FRIDAY
The Mathis Report: More renovations for Chick-fil-A
November 23, 2018
PAGE 4
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
THEDaily HIRING Record CHALLENGE JACKSONVILLE
VyStar may bring 900 workers Downtown The Jacksonville-based credit union is seeking permits to remodel space in the 23-story high-rise.
Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
With Northeast Florida unemployment less than 3 percent, how is business coping?
BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS
BY MAX MARBUT
EDITOR
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
If you live in Northeast Flor- 12% ida and want a job, the chances that you’ll get what you want are better now than at any time in the past 12 years. According to data pub10% lished last week by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the jobless rate in the five-county Jacksonville metropolitan area is the lowest since early 2006. 8% In terms of numbers, the unemployment rate in the area is less than 3 percent. That’s made more significant when the data indicated that jobs 6% were gained in the market from October 2017 through October 2018. Employers are finding it challenging to recruit and retain the quality workforce 4% they need. They’re finding that it takes more than competitive wages and benefits to ensure their success. The jobs landscape in Northeast Florida has changed 2% and that likely will continue, so people looking to hire and people looking to be hired are changing along with it.
INSIDE
Read how business, government and other agencies are managing in a tight job market. Pages 6 & 7
JACKSONVILLE Northeast Florida unemployment
10.6%
The Northeast Florida unemployment rate from 2007 through October 2018. In 2010, there were 74,915 unemployed people in the region. Today there are 22,259.
2.9%
’07
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
’13
’14
’15
’16
’17
’18
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Labor Market Statistics
By year-end 2019, Downtown could see more than 900 additional employees as VyStar Credit Union moves in. VyStar is preparing space for its move into its Downtown tower that could include more than the 700 first discussed. VyStar President and CEO Brian Wolfburg said Tuesday most of the staff will start to move to the Wolfburg tower in March and continue through year-end 2019. He said VyStar expects to relocate more than 715 employees by the end of 2019, “but we continue to work on how to accommodate an additional 150-200 staff that we would ideally like to locate Downtown.” The building name will change in midsummer. The Jacksonville-based financial services institution seeks permits to renovate and repair space on 13 floors of the 23-story tower at 76 S. Laura St. Dana B. Kenyon Co. is the contractor for the $2.2 million project, which is for core upgrades that include restroom and elevator lobby work. Plans indicate work on the second through ninth floors, 12th floor, 19th and 20th floors and the SEE VYSTAR, PAGE 4
THE CAWTON REPORT
Lori Boyer working on Downtown zoning Moves could speed development. PAGE 9 VOLUME 106, NO. 6 • TWO SECTIONS