A move to increase minimum wage will soon help those with a Florida career.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, Florida’s minimum wage will increase to $7.21 per hour, giving those with a Florida job more money. This is an increase from the current minimum wage of $6.79 per hour, according to a press release. Florida’s minimum wage was created when voters approved a constitutional amendment on Nov. 2, 2004.

“The minimum wage applies to all employees in the state who are covered by the federal minimum wage,” the release states. “Florida law requires the Agency for Workforce Innovation to calculate a new minimum wage each year and publish the new minimum wage on January 1. The current minimum wage represents a 6.2 percent change in the federal Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers in the South Region for the 12-month period prior to September 1, 2008.”

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Florida’s recent purchase of property from a sugar-producing company could help save thousands of Florida agriculture jobs.

As with the rest of the nation, Florida’s economy is facing trouble and the state treasury has been limited. However, the state announced it will modify its purchase of U.S. Sugar Co.’s property in the Everglades, a move that will benefit environmental and economic aspects of the deal. According to an article by the News-Press, these modifications could help save the company’s 1,700 employees from losing their jobs.

Changes to the original plan should reduce the acreage to be bought from the company from 187,000 to 182,500, leaving U.S. Sugar with no crop land. However, the company would keep its high-tech sugar mill, citrus-processing plant and other industrial assets. This would cut the cost of the purchase from $1.75 billion to $1.34 billion plus interest. U.S. Sugar Co. had originally planned to phase out its sugar business within the next six years, but may now continue production on certain parts of the property.

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A large financial company has announced its plan to cut Florida customer service jobs.

American Express recently revealed it would cut 7,000 jobs, some of them located in south Florida. However, Joanna Lambert, vice president of corporate and financial communications, said in an article by the South Florida Business Journal that Florida is not a major focus of the job cuts.

Overall, the company plans to cut about 10 percent of its global workforce as part of a reorganization. South Florida is home to two American Express call centers in Weston and Fort Lauderdale. Read the rest of this entry »

A new research facility will create Florida construction jobs.

Construction on SRI International’s high-tech research facility is slated to begin this week with a groundbreaking ceremony, nearly two years after state and city leaders urged the company to come to St. Petersburg, according to an article by the St. Petersburg Times.

City leaders hope the 38,000-square-foot, city-owned facility, located adjacent to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, will mark a new era in job creation and encourage other high-tech companies to make St. Petersburg their home.

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One Tampa-based company is cutting Florida manufacturing jobs.

NuAir Manufacturing has announced its plan to cut 126 jobs through December of this year. The company recently filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice with the state of Florida, according to an article by Tampa Bay Business Journal.

As of September, Florida’s manufacturing industry employed 361,700 workers, down from 362,600 in August. This is a decrease of 5.8 percent from last year, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some areas in the state have recently been taking measures to beef up the manufacturing workforce.
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Florida computer jobs are declining.

According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida’s information industry employed 155,700 workers during August 2008, down from 157,300 jobs in July. This is a 3.5 percent decrease from last year.

Overall employment in the state reached 7,924,400 people during August, down from 7,935,500 in July, a decrease of 1.2 percent from last year. The state has been consistently losing jobs during the last few months.
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One Florida program is helping people get entry level jobs.

The Mobile Outreach Skills Training program trains and places low-skilled workers in entry level Florida manufacturing jobs. The program, funded by the United States Department of Labor and other local workforce boards, requires candidates to undergo an intense two-week training course in basic manufacturing skills.

The program is specifically designed to address the critical need for qualified manufacturing employees, including CNC machine operators. The training can be completed by new hires or existing employees to advance their existing skills. Graduates of the program earn an average of $31,200 per year plus health benefits, according to an article by FloridaToday.
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A focus on new technology cold result in the creation of new Florida jobs.

A new electric car plant planning to locate in Century, Florida, could create up to 1,000 new Florida jobs. The Escambia County Commission is expected to soon look into an ordinance in support of the project, which would initially bring 250 jobs to Century, according to an article by NorthEscambia.

“The electric car assembly plant is planned for the Century Industrial Park,” Larry Newsom, director of Escambia County’s industrial development effort, said in the article. “The details are still being worked out, but the resolution in support of the project is needed next week so the state can provide the company with a grant.”

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One Florida banking company is feeling the blows of the current economy and being forced to cut Florida banking jobs.

BankUnited Financial Corp. recently announced its plans to cut 12 percent of its workforce because of the failing economy. This means about 160 people will lose their jobs, and most cuts will be in residential lending support and operations.

According to an article by CBS4, the company plans to cut 85 jobs in Miami-Dade County, 21 in Broward and 13 in Palm Beach. More jobs will be eliminated on the west coast of Florida and outside the state, leaving BankUnited with only 1,000 employees.

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Looking for a dental job in Florida? Positions for dental hygienists are expected to grow during the near future.

Jobs for dental hygienists are expected to grow faster than the national average for all jobs through 2010. This is mostly because of an increase in demand for dental care and an increased level of need for services of hygienists previously performed by dentists. Overall, job prospects are expected to remain good.

In the State of Florida, dental hygienists earn an average annual salary of $51,168, and most workers in the occupation earn between $38,854 and $57,699. Dental hygienists usually work for dentist’s offices, the federal government or medical doctor’s offices.
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