Institute for Economic Competitiveness

Albin Brown says Jacksonville will grow, but he won't put a number on it: Mayor says too many economic variables can affect predictions

iec — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:55:00 +0400

By David Bauerlein Original Link: The Florida Times - Union, FL 2.7.12 February 7, 2012 Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown calls job creation his No. 1 priority but, unlike Gov. Rick Scott setting a goal of 700,000 new jobs in Florida in seven years, Brown isn’t setting any numeric measuring stick for the city. A report issued in January by the U.S. Conference of Mayors...

State's biggest research park hopes for smooth sailing through Pentagon's budget turbulence

iec — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:50:00 +0400

By Richard Burnett Original Link: Orlando Sentinel, FL 2.5.12 February 5, 2012 Buttressed by a substantial contingent of military agencies and contractors, Central Florida Research Park has made it through the recession and subsequent slow recovery relatively unscathed, picking up only a few nicks along the way. But now, as military contractors brace for potentially historic...

Orlando area's home-price rebound proves spotty

iec — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:43:00 +0400

By Mary Shanklin Original Link: Orlando Sentinel, FL 2.4.12 February 4, 2012 Orlando was hailed last week as one of the biggest "turnaround towns" in the U.S. for residential real estate last year, but a new analysis of local home sales shows some areas are turning faster than others. Based on resale prices and other factors, realtor.com ranked Metro Orlando as third-best in the...

Learning to work the Systeme D

iec — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:43:00 +0400

By Tampa Bay Times Original Link: Tampa Bay Times, FL 2.5.12 February 5, 2012 Few places in the world can top Lagos, Nigeria as the setting for a study of black market economies. The sprawling, diesel-choked megacity is a hive of unregulated commercial activity — from food stalls where grit rains down from highway overpasses to hawkers snaking between cars trapped in miles-long...

Skepticism greets new federal plan to help homeowners

iec — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:30:00 +0400

By: Mark Puente Original Link: Tampa Bay Times, FL 2.5.12 February 5, 2012 Hoopla and headlines follow the announcement of each new federal program to help distressed homeowners, as they did last week when President Obama detailed his latest initiative. But five years into the housing bust, results have been in short supply. In Florida, about 100,000 homeowners have...

Economic outlook 2012: Slow growth for Central Florida

iec — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:26:00 +0400

By Angele Maraj Original Link: Orlando Business Journal, FL 2.2.12 February 2, 2012 Eventual growth is on the horizon for Florida. At least that was the prevailing message at this year’s economic outlook event hosted by the Small Business Development Center at UCF. Central Florida’s business owners and key players gathered Feb. 2 at the Embassy Suites Downtown...

Worst place to lose your job: Florida

iec — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:17:00 +0400

By Tami Luhby Original Link: NBC Montana, MT 1.31.12 January 31, 2012 If you lose your job in Florida, chances are you won't find another one any time soon. The Sunshine State has the highest rate of long-term unemployment in the nation. Some 53 percent of jobless Floridians were out of work for more than six months in 2011, according to Brookings' Hamilton Project,...

America's most overpriced cities

iec — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:07:00 +0400

By Morgan Brennan Original Link: WAFB Channel 9, FL 1.31.12 January 31, 2012 The Lone Star state has gotten a lot of good press lately for coming through the economic downturn relatively unscathed. Since 2008, nearly 40% of all of the nation's new jobs since have been created there. Thanks to that strong economy, housing in Texas' biggest cities, including Houston, San Antonio and...

Worst place to lose your job: Florida

iec — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:07:00 +0400

By Tami Luhby Original Link: CNN Money, FL 1.31.12 January 31, 2012 If you lose your job in Florida, chances are you won't find another one any time soon. The Sunshine State has the highest rate of long-term unemployment in the nation. Some 53% of jobless Floridians were out of work for more than six months in 2011, according to Brookings' Hamilton Project, which crunched...

Expert: this GOP primary 'like ultimate fighting'; Will it leave general election wounds?

iec — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:44:00 +0400

By John Lantigua Original Link: Palm Beach Post, FL 1.30.12 January 30, 2012 The Florida primary battle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich has been bloody. The two frontrunners for the GOP presidential nod have ripped into each other repeatedly and enthusiastically, calling each other liars, dishonest about their past political positions and evasive about how they made...