EMPLOYMENT FOR SEPTEMBER REMAINED STEADY – September’s
unemployment rate for Volusia County remained steady at 4.3 percent.
Unlike many other areas of Florida, Volusia County’s workforce continued
to grow posting a modest gain of 1,100 new jobs for the 12-month period
ending Sept. 30. While the county posted job gains in education and
healthcare (1,100 new jobs) and in wholesale trades (200 new jobs), job
losses in the hospitality industry (400 jobs), retail (200 jobs) and
financial services (100 jobs) kept the rate of growth minimal.
Meanwhile, the state continued its loss of 6,100 manufacturing jobs
while local manufacturers managed to maintain their employment numbers
at just under 11,000 jobs. Overall employment in Volusia County grew
from 175,300 positions to 176,400 for the 12-month period ending Sept.
30.
UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF PRODUCT BRANDING –The DBCC’s Small
Business Development Center will be hosting a workshop on "Unleashing
the Potential of Your Brand" from 6 - 9 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 24. The
workshop will feature speaker Kevin Hancock, Image Makers Advertising,
and will focus on branding and understanding the concept of brand equity
and how you can measure its value. The event will be at DBCC’s Daytona
Beach Campus in the University Center Auditorium, Building 150. Seating
is limited. For additional information and to register for this workshop
call 386/506-4723 or visit
www.sbdc-dbcc.com.
NUMBER OF WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS GROWING –There is a theory that
women, especially mothers, have several advantages over men in the
small-business world. They are better listeners, more active networkers,
better motivators, better multi-taskers, more patient (thus better able
to stick to long-term strategies), and they are more tenacious. The
number of women-owned businesses has been increasing at twice the rate
as new businesses in general for the last two decades. Today, there are
10.4 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. representing 40 percent
of the total.
TWO AREA BUSINESSES MAKE FLORIDA TREND’S “YOUNG GUNS” – Two local
companies representing young entrepreneurs were recognized by Florida
Trend Magazine recently. They included Brad Riley and Tony King who
started the Zerion Group, a company that helps customers select and use
inventory software, and Jack White, developer of Wall Street Lofts.
Congratulations to these up-and-coming Volusia County entrepreneurs.
COST COMPARISONS FOR NEW TREND IN GREEN CONSTRUCTION – Evidence
is increasing that constructing buildings with environmentally friendly
green features can be completed at a cost competitive with standard
construction. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, a recent
report comparing the costs of 221 buildings found many projects reached
Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) goals in the same cost
range as non-LEED projects. For more information on green construction,
go to the USGBC research page at
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=78.
VOLUSIA COUNTY’S POPULATION STILL INCREASING – According to the
latest population data from the State of Florida, Volusia County
population gained 9,195 residents during the 12-month period ending
Sept. 30. This 1.9-percent increase moved the county’s population from
494,649 in Sept. 2006 to the current level of 503,844. The vast majority
of these new residents are the result of in-migration from other areas
of the state. More than 20 percent of these individuals are coming from
Seminole and Orange counties with an increasing number from southeast
Florida. Volusia County’s 1.9-percent slower rate of growth trailed the
Florida state average of 2.4 percent during this period.
LOCAL AVERAGE WAGE CONTINUES TO GROW – The County’s average
annual wage for workers of all trades and professions continued to
improve for the 12-month period ending Sept. 30. The county’s average
annual wage grew at a rate of 4.2 percent or by $1,272 from $29,940 in
Sept. 2006 to its current average of $31,212.
NEWS ITEMS WANTED! – Please send your business news items to Dave
Byron, Volusia County Community Information Director, 123 W. Indiana
Ave., DeLand, 32720-4612, by fax at 386/822-5072 or by e-mail at
dbyron@co.volusia.fl.us.
Department of Economic Development
700 Catalina Drive, Suite 200,
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Telephone:
386-248-8048
FAX: 386 238-4761 Toll Free: 800-554-3801
