Staffmark

National Native American Day is a chance to recognize Indigenous communities, cultures, and contributions that too often get left out of the workforce conversation entirely. Representation and opportunity should never depend on visibility. Today, we're making space for both.

Worker confidence improved in August. The bigger picture remains complicated.

’s Employee Confidence Index edged higher after reaching a record low in July, but concerns about layoffs, job security, and AI continue to shape how employees view the future. And like the labor market itself, confidence varies considerably by industry and career level.

For employers, the takeaway is clear: stability alone may not be enough to rebuild workforce confidence.

See the latest findings in Workforce Optics. (link)

AI can help employers find the needle in the applicant haystack. But it can also screen it out. As application volumes surge, employers are increasingly relying on AI and automated tools to identify candidates efficiently. The risk is allowing efficiency to become the only objective.

Candidates with transferable skills, unconventional backgrounds, or untapped potential may not always fit predefined criteria which makes human judgment an essential part of an AI-enabled hiring process.

The question isn’t AI or people. It’s knowing where each adds the most value.

Read more in Workforce Optics. https://smgrp.us/workforceopticsreportseptember2026

Peak season hiring is opening up across logistics, warehouse, and light industrial roles right now, before the October rush makes every opening harder to land.

If you want in before shifts fill up, today's the day to apply.
🔗 https://staffmark.com/job-seekers/

Job growth rebounded in August but the labor market remains anything but uniform.

Payroll gains improved and unemployment held at 4.1%, yet much of the growth was concentrated in a handful of industries. For employers, that means the national numbers increasingly tell only part of the story.

In the latest Workforce Optics, we look beyond the headline data at where hiring is gaining ground, where employers remain cautious, and what the latest trends mean for workforce planning.

Read the latest issue: https://smgrp.us/workforceopticsreportseptember2026

Every store shelf, hospital shipment, and holiday package this fall depends on someone behind the wheel right now. Truck Driver Appreciation Week is a reminder that the supply chain runs on people, not just schedules.

To every driver keeping freight moving: thank you.

Big news from across the Staffmark Group family: Employee Management Services (EMS) just launched a refreshed website.

EMS has grown right alongside us, and the new site reflects it – same trusted HR support, new look. Check it out at EMSHRO.com

Today marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the history, cultures, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. From the workplace to our communities, Hispanic and Latino individuals continue to shape the way we live, work, and connect with one another. Throughout the month, we’ll be taking time to celebrate the people, stories, and cultures that make our communities stronger.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

This week, we’re celebrating the people who make staffing possible. National Staffing Employee Week is an opportunity to recognize the talent, dedication, and hard work of the employees who show up, make an impact, and help businesses keep moving forward.

To every staffing employee: thank you for the work you do, the skills you bring, and the difference you make every day. This week, and every week, we’re proud to celebrate you.

Twenty-five years later, September 11 still asks the same thing of us: remember, and carry it forward with the way we show up for each other. Today we pause to honor those we lost and the responders, service members, and communities who carried the weight of that day and the years after.