Loose change

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, YOU'RE FIRED: The holiday season has brought another round of pink slips, and federal data show that's not unusual. December is when businesses typically reposition themselves for a new year, and Philadelphia consultant Rich Pinola says because layoffs have become so common, "corporations are not as sensitive in timing them to holidays as they have been in the past."

GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING: People are scaling back on gift-giving this year, a survey of more than 1,000 members of loyalty marketer MyPoints.com shows. Thirty percent of respondents say they'll buy inexpensive gifts, up from 17 percent last year. And twice as many people (4 percent) say they'll pass on a gift they received.

THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE: Philip Morris is selling a new cigarette just for the holidays. It's called M, and the company is promoting it with green and red signs and the slogan "A special blend for a special season." Antitobacco activists are livid. "It's selling cancer for Christmas," says Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

MAKING THEIR MARK: Florida ranks fourth in the number of businesses owned by women, according to a report by the Center for Women's Business Research. Florida's 414,490 privately held companies generate $75-billion in sales, ranking third among states. The center also says the number of women-owned businesses nationwide is growing at twice the rate of all companies.

WE ONLY WORK HERE: About 16 percent of 635 hospital emergency department managers, if injured, would choose to go to another hospital for care, a survey by Schumacher Group shows.

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