July 20, 2012, (Written by Brent Kallestad – Associated Press) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The percentage of jobless in Florida stalled in June, remaining at 8.6 percent for a second straight month. The seasonally adjusted rate for June was unchanged from the May figure and nearly 800,000 Floridians remain jobless, the Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday. Florida’s unemployment remains above the national average of 8.2 percent and 15 of 67 counties reported double-figure unemployment, compared to eight counties a month ago.
News Release Category: Industry News
Florida gains 9,000 jobs in June, but unemployment rate doesn’t budge
June 20, 2012 (Written by Gray Rohrer – The Florida Current) Florida added 9,000 nonagricultural jobs in June, but the unemployment rate remains at 8.6 percent, according to figures released Friday by the Department of Economic Opportunity. The new jobs were not enough to move the jobless rate, even though the number of unemployed workers stayed level at 795,000. In the past 12 months, Florida has gained 70,900 jobs, an increase of 1.0 percent, slower than the national pace of 1.4 percent in the same time.
RESTORE Act ‘monumental’ to coastal economies
July 23, 2012 (Written by Travis Pillow – Florida Capital Bureau) The first checks remain a long way off, and much is uncertain, but federal and Florida legislation committing billions in fines from Deepwater Horizon operator BP will mean unprecedented cash windfalls for eight Florida counties, Wakulla and Franklin among them. As much as $20 billion in fines for the 2010 rig explosion and oil spill offers the chance to change the nature of Florida’s northern Gulf coast after the fisheries, resorts and people were threatened by more than 200 million gallons of spilled oil.
Obama flies to S. Florida to court seniors,
July 19, 2012 (Written by Tony Man – Sun Sentinel) WEST PALM BEACH— President Barack Obama, whose hopes of winning re-election may hinge on Florida, flew into South Florida on Thursday evening to court two key constituencies: seniors and Jews, groups that may determine if he gets a second term in the White House.At the retiree-rich Century Village condominium community west of West Palm Beach, Obama took aim at Republican challenger Mitt Romney with one of the most potent weapons in the Democratic arsenal: protection of Medicare. Romney, the president warned, “plans to turn Medicare into a voucher program.”
Cut Taxes to Boost US Economy: Florida Governor Scott
Jaunuary 15, 2012, Written by Justin Menza – Scott pointed to efforts to lower taxes, reduce regulation and streamline permit approvals, which he said were key factors in helping revive Florida’s business environment. In a partisan shot, he added that his party’s leaders at the state level have a better track record with job creation. “The states with Republican governors, they’ve done better than states without Republican governors as far as job growth,” Scott told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday.
Florida’s minimum wage to hit $7.79 in
October 15, 2012, Written by Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald – Inflation will boost Florida’s minimum wage by 12 cents an hour next year, to $7.79, the state’s labor agency announced Monday. Each year, Florida recalculates the minimum that employers must pay workers, using a federal measure of inflation to see if the wage must increase. Workers who receive tips have a different minimum wage, and that will increase from $4.65 an hour to $4.77 as of Jan 1, 2013.
DC Think Tank: Florida’s Minimum Wage Hike Hits Teens, Adds Unemployment Barrier
October 15, 2012, Written by Jim Turner, Sunshine State News – Minimum wage in Florida will grow to $7.79 an hour with the arrival of the New Year — a 12 cents boost from the current rate. The state Department of Economic Opportunity announced without fanfare the recalculated minimum figure on Monday, and a Washington, D.C., think tank was quick to point out that this will further hinder chances for teens to find work in the Sunshine State.
2nd Presidential Debate Is Less Formal, but Little Is Left to Chance
October 15, 2012, Written by Jeremy Peters, New York Times – The format for the second presidential debate is designed to be a little less stiff — a free-flowing question-and-answer session between the candidates and a studio audience. But behind the scenes, little is left to chance. There are 80 participants, culled by Gallup, the polling firm, from a sample of uncommitted voters who live near the debate’s location in Hempstead on Long Island. On Tuesday morning, they are scheduled to arrive at the site to begin rehearsals with the moderator, CNN’s Candy Crowley. They will have prepared questions to ask but will not use them during the prep session. To preserve as much secrecy as possible, they will rehearse with dummy questions. Ms. Crowley will select the participants to call on during the actual debate, which she will determine by reviewing their questions beforehand. The campaigns are not allowed to screen any of them.
In battleground states, race is now hand-to-hand combat
October 15, 2012, Written by Dave Boyer, The Washington Times – Since President Obama’s lackluster showing at the first debate two weeks ago, the race has tightened across the board, both in national surveys and where it matters most — in the 11 battleground states that will decide the election. In every state still considered up for grabs Nov. 6, the Real Clear Politics (RCP) average of polls shows Republican nominee Mitt Romney has gained ground on the president — and has taken the lead outright in Colorado, Florida and North Carolina.
Justices to Review Voter Law in Arizona
October 15, 2012, Written by Adam Liptak, WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide whether Arizona may require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. The federal appeals court in San Francisco blocked the state law in April, saying it conflicted with a federal one.