Florida's retail sector leads in job growth

Job growth in November was strongest in Florida's retail, trade and transportation sector. Overall, Florida added 20,500 private sector jobs, a 48 percent increase over the same month last year, according to the ADP Regional Employment Report. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

See also:
» Florida sees bump in private hiring in November

USDA decreases Florida orange crop estimate again

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday once again lowered its estimate of the 2015-2016 Florida orange crop by almost 7 percent, or 5 million boxes, to 69 million boxes. More from the Orlando Business Journal and the AP.

Nearly 600,000 Floridians signed up for Obamacare plans so far

Five weeks into open enrollment season, nearly 600,000 Floridians have signed up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act's insurance exchange at healthcare.gov, federal health officials reported Wednesday. [Source: Miami Herald]

Florida sets new record for documented panther road kills

Wildlife officials say 26 big cats have been killed on the state’s roads this year. The Florida panther is one of the most endangered species on the planet, with FWC biologists estimating there are 100 to 180 in the wild. [Source: AP]

How to prepare yourself for the coming gig economy

Freelancing is on the rise and this presents huge opportunities for workers, as well as the businesses that can leverage their skills to gain competitive advantage. [Source: The Business Journals]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Environmentalists sound alarm on proposed drilling near Florida Everglades [NPR]
Florida's Everglades has an ecosystem known for its sawgrass, cypress trees, alligators — and perhaps soon, oil wells. Listen to this story below:

› Florida's largest insurer: Rate hikes, policy changes needed [AP]
Florida's largest property insurer wants to eliminate caps on rate hikes and limit what homeowners can do if they have water damage. The state-created Citizens Property Insurance is pushing for the changes to combat lawsuits tied to water damage claims.

» See also: Regulator OKs removal of additional 75,000-plus insurance policies

› UF research: Higher alcohol taxes lower STD rates [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Pay more for booze, and you may pay less for antibiotics to treat sexually transmitted diseases, a new University of Florida study suggests.

› Manufacturer seeks 4-year incentives deal to add 178 jobs [South Florida Business Journal]
Dental implant manufacturer Biomet 3i could receive up to $1.6 million in incentives for adding 178 jobs in Palm Beach Gardens.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Icahn bumps up Hertz stake [Naples Daily News]
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has upped his ownership in Hertz. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, he revealed that he purchased another 11,786,678 shares in the rental car giant on Monday.

› Jacksonville's CSX to move stock trading from New York Stock Exchange to Nasdaq [Florida Times-Union]
On the heels of having its stock value downgraded by financial institutions, Jacksonville-based CSX Corp. announced Wednesday it is shifting its stock offerings from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq Global Select Market after the market close of trading on Dec. 21.

› Secretive augmented reality startup Magic Leap raising $827 million [Forbes]
Magic Leap wants to change your reality. And apparently they need a lot of money to do it. The secretive augmented reality startup–think Google Glass meets Oculus Rift–is raising $827 million in a new Series C round, according to a Delaware filing.

› Senate again focused on Uber driver insurance [South Florida Business Journal]
The Senate isn't ready to match a House proposal that would prevent local governments from regulating popular app-based transportation services, such as Uber and Lyft.