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According to Gallup, nearly half of federal employees were classified as “struggling” in the last quarter of 2025, marking a significant decrease in the “thriving” category from the previous year. The report highlights the impact of cuts and reforms made by President Trump on federal agencies. The declining outlook for federal employees stands out compared to the U.S. workforce in general, with a notable increase in those classified as “struggling” and “suffering.”

Government Executive also shared data showing the changes in classifications of federal employees, with a rise in those considered to be “struggling” and “suffering.” The absence of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey in 2025 has led to alternative surveys, such as the one conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, showing decreases in scores for all 30 agencies represented. Despite the challenges faced by federal employees, these reports shed light on the impact of government policies on the well-being of civil servants.

CEO Frank Bisignano testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee on the IRS’s plans to cut staff and rely on technology improvements in its fiscal year 2027 budget justification. The agency aims to shed 4,000 employees to achieve significant savings, despite warnings from Congress that staffing losses may impede AI efforts. In the face of funding reductions, the IRS is reevaluating its modernization plans, including efforts to update legacy systems and implement online, self-service options for taxpayers. Stay tuned for updates on the IRS’s evolving strategy to balance workforce reductions with the push for technological innovation.

Deere & Co. has agreed to pay $99 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the company monopolized repair services, withholding repair software and conspiring with authorized dealers to force farmers to use their services. The settlement fund would be for class members who paid for large agriculture equipment repairs between Jan. 10, 2018, and the date of preliminary approval. Deere continues to deny any wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement to focus on serving customers. This comes as the company faces separate litigation from the Federal Trade Commission over unfair repair practices. The issue of the “right to repair” has been a hot topic across various industries as consumers demand more options for repairing products themselves or using independent repair businesses.

Levi Strauss reported strong sales growth in its latest quarter, with direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales making up more than half of its overall revenue for the first time. The company’s revenue increased by 14%, driven by a 16% jump in DTC sales through its own stores and website. Despite these positive results, Levi is still seeing growth in its traditional wholesale channel.

The growth is not solely due to increased sales volume, as Levi is benefiting from higher prices and favorable exchange rates. The company raised its guidance for the year, with full-year adjusted earnings per share now expected to be between $1.42 and $1.48. Additionally, Levi’s DTC-first strategy is starting to pay off in terms of bigger margins, although it also brings higher costs in the short term. As the company’s sales become more profitable with scale, there is potential for guidance to rise further later in the year.

American employers rebounded with a strong addition of 178,000 new jobs in March, following a dismal February and leading to a decrease in the unemployment rate to 4.3%. Sectors such as healthcare, factories, and construction saw increases in hiring, while average hourly wages were up by 3.5% compared to the previous year. Despite the positive job numbers, uncertainty surrounding the war with Iran and its impact on energy prices is causing concerns for the future of the labor market.

The unexpected upturn in job growth is seen as a reversal of previous factors such as strikes and weather effects, rather than a rapid acceleration of the labor market. Economists predict that the impact of the war and higher energy prices may not be fully reflected in the March job numbers, leading to a cautious approach. The risk of increased energy costs affecting consumers’ purchasing power and demand for hiring is a key factor for policymakers in assessing the need for immediate interest rate cuts.

Starbucks will begin awarding baristas and shift supervisors quarterly bonuses of $300 if their stores meet specific sales, operational, and customer service targets, as part of the coffee chain’s turnaround efforts. The bonuses are set to start in July, with the first payout expected in the fall. However, locations represented by Starbucks Workers United will have to wait until a collective bargaining agreement is reached before seeing these bonuses.

The company’s CEO, Brian Niccol, has been leading the efforts to get “back to Starbucks” by focusing on improving the customer experience. Part of this strategy involves incentivizing baristas with bonuses and more opportunities for customer tips. With these changes, baristas could see up to an 8% increase in pay. Additionally, Starbucks U.S. employees will now be paid on a weekly basis, starting in August. These changes aim to improve employee satisfaction and further drive the company’s turnaround efforts, which have already shown positive results with the chain reporting traffic growth for the first time in two years.

China’s semiconductor firms, including SMIC and Hua Hong, have reported record revenue in 2025, with expectations for further surges in 2026. This growth has been fueled by strong demand from domestic tech giants, a shortage of memory chips, and U.S. export restrictions that have pushed Beijing to boost its homegrown tech industry. The restrictions have accelerated self-sufficiency efforts in China, leading to record revenues for companies such as Moore Threads and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT).

Despite the record revenues, Chinese semiconductor firms still lag behind competitors in technological capability, particularly in producing the most advanced chips at scale. The export restrictions have posed challenges, but Chinese companies are actively working on creating domestic alternatives to overcome these barriers. The key to sustaining this growth lies in moving up the value chain into advanced technologies while avoiding overcapacity for less-advanced chips, according to analysts.