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Florida News That Impacts You – December 9th, 2022
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida. Gas prices continued lower through the weekend.
- Gas prices are still falling, dropping another penny per gallon to a statewide average of $3.20, which is 11 cents lower than a week ago and are now lower than year ago prices. In Southeast Florida, prices range from an average low of $3.25 per gallon in Broward, to an average high of $3.42 per gallon in the Palm Beaches.
- While Florida’s economy has grown at the second fastest rate of any state in 2022 – including expanding during the first half of the year while the national economy entered a technical recession – signs point to 2023 being a bit more challenging. According to a survey of Florida business executives conducted by consultant West Monroe, 21% of Florida businesses are currently reducing payrolls, with 26% which are currently evaluating potential layoffs. Just over half, 53% said they intend to at least maintain current staffing levels. The most vulnerable industries to layoffs in Florida are currently finance, technology, software, insurance and real estate.
- A study of Trip Advisor reviews of greater than 825,000 users has identified Orlando as the most disappointing vacation destination in the world over the past year. The study weighed user expectations against actual experiences and found there were three destinations in the world in which greater than 10% of all net visitors came away disappointed with their experiences. Orlando had a net negative 19.5% rating. Orlando was the only US destination in the top ten. The other two destinations with double-digit negatives were in Indonesia and Thailand. The chief complaints about the Orlando experience were tourists left feeling attractions were overpriced and people were often found to be rude. Incidentally, Budapest was found to be the most beautiful city and Rome had the most must see attractions.
- The Biscayne Bay restoration project has received $330,000 in funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The funds are on back of the greater than $430,000 which have been pledged by state and local agencies to restore coastal wetlands, mangroves and forests.