Florida Leads Nation in Job Creation

[poonther]

Duh! I forgot to add that the reason why I included that table of median household income is because this is happening in our state as written by The St. Pete Times:

"We're going the wrong way, folks. Floridians already earn less than the national average. We need to generate more income more quickly if we are to at least approach the national average. Instead, our median household incomes are dropping faster than the nation as a whole. "

Full editorial from St. Pete Times

So let's be happy that new jobs are coming to Florida, but let's see them for what they really are...........

[RiversideGator]

Poonther: You still have not adduced any evidence to show that the jobs being created in FL are "low wage" jobs. Instead of correcting the etiquette of others, please cite facts. And, no the leftist St Pete Times editorial page is not a fact. That editorialist was using 2001 income figures (from the height of the Clinton recession) to show that the wages are bad in Florida now. How about using more recent numbers as the economy is currently BOOMING.

As for your list of high average wage counties, many of those I recognize as being bedroom communities for large metropolitan areas, i.e. Loudon Co and Montgomery County are suburbs of DC, etc. This is where the high earners in the large metropolitan areas have fled so their numbers are a little skewed. Florida counties meanwhile are larger and more populated as compared with the average of those in the rest of the Eastern US at least. So, we dont have these micro-counties with concentrations of wealth (so all the ultra-rich of Palm Beach are thrown in with the ultra-poor of Belle Glade to use Palm Beach County as an example). And, a high cost of living negates a high wage, unless the wages are high enough to compensate for the high cost of living. This is common sense. Thus, you have really not proven anything by citing the county list.

praha: Are you refering to the land of high state income taxes, high regulations, negative population growth and an impending real estate crisis? Massachusetts started at a higher level than Florida in the 20th century (thanks to the effects of the Civil War and our rural economy), but we are clearly outgrowing Mass. now both in numbers and quality. And, Florida doesnt have a state income tax as Mass. does. I really dont think anyone would argue that the Mass. economy is more dynamic than Florida's.

To All: According to the latest press release from the US Department Of Commerce, Florida's average net wages grew at a rate of 2% in the 2d quarter of 2005 (the latest figures available) which places us in the highest quintile of the high wage growth states (Mass. is in the lowest quintile). See http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrel/SQPINewsRelease.htm

I think this pretty much ends the argument.

[poonther]

RiversideGator, I still believe that it is telling that Florida does NOT have at least one county on that list. Nothing you guys can say will convince me otherwise just as nothing I'll state will convince you either. So we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Based on your defense of Florida's counties, I'd totally agree w/your Palm Beach County example and even thought that myself. I use to live in PBC and saw the evidence of that disparity. However based what you've stated, it looks like at least Seminole County in the Orlando MSA should be on the list since it's a very small county in land size and is a suburban county.

Good table you produced there, I was looking for something like that and could not find it. Glad to have that link to further info. Question: Florida just raised their minimum wage by a dollar....did that increase occur during that time period your table refers to and if so, that could be the reason for the increase in Florida.

And while it's good to have a factual conversation, I find it also a good thing to have a polite discussion....after all for me this is suppose to be fun.

Leftist St. Pete Times? You aren't a republican by any chance are you?

[Viper]

http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jackso...03/daily32.html

To sum up, Manpower Inc sent out a survey to a large number of local companies with 47% confirming they will hire in the next 3 months while none had plans for any terminations.

This compares with the national level very favorably as 29% expect to add while 8% are planning for terminations.

The surveyed companies included all ranges of the economic scale.

[Viper]

Change in Earnings by Place of Work, 2005:QI-2005:QII

Total			 Forestry,fish,

			 earnings   Farm   rel act,other	Mining	  Utilities   Construction   

Florida ..	 1.9	  0.03		 0.00		0.01		0.01		   0.25  



Manufacturing

----------------------

Durable  Nondurable   Wholesale   Retail   Transportation				Finance and

goods	  goods		trade	 trade	and warehousing  Information  insurance

0.10	   0.03		 0.14	   0.12		 0.05		   0.03		 0.11

Construction, Retail , Wholesale Trade, Finance and Insurance all had sizable gains in Fl. Sounds like a good mix of the economic spectrum.

[bobliocatt]

RiversideGator, I still believe that it is telling that Florida does NOT have at least one county on that list. Nothing you guys can say will convince me otherwise just as nothing I'll state will convince you either. So we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Based on your defense of Florida's counties, I'd totally agree w/your Palm Beach County example and even thought that myself. I use to live in PBC and saw the evidence of that disparity. However based what you've stated, it looks like at least Seminole County in the Orlando MSA should be on the list since it's a very small county in land size and is a suburban county.

Seminole isn't a good example. Many of it's communities were around a long time become Orlando became a big city. Though its suburban, many older communties, such as Sanford, still have their old southern agricultural based roots. Thus the well-to-do Orlando suburbanites, still share the county with homesteaders and migrant workers, evening out those numbers.

[poonther]

Seminole isn't a good example. Many of it's communities were around a long time become Orlando became a big city. Though its suburban, many older communties, such as Sanford, still have their old southern agricultural based roots. Thus the well-to-do Orlando suburbanites, still share the county with homesteaders and migrant workers, evening out those numbers.

But couldn't you apply that same theory to several of the top 100 counties in states like GA, TX, and possibly VA?

[bobliocatt]

The easiest thing to do, would be to pick one of those counties and directly compare them to Seminole to see if there's a series of common links, such as population, land area, proximity from the core city, number of jobs/fortune 500 comp., cost of living, etc. between the two. Until this is down, its hard to come to a factual conclusion.

