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. (more…)