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Companies want to hire workers with artificial intelligence skills, but don’t want to pay the premium. Those are the findings from a new report from Payscale, a leading online provider of data on salaries and compensation. Payscale’s 2026 Compensation Best Practices Report finds that while 60% of companies mention AI as part of their job descriptions, only 55% are willing to shell out extra money for those skills in the form of higher salaries, bonuses or even equity in the company. Why? Well, according to the report, there are a few reasons for the discrepancy, including the impact of a tight job market on hiring, coming at a time when businesses are also tightening their budgets. In fact, 51% of the businesses surveyed say their biggest challenge in the current economic landscape is balancing employee pay expectations with budget constraints. It could be that while companies want to pay more, they just don’t have the cash. So, how much are jobs paying? The report finds the median base pay increase in 2026 is only 3.5%. Job hugging trend continues in workplace Another reason for lower-than-desired salaries is “job hugging“the current trend where employees are staying longer in their positions and choosing not to leave their jobs. Only about 8% of U.S. workers are actually voluntarily quitting, the report finds. And those positions take about 30 days to fill, signaling “reduced churn” and less urgency on the part of companies to compete aggressively for talent. According to the report, 40% of the organizations surveyed say they have indeed experienced “job hugging” in 2025, with 15% agreeing that it inhibits business growth. With confidence in finding a new job at an all-time low among workers, and “workers hold[ing] onto their jobs for dear lifeit’s no wonder AI skills aren’t boosting salaries across the board. How AI is transforming the job market While 59% of the human resource leaders and compensation teams that Payscale surveyed say they are not replacing employees with AI now or in the future, 30% already areor are considering it for the future. Construction, business services, technology (including software), and healthcare are the leading industries already replacing workers with AI, according to the report.
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At a time of broken climate pledges and an economy-wide bearhug of automation and artificial intelligence, the dominant themes of the recently announced 2026 National Design Awardsclimate action, sustainability, dedication to craftare a refreshing reset. Rewarding innovation and impact among U.S.-based designers, the awards are both an honor and a pulse check on the state of design. This year’s group of winners represent a diverse group of practitioners and firms exploring ways that work in design and the arts can counteract environmental catastrophe and re-center the human hand in shaping the future. Honorees include the indigenous underpinnings in the textiles of fashion designer Josh Tafoya, the cross-border ecological and social research outposts of Estudio Teddy Cruz + Fonna Forman, and the environmentally sensitive museum design of architecture firm Frida Escobedo Studio. Other winners were selected for works pushing the boundaries of fields from digital cartography to ecological restoration. Josh Tafoya, Ranchero La Bruja [Photo: Courtesy of Josh Tafoya/Cooper Hewitt] Launched in 2000 by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, the awards honor designers across design disciplines from architecture to digital design to interior design. Despite the awards program being created as a project of the White House Millennium Council, this year’s honorees zag away from the trendlines of current national politics. Two standout honorees include Mattaforma, a New York City-based architecture and research studio focusing on mass-timber and sustainable building materials, and Berea College Student Craft, a hands-on experiential design and craft program that dates back to 1893. Mattaforma, Parkview Mountain House [Photo: Courtesy of Lauren Kerr/Cooper Hewitt] The 2026 jury was chaired by Aric Chen, director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation, and also included Liz Danzico, vice president of design at Microsoft AI, Henk Ovink, executive director and founding commissioner for the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, and Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Berea College Student Craft, Squibble Broom [Photo: Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt] Here’s the full list of categories and winners: Architecture: Frida Escobedo Studio Climate Action: UCSD Community Stations by Estudio Teddy Cruz + Fonna Forman Communication Design: Thought Matter Design Visionary: Robert Earl Paige Digital Design: Laura Kurgan Emerging Designer: Mattaforma Fashion Design: Josh Tafoya Interior Design: Charlap Hyman & Herrero Landscape Architecture: Ten Eyck Landscape Architects Product Design: Berea College Student Craft
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Next week, a rare celestial event will take to the skies. On March 3, amateur astronomers will get to witness a blood moon and a worm moon all at once. According to Space.com, a blood moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse, as the Earth passes directly between the Sun and Moon and casts a shadow across the moon’s surface. The moon appears red due to the way the Earth’s atmosphere filters sunlight. “This effect, known as Rayleigh scattering, is the same reason that the sky takes on magnificent shades of red and orange around sunset,” the site explains. While different seasons often bring exciting astrological events, this one is exceptionally rare. According to NASA, a blood moon can only occur during the full moon phase. But the blood moon also coincides with March’s full worm moon, named for the time of year when the Earth begins to thaw (which the worms appreciate). When can I see the blood moon? The eclipse, which will be visible across most of the U.S., is set to begin at 3:33 a.m. EST on March 3. The eclipse won’t begin to enter totality until around 6:04 a.m. EST, reaching its “greatest point at 6:33 a.m. ET, just minutes before the Full Moon peak,” explains Almanac.com. Do I need to wear protective glasses? Luckily, you won’t need any special equipment to view the event. It’s safe to look directly at a lunar eclipse (unlike a solar eclipse, which you need to wear protective eyewear to safely view, minus during complete totality). Still, NASA says that, if you want an even better view, binoculars are a good idea. “For a more dramatic observing experience, seek a dark environment away from bright lights. Binoculars or a telescope can also enhance your view,” it explains. What other celestial events are coming up? After the dramatic show next week, the event will not take place again until New Years Eve 20282029. That means, if you’re hoping to catch the show, you better make sure you’re looking up. Especially because constellations may appear brighter, too, as the moon’s light is dimmed. But another exciting astrological event will take place just days later. Space.com says on March 8, a “conjunction” of Venus and Saturn will appear in the sky. While the planets are, in fact, very far apart, as Venus “passes one degree to the upper right of Saturn,” they’ll appear closer than ever from Earth.
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E-Commerce
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