• The latest employment reports were disappointing to economists. Job growth in January was minimal and new claims for unemployment rose again in Florida. However, the national unemployment rate fell by a fraction of a percent. Economic analyst Dr. Hank Fishkind makes sense of the seemingly contradictory numbers.
Read More »
• Governor Ron DeSantis has released his proposed $96.6 billion-dollar budget for the next fiscal year. It’s more than four billion dollars higher than last year’s budget, which seems surprising during a time of projected economic shortfalls due to the COVID-19 recession. But economic analyst Dr. Hank Fishkind says the governor’s budget is realistic and will not call for the feared budget cuts.
Read More »
• Economic analyst Hank Fishkind says Florida’s numbers were better because the state’s milder weather and population growth spurred strength in certain sectors, like professional and technical services. But he says the good news does not extend to Central Florida area.
Read More »
• Last week infection rates surged across the U.S. and here in Florida, and there were reports of sharp drops in economic activity in response. Retail sales dropped for the third month in a row and new unemployment claims climbed. This is problematic for Central Florida’s tourism-based economy. Economic analyst Dr. Hank Fishkind says things will change if President-elect Joe Biden is able to do 100 million vaccinations in the first 100 days of his administration, as planned. But the change will be slow.
Read More »
• As Central Florida joins the nation in grappling with the political and legal fallout from last week’s unprecedented events, economic analyst Hank Fishkind tells WMFE’s Nicole Darden Creston there are also economic impacts to consider.
Read More »
• 2021 will turn out to be a very good year for our economy, but most of the improvements will come in the 2nd half of the year. That’s according to economic analyst Hank Fishkind. He gives an updated economic outlook now that the $900 billion stimulus package has passed and vaccinations have begun.
Read More »
• A new report from the Census Bureau documents the damage the pandemic has done to the U.S. and Florida economies. But WMFE’s economist Dr. Hank Fishkind says the report also points to some pathways for recovery.
Read More »
