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Job Seeker and Employee Confidence Levels Begin to Rebound in Q1, According to Vaco’s First Talent Pulse Report of 2025

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Workers show growing resilience and a willingness to refine their skills in a changing landscape.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Job seekers and employees are more confident about their career prospects in the first quarter of 2025, according to recent data from Vaco, a leading global talent solutions firm. Vaco’s Q1 Talent Pulse Report found increased levels of confidence across all three categories surveyed—job security, financial status, and career advancement.

“Job seekers are experiencing renewed confidence as the job market offers signs of recovery and growth,” said Vaco President Kevin Witt. “Positive momentum in both the U.S. and Canada, driven by strong job reports and lower unemployment, is prompting employers to revive key projects and roles that were previously on pause. As opportunities evolve, job seekers have demonstrated remarkable adaptability, at times pivoting to a career change or contract and freelance work to reach their goals.”

Key findings from the report include:

Job Security

43% of respondents reported extreme confidence in their ability to get and hold a job in Q1—up 2% from Q4 (41%) and unchanged from Q1 last year.The number of respondents who are not confident in their ability to secure a job saw a 3% quarter-over-quarter decrease, falling from 32% in Q4 to 29% in Q1.

Financial Status

44% of respondents are extremely confident in their ability to improve their financial situation in the next 6 months—up 3% from Q4 and down 1 point year-over-year.25% are not feeling confident in their ability to improve their financial situation, a 5% decrease from last quarter (30%) and a two-point uptick from last year (23%).

Career Advancement

47% expressed extreme confidence in their ability to advance their career in Q1, up 3% compared to Q4 (44%) and a three-point decrease from a year ago (50%).24% of respondents reported a lack of confidence in their ability to advance their career in Q1. This figure is down 4% from last quarter (28%), and up four points year-over-year (20%).

“Job seekers must demonstrate agility, prioritize continuous learning—particularly in emerging fields like AI—and remain flexible in adapting their skills,” said Kyle Allen, Executive Vice President of Sales and Recruiting at Vaco. “By doing so, they position themselves as proactive, future-ready candidates in an increasingly competitive job market.”

Allen added that employers are focused on their strategies to retain top talent, as well. “These days, offering competitive compensation is not enough,” he said. “Savvy job seekers seek companies that offer robust career development programs with clear paths for advancement, alongside initiatives that consistently recognize and reward exceptional performance.”

The Vaco Talent Pulse Report is based on feedback from more than 13,000 respondents across the U.S. and Canada. This marks its seventh installment, and the third quarter that year-over-year comparative data is available. To access the report, go to https://learn.vaco.com/talent-pulse-report-q1-2025/.

About the Q1 2025 Vaco Talent Pulse Report
Poll questions to inform the Q1 2025 Vaco Talent Pulse Report were administered online through Vaco’s LinkedIn company profile on December 20, 2024, December 27, 2024, and January 3, 2025. Results and summaries are based on the 13,080 votes cast across the three polls. Demographics of those polled include people from across the U.S. and Canada who work in engineering, technology, accounting, finance, human resources, and operations. The majority are either senior, manager, director, vice president, or entry-level. 

About Vaco
The speed of change requires the talent of people. Vaco solves for both. With expertise in accounting and finance, IT and digital, and HR and operations, Vaco delivers critical talent solutions to clients by providing contract staffing, managed services, direct-hire staffing, and executive search services. In addition to Vaco, the Vaco Holdings collective of brands includes MorganFranklin Consulting, a finance, technology and business advisory firm; Pivot Point Consulting, a Best in KLAS healthcare IT consulting leader; Focus Search Partners, a retained and interim executive search practice; and BUILT, a digital solutions company specializing in software, cloud, data, and AI solutions. In addition to being named to Inc. magazine’s list of the fastest-growing private companies for the past 17 years, Vaco was also named to Forbes’ 2018-2024 lists of America’s Best Recruiting Firms, as well as the 2017-2023 lists of Largest Staffing Firms Globally by Staffing Industry Analysts. Vaco annually ranks as one of the Best Staffing Firms to Work For. For more information, visit vaco.com.

Media Contact:
Jamie Carpen
(773) 575-1445
jcarpen@vaco.com

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SOURCE Vaco

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Howard Hughes Holdings Set to Join S&P SmallCap 600

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NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HHH) will replace Arcosa Inc. (NYSE: ACA) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on Wednesday, October 28. S&P 500 constituent CRH plc (NYSE: CRH) has acquired Arcosa in a deal that closed today, October 23.

Following is a summary of the changes that will take place prior to the open of trading on the effective date:

Effective Date

Index Name  

Action

Company Name

Ticker

GICS Sector

October 28, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Addition

Howard Hughes Holdings

HHH

Real Estate

October 28, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Deletion

Arcosa

ACA

Industrials

ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES

S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets.

