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US Labor Market Remains Resilient, Unemployment Rate Falls

William Attardi on July 3, 2025

The job gains were significantly larger than expected and the unemployment rate ticked down in May. S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June and beat economists’ expectations of fewer than 118,000 new jobs as the American labor market continues to show surprising resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s economic policies. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1% from 4.2% in May, the Labor Department said Thursday. US Labor Market Remains Resilient, Unemployment Rate Falls – tEDmag

Amazon CEO Says AI Will Reduce Its Corporate Workforce by Michelle Chapman

William Attardi on June 22, 2025

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy anticipates generative artificial intelligence will reduce its corporate workforce in the next few years as the online giant begins to increase its usage of the technology. “We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,” Jassy said. The executive said that Amazon has more than 1,000 generative AI services and applications in progress or built, but that figure is a “small fraction” of what it plans to build. Jassy encouraged employees to get on board with the e-commerce company’s AI plans.  Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce its Corporate Workforce – electrifiED

U.S. Economy Shows Remarkable Resilience in Face of Trade Turmoil

William Attardi on May 3, 2025

The world’s most powerful economy is showing remarkable resilience in the face of enormous pressure. Employers added more jobs than many economists expected last month, and the low unemployment rate held steady. The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter, but the result was distorted by a rush of imports that offset generally solid demand. The stock market rallied sharply from its April lows. Yet real turmoil is threatening that strong foundation. President Trump’s ever-changing tariff policies, government cuts and immigration restrictions are disrupting trade and sparking deep unease among consumers, businesses and investors. Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese imports are causing cargo shipments from China to plummet, prompting major retailers to warn of likely price hikes and even shortages of some goods. In early April, economists forecast the likelihood of a recession in the coming year to be twice as high as it was at the start of the year.  At the moment, however, things are still looking surprisingly good. U.S. Economy Shows Remarkable Resilience in Face of Trade Turmoil – WSJ

AI Is Coming for Your Job…Posting by Aaron Szymanski

William Attardi on March 3, 2025

The construction industry is struggling to keep up with the rate of change occurring in society today. To truly embrace innovation, the industry must recognize that AI isn’t working against you. It’s an agent that works with you and for you — completing monotonous tasks that humans aren’t generally good at, such as calculation and data storage. Electrical contractors have a unique opportunity to lead the way in AI adoption, and the tools available today only scratch the surface of AI’s potential. By embracing this transformative technology, electrical contractors can improve their efficiency and productivity and inspire other trades to follow suit. The future of construction isn’t about choosing between human expertise and artificial intelligence; it’s about combining both to build better, faster, and more sustainably than ever before. AI Isn’t Taking Your Electrical Job | EC&M

Apple Will Spend More Than $500 Billion in the U.S. Over the Next Four Years

William Attardi on February 24, 2025

Today, Apple supports more than 2.9 million jobs across the country through direct employment, work with U.S.-based suppliers and manufacturers, and developer jobs in the thriving iOS app economy. As part of its new U.S. investments, Apple teams and facilities to expand in Michigan, Texas, California, Arizona, Nevada, Iowa, Oregon, North Carolina, and Washington, and hire 20,000 people.

  • Opening a New Manufacturing Facility in Houston
  • Doubling Apple’s U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund
  • Growing R&D Investments Across the U.S.
  • Supporting American Businesses with a New Manufacturing Academy in Detroit

Apple will spend more than $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years – Apple

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names