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Week of December 25, 2003 |
| Signs point to continued job growth next year By Tiffany MillerHigher employment levels in November and throughout the year carry an implied promise of new jobs next year for Miami-Dade County, according to the state's employment agency. Unemployment rates dwindled to 6.6% in November, down from 7.4% for the same month last year in Miami-Dade County. That creates optimism for more jobs, Warren May, spokesman for the Agency for Workforce Innovation, said Tuesday. "The economy is starting to take off. Hiring is very steady," Mr. May said, when asked specifically about Miami-Dade. The county reported 72,541 residents unemployed in November - 10,686 fewer than a year earlier. And there are 700 more jobs in the county this year. Food services have created the highest number of new jobs in the county this year - 3,500. Education and health services created 1,700. The statistics coincide with findings by the county's economic development agency. In a Dec. 15 memo, John Cordrey, senior vice president of research and strategic planning for the Beacon Council, wrote that education and health care are among the most promising industries. Mr. Cordrey's memo declared this as the year the economy stopped declining. He cited expanding tourism and increased value of merchandise trade handled through Miami as reasons for encouragement. Though Miami-Dade's unemployment rate is the seventh highest in the state, Mr. Cordrey wrote that with help from the tourism industry, the county's economy could improve more next year and "approach the record level of 2000," bringing forth more new jobs. More than 11.1 million visitors packed into Miami-Dade County in 2000, spending approximately $16.7 billion. |
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