Federal employees have been searching for new jobs online at increasing rates — as high as 82% above normal search levels, according to new Indeed.com data obtained by Axios.
Between the lines: Federal workers are searching for new jobs at above average levels even when their agency isn't technically affected by the shutdown. "It looks like federal workers — even at funded agencies — are starting to think it might be time for me to look elsewhere," Martha Gimbel, Indeed’s director of economic research, tells Axios.
Optum is suing an executive who left the company to work for the new health care venture created by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. The lawsuit, first reported by STAT, alleges that his new employment "poses a direct threat to Optum’s trade secrets and other confidential information."
Why it matters: It's been a year since the three conglomerates promised to "disrupt" the health care industry with their venture. And the only thing we really know about it now is that Optum — the profitable and growing division of UnitedHealth Group that provides health care, data services and pharmacy benefits — views it as a competitor.
A big shakeout is coming among providers of a key autonomous vehicle technology: lidar sensors, where dozens of companies — estimates range from 50 to more than 100 — have popped up in recent years.
Why it matters: The startups all promise to deliver better technology to help self-driving cars see their environments. But deploying self-driving cars at scale has proven more challenging than the industry anticipated, and many companies will run out of steam before they find customers for their technology.
Education and technology were the central topics yesterday for Apple, Google and Microsoft, as they prepped for BETT, a key education trade show in London.
Be smart: Schools are a key market both because of the large numbers of devices sold and because they help create brand preferences in a new generation of consumers.
Waymo, which in December launched the nation's first paid robotaxi business, is taking the next step toward commercialization with a deal to assemble self-driving cars at a new factory in Michigan.
Why it matters: Detroit frets constantly about Silicon Valley usurping its claim as the current and future home of the auto industry. But it turns out the Motor City, with its deep talent pool, is the perfect place for Alphabet's self-driving vehicle unit to assemble its futuristic cars.
Simulation has been critical to speeding up AV development, especially for motion planning and control algorithms. But in these simulations, vehicles are either not perceiving the simulated world at all or perceiving only scenarios that have been previously encountered on the road.
Why it matters: Using these approaches, vast amounts of on-road data will need to be gathered in order to reach the edges of a perception module's capabilities. An additional layer of simulation for AV sensors and perception systems could use synthetic data to accelerate the development of AVs.
Oracle allegedly saved $401 million over four years by systematically underpaying women and minority employees, the U.S. Department of Labor said in a new document filed on Tuesday as part of a labor lawsuit against the tech giant.
The bottom line: Silicon Valley may have a reputation for meritocracy, but recent scrutiny of the big companies' significant pay gaps is a reminder that tech is not immune from management biases common in other industries.
Amazon has become a recurring symbol of economic inequality for newly emboldened progressive Democrats.
Why it matters: Despite its popularity with consumers, the company already shows up in fundraising appeals, legislative rollouts and Twitter threads — and looms over the 2020 campaign trail.
A TSA executive sent out an internal email Monday asking for 250 employees in more than 10 states to move to airports that are struggling with staff callouts as a result of the 32-day government shutdown, CNN reports.
Why it matters: The plea comes after reports that 10% of airport screeners missed work this past holiday weekend — up from 3.1% the same time last year — as they prepare to lose out on a second straight paycheck. "Many employees are reporting that they are not able to report to work due to financial limitations," TSA said in a statement Tuesday.
/2019/01/23/1548206388552.gif?w=3840)
