More Florida construction jobs could be created with help from the incoming federal administration.

It is suspected that newly-elect President Barack Obama will create a $1 trillion stimulus package to help with infrastructure. According to an article by the Tallahassee Democrat, the Florida Department of Transportation already has $7 billion of construction projects in mind that could be completed within 120 days.

If the stimulus comes into play, every $1 billion spent on infrastructure could create 28,000 jobs, meaning Florida could see a total of 196,000 new construction jobs.

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Right now is a tough time to find a Florida career, but one company is helping by trying to expanding.

Lockheed Martin, the state’s leading manufacturer, is hoping to secure $500,000 in state and local grants to significantly expand its plant in Ocala.

The proposed expansion of the plant, which produces Hellfire precision-guided missile systems, would cost the company $11 million, including $6 million in capital improvements, $4.8 million in construction and renovation costs and $300,000 for new workstations and furniture. The company also plans to hire 125 new Florida workers who will make $49,327 per year with full benefits totaling $23,456.

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If you’re looking for a Florida career during these tough economic times, there are some occupations that are considered to be recession-proof.

With the national unemployment rate continuing to increase and the number of available jobs continuing to decrease, it may seem as though getting a job is hopeless. That’s not necessarily the case, according to an article by the Orlando Sentinel, as there are some occupations that will always survive.

Nursing and healthcare, for instance, usually remains strong. As of late there are still jobs for people who specialize in computer systems as hospitals and doctors’ offices continue to convert to electronic records. In the Orlando area alone, the healthcare industry has added 5,200 jobs so far this year. As far as pay, nurses usually earn a median salary of $62,480 per year, while nurses in the Orlando area earn between $53,138 and $64,011 per year.

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The creation of a new hybrid solar plant will help create more Florida construction jobs.

Florida Power & Light recently announced their plan to open the first of three new solar power projects, which create new construction jobs, as well as other positions, and eventually make Florida the second-best state in the nation for using energy from the sun. The facility, which will be located in southeast Florida, will be the world’s first hybrid solar plant to connect to an existing fossil fuel plant. According to an article by The Associated Press, the facility will use the sun’s power to generate steam and offset the use of natural gas, making it more energy efficient.

“When heat from the sun is available to produce electricity, we’re going to use less natural gas,” Lewis Hay III, chairman and CEO of FPL Group, Inc., Florida Power & Light’s parent company, said in the article.

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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…)

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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