In case you missed it: Aug. 10

Posted by: Matt Rivera

Many families escape to their favorite vacation spots the first week of August, and that’s a good thing — according to The Atlantic, breaks from the office are good for productivity.

If you were lucky enough to be swimming, sightseeing, boating, or just plain relaxing away from home over the past few weeks, here’s a roundup of the workforce news that you might have missed.

Reuters: U.S. temp payrolls accelerate, lifting staffing stocks

The Bureau of Labor Statistics kicked off the new month with the release of its U.S. employment situation for July. Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 163,000 in July, and the unemployment rate stayed at 8.3 percent. Industries that reported employment gains included professional and business services, computer systems design, temporary help services, manufacturing, and health care.

TLNT: Are You Ready For the Recruiting Nightmare Heading Our Way?

Tim Sackett predicts that a recruiting nightmare will hit the U.S. employment market around 2030, based on the USA Today report that the U.S. birthrate is at its lowest level in 25 years. With fewer skilled workers entering the workforce in the future, companies will have an increasingly difficult time finding workers to fill positions.

Inc.: Forget Interviews; Hire Anyone

Margaret Heffernan questions whether the interview is an effective tool for selecting the best candidate for an open position. Some research estimates that 45 to 75 percent of new hires don’t deliver what employers originally wanted. Heffernan asks whether, given a potentially large margin of error, employers should do away with the interview process entirely. She concludes that employers have two options: Either invest more in the system (i.e., conducting more interviews, incorporating personality or effectiveness assessments, and seeking out references) to increase its effectiveness or do away with the interview process altogether.

Last but not least, the Summer Olympics are still capturing the attention of the nation. If you’ve ever wondered what the athletes do when they’re not competing, check out this slide show of Olympians’ day jobs that they’ll return home to next week. And don’t forget — as my colleague Joel reminded us yesterday — the Olympics is actually a tournament of temporary workers!