Florida weekly jobless claims continue downward trend

Florida might have posted its lowest weekly total of jobless claims in at least 16 years. The President’s Day-shortened week ending Feb. 26 saw an estimated 3,122 initial unemployment claims filed in Florida, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report released Thursday. The claims number, which will be revised next week, is down from a revised count of 5,510 for the week ending Feb. 19 and would mark only the third time since January 2006 that Florida recorded fewer than 4,000 claims in a week. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Business Beat - Week of March 4th

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Missed opportunities? As Florida lawmakers fought culture war, other issues fell by wayside

Experts say Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders used the 2022 session to go shopping for voters in the fall campaign — and possibly beyond. And, as with all priorities, there's the cost of other opportunities, according to advocates for business, workers, the disabled and the environment, to name a few: The state’s insurance market continues to crumble; An eviction crisis is brewing for the state's working class; Pollution continues to foul Florida waterways; and, tens of thousands of severely developmentally disabled Floridians continue to wait for services. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]

Column: Growing your business — even as supply chain crisis lingers

Three or of four Florida business have experienced supply chain disruptions, according to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and more than five of six of those businesses have reported increased costs and delayed shipments as a result. Many of us are starting to feel the pressure from consumers to address problems we have little control over. While we might not be able to fix the supply chain issues, businesses can employ strategies to minimize the disruption and keep consumers engaged. [Source: Business Observer]

Royal Caribbean joins cruise line operators canceling stops in Russia

The world’s largest cruise lines are canceling their planned stops in all Russian ports, citing safety concerns and to protest the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Royal Caribbean International said that it would join the growing list of cruise operators that will forgo Russian ports during the upcoming summer cruising season. St. Petersburg, Russia, is a popular port of call for Baltic Sea cruises. [Source: Miami Herald]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› North Florida Innovation Labs is expanding its high-tech business incubator at Innovation Park [WFSU]
Tallahassee’s science and high-tech business incubator is on the verge of expanding. The North Florida Innovation Lab will soon break down on a massive, 40,000 square foot research and laboratory building that can house new tech-based startups. North Florida Innovation Labs is based in Tallahassee’s Innovation Park—but the park is under-used, and has never quite lived up to what creators envisioned when they developed it 50 years ago.

› Tampa Bay rents to ‘get worse before they get better,’ experts say [Tampa Bay Times]
Rents are spiking across Florida and there are no signs of it slowing down, according to new research from Florida economists. The Tampa Bay, Fort Myers and Orlando metropolitan areas are seeing rents rise faster than the historical average, according to a study by economists at Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Atlantic University and Longwood University released Wednesday.

› OneWeb suspends launches as Russia increases demands on space internet provider [Florida Today]
The parent company of a Florida internet satellite manufacturing facility has suspended all launches of its spacecraft after Russian officials took aim at its operations and relationship with the United Kingdom this week. OneWeb, parent company of the Space Coast-based OneWeb Satellites, on Thursday confirmed it would pause launches of its satellites from Kazakhstan where Russia operates the Baikonur Cosmodrome spaceport for its Soyuz rockets.

› Publix is getting more competition on a Broward street. The new store’s name? Publix [Miami Herald]
Publix vs. Publix? Usually when a new supermarket opens across the street from an existing one, it’s time for a food fight. Publix vs. Whole Foods. Winn-Dixie vs. Aldi. Trader Joe’s vs. Sprouts. But in this case, the new store that’s opening nearby is another Publix.

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› Saildrone’s new Florida HQ to keep tabs on 2022 Atlantic hurricane season [Drone DJ]
Saildrone, which made history by sending an ocean drone into the eye of a hurricane last year, is going all-in to protect the coastal areas of the US with better ocean data. Following a $100 million Series C investment in October 2021, the company is now opening a new regional HQ and operations center in St. Petersburg, Florida.

› Miami entrepreneur thinks booming tech sector can help tackle inflated living costs [Miami Herald]
Rodolfo Saccoman is one of the original faces in the Miami tech scene. He has built three companies in Miami-Dade, and is now on his fourth called CryptoLeague. It’s a Web3-based investing platform. For now, he prefers to hold back some details as the company remains in “stealth” mode.

› Herbie Hancock, George Benson headline Jacksonville Jazz Festival [Jacksonville Daily Record]
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is coming to Memorial Day weekend, May 26-29. The Downtown event, sponsored by the city Division of Sports and Entertainment, was announced March 3. Performers include Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Mindi Abair, David Sánchez, Jazzmeia Horn, Christian Sands Trio, Emmet Cohen Trio, The United States Air Force Airmen of Note and The John Lumpkin Trio featuring Patrick Bartley.

› FDOT meeting to look at future rest areas along I-4 for big rigs [Orlando Sentinel]
The Florida Department of Transportation is studying 11 sites along I-4 between Volusia and Osceola counties to build new truck rest areas and meet the growing need for spaces. The problem of a lack of spaces for truckers to rest — particularly along the I-4 corridor between Volusia and Polk counties — is going to get worse, as more people order merchandise online, which leads to a growing number of big rigs on the roads, officials said.