S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

S&P Dow Jones Indices
index_services@spglobal.com

Media Inquiries
spdji.comms@spglobal.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/howard-hughes-holdings-set-to-join-sp-smallcap-600-302918511.html

SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices

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Chelsea FC announces multi-year sleeve partnership with Sokin, the business payments and FX platform

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Chelsea FC name fast-growing fintech platform as Principal Partner

LONDON, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chelsea Football Club has today announced a multi-year partnership with Sokin, the embedded finance and payments company used by businesses worldwide. Sokin will be named a Principal Partner and Official Business Payments and FX Partner of Chelsea FC and Chelsea FC Women.

As a Principal Partner, Sokin will be represented on the sleeves of the Chelsea FC men’s, women’s and academy home, away, and third kits from the 2026/27 season.

The partnership brings together two ambitious London-headquartered organisations with worldwide reach – a club with millions of fans across the world and a fintech platform through which businesses move more than $11 billion a year. A club of Chelsea’s scale works in many currencies every day, with partners, competitions and supporters around the world, and needs a financial partner built to handle that.

Sokin gives finance teams business payments, multi-currency accounts, foreign exchange, checkout and treasury in one place, so they spend less time juggling banks and providers and keep more of what they move.

As Official Business Payments and FX Partner, Sokin will simplify how Chelsea FC sends, receives and manages money in the currencies the club operates in.

The Sokin logo will feature on the sleeve of the Chelsea shirt for the first time [when the men’s team host Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 24th October.]

Jason Gannon, President at Chelsea FC said:

“At Chelsea, we seek to partner with organisations that share our ambition and innovative mindset. Sokin’s expertise in business payments, and their focus on making both simpler for the businesses they serve, makes them a natural fit for the Club. We are pleased to welcome Sokin to the Chelsea family and look forward to working together in the years ahead.”

Vroon Modgill, CEO and founder at Sokin said:

“Chelsea plays on the biggest stage in world football, and its business runs in dozens of currencies. Sokin was built for that with regulated, multi-currency payments and foreign exchange for organisations that operate internationally. We’re proud to be the platform behind the business payments and FX of one of the most iconic teams in football. Sokin’s platform serves businesses in more than 170 countries. We’re thrilled to be partners for the season ahead. An organisation as sophisticated as Chelsea doesn’t leave its finances to chance.”

About Sokin

Sokin is the financial layer global business runs on. Businesses can transact, convert and hold money in 70+ currencies across 170+ countries. Some businesses use Sokin to manage global finance in-house. Others build it into their products to power financial experiences for their customers. Businesses move more than $9 billion a year on licenses Sokin holds in 36+ countries and infrastructure Sokin owns. Founded in 2019, Sokin has raised over $100 million from investors including Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital and Prysm Capital.

About Chelsea Football Club

Chelsea Football Club is one of the biggest, most successful football clubs globally and our men’s team are reigning world champions, having won the four-yearly FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. Our women’s team, Chelsea Women, are also multiple trophy winners.

Founded in 1905, Chelsea is London’s most central football club, based at the iconic 40,000-capacity Stamford Bridge stadium. Nicknamed the Blues, the club lifted the Champions League for the first time in 2012 and domestically has won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup eight times, the Football League Cup five times and the Football League Championship once, in 1955.

The Chelsea Women’s team have enjoyed a huge amount of success and in 2025 won the FA Women’s Super League for a sixth consecutive year and the eighth time overall. The Women’s FA Cup has been won on six occasions. We have also captured the FA Women’s League Cup four times as well as reaching the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in 2021. In two seasons, 2020/21 and 2024/25, a domestic treble of trophies was secured.

The Chelsea Foundation boasts one of the most extensive community initiatives in sport, helping to improve the lives of children and young people all over the world.

Media Contacts:

Taina Biggs
taina.biggs@sokin.com 

Nerissa Chesterfield
nerissa.chesterfield@chelseafc.com 

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Amy Johnson Appointed President of GDIT

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RESTON, Va., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) announced today that Amy Johnson has been appointed as president of GDIT, effective November 3.

Johnson is a 27-year veteran of General Dynamics Mission Systems, where she held increasingly senior roles in engineering, engineering management and business leadership across cybersecurity, defense electronics, space and intelligence systems, most recently as vice president and general manager for Space, Cyber and Intelligence. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science and computer systems engineering. 

“Amy has a proven track record of leading teams to solve complex and highly technical challenges for our customers,” said Phebe Novakovic, CEO of General Dynamics. “I am confident that her dynamic leadership, operational rigor and deep commitment to our values and culture will deliver value to our customers, employees and shareholders.”

GDIT delivers digital modernization, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and software development solutions to the U.S. federal government, defense, intelligence agencies and other customers. It is a business unit of General Dynamics, a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 120,000 people worldwide and generated $52.6 billion in revenue in 2025. More information is available at gd.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amy-johnson-appointed-president-of-gdit-302918411.html

SOURCE General Dynamics

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