased modestly, expectations for employee retention and engagement remained steady.

“Companies still recognize that their talent is a key competitive advantage, but they're being much more intentional about where they add headcount,” said Diana Scott, a human capital center leader at The Conference Board “The message from CHROs is clear: They’re optimistic about hiring, engagement and retention, but they’re pursuing hiring with a careful eye on costs and changing business needs.”

Key findings from the survey included:

54% of surveyed CHROs expect to increase hiring over the next six months, down from 59% in Q1.
55% expect their organization’s total workforce size to increase moderately over the next six months.
51% said finding qualified talent is somewhat difficult.
17% expect to decrease hiring over the same period, stable from Q1.

Despite Tech Layoffs, AI-Driven Roles Still in Demand

While tech layoff announcements are grabbing headlines, demand for the roles that build, run and secure artificial intelligence (AI) systems is accelerating across sectors, according to new data released by talent acquisition platform ICIMS.

The data showed:

Tech talent is being redistributed across industries. Healthcare and manufacturing are leading the charge, with tech hiring up 8% and 4%, respectively, since May 2025. Healthcare is scaling digital transformation at speed, from AI-enabled diagnostics to modernized patient data systems, while manufacturing is leaning into automation and smart factory investments.
Tech’s hottest roles are concentrated in AI and digital infrastructure. The fastest-growing tech occupations, by year-over-year job opening growth, are computer programmers (+35%), software developers (+28%), database administrators (+27%), computer and information systems managers (+22%), and software quality assurance (QA) analysts and testers (+20%).
Early career candidates now dominate the tech applicant pool. Candidates aged 18 to 24 account for more than half (54%) of all tech applications, and those aged 25 to 34 add another quarter (25%). Together, they represent nearly 80% of applicants, signaling strong early career interest for tech roles.

“The tech layoff headlines can be jarring, yet they mask an important shift: Tech talent is moving from a handful of large providers into the broader economy,” said ICIMS head of talent insights Trent Cotton. “[The] data shows which sectors are most eager to capture that talent and where the next wave of tech-driven growth is likely to emerge.”

No More 9-5: Why Workers Are Turning to Microshifting

Fifty-three of U.S. workers said they currently microshift during the workday, either regularly or occasionally, according to a new report by career website Monster.

“Microshifting” is a work regimen where individuals break their workday into shorter segments rather than a continuous eight-hour schedule. Among survey respondents who consider themselves “microshifters,” 94% said they work in this manner at least once per week.

When asked about peak productivity times:

45% of the surveyed microshifters said early morning
19% said midday
10% said late afternoon
7% said evening or night
19% said it varies

According to the report, the top reasons for microshifting included:

37% said want greater flexibility and control
16% cited family or caregiving responsibilities
15% wanted to improve focus and productivity
12% needed time for errands or daily responsibilities
11% prioritized health or exercise
10% are managing side hustles or additional income

Despite its benefits, the surveyed workers also reported their concerns:

36% worried about lack of manager trust or support
31% experienced blurred boundaries between work and personal life
30% felt pressure to always be “on”
24% said collaboration becomes more difficult
21% reported slower communication
21% struggled with scheduling
17% worried about visibility or career growth

New York Lawmakers Pass Bill Targeting ‘Ghost Jobs’

On Tuesday, June 2, New York state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 8877, a bill that seeks to address so-called “ghost jobs” — jobs that are posted or advertised with no intent to fill the position.

According to legal experts at Thompson Coburn LLP, if SB 8877 becomes law, it would require employers with at least 100 employees as well as third-party job posting entities (defined as “a person or entity that is not the employer that posts multiple job vacancies or listings on behalf of or independently of employers for job seekers to search and apply”) to disclose when they intend to fill a posted position. Specifically, SB 8877 would impose the following requirements:

If the employer intends to fill the position within 90 days, then the advertisement must state that it is for a current vacancy and include the date by which the employer intends to fill the position.
If the employer intends to fill the position more than 90 days from the date of advertising, then the advertisement must state that it is for a current vacancy and that the position will be filled “no sooner than” a specified date.
If “there is no expectation that the job is to be filled,” then the advertisement must state there is no current vacancy and the employer is seeking resumes for when positions become available.

Once an advertised position has been filled, the employer must remove the listing within two weeks of the position being filled. The New York Department of Labor has the authority to conduct audits of employers and third-party job posting entities. Each violation would result in a fine of $2,500 for each publication of the noncompliant advertisement, whether printed or on a digital platform. This fine would double every 30 days if the advertisement remains uncorrected.

Figures and Facts of the Week

130 million: The annual U.S. dollar amount that is potentially lost in productivity due to bad meetings, according to a report by audio and video solutions platform Jabra. The report noted inefficiencies included technology barriers, lost time, duplicated effort and repeated coordination across teams.
50 million: The U.S. dollar amount tech giant Google announced it will spend training 300,000 American skilled-trades workers across more than 20 states.
90: The percentage of U.S. job seekers who said they have growing concerns about AI, citing fears about AI dependence, a lack of entry-level jobs and lost problem-solving abilities due to the technology, according to a joint survey by Express Employment Professionals and Harris Poll.
54: The percentage of American parents who said it’s difficult for them to balance their work and family responsibilities, according to data from the Pew Research Center.
47: The percentage of U.S. employees and managers who said some of their job skills have become outdated within the last five years, according to a new report from learning platform TalentLMS.
13: The percentage of global workers who said AI has significantly improved their organization’s performance, according to a Work AI Institute survey by enterprise AI platform Glean.
13: The average percentage increase for 401(k) account balances in 2025, according to Vanguard’s “How America Saves” report, released Tuesday, June 16.