Compensation

Rising pay expectations but growing distrust of the job market mean nearly as many employees plan to stay versus job hunt this year.

From pay transparency mandates to economic anxiety, 2025 tested HR leaders' ability to navigate compensation in a year marked by uncertainty.

According to a new survey, polyworking is a growing trend as employees face increased financial pressure, debt and uncertainty.

Employees across the spectrum, from hourly staff to executives, have financial obligations and money stress, said Jason Rahlan from Dayforce. "Employees aren't asking for a handout. They want access to the money they already earned."

New research on global compensation from Deel and Carta highlights the outsized influence of macro issues like AI and inflation.

A quarter of employers whose workplaces are not fully unionized report labor activity over the past two years, but only 9% of non-unionized employers feel very prepared to effectively respond.