‍

Blake, Wm. Night VIII. 1795.

‍

Nearly half of U.S. companies plan to eliminate bachelor's degree requirements for some jobs next year, a new poll finds.

A survey of 800 U.S. employers finds that 45% plan to eliminate bachelor's degree requirements. 55% said they had already removed the requirements this year, with companies like Walmart, IBM, Accenture, Bank of America, and Google leading this trend.

Industries dropping degree requirements include: 72% of information services, 62% software, 61% finance and insurance, 55% construction, 42% healthcare and social assistance, and 35% education.

In October, Walmart eliminated college degrees as a requirement for hundreds of its corporate roles, saying it would get rid of “unnecessary barriers.”

‍

Blake, Wm. America a Prophecy, object 1. 1793.

‍

U.S. homebuyers are getting much older, suggesting owning a home is increasingly out of reach for younger Americans.

A study from the University of California, Berkeley found that ownership is most delayed in California, where most people don't own a home until 49.

Additionally, people are buying homes at least a decade later in life in California, Hawaii, New York, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi, compared to 1980. Only one state, Alaska, has homeowners getting younger.

Median home values have nearly doubled over the past decade despite household incomes only growing by 13.5% during the same period. A poll from September found almost 20% of millennials and Gen Z think they will never own a home, with many opting to live with their parents instead.

‍

Blake, Wm. Night VI, object 248. 1795.

‍

Walmart has joined Costco in selling gold and silver online, leading to discussions about a change in financial trends.

One user on X noticed the trend, writing: “Walmart is selling gold and silver. Are you awake yet? This is a financial change.”

Another user noted that there is no limit on how much a customer can purchase, meaning someone could order a kilo bar for $70,000.

The rush comes as gold prices have soared 14% since early October, hitting a new record high of $2,088 this week.

Richard Galanti, CFO of Costco: “You've probably read about the fact that we're selling one-ounce gold bars. We sold over $100 million of gold during the quarter. When we load them on the site, they're typically gone within a few hours.”

‍

Blake, Wm. Mirth. 1816.

‍

A 70-year-old Georgia woman graduated from Kennesaw State University after deciding to go back to school 6.5 years ago.

Gloria Stowers graduated with an art education major, hoping to teach art to children. But to her, graduation itself was a major milestone.
‍
She told FOX 5 Atlanta: “I wanted to get away from the generation of my family being uneducated to being educated. Because being educated can give you opportunities in life. It makes the road that much easier. It gives you options you don't even know of until you go.”

Her parents both had an elementary-level education, and she said they would “be shining” if they knew she had attained a bachelor’s degree.

Gloria says that she was so focused on raising her three children before deciding to go to college that she had a 50-year hiatus in her education.

“I wouldn't say the keyword is wait. I would say, no matter what, it is that you have a desire for, put the action into it. And time is of the essence, so every day utilize the time that is given to you. And that is my fulfillment of all the things that I've accomplished. Be blessed and take advantage of what's at hand.”