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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida jobless claims rise as two federal aid programs come to end
Jobless claims in Florida inched up for the second consecutive week, as two federal unemployment-aid programs tied to the COVID-19 pandemic are coming to an end. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday reported an estimated 8,270 first-time unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Aug. 28, up from a revised count of 7,977 for the week ending Aug. 21. The agency had initially estimated 6,494 initial claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Aug. 21. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Business Beat - Week of September 3rd
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
As mysterious disease kills Florida’s reefs, a massive ‘Noah’s Ark’ effort tries to save them
In 2014, a mysterious coral disease known as Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease was first identified off Miami. In the years since, it has raged like an underwater wildfire, becoming what some scientists call the worst marine epidemic they have ever witnessed. Stony coral disease has scorched the already struggling reefs of South Florida and caused some species like Florida’s picturesque pillar coral to go locally extinct. And now its spreading fast through the Caribbean. [Source: Miami Herald]
State’s medical manufacturing industry is a national leader
Florida isn’t often thought of as a manufacturing hub, much less a high-tech medical manufacturing Mecca. A new report counters that belief, showing Florida is a major player nationally in making health care devices and related work. How big? The state ranks No. 3 in total medical technology employment, with nearly 24,000 jobs, and No. 7 in total revenue generated in the sector, with $6.09 billion. [Source: Business Observer]
Transportation costs take biggest bite in South Florida. Here’s why.
People spend more of their money on transportation in South Florida than anywhere else in the nation’s largest metro areas, a new analysis has found. Among the reasons: We make less money here. We drive more. Our insurance costs are higher. And with prices for vehicles and gasoline increasing faster than incomes this year, what we spend getting ourselves where we need to go can only go up. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› ‘Explosive economy:’ Orlando ranks No. 2 city for construction businesses
Dennis Perez, COO of Bellavista Building Group in Maitland, estimates his company has 10 projects in some stage of development, from residential subdivisions to apartments to offices. He says the diversity of jobs is part of what makes Central Florida great for developers. “A lot of people think Disney is the only thing that drives Orlando,” Perez said. “There are a lot of things that drive Orlando.”
› Super Girl Surf Pro event is heading to Jacksonville Beach with Olympians, concerts and more
A women's professional surfing competition is coming to Jacksonville Beach's pier in November, drawing some of the biggest names in the sport. The producer of the televised event — which is on the East Coast for the first time — said he expects it to be an annual event at the Beaches for years to come.
› Carnival Cruise Line keeps vaccine requirement through end of year, ups pre-cruise test to 48 hours
Carnival Cruise Line announced it will keep its vaccine requirement policies in place for sailings in November and December this year while also announcing more restart plans from U.S. ports including Tampa and Miami, but pushing several other restarts to 2022. The line is advising its guests already booked that they will need to present both proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test at check-in, although it will continue to allot a number of capacity-restricted exemptions to children under 12 as well as others who cannot be vaccinated.
› Denny’s is hiring 20,000 workers. It’s recruiting people of color, starting in Miami.
As the post-pandemic worker shortage drags on, Denny’s has 20,000 job openings and they’re turning to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to fill them. The national restaurant chain is kicking off a recruiting tour at the Orange Blossom Classic, an HBCU football Classic where Florida A&M will face Jackson State on Labor Day weekend at the Hard Rock Stadium.
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