Tagged: jobs

Rocky credit history? A bill that would prevent potential employers from weighing a job applicant's credit history unanimously passed the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee Tuesday.

Some say the bill (SB 100), sponsored by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, is an effort to ease the job search process for Floridians.

Tuesday morning, Florida's minimum wage jumps 12 cents, from $7.67 to $7.79. Florida Today  reports that since 2004, the state's minimum wage has been constitutionally linked to increases in the cost of living - one of just 10 states with similar wage mandates. 

The Florida Today story explains that the raise will affect a relatively small number of workers:

His big campaign pledge was 700-thousand jobs in seven years.

So, halfway through his term, how is Gov. Rick Scott doing with that?

The answer...it's complicated.

Unemployment has dropped from 11.4 percent in January, 2011, to 8.1 percent in November of this year. But almost half of the improvement is attributed to discouraged workers leaving the workforce.

According to a report released this week from the Center for Housing Policy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Miami is the least affordable metropolitan area for middle class Americans.

And it's not because Miami is more expensive-- it's because the middle class here isn't making enough money compared to other big cities.

This week's study highlighted the cost of housing and transportation in major metropolitan areas-- but in relation to household incomes.

The September jobs numbers are out for Florida and the news is somewhat better statewide. Seasonally adjusted, unemployment dropped to 8.7 percent which is down 0.1 percentage point from August.