Increase in Iranian inflation

With the Iranian rial’s value plummeting against the US dollar on a daily basis, rampant inflation and widespread unemployment, the purchasing power of Iranians has significantly decreased, causing widespread public dissatisfaction. Iranians have struggled with economic hardship for years, and a recent report from the labour ministry has shed light on their predicament. In 2021, per capita calorie consumption among Iranians was approximately 2200 calories, a decrease of 8.3pc from 2017 and 18.5pc from 2011. The Statistical Centre of Iran’s latest figures reveal that inflation rates reached 53.4pc in February, a 2.1pc increase from the previous month. Food items, particularly vegetables and meat, witnessed the most significant price increases. Further, the Central Bank’s report indicates a 43pc rise in inflation rates in February compared to the previous year, with a 21.8pc increase in mutton prices between January and February alone.

(Adapted from “Nowruz: Iranians go without as inflation gets worse,” published on 14 March 2023, by Middle East Eye)

Leveraging ChatGPT

Some job seekers have started using the artificial-intelligence chatbot ChatGPT when looking for new roles, tapping it to help write cover letters, tweak résumés and formulate responses to anticipated interview questions — without necessarily telling the people doing the hiring. Employers, who have long used AI to screen potential employees, aren’t always disqualifying applicants who use ChatGPT, but they are scrambling to figure out how to assess candidates who may be using the tool to give them an edge. Programmes, websites and other tools to help people fix their résumés and cover letters aren’t new. Microsoft Office and Google Docs offer résumé and letter templates, while companies such as Jobscan promise to optimise résumés to grab the attention of hiring managers, recruiters and hiring-system algorithms. Candidates need to combine ChatGPT’s edits with their own editing and voice, said Sarah Baker Andrus, chief executive of Avarah Careers, a career coaching firm in Delaware. Whatever a candidate submits for a job should accurately reflect their skills, she said.

(Adapted from “Bosses Are Catching Job Applicants Using ChatGPT for a Boost,” by Ann-Marie Alcántara, published on March 14, 2023, by The Wall Street Journal)

Living together money and love

Record numbers of young, unmarried couples are moving in together. They’re doing it for love — and money. More than 11pc of Americans aged 18 to 24 lived with a romantic partner who’s not a spouse last year, the highest share ever, according to Census Bureau data. That’s about 3.2m people, roughly 650,000 more than before the pandemic. The need to save money served as a tipping point for many young couples who turned to cohabiting sooner than they might have otherwise, with inflation driving up the cost of almost everything from groceries to gas, and rent prices hovering near record highs. A recent Realtor.com survey found that money was a main factor behind the decision to move in together for 80pc of Gen Z couples.

(Adapted from “Gen Z Couples Are Shacking Up at Record Rates,” by Augusta Saraiva and Paulina Cachero, published on March 15, 2023, by Bloomberg)

When phones are a distraction

It’s easy to be distracted at work, especially by our phones. Here are three strategies to help us focus:

1) Use a struggle timer: The next time you’re faced with a difficult problem, don’t start procrastinating on your phone, instead, set a timer for an extra 10 minutes and try to focus. 2) Create stuck scripts: We all experience “stuck points” frequently, when we feel blocked or bored with a task. Instead of reaching for your phone in those moments, create a script to follow. It could be as simple as, “When I have writer’s block, I’ll take a two-minute walk.” 3) Leave your phone behind: Leave your phone in the furthest spot possible when you’re beginning a task. When you hit a stuck point, you’ll be less motivated to just to check instagram.

(Adapted from “How to Stop Scrolling and Focus at Work,” by Amantha Imber, published by HBR Ascend)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, March 27th, 2023