Employers add 169K jobs; unemployment falls to 7.3 percent

U.S. employers added 169,000 jobs in August and many fewer in July than previously thought. Hiring has slowed from the start of the year and could complicate the Federal Reserve's decision this month on whether to reduce its bond purchases - and, if so, by how much. More from the Miami Herald, the AP and Reuters.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Health Insurance Overhaul The Affordable Care Act is poised to transform our health insurance system, encouraging more people to buy insurance. But as the full implementation date nears, health insurers are raising rates, and employers are scrambling to understand what it means for them. » Read more

Gov. Scott: Use surplus to cut taxes and fees

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, anticipating a healthy budget surplus next year, says he wants to cut taxes and fees by $500 million during his re-election year. But a new three-year budget forecast released Thursday by state economists shows that there won't be enough money to do both tax cuts and increase spending significantly on schools. [Source: Businessweek]

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Helping nonprofits also can help your business

Besides serving a community need, working with charities offers business leaders a chance to share with fellow executives on boards and meet fellow donors at fund-raising events. Relationships forged on nonprofit boards and at fundraisers open doors to sales. And a reputation for community engagement spurs referrals, while boosting employee morale. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

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» FRIDAY PREVIEW: Coming next week to FloridaTrend.com:

• High Tech Hotbed: Tourism, retirees and agriculture might have put Florida on the map, but the state is also becoming a mecca for high-tech industry.
• Florida's millionaire lawmakers: The net worth of Florida's wealthiest senators and representatives
• Argentina - On the Edge of Crisis: The South American nation's economy continues to crumble, leaving foreign companies nervous about doing business there and sending capital fleeing.
• Florida Lifestyle: Sandra Friend and John Keatley have documented Florida's great hiking trails.
• Business Profile: Online retailer Unloathe aims to offer the low prices and bulk quantities of retailers like Costco — but delivers the non-perishable goods straight to customers’ pantries, laundry rooms or garages.

» You'll find all these stories first on the Daily and Afternoon Pulse e-mails.

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Out of the Box Is fantasy football good for the office? Every year there’s a new study that says hundreds of millions of dollars of work productivity is lost thanks to one of the most popular sports hobbies — an industry worth $1.1 billion, according to Bloomberg. But human resources site HR Benefits Alerts says fantasy football in the workplace has just as many benefits companies should consider when allowing workers to partake in the activity. » Full story from the Orlando Business Journal