Southwest Fla. & Tampa Bay Business Players - January 2011

Florida gives rise to its share of class actions and mass tort claims. That’s expected given its size as the third largest state by population and a history of pro-plaintiff laws and court rulings.

Matching its highest level in two years, Florida’s unemployment rate has ticked up to 3.2 percent after holding steady for three consecutive months at 3.1 percent.

Human-caused climate change is prolonging and intensifying the pollen season across the country, including in Florida. Boosted by warming temperatures, plants and trees are releasing pollen earlier.

The world’s largest environmental restoration project, a 30-year plan to restore the Everglades, impacts millions of people who live, work and play in South Florida, from fishing captains to birders to Miccosukees.

You may want to clean out the kiddie pool and dust off the patio furniture early this year. We’re in for a hot start to summer, according to a national weather outlook released by the National Weather Service.