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Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Unemployment in Florida shot up to 4.3% in March, the first time it’s spiked since the recession
Florida’s unemployment rate climbed from 2.8% in February to 4.3% in March, according to an initial estimate from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The figure is a lagging indicator, suggesting only about 450,000 Floridians were out of work. Thursday, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that Florida’s initial jobless claims over the past four weeks had climbed above 650,000. DEO also reports a month on month decline of 36,600 jobs. It’s the first month-on-month decline since Sept. 2017. And even that is likely an undercount. More from the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, and the AP.
Duval County beaches, parks reopening at 5 p.m. today
Duval County beaches have been closed since March 20 due to concerns about the coronavirus. Beaches and Jacksonville parks will reopen at 5 p.m. Friday under new rules that will limit access and activities. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Winter Park using city dollars to help businesses stay afloat during coronavirus shutdowns
The coronavirus pandemic prompted many small business owners in Winter Park’s prime shopping and restaurant districts on and near Park Avenue to seek help from state and federal programs. But there isn’t enough relief money to go around as businesses’ cash reserves rapidly dwindle. To fill the gap, Winter Park commissioners are putting up some of the city’s own money. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Mote resumes turtle patrols at area beaches
An 11th-hour decision by the city of Venice to spend a little more than $16,500 to subsidize Mote Marine Laboratory’s annual turtle nest survey means that the effort — which started Wednesday morning — will continue as it has in years past. On March 10, Mote officials had asked the Venice City Council for $15,800 to help pay for turtle monitoring this year — and similar contributions in subsequent years through 2024, until the monitoring can be subsidized by the next round of beach renourishment payments. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Hundreds of homes pulled from Tampa Bay real estate market as coronavirus stirs uncertainty
In Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties, 874 single-family homes and condos were temporarily taken off the market in the past four weeks alone. That’s according to a report by the Pinellas Realtor Organization, which only recently started tracking that number. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Out of the Box
Cruise lines shift to ‘virtual’ sailing, but some say they’re going overboard
As their ships idle in ports around the globe, cruise lines are trying to fill the void by offering virtual experiences on their social media pages that try to recreate what fans enjoy about cruising. Formal nights. Towel animals. Fruity cocktails. Karaoke contests. And lots of tropical excursions. Some consumers are charmed and play along. Others aren’t impressed and hijack comment sections below the playful posts with angry demands for refunds for cancelled cruises.
» More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Industry Trends
Staffing, search firms see varied impacts on employers, employees from pandemic
The coronavirus has caused a range of impacts on businesses, especially when it comes to their workforces. Some companies, making essential items from face shields to hand sanitizer, have added more employees to their teams to get the work done. Other companies, seeing shrinking revenue, have slashed the employee base. Others fall somewhere in the middle, trying to hold steady as they shift existing employees to different tasks.
» Read more from the Business Observer.
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