January unemployment numbers delayed

Those awaiting January's unemployment figures will have to wait a few days longer, due to the weather, of all things.

Rebecca Rust, chief economist with the Agency for Workforce Innovation, said Wednesday that the preliminary January labor statistics for Florida will be released at 10 a.m. March 10 instead of March 5.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, processes these numbers out of Washington, D.C., she said.

"Due to the federal government shutdown caused by the winter storm, extra processing time was needed and the release of labor statistics for Florida is being rescheduled," she said.

November's unemployment figure in Highlands County hit a high of 11.7 percent while December's preliminary number came down to 11.1 percent.

In Florida, for the same period, the numbers went up.

In November, unemployment was at 11.5 percent and the preliminary figure for December was up to 11.6 percent. But the national numbers dropped from 10 to 9.7 percent.

Roger Hood, president and CEO of the Heartland Workforce, said he hasn't seen any major change up or down.

"It really hasn't improved that much," said Hood. "I've asked my board chair to form an ad hoc committee to see what we are going to do to help our local economy.

"They're looking at ways to identify means to attract manufacturing businesses and to identify the barriers to business."

On the upside, they haven't seen a lot of layoffs and there have been some hires.

He said the new Cowboys BBQ and Steak Company opened up new retail jobs. Plans were to hire 90 full- and part-time employees.

"Any new business we have coming in here is a godsend right now," he said. "The tri-county (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands) Economic Development Commission directors are working with some businesses to have them relocate here."

The details of those negotiations are still confidential.

Heartland Workforce has obtained a $100,000 entrepreneurship grant, with the help of Dan Murphy, Highlands County EDC director, who developed the concept.

Once the deal is finalized, they will work with the University of South Florida, Small Business Development Center representatives, and other partners offering advanced training to entrepreneurs.

"South Florida Community College is the contractor for us," said Hood. "They'll be putting together the course curriculum and the actual teaching of the classes."

The course will target people with small businesses who want to improve their business plans as well as those who want to start up small businesses.

Hood said the February unemployment figures are scheduled for release on March 26, and the March unemployment figures are scheduled for release on April 16.

Director of the Campus Career Center and Co-op programs at South Florida Community, Paul Fox, said he is not an economist and doesn't want to hedge a guess about where the economy's going.

However, he did say they have some courses open to the public to help with resume techniques, including writing, editing, structure, and job hunting.

"We do post jobs," he said. "We do not do unemployment here."

The center also hosts two or three job fairs each year, he said.

FAST FACT:

November's unemployment figure in Highlands County hit a high of 11.7 percent while December's preliminary number came down to 11.1 percent.