Workforce & Wages: Florida’s minimum wage is set to hit $15 on Sept. 30 for non-tipped workers (and $11.98 for tipped), with businesses scrambling to adjust pay and scheduling. Hiring & Talent Pipelines: College of Central Florida opened a new Center for Career Development in Ocala, adding a professional clothing closet, networking space, and VR headsets to help students test career paths and connect with employers. HR Tech & AI: At SHRM Atlanta’s HR Forward summit, Hiten Bhuta demoed how AI agents can support onboarding, policy Q&A, and workforce analytics—pushing HR leaders to rethink which workflows still need traditional software seats. Economic Development: Freebee and Beep announced a merger to combine electric microtransit with autonomous mobility tech, aiming to deliver one provider for human-driven and self-driving rides across communities. Compliance & Data Security: Florida SHOTS access rules are being updated for private providers, adding new staff and consent/opt-out notification requirements tied to cybersecurity standards. Labor Market Signals: Florida added 21,800 jobs as unemployment fell to 4.5%, a fresh sign of momentum for job seekers.