Florida private-sector job creation picks up in April

Florida added 22,250 private sector jobs in April, a 33 percent jump from a month earlier. ADP, which estimates job creation across 29 states based on payroll data, said Florida trails only perennial leaders Texas and California, which added 29,080 jobs and 27,080 jobs in April, respectively. More from the Tampa Bay Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and see the report from ADP.

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Now more than ever, cash is king in real estate

A study released Thursday shows that almost two-thirds of Florida housing sales in the first quarter of this year were done in cash. That is the highest rate in the nation and well above the national average of 42.7 percent, according to the study by the research firm, RealtyTrac. More from AP and McClatchy.

See also:
» More South Florida homebuyers making cash purchases
» Cash still king in Orlando housing market

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Cold weather sinks U.S. productivity

U.S. nonfarm productivity fell at its fastest pace in a year in the first quarter as harsh winter weather restrained output, leading to a jump in labor-related production costs. Productivity declined at a 1.7 percent annual rate after advancing at a 2.3 percent pace in the fourth quarter, the Labor Department said on Wednesday. [Source: Reuters]

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Are you ignoring 50% of the risks to your business?

Considering the wealth of information available today on risk assessments, business continuity, and disaster recovery, why do organizations still struggle with risk management? [Source: Forbes]

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Global business growth eases in April

Global business growth slowed to a six-month low in April as both services firms and manufacturers saw slower expansions in activity and a sales tax rise hit Japanese output, business surveys showed on Wednesday. [Source: Reuters]

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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida's marijuana law: entrepreneurs are waiting to exhale [Reuters]
Forward-looking entrepreneurs have spent cash and prepared for medical marijuana legalization in a way unseen in other states, industry observers say. Speculative investment in Florida has been so intense that Marijuana Business Daily, a leading online marijuana-focused newspaper, likened it to a gold rush.

› As hurricane season approaches, Florida faces gasoline shortage [Tampa Bay Business Journal]
Energy companies are warning that Florida is experiencing a gasoline shortage and spike in prices only one month before the start of hurricane season.

› Miami-Dade County probes impact of medical marijuana on farms [Miami Today]
County commissioners want to know how legalizing medical marijuana in Florida would impact Miami-Dade’s farming areas.

› Girls Going Places empowers young women [Fort Myers News-Press]
Girls Going Places uses activities and mentor interactions to teach young women about business and entrepreneurism. It also encourages them to follow their passions, become financially independent.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› SunRail scrambles to improve commuter experience [Orlando Sentinel]
SunRail has been rolling along Metro Orlando tracks for a week now, attracting so many riders that the commuter trains often run an hour or more behind schedule. "It's a good thing to be over capacity, but they [passengers] have to be satisfied," said Noranne Downs, the Florida Department of Transportation official in charge of SunRail.

Farmers in Orange County are capitalizing on the eat-local movement. In this photo, Dale Volkert's Lake Meadow Naturals in Ocoee sells eggs from cage-free chickens. » Access article here. [Photo: AP/John Raoux]

› Florida's 12th graders show no gains on national math, reading tests [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Florida 12th graders who took national math and reading tests last year did no better than counterparts who took similar exams four years earlier. Those NAEP scores showed similar "stagnation" among the nation's 2013 high school seniors, a trend experts called troubling.

› Business incubator could open soon in New Port Richey [Sun Coast News]
Final renovations are taking a bit longer than city officials expected, but the new business incubator could open soon in the downtown area. A former post office building will become the SmartSTART incubator to help fledgling firms expand and hire more staff.

› Federal judge upholds Florida teacher merit pay [AP]
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled Tuesday that Florida's new teacher evaluation system is unfair, but he said there was no legal reason to overturn the law.