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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida job creation gets back on track in August
After a tepid July, creation of private sector jobs in Florida got back on track last month, according to a report released Wednesday. Florida added 17,900 private sector jobs in August, about double the number added in July, national payroll processing company ADP said. More from the Tampa Bay Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and see the report from ADP.
Fall tourism rising: Fewer crowds, nice weather
Fall used to be off-peak for tourism everywhere except New England and other fall foliage destinations. But autumn tourism is rising, with traditional summer hotspots increasingly busy September through November. [Source: Washington Post]
 Programmers/analysts Vishwa Reddy (left) and Sravan Dandari work at a Jacksonville IT company under the H-1B work visa program. Story [Photo: Ryan Ketterman] |
Florida Trend Exclusive
Importing workers to Florida
Believe them, say Florida employers who use the federal H-1B visa program to import workers, they’d hire Americans if they could find them. "There are not enough people going into all the different levels of education" in STEM fields, said Pamela Nabors, President & CEO of CareerSource in Central Florida. Access full story.
Lawmakers approve budget report with small surplus
Assuming that lawmakers will set aside $1 billion in reserves, economists now estimate that next year's budget will produce a surplus of $336 million. That's less than half the $845.7 million surplus this year. More from the Tampa Bay Times and CBS Miami.
How much does a Florida school board member make?
In most states, school board positions are voluntary and unpaid. But not in Florida. A new document from the state Office of Economic and Demographic Research spells out exactly how much the board members get, county by county, now and over the past 30 years [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Renewable energy groups form coalition to push for more solar in Florida
Solar proponents announced Wednesday a new coalition that will push for increased use of renewable energy in Florida. The organizations say Florida laws and the state's investor owned utilities have hampered the growth of solar power in the Sunshine State.
› 2 Central Florida businesses win SBA awards
Starter Studio in Orlando and Sunshine Labs in Longwood were selected out of 800 applications for the 50 U.S. Small Business Administration awards.
› Grants boost medical care in Miami-area schools
With a $4 million innovation award to the University of Miami, a program addresses students’ needs in mental health, nutrition and dentistry.
› Palm Beach County joins power2give.org
Palm Beach County is joining power2give.org, the crowdfunding platform that raises funds for arts and cultural projects through donations as small as $5.
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