Some Western and Saudi firms in Riyadh have extended work-from-home advisories amid concern over a looming U.S.-imposed deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face 'hell'.
Europe's freelance market has been expanding steadily, but the post-layoff acceleration is notable. According to a 2024 report from Malt, the number of highly skilled freelancers in tech across the EU grew by 18% year-over-year, with a sharp uptick among professionals who had been in full-time roles for five or more years before making the switch.
One year ago, commercial real estate behemoth CBRE acquired Industrious, a flexible office company that opened its first space in 2013 and grew at an impressive pace in the aftermath of the pandemic. At the time, CBRE said in a release that Industrious' success was "the result of an ongoing investment into understanding what makes for a great workplace, paired with continuous operational improvement."
In the past week, automaker Stellantis and retailer Home Depot became the latest major companies to call employees back to the office five days a week. They join employers like Instagram, Paramount and Amazon in recent return-to-office mandates. About one-third of all U.S. firms (34%) are requiring workers to be in the office full time, according to workforce insight provider Flex Index.
