Lower gas prices bring relief to Florida small businesses

If you’ve noticed a little relief at the pump lately, you’re not alone. Gas prices have been trending down in recent days, giving drivers some much-needed breathing room. The savings are also making a difference for small business owners who rely on fuel to keep their operations running. According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas was around $4.52 during Memorial Day weekend, about a month ago. As of Sunday, it had fallen below the $4 mark. [Source: Spectrum News]

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Florida's research powerhouses dominate H-1B hiring: the University of Florida leads all state schools with 749 approved petitions over three years, followed by Florida State (279) and the University of South Florida (259). Private universities like Miami and Embry-Riddle are heavy users too, and aren't bound by the state pause. [Source: Florida Trend]

Column: Building Florida’s workforce pipeline for a stronger, more competitive economy

Florida’s economy is expanding, but this growth brings challenges. While businesses grow and new residents arrive daily, employers consistently report that the talent pipeline is not keeping pace with industry demand. Florida has made significant progress in aligning education and workforce systems to meet the needs of a changing economy. Both the challenges and advancements require urgent attention. Talent is increasingly replacing tax incentives as the primary tool for economic development. [Source: Florida Politics]

Florida’s jobless rate stays at 4.8 percent in May

An upward trend in the state’s unemployment rate paused in May, with hiring by small businesses considered “flat.” The Department of Commerce on Friday posted a 4.8 percent jobless rate for the state. The rate is unchanged from April and marks the first time the figure didn’t go up since the rate held at 3.7 percent from June 2025 to July 2025. Nationally, the unemployment rate held at 4.3 percent from April to May. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Florida home insurance hikes pump the brakes after years of surge

Home insurance is a necessity for most homeowners in the U.S., a fact particularly relevant in states with consistently major weather events like Florida. Though no state saw a decrease in the past five years — rates nationwide climbed 46.8% between 2020 and 2025 — Florida came out on top in a positive way, according to a new report by LendingTree. The online financial marketplace found that premiums in Florida increased by 0.4% during 2025, the smallest increase in the U.S. [Source: Jacksonville Business Journal]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Orlando pushes through changes to historic district rules amid backlash [Orlando Sentinel]
Orlando officials loosened the city’s rules on historic buildings Monday, a move they hope will kick off a new era of growth in Orlando’s core business district but one that preservationists called a potential death knell to decades of historic protections. “The moratorium is temporary, but the changes are forever,” said Scott Sidler, a former Historic Preservation Board chairman. “Once a wrecking ball swings downtown, no future council can vote a building back.”

› RYAM selects Daniel Krawczyk as new CEO [Jacksonville Daily Record]
After its previous CEO resigned in April only four months into the job, Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc., or RYAM, announced a new chief executive June 22. The Jacksonville-based maker of cellulose specialties products said Daniel Krawczyk, who had been president of Huber Engineered Materials, was appointed president and chief executive. RYAM has recorded losses from continuing operations for seven straight years and has faced recent pressure to sell the company.

› Barneys New York plans national relaunch at Bayfront in Naples [Gulfshore Business]
A local lease has been signed to relaunch iconic luxury retailer Barneys New York in a slightly more than 10,000-square foot space at Bayfront in Naples, confirmed Bayfront founder Kevin Stoneburner. “I have signed a lease with them,” Stoneburner said. “It was signed about a month ago.” The goal is to open the store near the end of this year in a four-unit space at Bayfront.

› This Miami real estate mogul is betting on Bob Buckhorn to keep Tampa growing [Tampa Bay Times]
Few major developers have been working in Tampa as long as Related Group. Years before the pandemic-fueled population boom put the city on the map, the Miami real estate firm founded by “condo king” Jorge Pérez was busy rehabbing senior apartments for the Tampa Housing Authority and building one of the Channel District’s first luxury rentals. Now, Related is creating an entire neighborhood from scratch.

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› Latitudes wants to make West Palm Beach a company-building engine for the New York–South Florida tech corridor [Refresh Miami]
For years, South Florida’s tech story has been told through migration. As wealth flowed south, Miami became a shorthand for a post-pandemic shift in where ambitious people wanted to live and work. But investors Patrick Chun and Matt Higgins are making a different bet: that the next phase of South Florida tech will be less about who moves here, and more about what gets built here.

› Jacksonville's city budget could include record spending on police and fire [Jacksonville Today]
When Mayor Donna Deegan presents her annual budget next month to the Jacksonville City Council, it will likely come with another year of record spending on police and fire and rescue services. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has asked the mayor to include $675.9 million for the department in the city budget, according to documents presented to the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee.

› Pinellas Park development revenues fuel $21.3M budget increase [Tampa Bay Business & Wealth]
Development-related revenues are running well ahead of projections in Pinellas Park as city officials consider a budget amendment that would increase fiscal 2026 spending authority by $21.3 million. Building permit revenue is exceeding budget estimates by more than $670,000, while plan review revenue is up more than $326,000. Water connection fees have generated an additional $420,000 and sewer service revenue has increased by roughly $300,000.

› Voter-fraud accusations roil one of Miami’s largest condos [Miami Herald]
A voting fraud scandal is the talk of the tower at The Club at Brickell Bay, one of the largest condominiums in Miami. In Monday’s annual Homeowners Association board election, president Karl de Borbon is running for a ninth consecutive term against opponents who accuse him of rigging last year’s election and a June 8 vote for a swimming pool deck refurbishment project and a bylaw amendment.

Why are so many unlicensed cosmetic procedures happening in Florida?