North America HR News Flash: Saturday, October 31, 2026

USCIS ends weekend extension for birthday-based filing deadlines on paper filings received from Oct. 23, 2026

• USCIS Policy Alert PA-2026-15 reverses the 2023 weekend extension rule for birthday-based deadlines
• The change applies to paper filings received on or after Oct. 23, 2026
• It cites a 2025 US Supreme Court ruling

What employers should do: Remind foreign employees with birthday-based deadlines that paper filings are no longer extended to the next business day; Adjust deadlines to the last date on which the filing must actually be received

Indians hold 91% of US EB-2 green card backlog, USCIS data shows

• Indian applicants account for 91% of the US EB-2 green card backlog
• In EB-3, India accounts for 106,214 of 147,492 applications, about 72%
• In EB-1, India accounts for 17,861 of 31,962, about 56%

Verizon to cut about 3,000 jobs and divest some retail stores, WSJ reports; WARN notice covers 54 layoffs in Washington State

• Verizon is set to cut about 3,000 jobs and divest some retail stores, per WSJ
• Affected departments and store numbers were not detailed
• WARN notice covers 54 layoffs across nine Washington State facilities, effective September 18, 2026

Public Service Alliance of Canada calls strike votes for more than 120,000 federal workers, starting Nov. 16

• PSAC has announced national strike votes for more than 120,000 federal public servants
• Voting runs from Nov. 16, 2026, to Jan. 22, 2027
• Bargaining issues include wages, remote work and job security; the government's April offer averaged under 1% a year in raises

What employers should do: Monitor federal bargaining developments in Canada and assess the impact on related workforce planning

Apple reportedly drew up plan to replace about 5,000 AppleCare support workers with AI, then paused it

• Apple reportedly planned to replace about 5,000 AppleCare support workers with AI
• The plan was later put on hold
• The report says Apple has trimmed some middle management roles in recent weeks

Insperity reports Q3 2026 sales of $1,651 million and net loss of $1 million

• Q3 2026 sales of US$1,651 million and net loss of US$1 million
• Nine-month sales of US$5,232 million and net income of US$36 million
• Management points to progress on margin recovery plan

BLS data: US labor share falls to record low 52.8% in Q2 2026

• US labor share was 52.8% in Q2 2026, the lowest since records began in 1947
• It was 53.6% in the prior quarter
• Unemployment rose to 4.2% in September; 29,000 jobs were added

Bloomberg: US jobs pickup may keep Fed on track to hike rates again

• Bloomberg reports that a pickup in US jobs may keep the Federal Reserve on track to raise interest rates again