Floridians Seeing Benefits from Improving Economy

Statement

Every day, we are seeing more and more jobs being created and Floridians getting back to work. In August, more than 28,000 Floridians found work in the private sector. That's 28,000 Floridians who can now better fulfill their dreams right here in the Sunshine State. We are hearing stories like Sandra Cimbaro's of Boca Raton, who was laid off from her last job in March and, like many Floridians, took advantage of the services at Workforce Alliance in Palm Beach County to help her get back to work. She attended a résumé and interview workshop and began work assessments that the workforce board offered. With hard work and a little help, Sandra was hired by the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce in August as a communications coordinator. I think it's important for all Floridians who are looking for a job to visit their local workforce center to find out more information about how they assist in finding a meaningful career.

Businesses are choosing Florida to grow and expand. I announced last week that Univision/ABC are opening their new 24-hour news network in Miami, creating 342 jobs. The week before that, I helped announce more than 2,000 jobs coming to Central Florida. These new jobs for Floridians are being created by Nemours Children's Hospital and Prime Therapeutics in Orlando, as well as Accuform Signs in Brooksville. These are just a few examples of the growth we are seeing in our state's economy. Companies like Nemours, Prime Therapeutics and Accuform Signs have realized that we are doing the right things in Florida to help businesses succeed. We've lowered taxes and reduced burdensome regulation. Florida's business tax climate is ranked fifth in the nation according to the Tax Foundation's Tax Climate Index.

Florida's private-sector is creating jobs and Floridians are seeing the benefits directly. Our state has seen increases in median home prices and housing starts. In the second quarter of this year, Florida's income growth outpaced the nation. In addition, Florida's consumer confidence is at a five-year high, according to the University of Florida. A recent economic estimating conference says that Florida is on pace to create 900,000 new jobs by 2018.

Of course, we still have a lot of work left to do, but I am working every day to ensure Florida's private-sector continues to grow. In August, our state was second only to Texas in job creation. I am working to make us No. 1. We want to see every Floridian find a job like Sandra Cimbaro and every other Floridian that got back to work in the past year.

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