Florida employers pull back on entry-level hiring as AI reshapes workforce demands
Workers in Florida who want to access the traditional career ladder may face unprecedented roadblocks as companies turn to AI to fill entry-level positions. According to a new report from Western Governors University, AI is notably influencing hiring decisions. Overall demand for talent is not disappearing, though roughly 37% of employers said they are pulling back on traditional entry-level roles as AI continues to evolve. [Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal]
Property tax cuts not on the agenda for state lawmakers
Gov. Ron DeSantis has called a special session for next week, wanting lawmakers to consider redistricting, artificial intelligence regulations and expanding school vaccine exemptions. A notable omission from the agenda: a property tax reduction plan. Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one. This has long been a source of frustration for House Speaker Daniel Perez. Perez’s chamber passed a big cut to the tax, but the Senate didn’t touch it. [Source: Jacksonville Daily Record]
Column: Florida lawmakers should start remedying the state’s census undercount
In 2020, Florida was one of six states with a statistically significant undercount in the census. Florida’s census count missed 3.48% of its population, leaving an estimated 750,000 Floridians uncounted. The census undercount obscures efforts to properly draw districts, and worst still, lost the state at least one congressional seat and electoral vote. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida inquiry into ChatGPT shifts to criminal investigation
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday morning that his office is sending subpoenas to OpenAI and ChatGPT in connection with a criminal investigation. This announcement came after Uthmeier said his office had been looking into the AI company for “several harms [that] Floridians, Americans, have been suffering as a result of ChatGPT.” More from WCTV and the New York Times.
DeSantis signs law putting state money behind vertiports
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Monday evening putting state dollars behind private efforts to eventually offer some commuters a short, aerial alternative to highway traffic. The measure (HB 1093) allows the Florida Department of Transportation to fund 100 percent of the project costs for a public vertiport if federal funds are unavailable. If federal funds are available, FDOT may fund up to 80 percent of the nonfederal share. Vertiports are expected to serve as hubs for short aerial commutes by battery-powered aircraft that have characteristics of airplanes and helicopters. [Source: News Service of Florida]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Will higher building fees make this Florida city's development a boom or bust?
The cost of building in Riviera Beach could soon skyrocket, raising questions about whether the development boom underway in the city will be curtailed. City Council members April 15 gave initial approval to a new set of fees developers must pay for residential and commercial projects. The fees, designed to help the city absorb the development-driven impact of higher costs for roads, public buildings, the library, police and fire services, would go up by more than 500% in some instances over what is typically allowed by law.
› Winter Garden takes action to address downtown upheaval as locals lose leases
The city of Winter Garden is planning to hire a consulting group to help assess rapid changes to its historic downtown Plant Street district. The Community Redevelopment Agency made a recommendation April 16 to allow city manager Jon C. Williams to execute a three-year consulting agreement with Retail Strategies Inc. at an annual cost of $50,000. The move comes as the city “has been significantly impacted by some unexpected marketplace forces within a short period of time that have resulted in major changes in property ownership” over the past several months.
› Clearwater $50M entertainment project takes shape
A planned $50 million entertainment destination in downtown Clearwater is advancing, with new details showing a cinema-anchored project designed to drive activity in the city’s core. Plans include a seven-screen multiplex anchored by a more than 130-foot screen described as the largest in the world. Each auditorium will feature both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, positioning the venue as a high-end theater experience.
› Israel Tech Week Miami set for second year, bigger with more tech sectors
Even with conflict in the Middle East, Israel Tech Week Miami is moving ahead this month, expecting to draw some 2,000 people to its April 27-30 activities. Organizers say this year’s edition focuses on more tech sectors, including defense and space. It unites a greater number of Israeli companies operating across the US. And as one of the few Israel business conferences outside the Mideast nation this spring, it’s set to attract more Europeans and others globally who are interested on Israeli innovation.
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› New top boss making waves at Fort Lauderdale City Hall. She says it’s just the beginning.
Some local government officials, wary of the uncertain economic climate, are keeping a close eye on spending. But in Fort Lauderdale, City Manager Rickelle Williams is reportedly making waves by initiating rapid, sweeping changes in her first year on the job. Those changes include promoting 20 upper management staff and creating new high-paid positions, some at the top of the allowed pay range. Mayor Dean Trantalis said he is not bothered by the changes Williams has made at City Hall.
› Charlotte County home sales rise, inventory tightens
Sales of single-family homes in Charlotte County increased in March while inventory declined, signaling a shift away from a buyer’s market, according to a monthly update from Brian Helgemo of the Helgemo Team at Compass. “All three pricing indicators — median sold, average sold, and average price per square foot — are appreciating 6-month trends, and the absorption rate based on closed sales jumped 64.4% year over year to 19.9%. The market is clearly tightening,” Helgemo wrote.
› $17B mega-deal: One of Central Florida's top public companies to sell
One of Central Florida’s largest publicly traded companies is set to be acquired for $17 billion. Daytona Beach-based insulation and roofing contractor TopBuild Corp. is in agreement to be acquired by Connecticut-based building materials distribution company QXO. The deal was unanimously approved by both companies’ board of directors. TopBuild is Central Florida’s No. 3 publicly traded company by total annual revenue, following L3Harris Technologies and Darden Restaurants.
› Middle Eastern firm acquires Jacksonville-based Meskel & Associates Engineering
Middle Eastern construction and engineering firm ACES Group announced April 20 its U.S. subsidiary finalized its acquisition of Jacksonville-based Meskel & Associates Engineering. In a news release, ACES Group said the acquisition supports the firm’s strategic plans for “expanding the corporation’s presence in the US and significantly enhancing its capabilities in Florida and Georgia.”