Florida unemployment rate stays at 6.4 percent
The state Department of Economic Opportunity on Friday posted a 6.4 percent jobless rate for November, equal to a revised jobless mark for October. The rate indicates 651,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed in mid-November, just 7,000 fewer than a month earlier. The October mark had initially been estimated at 6.5 percent before being revised. The unemployment rate in November 2019, before the pandemic hammered the economy, was 2.8 percent. [Source: WUSF]
Small businesses, hit hard by pandemic, are being starved of credit
Small businesses that cleared the hurdle of the coronavirus shutdowns are now encountering an all-too-familiar obstacle: Banks don’t want to lend to them. The Paycheck Protection Program funneled $525 billion in forgivable loans to millions of small businesses in the pandemic’s early days. Yet that massive infusion masked a yearslong contraction in small-business lending that happened alongside a big-business borrowing boom. [Source: Wall Street Journal]
Hurdles still remain for rooting North Florida's hemp industry
The first year of Florida’s hemp industry was one of trial and error on the ground, but the projections that it will become a green boom could mean a shift in the Panhandle’s agricultural scene. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said the first 8 months of cultivation since the state developed its program is only expected to get larger heading into 2021. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]
Where Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered in Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis says Florida is expected to receive 367,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine that was shipped out Sunday morning. “The Moderna vaccine will be distributed to 173 hospitals in 43 counties, making it accessible in every region of the state,” said Governor DeSantis in a video posted on Twitter last Friday. [Source: WFLA]
Adapting to meet healthcare needs in the wake of COVID-19
COVID-19 has altered our world and dramatically underscored the importance of a strong, stable healthcare system. Even before the pandemic, there was a growing need for healthcare workers in the United States. For more than 25 years, Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) has been dedicated to equipping and empowering students to meet our nation’s growing need for healthcare workers. [Source: UMA]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› EPA shifts permitting decisions to Florida \
In a relatively rare move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced approval of a plan to hand over federal permitting authority to Florida for projects that affect wetlands.
› Academy opens center to train CNAs, place into area health care jobs
Premier Nursing Academy has launched its second Florida location, this one in Bradenton. The new location is expected to graduate as many as 500 students in 2021 from the Bradenton and Sarasota areas.
› With JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs, Miami could become 'Wall Street South'
In the past year or three, the migration of high-profile business to Miami, and to Florida more broadly, has gained steam
› Jetblue unveils flights to Miami, Guatemala, and other destinations
In its latest round of expansion, the low-cost airline will offer flights to Miami and Key West in Florida.
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› New Boca Raton elementary school would serve nearly 1,000 students
Nearly 1,000 elementary schoolchildren would benefit from plans to open a new Boca Raton school by late 2022 — part of a yearslong initiative to ease overcrowding across the city’s highly rated schools.
› Darden Restaurants sales fall as dining rooms shut down again from coronavirus
Darden Restaurants sales fell by 19.4% in the quarter that ended Nov. 29 compared with last year as hundreds of the company’s dining rooms across the nation closed down again amid the coronavirus pandemic.
› Delivery drivers deserve thanks for keeping a homebound populace connected
In a year of unexpected upheaval and isolation, they’ve been our lifelines.
› Construction begins at landfill that converts methane to natural gas, Florida
Construction has officially begun at the New River RNG Project in Florida, a facility that will convert approximately 1,900 dekatherms per day of landfill methane to renewable natural gas (RNG).