Orlando News
The Orlando region is No. 1 in the nation for job growth for the fourth consecutive year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan statistical area (MSA) continued its trajectory as the fastest growing job market in the country for 2018. Forbes cited Orlando’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) job growth in recent years as one contributing factor, explaining “Orlando (is) actually now adding STEM jobs at a faster clip than the Bay Area metros."
The Games will be comprised of 15 Olympic-type team and individual sports, as well as 5 potential demonstration sports. The Games will be hosted at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, the YMCA Aquatic Center, the U.S. Tennis Association campus in Lake Nona, and other sporting facilities across the Orlando area.
With this legislation, we can promote public infrastructure projects and job training projects to continue to grow jobs for families in every community of our state. We know that for Florida to be competitive in domestic and international markets, we need as many tools as possible to attract growing businesses to our state. The $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund is what Florida needs to bring major jobs wins home.
Florida ranked fourth in the nation for investment from private equity (measured in dollars invested), following Texas, California and Massachusetts, according to the Top States and Districts in 2016 analysis. All together, more the $644 billion was invested in U.S. companies in 2016, the report said.
In early May, Florida lawmakers passed a state budget that cut Visit Florida's budget by 67% budget, to $25 million.
Gov. Rick Scott, an ardent supporter of Visit Florida, vetoed the cut, and called a special session last week to negotiate the budget, which resulted in restoring the group's $76 million budget, among other changes.
"We've fully funded Visit Florida so we can continue to break visitation records," Scott said in a statement. He called the result of the session "a major win for Florida families."
The loonie shot up following fresh signals from the Bank of Canada that it is giving more thought to raising interest rates, while Toronto’s main stock index continued its second day of declines.
The Canadian dollar was up one U.S. cent to an average trading price of 75.54 cents US, following comments by Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz today and senior deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins the day before that the economy is gathering momentum.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has revealed its statewide growth and investment plans for Florida, which it says will lead to an economic impact of well above $450 million. The mega-retailer’s plan will grow Walmart’s 375-facility footprint in Florida and build on the continued positive momentum in U.S. sales, customer traffic and customer feedback that the company highlighted in its most recent financial results.
Among the five most populated states, Florida's GDP was fastest growing in 2016, with California's 2.9 percent GDP growth following a close second. For the fourth quarter last year, Texas' GDP outgrew Florida's, 3.4 percent to 3.1 percent, but the Lone Star State grew at a much slower pace for all of 2016.
U.S. growth has averaged 2.1 percent a year since the recession ended in mid-2009. The nation's GDP growth rate slowed to just 1.5 percent over the year and 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter — well below Florida's pace.
