Afternoon Coffee: PRO Unlimited launches rate benchmarking and analytics solution; New job openings rise in October; Honda plans for supply chain disruption in UK

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PRO Unlimited, the contingent workforce management services solution provider, announced its launch of RatePoint. The company describes the solution as “a new SaaS application that provides employers with on-demand rate and hiring intelligence for professional contingent positions globally.” 

RatePoint is based on PRO Unlimited’s extensive data depository and on-going data capture. It enables organizations to standardize their contingent workforce roles (including SOW) and associate rate benchmarks within geographic labor markets. RatePoint integrates with PRO’s VMS, called Wand.   

Kevin Akeroyd, PRO Unlimited’s CEO, said in a press release: "Our new RatePoint platform enables organizations to gain a deeper knowledge of billing rates and hiring trends, so they can make more informed sourcing decisions that optimize the cost and location of resources.” 

According to the announcement, key capabilities/benefits of the solution include:

• Easily and accurately price and optimize contingent labor globally
• See how rates are impacted by different skills, locations, rate/engagement types, job levels and more
• Quickly perform real-time, side-by-side data comparisons

For additional information on contingent workforce rate benchmarking and analytics, see our five-part PRO series, A new species: Specialist providers of contingent workforce rate benchmarking/analytics.

New US job openings rise to 6.65 million in October

Advertisements for new US job openings rose slightly in October but hiring slipped as a resurgence of COVID-19 threatens economic recovery once again, according to the Associated Press.

The Labor Department on Wednesday reported that job postings rose to 6.65 million in October after counting 6.49 million in September. Employers hired 5.81 million workers, which was less than the 5.89 million hired in September, the article said.

The US job market has slowly healed since an initial collapse in the spring with the COVID-19 disruption. Employers cut 22 million jobs in March and April. The country is short 9.8 million of the jobs it had in February, the AP reported.

Honda faces supply chain disruption with shortage of parts from UK ports

Japan-based carmaker Honda warned that production at its UK Swindon plant could be disrupted because of transport problems that could cause a shortage of parts, according to BBC News.

The plant is known to operate in a “just in time” production system. Honda said it is experiencing vessel delays and congestion at UK ports. The article said the company will look at other arrangements like air freight.

For weeks, congestion has built up at ports as companies increased their orders after a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, and others are hoping to stockpile goods before the end of the Brexit transition period, the article said.

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