Unemployment claims in Florida plunge to lowest level since pandemic began

The number of Floridians filing for unemployment benefits has plunged to the lowest level since the pandemic began, as more people get vaccinated against COVID-19 and employers gain the confidence to hire. The state’s first-time claims for the week ended March 20 plunged to 13,892, a decline of 6,448 from the previous week. the Labor Department said Thursday. Nationwide, first-time claims totaled 684,000, a decrease of 97,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 781,000, the department said. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the News Service of Florida, and the Miami Herald.

Business Beat - Week of March 26

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Florida Gov. DeSantis to eliminate age restrictions for COVID-19 vaccine. Everyone 18+ eligible on April 5

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is lowering the COVID-19 vaccine age to 40 starting Monday and to 18 starting April 5, opening up the shots to millions more state residents. DeSantis this week dropped the vaccination age to 50, saying that the bulk of seniors in Florida had already been inoculated against the virus. “We have now vaccinated over 70% of the roughly 4.4 million seniors living in the state,” he said. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last March, the virus has infected more than 2 million Floridians and killed more than 32,000. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Florida Senate seeks to collect tax from out-of-state sales

Out-of-state retailers would have to collect the Florida sales tax when they ship items to the state, under a bill passed by the Senate on Thursday. The state would lose close to $1 billion in revenue in the next fiscal year and $1.8 billion in future years because sales tax isn't collected on many online and remote purchases, said Republican Sen. Joe Gruters, who sponsored the bill. Gruters said by law, consumers are supposed to pay the online taxes on their own if they aren't charged it, but it's an afterthought for most Floridians. [Source: AP]

Here’s what the Florida Legislature is doing about mental health this year

Republicans, Democrats and experts agree that Florida is in a bad headspace. Across the state, early data shows troubling indicators like drug overdoses and incidents of violent domestic abuse are trending up. In a state that already ranks last in per capita mental health funding, experts and lawmakers fear an overwhelming post-pandemic demand for services. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Darden Restaurants gives restaurant workers $17 million in bonuses and commits to $10 minimum wage [Orlando Sentinel]
Orlando-based Darden Restaurants revealed Thursday it is paying $17 million in bonuses to hourly restaurant workers and planning to ensure that none of its staff make less than $10 per hour. The owner of Olive Garden and other chain restaurants also reported total sales were $1.73 billion in the quarter ending Feb. 28, down 26.1% compared with that time a year ago, shortly before the full onset across the United States of the coronavirus pandemic. Still, net earnings from continuing operations were $129 million.

› Buoyed by in-state visitors, Naples region begins to exit tourism abyss [Business Observer]
Despite not having Canadian snowbirds or European tourists like in past years, one part of Southwest Florida — Greater Naples — is showing a promising rebound in tourism. The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB reports a strong first two months of 2021 of visitation numbers, “the clearest evidence yet that the destination is in the midst of a strong recovery,” according to a statement.

› Jacksonviole-based space solutions company Redwire going public [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Redwire, the Jacksonville-based space solutions company, is going public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. The company announced March 25 it will become a public company by merging with Genesis Park Acquisition Corp., a SPAC formed last year to seek acquisition targets in aerospace and aviation. Redwire was formed last year and acquired Jacksonville-based Made In Space in June.

› Tampa’s Wat Mongkolratanaram Thai market and temple now has a drive-thru [Tampa Bay Times]
There’s good news for fans of Tampa’s Wat Mongkolratanaram Sunday market and temple, a beautiful temple with a popular food market that Thai food lovers flock to. It was closed for a year due to COVID-19, but it has partially reopened with drive-thru service. The temple’s website states “access to the Temple grounds is limited to Drive-Through Sunday Market.”

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› Winter Park reinstates affordable housing fee linked to building permits [Orlando Sentinel]
Winter Park is bringing back a fee charged with a building permit that is expected to raise between $200,000 and $250,000 a year for affordable housing in the city. Commissioners approved reinstating the fee during Wednesday’s meeting, the first for Winter Park Mayor Phil Anderson, that will apply to new construction projects. It will add 0.005% of a building’s value to the permit fee amount.

› Sarasota homebuilder wins national rising star award [Business Observer]
Ryan Perrone, owner and co-founder of Sarasota-based luxury builder Nautilus Homes, recently won the 2020 National Association of Home Builders Young Professionals Award for the region encompassing the Southeast United States and Puerto Rico. The NAHB, based in Washington, D.C., is a federation of 700 state and local associations revolving around homebuilding.

› Boeing renovating office space in Southwest Jacksonville [Jacksonville Business Journal]
The city issued a permit March 22 for Tenant Contractors Inc. to renovate offices at Lake Gray Plaza for The Boeing Co. at a cost of $400,000. The aerospace company has not announced the functions it will serve at the Southwest Jacksonville location. According to the permit, Tenant Contractors will renovate 35,100 square feet of space at 6225 Lake Gray Blvd., although plans show 23,000 square feet will be used. At that size, it could accommodate at least 120 to 170 employees.

› Are Disney World guests happier at the parks during the pandemic? Company CEO says yes. [Orlando Sentinel]
Disney CEO Bob Chapek made some bold statements. People are happier at Disney World parks now — during a time when visitors must wear masks and can’t get the full experience — than before the pandemic, the company’s leader said. “Our guest satisfaction scores since we’ve reopened across the world have shown that, indeed, our guests are even more satisfied than they were prior to the pandemic,” Chapek said.