Most of us are able to have "off days," but for athletes competing at the Olympic level, it would seem those words aren't even part of their vocabulary. It takes a unique amount of skill, determination and hard work to make it at that level. Whether logging hours at the gym or in international competition, it's an athlete's sheer drive and endurance that determine whether or not they'll prevail when the global spotlight is on them.So how do these attributes translate to careers outside of the games? (Inc.com)

When companies downsize, diversity takes a hit — even if it previously was treated as a priority. Here’s how that plays out. (Harvard Business Review)

Stocks were rising Thursday morning, and consumer companies were up the most after strong earnings from Macy’s and Kohl’s. The Labor Department said applications for new unemployment benefits fell slightly last week, a sign that layoffs were low and employers could be adding jobs. Global stocks were mixed and the price of oil was volatile after a report forecast slower global demand growth for crude. (Associated Press)

Are you trying to figure out where to live--or, even more important, where to start a business? Climate, culture, and proximity to others in your industry and/or investors are all great things to consider. But cost of living may be even more important. (Inc.)

As intelligent technologies take over more and more of the decision-making territory once occupied by humans, are you taking any action? Are you sufficiently aware of the signs that you should? To help you get the head start you may need, here are the signs that it’s time to fly the nest. All of them are evidence that a knowledge worker’s job is on the path to automation. (Fast Company)

Intel has committed $300 million to ensure that by 2020 its staff mirrors what it calls the market availability of the U.S. tech workforce. But even that kind of cash doesn't buy overnight success. (USA TODAY)

Michael Cohen, a partner in Duane Morris L.L.P. in Philadelphia and a national authority on employment issues, maintains that if an employer considers candidates who offer diversity in non-Equal Opportunity Employee areas, the workplace will be a better place. (Rubber News)

The world’s production of crude oil is falling behind demand, the International Energy Agency said Thursday. From July through September, global production of crude oil will lag behind demand by almost 1 million barrels a day, said the IEA, a Paris-based agency that monitors energy trends for oil-consuming nations. And the oversupply of crude is clearing out even as OPEC producers pump at record or near record levels. (The Wall Street Journal)

South Africa has regained the title of Africa's largest economy, two years after Nigeria rebased its economy to claim the spot, according to IMF data. A recalculation using current exchange rates put South Africa on top because the rand has strengthened against the dollar. (BBC)

As events unfold in Rio, we’ve come up with our very own MBA Olympics 2016. Based on statistics from the Financial Times and Economist rankings, we’ve compared MBA programs, pitting them against each other to rank the world’s best business schools for MBA salary increase, graduate employment, GMAT score, entrepreneurship, class diversity and more. (Business Because)

The U.S. Department of Education looks to take the lead on eradicating the issue. ()

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Many young urban professionals find it difficult to climb the corporate ladder while staying true to themselves. They may feel they have to wear a set of masks in order to navigate through their personal and professional lives. "The Power of Self-Awareness, Authenticity and Resilience in Career and Life" workshop hosted by the Boston Chapter of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) addressed the challenge of how to manage work identities without sacrificing your authentic self. (Bay State Banner)

Technology start-ups have long wrestled with a conundrum of how to reward their employees. Many of their workers are compensated with lucrative piles of a start-up’s stock, but cannot cash it in because the shares do not trade publicly. (The New York Times)

Google is exploring ways to prevent players harassing each other in virtual reality. The company's Daydream Labs has been experimenting with ways to deter people from making others feel unsafe or uncomfortable. (BBC)

Many entrepreneurs have a great business idea. What they don’t have is the capital for funding. In the beginning of a small business venture, your business’s revenue is uncertain and your credit isn’t established yet, but you need that money to invest in a facility, inventory, and your employees and hopefully turn your idea into a successful business. (business.com)

Despite indications that America’s labor market is surging again, home loan rates remained about where they have been. For those who have been paying more attention to the Olympics, presidential election, beach or back to school, they are hovering at their lowest levels in three years. The Washington Post)

Two hundred and twenty-eight years: That’s how long it would take for African-Americans to accumulate the same amount of wealth whites have now if current policies remain in place, according to a new analysis from the Corporation for Enterprise Development and Institute for Policy Studies. (The Wall Street Journal)

"Brexit," in which U.K. voters defied the prognosticators and chose to leave the European Union, set off shock waves that could very well have a global economic impact. But the reaction among stock investors, in the words of a slogan coined by the British government during World War II, has been "Keep calm and carry on." (Fortune)

Traditional retailers have spent more than a decade and billions of dollars trying to transform their brick-and-mortar businesses for the online shopper. Yet Amazon and other digital upstarts continue to lap them. Now Walmart, the world’s largest retailer and the dominant player of big-box stores, is turning to someone else’s technology and talent. On Monday, the company said it was buying Jet, the year-old online bulk retailer, for $3.3 billion, the largest deal ever for an e-commerce company. (The New York Times)

A growing thicket of digital payment options is emerging for American shoppers as major national retailers are increasingly introducing their own app-based alternatives to the tech companies' embedded smartphone pay systems.The latest is CVS Health, the nation's largest drugstore chain, which announced that it will start accepting in-store payments through its flagship CVS app. (USA TODAY)

The Department of Education is denying a request from the Center for Excellence in Higher Education, a Utah-based chain of career colleges, to switch its status to nonprofit, leaving the chain unable to shake loose regulations aimed at for-profit schools. (The Washington Post)

What creates trust, engagement, and confidence within the workplace? We asked a few people -- ranging from record executives to business school professors -- who have learned a thing or two about leadership, and came up with a list of ways that new leaders can build credibility. (Hubspot)

The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the pre-eminent organization of current and former black CEOs, senior executives, top-tier entrepreneurs, global thought leaders and board members of Fortune 1000 and equivalent companies, has given a donation of $1 million to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). The donation was made in commemoration of The ELC’s 30th Anniversary this year. (Radio Facts)