News 6 Mashup: Sept. 27, 2021

Here is a News 6 mashup of top stories for the week of Sept. 27, 2021, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

U.N. Implores China and U.S. to Get Along

The head of the United Nations “implored China and the United States to repair their ‘completely dysfunctional’ relationship before problems between the two large and deeply influential countries spill over even further into the rest of the planet,” reported The Associated Press. The U.N. met this week at its annual event among world leaders to discuss “COVID, climate concerns and contentiousness across the planet.” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told The Associated Press, “We need to re-establish a functional relationship between the two powers.”

DoD Names 56 Locations for Temporary BAH Increase

Fifty-six areas around the United States have been identified by DoD officials as requiring a temporary increase to their Basic Allowance for Housing. Military members impacted can expect to see the increase in their BAH on Oct. 1, according to Military Times. The increase is to help combat housing prices that have been climbing at steep rates in certain areas across the country. The rate increases are expected to remain in effect through December 2021. New rates typically are adjusted once per year and take effect annually on Jan. 1. At the top of the list are five military locations that will see a 20 percent increase: Twenty-Nine Palms in California; Eglin Air Force Base in Florida; Boise, Idaho; Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho; and Spokane, Washington.

Employers Missing Out on Eligible Candidates

Employers have been struggling to hire during what is being called “the Great Resignation,” the significant increase of people quitting their current job since spring 2021. This has been brought on by businesses asking employees to return to offices after working from home. NPR reported, “As pandemic life recedes in the U.S., people are leaving their jobs in search of more money, more flexibility, and more happiness,” among other drivers of change.

Employers have been scrambling to fill positions, and a new study by Harvard and Accenture has found that “employers are rejecting millions of qualified applicants” because of a discrepancy between “specific job descriptions and automated hiring software that unnecessarily screens out many qualified candidates,” reported Inc.com. “Eighty-eight percent of employers the researchers spoke to agreed that qualified candidates are vetted out of the process because they do not match the exact criteria in the job description,” said Inc.com. If you’re seeking employment, Inc.com encourages applicants to modify their resumes and cover letters to highlight key requirements listed in the job descriptions. They also recommend that companies seeking employees rewrite job descriptions to include only the most essential skills and qualifications.

This Week in History

On Sept. 27, 1982, filming began on Never Say Never Again starring Sean Connery as James Bond for the final time. Sean Connery played James Bond seven times during his acting career, and many credit him as both the original Bond and the best. Did you know Sean Connery served in the Royal Navy? He joined the Royal Navy in 1946 at 16 years old, where he was an anti-aircraft gunner on the HMS Formidable for three years. He ended his naval career abruptly due to a duodenal ulcer according to Forces.net.

Photo by Mathias P.R. Reding on Unsplash and Cpl. Jamin Powell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons