Florida
‘It feels very saturated:’ Job seekers face challenges despite Florida’s economic strength
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Central Florida Employment Council Career Fair, held at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, drew hundreds of job seekers eager to explore new opportunities.
This, just days after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Florida’s labor force exceeded 11.1 million in January 2025, reinforcing the state’s economic strength. Job growth continued across most major industries, including manufacturing, which reached 430,800 jobs.
But among the job seekers at the fair was Josh Cothern, who is on the hunt for a marketing position. Despite the encouraging numbers, Cothern expressed the challenges he faces in securing employment.
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“It feels very saturated,” Cothern told New 6. “I’ve been all over LinkedIn and different job boards, and it seems like every time a new job gets posted, there’s 30, 40, 50 applications in the first 10 minutes.”
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The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics offers a glimmer of hope for job seekers. Florida’s labor force has grown or remained stable over the last 10 out of 12 months. FloridaCommerce reported that the Orlando metro area gained the highest number of private sector jobs over the past year among all metro areas, with more than 393,000 jobs posted online.
In January, the Orlando metro area led the state in job gains, particularly in leisure and hospitality, which added 7,500 jobs; financial activities, which saw an increase of 3,000 jobs; and professional and business services, which grew by 2,400 jobs.
“Florida added 113,600 jobs (+1.3%) over the year in January 2025. Since May 2020, employers across the state have expanded their workforce in 54 of the past 57 months. Florida’s private sector job growth rate of 1.3% outpaced the national rate of 1.2% over the same period. Additionally, Florida’s statewide unemployment rate has remained below the national average for 51 consecutive months since November 2020,” according to DeSantis’ office.
CBS Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger commented on the current national job market trends.
“What we are seeing is some of the pillars of growth that had added jobs in the economy are slowing down,” Schlesinger said.
Despite stable numbers, the job search remains an anxious endeavor for many.
Cothern remains optimistic, saying “As soon as I am offered the right thing, I am excited to take it.”
Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
ORLANDO, Fla. – Ahead of the coldest temperatures in years for Central Florida, the National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch for Friday morning.
A freeze watch means temperatures of 32 degrees or lower are possible.
Exterior pipes should be protected in Marion, Sumter and northern Lake counties where temperatures could be below freezing for four to six hours.
Plants sensitive to the cold should be covered or brought inside by Thursday evening.
It’s also a good idea to bring pets inside.
A strong Arctic cold front is expected to arrive Thursday morning. Temperatures top out in the upper 50s and lower 60s early in the day, but are expected to fall for most of the afternoon.
Temperatures will bottom out in the 20s and 30s across Central Florida.
This does not include the wind.
Parts of Central Florida could again dip below freezing Saturday morning.
A reinforcing shot of cold air arrives Sunday which could send parts of Central Florida back below freezing Monday morning.
A big warmup arrives late next work week and into the following weekend.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A cruise ship that departed Florida has been hit by a norovirus outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC reported that 94 people fell ill on the Holland America Line cruise ship Rotterdam during its voyage between Dec. 28, 2025, and Jan. 9, 2026.
Those affected by the norovirus outbreak showed the typical symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
The virus, which is highly contagious, is the number 1 cause of foodborne illnesses in the United States, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms appear between 12 and 48 hours after exposure and can include other symptoms like stomach pain, headaches, and fevers.
According to the CDC, 85 passengers out of 2,593 reported being sick. Nine of the 1,005 crew members reported being ill as well.
The CDC said Holland America Line and the Rotterdam crew increased cleaning and disinfection measures and quarantined those who fell ill to prevent the disease from spreading further.
CruiseMapper.com showed that the ship departed Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 28. The cruise line’s website also has several future voyages out of Fort Lauderdale as well.
8 On Your Side has reached out to Holland America for more information on the outbreak.
After a push to nearly the end of the launch window, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off on Florida’s third launch of 2026.
The rocket lifted off at 4:08 p.m. Monday, January 12 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It had originally been scheduled for earlier in the afternoon, but the launch time was repeatedly pushed back. SpaceX did not give a reason for the change in timing.
The Falcon 9 carried 29 Starlink internet satellites to orbit on the booster’s 25th mission. No sonic booms were heard in Brevard County, as the booster landed on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Next SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral
The next Falcon 9 rocket launch from Florida is scheduled for no earlier than 1:01 p.m. Wednesday, January 14 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The mission is the next batch of SpaceX Starlink internet satellites, titled Starlink 6-98.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
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