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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida added private sector jobs in August
Florida added a slightly improved 13,790 private sector jobs in August, second-highest in the country, though the new jobs remain skewed toward the lower-paying service sector. More than 12,000 of the new jobs were in the service sector. Only one of the select industries surveyed was a net job loser: manufacturing lost 280 jobs, continuing a slump that has persisted post-recession. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Concern over interest rates on Florida real estate markets
Rising interest rates could dampen the recovery of Florida’s real estate market, a new University of Florida survey suggests. A look at the second quarter of this year found the general investment outlook for all sectors of the market declined for the first time in two years, according to a survey of 145 real estate analysts, investors, brokers and others. [Source: UF News]
Florida election chief wants support for voter purge
Florida's top election official, stung by criticism that the state previously relied on flawed data, wants to win support from skeptical election supervisors about a coming effort to remove non-U.S. citizens from the state's voter rolls. Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced Wednesday that he will hold five meetings with county election officials in October on what he's calling a "Project Integrity Tour." [Source: AP]
Reeling from recession, Florida museums innovate to raise funds
The Great Recession pushed Florida museums into a financial hole, and they're struggling to dig out. The museums now are banding together in new partnerships, expanding gift shops and other retail, adding fund-raisers and tapping different donors to try to raise cash. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Citizens insures thousands of out-of-state policyholders
When Citizens Property Insurance sends out its monthly customer bills, only 31 percent of them go to the same insured home. The rest go to other mailboxes in Florida — and around the globe. More than 19,000 bills go to people who live in Canada, nearly 27,000 go to New Yorkers, almost 12,000 go to folks in New Jersey and hundreds more go to England, Germany and France. [Source: Times/Herald]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› State tells ‘navigators’ to stay away from county health departments
The outreach workers known as navigators won’t be allowed to help people sign up for health insurance on the grounds of county health departments, according to a memo from the Florida Department of Health. The order from Deputy Health Secretary C. Meade Grigg went out late Monday to the 60 local health department directors across the state.
› Boca Raton to study new business tax for parking, transportation
Will Boca's downtown business property owners be willing to pay a third tax to improve parking and transportation around town for their customers? The City Council this week agreed to pay University of Florida researchers up to $100,000 for a study of that question.
› FIU partnership wins $11 million transportation grant
A private-public partnership led by Florida International University has received an $11.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation — money that will be used to build a pedestrian bridge across Southwest Eighth Street, among other improvements.
› Sarasota teachers to get 3.25 percent raise
Falling short of Gov. Rick Scott's original promise of $2,500, Sarasota teachers and other employees are expected to receive a 3.25 percent increase this school year.
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