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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
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
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
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
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
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
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
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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