Florida's July Employment Figures Released

August 18, 2017     0    27

Florida’s Nonagricultural Employment by Industry (Seasonally Adjusted) The number of jobs in Florida was 8,634,300 in July 2017, up 226,200 jobs compared to a year ago. July 2017 was the 84th consecutive month with positive over-the-year job growth. The industry gaining the most jobs was construction (+35,800 jobs, +7.5 percent). Other industries gaining jobs included education and health services (+35,600 jobs, +2.9 percent); professional and business services (+35,400 jobs, +2.7 percent); leisure and hospitality (+32,900 jobs, +2.8 percent); trade, transportation, and utilities (+30,600 jobs, +1.8 percent); other services (+19,100 jobs, +5.5 percent); government (+14,200 jobs, +1.3 percent); manufacturing (+11,700 jobs, +3.3 percent); financial activities (+10,700 jobs, +2.0 percent); and information (+100 jobs, +0.1 percent) over the year. Local Area Unemployment Statistics (Not Seasonally Adjusted) In July 2017, Monroe County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate (2.8 percent); followed by St. Johns County (3.3 percent); and Okaloosa and Walton counties (3.4 percent each). Hendry County had the highest unemployment rate (10.9 percent) in Florida in July 2017, followed by Hardee County (7.5 percent); and Glades County (6.5 percent). Area Nonagricultural Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted) In July 2017, ...

Green Cove Springs on the Verge of Boom

August 17, 2017     0    20

By September 2018, the Vallencourt Construction Company – originally located on Blanding Boulevard – plans to move its main office into Green Cove Springs, bringing with it roughly 300 employees. The company will move into and expand its operation once it moves into the site formerly occupied by an Ace Hardware. “Green Cove is centrally located to our 100-mile work radius,” said Marcus McInarnay, Vallencourt president. “We hope to draw potential employees from the pool of hard working men and women that live in and around the area.” The city has its own incentive programs to help business owners spruce up their current businesses, or recently-purchased properties. The program pays 50 percent of redevelopment costs through a block grant for renovation projects carried out along U.S. Highway 17 and State Road 16 West. To date, the city has awarded $104,000 to such projects. The grant is a small part of the way the council has attempted to change past preconceptions of the city. “In the past, the idea has been that Green Cove Springs is kind of depressed,” Royal said. “And we’ve been able ...

Tourism Remains Strong in Florida

August 4, 2017     0    56

"I've been ... watching the trends over the last several weeks, [and] I'm very pleased and excited," Lawson told the South Florida Business Journal. That's good news for one of Southeast Florida's most powerful economic engines as global forces seemed to rally against it. The strong U.S. dollar has impacted visitation from Europe and Canada, while economic and political turmoil in Brazil and Latin America means fewer people from those countries are flying to Miami International Airport by the hundreds of thousands. The Big Number: $3,577 Brazilian travelers stay in Florida an average of 10.7 nights and each trip party spends an average of $3,577. Because of economic and political turmoil in the country, 600,000 fewer visitors came to Miami-Dade County last year. Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that turned visitors away from Miami's Wynwood last year, was sure to make a comeback as summer arrived and an unpredictable hurricane season crept up on the region. But Southeast Florida, and the rest of the state, have so far weathered the effects of those potential calamities. With issues like Zika, Lawson said the sector is more prepared this year ...

Florida's Unemployment Rate Continues to Drop

July 26, 2017     0    91

All good for Florida's economy, so far. Let's take a closer look at where Florida stands among its peer states. Here are five takeaways based on new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 1. Florida's job market still has momentum. Florida was one of just 10 states with lower unemployment rates in June than in May. Two states saw their rates rise while jobless rates remained stable in 38 states and D.C. 2. Compared to Florida, half of all states — 25 — have lower unemployment rates. That means this state hardly has a lock on a tight job market. Not even close. Colorado and North Dakota are tied with the lowest jobless rate of 2.3 percent in June. 3. Florida, usually a leader in adding jobs month to month, did not quite make the cut in June. The largest increase in employment over the month versus May occurred in Texas (+40,200), followed by Georgia (+27,400) and New York (+26,000). Florida trailed with a still respectable gain of 19,400. 4. Over the past year, though, Florida remained a top job generator ...

Politics and Greyhound Racing in Florida

July 26, 2017     0    87

But dogs still race in Florida because the tracks must exist if pari-mutuel companies want to keep open their more-lucrative poker rooms. Under state law, only pari-mutuel facilities like horse tracks, jai alai frontons and greyhound kennel clubs can operate card rooms. If greyhound tracks stop their races, the card rooms would have to close. There have been many attempts in the Legislature to change the laws that tie the operation of card rooms and casinos with pari-mutuel activity. All of these attempts at “decoupling” have failed for a variety of economic and political reasons. Lawmakers said they will continue to try. “If you isolate decoupling of dogs, I think that you probably would have a majority of legislators, including myself, who believe it makes little sense to require under law an activity that no one wants to watch and many people consider inhumane,” said Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, who for several years chaired the Senate committee that regulates gambling. Sen. Dana Young said, “The issue is disturbing because unlike some of the other decoupling issues in terms of jai alai ...