Adding AI to your department also raises expectations. And while AI isn’t perfect—especially for deterministic functions like budgets and reconciliations—the company will still expect it to deliver better, faster results.

I talked to Xero CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, whose company provides a financial management platform for small businesses, about how AI is changing what she expects from her finance team, and whether AI-powered financial platforms can deliver the accuracy businesses require. An excerpt from our conversation appears later in this newsletter.

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At first glance, the August jobs numbers published by the Labor Department last week look promising. Nonfarm jobs increased by 162,000 last month, the biggest monthly jump since March, and more than double the created jobs expected following July’s initial net-negative jobs report. The largest gains were in the food service industry, which added 59,000 new jobs, and local government education, which added 42,000. The unemployment rate stayed steady at 4.1%.

But more jobs created, coupled with the sticky inflation reported last month, could mean the Federal Reserve is more likely to raise interest rates at the Open Market Committee's meeting next week. According to CME FedWatch, the likelihood of a rate hike is currently more than 58%.

A rate increase isn’t a sure thing. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said last week he’s inclined to hold rates steady—comments that boosted Bitcoin and gold prices. Forbes contributor Harry Holzer writes that much of the inflation occurred as gas prices shot up with the onset of the war in Iran in March, but that doesn’t necessarily seem to be spreading throughout the full economy.

Positive numbers aside, for many workers, it doesn’t really feel like a great season for jobs. Forbes’ Courtney Connley-Hampton writes that’s because many employees aren’t leaving their current jobs, with turnover rates staying at a low 3.2%. And while food service employment is booming, it isn’t exactly known for its high wages. Forbes senior contributor Rachel Wells writes that just 49% of displaced and rehired workers from 2020 to 2025 are making at least the amount they were paid before losing their........

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