Whenever the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a jobs report, business leaders take notice.

The most recent report, released last week, stated that the American economy added 114,000 jobs in July —a marked drop from the 310,000 jobs added this past March and less than last July’s mark of 184,000 jobs.

Is this data a sign of a recession or a hiring freeze? While time will tell, these waning job numbers are likely to cause speculation among employees about whether their jobs are safe. That’s where communicators and HR pros come into play.

Economic uncertainty can manifest in layoffs, furloughs, or other sorts of cuts around the workplace that no one desires. But by pulling the right levers, HR and comms can serve as both an advisory source for leaders and a valuable source of updates for concerned employees.

A constant state of staffing management and communication 

While moments of economic uncertainty prompt communicators and HR professionals to consider the way their organization will react both internally and externally, the process starts with creating an ongoing dialogue across all parts of the org chart.

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