[jack]

If Florida really is increasing the median household income, how does that relate to the increase in the cost of living? (Assuming that there was one) Any gains in salary would be negated by a strong increase in cost of living. I bring this up becase of the dramatic increase in the median existing home price. One draw for me to move to Florida from Virginia was the cost of housing three years ago. But if the median sales price has gone up by 75k, then the median household income would need to rise by a significant number.

[Florida]

Florida's Minimum Wage will be going up to $6.40 next year.... just thought I'd throw that in.

[facilities man]

Seminole isn't a good example. Many of it's communities were around a long time become Orlando became a big city. Though its suburban, many older communties, such as Sanford, still have their old southern agricultural based roots. Thus the well-to-do Orlando suburbanites, still share the county with homesteaders and migrant workers, evening out those numbers.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/...-home-headlines

Check out the linked article in the sentinel today. It claims the median income in Seminole County is $62,800 a year. Palm Beach is $56,000. Seminole does not have many migrant workers or much agriculture anymore..... It's Orlando's upscale suburbs. I think I read in another article just today the median new house price is $325,000.00 or $345,000.00 in Seminole.

[poonther]

Great and timely article on this subject facilities man. I figured that Seminole County would be our state's most wealthy county because of its size, location and demographics. Maybe next time they run a list of the 100 wealthiest counties in the USA, Seminole will be in there and FINALLY Florida will be represented. Joy oh joy!

[bobliocatt]

cool. So both Seminole and Palm Beach are probably on the list by now.

[Viper]

More than one third of all jobs created in the United States in the last five years have been created in Florida.

Employment growth in Florida advanced by 9.66 percent during the five years compared with a nationwide rate of 1.53 percent.

Along with the jump in jobs, personal income rose faster than the national average, the report said. Floridians experienced a 29 percent growth in personal income compared with a 22 percent increase nationally.

Full article may be read here.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/s...28/daily53.html

[monsoon]

An interesting article I take note of the following

"....88 percent of those in the services industry"

and

"...The only two industry sectors that lost jobs were manufacturing at 13.8 percent and information with 12 percent."

I think that speaks volumes about the quality of the jobs. The growth is being generated by the tourist and real estate industry due to house flipping. If you are an engineer, scientist or programmer, Fla is not the place to go.

[bobliocatt]

Employment growth in Florida advanced by 9.66 percent during the five years compared with a nationwide rate of 1.53 percent.

Nearly 8 million people work in Florida, with 88 percent of those in the services industry.

This is talking about the existing percentage of jobs, not the ones being created.

Of the increased jobs, the construction industry accounted for almost 30 percent, followed by education and health with 17.3 percent, professional and business services with 15.7 percent and leisure and hospitality with 13.7 percent. The only two industry sectors that lost jobs were manufacturing at 13.8 percent and information with 12 percent.

I think we all can agree that Manufacturing and Information are both on the decline in the US, as the jobs are being shifted over to Asia and Central America. However, it appears that all the other sectors are booming. So if you're an Architect, Engineer, Accountant, Lawyer, Pharmacist, Doctor, etc. Florida's metros are definately the place to be. This article officially proves that this state has become attractive to all, and not just retirees, as some from other states, try to claim, every now and then.

[poonther]

The study quoted in the Tampa Bay Biz Journal was done by Florida Tax Watch. They are a pro-business, pro-conservative and pro-Bush organization. Yeah, they say they are a non-partisan organization, but if read their press releases, you'll see what side of the fence they stand on.

Florida Tax Watch

Nothing at all wrong with that except when it comes to business studies, of course they are going to have a built in bias. I'd be more likely to believe all that is written if it had been done by an independent source say like the census people or the Dept. of Labor.

[poonther]

To All: According to the latest press release from the US Department Of Commerce, Florida's average net wages grew at a rate of 2% in the 2d quarter of 2005 (the latest figures available) which places us in the highest quintile of the high wage growth states (Mass. is in the lowest quintile). See http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrel/SQPINewsRelease.htm

I think this pretty much ends the argument.

Yes, Florida had an impressive wage gain in the 2nd qtr of '05, there's no doubting that. But was it better paying jobs moving in that ranked us in the highest quintile or was it that the lowest wage earners got an across the board raise due to raising the minimum wage in the state. According to the Tally Democrat:

Florida's minimum wage was increased to $6.15 an hour in May, and on Jan. 1 it will go up to $6.45 an hour.

Wouldn't this mandatory wage increase in THIS 2nd Qtr skew these results for Florida?

[EbonyGardens]

That's what I'm talking about, show the rest of the country that Florida runs the show. At the same time, how many of those jobs are geared towards the college-educated folks as opposed to being retail/customer-service? To me, that's a true mark of job growth.

[EbonyGardens]

That's what I'm talking about, show the rest of the country that Florida runs the show. At the same time, how many of those jobs are geared towards the college-educated folks as opposed to being retail/customer-service? To me, that's a true mark of job growth.

[EbonyGardens]

That's what I'm talking about, show the rest of the country that Florida runs the show. At the same time, how many of those jobs are geared towards the college-educated folks as opposed to being retail/customer-service.

That's what I'm talking about, show the rest of the country that Florida runs the show. At the same time, how many of those jobs are geared towards the college-educated folks as opposed to being retail/customer-service? To me, that's a true mark of job growth.