Axios

Pay drove the most work stoppages in 2023, while health and safety issues were the second most popular cause, according to a new report by Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Why it matters: Unions have been emboldened by 2023's uptick in strikes, including the UAW strike and the Hollywood writers and actors strikes, Nathan writes.

The big picture: The number of workers who walked off the job surged by 141% in 2023, as Emily Peck reported this morning in our sibling newsletter, Axios Markets.

• Some 539,000 workers walked off the job last year.

Americans' appetite for low-sugar and zero-sugar Greek yogurt is growing in the era of Ozempic, according to data shared exclusively with Axios.

Why it matters: 72% of consumers are trying to limit or avoid sugar entirely, the International Food Information Council's April 2023 survey found.

Japan and the U.K. each saw their economies shrink for two consecutive quarters, meeting the technical definition of a recession, according to data out Thursday. Meanwhile, in Europe, officials said they expect weaker economic growth across the bloc.

Why it matters: This year may see more global economic turmoil than last as nations struggle to rebound from slowdowns that are worse than previously known. The effects of these slowdowns — together with one in China — could ripple around the rest of the world in unknown ways.

Here's what's new on Netflix, Hulu, BET+, Prime Video and Apple TV+.

What we're watching: The sixth season of "Love Is Blind," a new series about the most iconic names in fashion and a new show from rapper Vince Staples.

Situational awareness: Oscar-nominated films "Oppenheimer" and "The Color Purple (2023)" will stream Friday on Peacock and Max, respectively.

January retail sales fell 0.8% from a month earlier — the biggest monthly drop in almost a year with pullbacks at most retail shops, except restaurants, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Previous months' data were also revised to show slightly weaker spending than first reported.

Why it matters: The unstoppable American consumer may be losing momentum.

Volkswagen plans to speak up when it spots what it calls "misinformation" in the UAW's campaign to organize the company's plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Why it matters: The two sides are barreling toward a showdown over whether the factory should be unionized, marking the third such collision in the last decade.

Women now make up 47% of all workers in the U.S., compared with just 30% back in 1950. But many occupations aren't so evenly split between men and women, according to the government's annual look at workforce composition.

Zoom out: There is a lot of research explaining why the workforce is so pink- and blue-coded, as the WSJ recently noted. Some biggies:

Forget the "summer of strikes," 2023 was a full year of walkouts: The number of workers who walked off the job surged by 141% last year from 2022, per a report out Thursday morning.

Why it matters: The strong labor market of the past few years fueled a rise in support for unions and worker organizing, emboldening organizers to take a harder line — pushing folks to the picket lines.

Target is focusing on the basics and low prices for its new store-owned brand "dealworthy," a line of everyday essentials arriving in stores this month.

Why it matters: More Americans have been turning to store brands to save money as they continue to deal with sticker shock over high prices.