HR Brew // Morning Brew // Update

April 07, 2026

Hello, future of work experts! Yesterday, JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon published his annual letter to shareholders, a sprawling piece of text that discusses the state of the banking giant’s affairs, as well as the biggest risks and trends that the CEO believes define the current moment. AI was a big topic again. Dimon believes it will eventually eliminate and create jobs, boost productivity, and even reduce the workweek in the developed world. In honor of keeping up with the times, perhaps we should bet on how his predictions will pan out on Polymarket.

In today’s edition:

Higher and higher

Risky business

Homebuyer education

—Courtney Vinopal, Paige McGlauflin, Kristen Parisi

TOTAL REWARDS

Costly commutes

Getty Images

Gas prices are on the rise due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, making commutes costlier for employees.

Since the war began in February, the average daily commuting cost for US employees has risen by 9%, from $15.48 to $16.93, according to an analysis from consulting firm Gartner. If gas prices go up even higher, the average employee could see commuting costs rise to nearly $19 a day, per Gartner’s calculations.

Such trends are likely to add to workers’ already existing financial stress. Nearly 77% of full-time workers reported worrying about the economy when Bank of America surveyed them in May of last year, and a growing share (26%) were seeking financial help from their employer through support such as emergency savings or debt paydown.

To support workers who are experiencing higher commuting costs, employers can consider offering gas subsidies or allowing additional flexibility on working locations, at least temporarily, Benjamin Ashley, a senior research specialist with Gartner, said.

For more on how employers can counter rising gas prices, keep reading here.—CV

Presented By QuickBooks

Big changes on the way

The Intuit QuickBooks platform you know and love is expanding beyond payroll.

In its next chapter, QuickBooks Payroll will offer tools that support the entire team life cycle, from hiring and onboarding to managing and retaining.

These changes bring payroll, HR, and benefits into one connected system that’s fully integrated with your books. That means within QuickBooks Payroll, you’ll soon be able to:

recruit and manage hiring, from job posting to offer letter
configure automated HR workflows for things like promotions and offboarding
track performance, time off, and benefits alongside payroll

With that kind of consolidation, you can spend less time jumping between tabs and more time getting tasks done.

Start using QuickBooks Payroll today to see how it simplifies your workflow. And stay tuned for the evolution coming this summer.

RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

Gig aversion

A pole with two street signs affixed to it. The top has "employee" written on it with a right-pointing arrow, the bottom states "freelancer" with a left-pointing arrow.

Getty Images

For employers who’ve had to adjust their talent strategies to survive a flurry of challenges in recent years (skills shortages, AI changing the nature of work, and rising operational costs, to name a few), gig work, in its many iterations, paints a promising picture.

Non-traditional forms of employment allow employers to use talent on an as-need basis, typically for a fraction of the cost. There’s one major problem, though: Workers aren’t so keen on non-traditional work, and their qualms with it lie with the nature of these roles, according to a new Indeed survey of more than 10,000 employers and job seekers across 12 countries.

A “no brainer?” More than half (53%) of employers surveyed reported currently leveraging an “agile workforce”—meaning non-traditional employment like gig and contract work, interim or fractional roles, remote “digital nomad” jobs, and job rotations—though 67% plan to eventually do so. From their perspective, leveraging alternative forms of employment is a “no brainer,” Priya Rathod, Indeed’s workplace trends editor, told HR Brew.

Well, not for workers. Just 25% of job seekers report currently working in “agile roles,” according to Indeed’s survey, though 45% anticipate that they’ll have one of these kinds of jobs in the future. While workers acknowledged that pursuing nontraditional employment could provide more flexibility and control over when and how they work, and help attain a better work-life balance, 55% believe taking an agile role is a risky career move.

For more on why non-traditional employment feels too risky to workers, and how HR can help, keep reading here.—PM

TOTAL REWARDS

(Future) moving day

Francis Scialabba

The share of first-time home buyers reached a record low of 21% in 2025, while the average age creeped higher, according to the National Association of Realtors. As the housing market feels unattainable for many Americans in an uncertain economy, some employers are stepping in to offer the education needed to turn a dream into reality.

Stationary company Minted is one of those employers. It recently added Nestment, a home-buyer education platform, to its suite of benefits. Founded in 2021, Nestment is a customized education platform that walks users through every step of the journey, from determining how to save for a downpayment to finding an agent, and one-on-one coaching.

“We’re always looking for benefits that support our employees through real-life moments,” Nadine Wiernik, senior director of people at Minted, told HR Brew. “Buying a new home is a major life moment. So this really fits naturally into supporting our employees through kind of one of those major life moments.”

For more on Minted’s homebuyer education benefit, keep reading here.—KP

Together With Walmart Business

Stock up on breakroom snacks. Walmart Business makes it easy to bulk-order coffee, granola bars, and all your people’s breakroom favorites. Same-day pickup and fast delivery help keep your office happy, productive, and fully caffeinated. Shop Walmart Business to stock your breakroom without the stress.

WORK PERKS

A desktop computer plugged into a green couch.

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: The number of open roles at tech companies has risen by 30% so far this year, signaling a potential rebound for the sector. (Business Insider)

Quote: “From the C-suite down to a manager at a local retail shop [are leaders who feel] a sense of relief and permission from the current political climate to be the assholes that they are and have always been.”—Brené Brown, bestselling author and researcher on empathy and vulnerability, on business leaders abandoning those values in the current Trumpian era (Financial Times)

Read: Economists are becoming increasingly concerned about how AI will disrupt the labor market, and say policymakers aren’t being proactive. (the New York Times)

Get excited: QuickBooks Payroll is getting a big upgrade. Starting this summer, this familiar favorite is evolving beyond pay runs to support how you hire, onboard, manage, and retain your team. See the details.*

^{*A message from our sponsor.}

EVENT

Screening without screaming

Morning Brew Inc.

If your hiring process feels like a maze of tools and manual work, you’re not alone. Join us on April 8 to learn how to use AI to handle scheduling, screening, and admin tasks—without sacrificing candidate experience. We’ll break down practical ways to build a tech stack that works for recruiters, not against them.

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Written by Courtney Vinopal, Paige McGlauflin, and Kristen Parisi

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☕️ How HR can help employees cut costs amid rising gas prices