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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Despite growth, salaries in Florida still lag most of the country
The median annual wage in Florida grew 7.7% from December 2021 to December 2022, according to data from payroll provider ADP. This is slightly above the national increase of 7.3%. Despite this, wages in Florida remain amongst the lowest in the country. The median wage in Florida reached $49,500 in December, which is more than 12% below the national wage of $56,700. Florida tied with South Dakota for the 11th lowest median wage among all 50 states and Washington, DC. More from the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
South Florida restaurants face worker shortages
It’s January and the crowds are back at South Florida restaurants, but not the workers. “We are definitely looking for a lot of people in all different departments,” said Rocco Mangel, owner of the Rocco’s Tacos restaurants. “I find that people aren’t that eager to say I want to be a waitress, I want to be a bartender or I want to be a manager,” he said. Many believe the workers who left during the Covid pandemic were not eager to return to service work. More from WPTV.
New maps greatly reduce boundaries of Pensacola Bay system oyster harvest
As predicted in September, a state rule change due to be implemented Wednesday will drastically reduce the size of the area within the Pensacola Bay System in which oysters can be farmed and harvested. A map sent out Friday by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services extends areas in Pensacola, Escambia, Blackwater Bay and adjacent East Bay where farming and harvesting will be prohibited. More from the Pensacola News Journal.
Hurricane-damaged Sanibel and Captiva businesses ask: Where are our SBA loans?
Sanibel and Captiva have long been dependable economic engines for southwest Florida, vacation destinations with national renown. Until Hurricane Ian slammed on the brakes. After the storm, messages of support abounded. Businesses were told to apply to the Small Business Administration for aid to help them recover. In Southwest Florida, hundreds did. Yet three months later, the money isn’t flowing. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Jacksonville-based VyStar acquires First Coast Federal Credit Union
VyStar Credit Union has completed its acquisition of Jacksonville-based First Coast Federal Credit Union, whose lone branch is located at 3040 Edison Ave. First Coast Federal employees were offered employment opportunities at VyStar, which plans to use the branch to support its Do Good non-profit work. First Coast Federal Credit Union has served Northeast Florida since 1935 and has about 1,700 members and $11.2 million in assets. VyStar, as the 13th largest credit union in the country, has more than 860,000 members and over $13 billion in assets. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Development
Tobacco farm, thousands of bats, and more coming to new Ybor City district
For decades, the Newman family has owned the vacant lot neighboring their Ybor City cigar factory, the last operational one in Tampa. They’ve never done anything with the land. Within the next few years, it will have a park, bat houses for thousands of the winged creatures, an inn, a cigar bar, a cafe and what might be Ybor’s first-ever tobacco farm, all of which will form what Newman calls the El Reloj District.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Profile
A former supermodel tells her story of homelessness to revival in Delray Beach
From selling juice at her local market in Jamaica at 11 years old to walking London Fashion Week with no modeling background, one thing has held true throughout Nadine Willis’ life. She is a people person. Her customers today at Publix would agree. Willis, who works there as a cashier, always has one response when they ask her how she’s doing. “I’m alive,” she tells them. “Whatever other problem I’ve got, I’ll work it out.”
» Read more from the Palm Beach Post.
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