$80 million Pinellas ESP continues to encourage employer expansionsApplications open June 2Pinellas County’s Employment Sites Program will open its second round of funding on June 2, 2021. The first round of funding, launched in January of 2021, garnered proposals that hope to create over 216,350 sq. ft. of new industrial space and 120,000 sq. ft. of redeveloped offices. The ESP program can assist in the construction or redevelopment of industrial (manufacturing & flex) and office buildings that provide growth opportunities for target industry employers hoping to create new jobs and expand their footprints in order to remain in Pinellas County. Allowable capital expenditures related to development include: site preparation; vertical construction; infrastructure development; and site acquisition. Find details and a link to the online application portal at www.PCED.org/esp. All applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. on July 3, 2021. |
Pinellas County’s labor force tops 500,000 for the first timeIn April 2021, Pinellas County’s labor force and total number of jobs both increased by roughly 4,000. This milestone – a first in Pinellas – indicates the community has recovered the labor force initially lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, many firms are converting workers from part time to full time. Job openings and hiring are higher in the Tampa Bay than in most of the country, but wage gains have been fairly muted. Most staffing difficulties appear to be in lower wage and temporary positions. |
Pinellas has the lowest unemployment rate of the larger counties in FloridaLooking at the 10 largest counties in Florida, Pinellas has the lowest unemployment rate. Lee and Brevard Counties have the next lowest rates at 4.6% and 4.5%. Miami-Dade (6.9%) and Polk Counties (5.8%) have the highest unemployment rates among the most populous areas in Florida. Explore the full April 2021 interactive labor report at www.PCED.org/laborreport. |
Department of Defense Spending in PinellasTake a look at our refreshed Defense & Homeland Securitywebpage to learn about this important industry sector in Pinellas. We’ve updated some facts and figures and added a section of interactive data on Department of Defense spending. 40,000 direct and indirect jobs are related to Pinellas’ defense sector employment 100,000 veterans call Pinellas County home Pinellas County is home to four major military installations – US Coast Guard Air Station, US Army Reserve MEDEVAC, Florida National Guard 48th WMD CST, Army National Guard 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team – Only miles from MacDill Air Force Base (6th Air Mobility Wing for airlift and refueling) which also hosts U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. Some unique industry specializations include: military forensics, geospatial intelligence, radio frequency systems and improvised explosive device detection. Pinellas has the largest manufacturing employee base among eight Tampa Bay counties, and has the second largest manufacturing employee base in the State of Florida. 1st Quarter 2021 Economic IndicatorsFirst quarter 2021 economic indicators show a robust economic recovery as unemployment continues to decrease and demand for real estate in Pinellas increases. Click here to view the full report. |
Thank You For Doing Business In Pinellas: Kramski North America |
Pinellas County recognizes and thanks Martin Bischoff and his team at Kramski, North America for doing business in Pinellas County. Kramski specializes in precision stamping and injection molding for customers in the automotive and medical industries. The company is based in Germany, with its North American headquarters operations located here in Pinellas County, within the City of Largo. Through working with Pinellas County Economic Development and Global Tampa Bay, Martin agreed to be a part of this video to share with other companies considering locating in the Tampa Bay region the advantages of doing business in Pinellas County. | Learn more about our Global Tampa Bay partnership and how we can help your company grow at www.PCED.org/international. |
Spectrum Reach Pay It Forward Program |
Spectrum Reach has made a $50 million commitment to helping minority-owned businesses in our community as theycontinue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This summer, Spectrum Reach will pay it forward by offering complimentary advertising and marketing resources for select minority-owned businesses. Learn more and apply: www.spectrumreach.com/forward. |
Virtual Trade Mission: United Kingdom, September 14 – 15Global Tampa Bay will be hosting a virtual trade mission for Tampa Bay companies in the IT, Financial Services, and Life Sciences sectors interested in expanding their client base to the United Kingdom. This trade mission will be organized in coordination with London & Partners, the trade and investment promotion agency for London, UK. Approved companies will be connected with potential clients and partners in London and around the UK. The two-day event will provide networking, matchmaking, and speakers. Registration is free. The deadline to register is June 18. Click here to learn more, or contact bbarkway@pinellascounty.org. |
Tampa Bay Job & Career Fair: June 14 Is your Pinellas County business hiring? Register to participate in the Tampa Bay Job & Career Fair. Opportunities include exhibitor booths, ad placement, and sponsorships. Visit https://www.tampabay.com/expos/job-fair/exhibitors/ for more information and to register. |
Florida Chamber of Commerce: Economic Data Tracker for Counties The Economic Data Tracker from the Florida Chamber of Commerce is a new feature that allows counties to track economic progress. As TheFloridaScorecard.org is updated, county level data will be updated automatically. |
COVID-19 Updates for BusinessVaccine Confidence Toolkit for Employers: More than 400,000 Pinellas residents and 8 million Floridians have received a COVID-19 vaccine to date. Help spread the word about this critical protection for our community: the Pinellas County Vaccine Confidence Toolkit contains social media content, printable materials and other quality information to address common concerns about the approved vaccines. To find where vaccines are available, visit the Pinellas County COVID-19 Vaccine Information webpage, or sign up for an appointment at a public health site through the Patient Portal. Employers Urged to Consider Tax Credits for Paid Time Off for Employee COVID-19 Vaccinations and Recovery: Tax credits are now available for employers offering vaccine-related paid leave as more Americans are urged to seek out Covid-19 shots amid a slight decline in vaccinations. The tax credit for small- and medium-sized businesses will fully offset the cost of giving employees paid time off to get inoculated, as well as to recover from any potential side effects of vaccination. Learn more at: irs.gov/newsroom/employer-tax-credits-for-employee-paid-leave-due-to-covid-19 Ordinance Requiring Face Coverings Rescinded, signs from Pinellas County should be removed.Following Governor DeSantis’ executive order, 21-102, Pinellas County rescinded the COVID-19 ordinance requiring face coverings and certain safety protocols at businesses. The order requiring safety plan requirements for large events was also rescinded. Private businesses and organizations in Pinellas may still require face coverings and/or any other safety protocols as part of their own business operation Pinellas COVID-19 DashboardPinellas COVID-19 InformationPinellas COVID-19 Where to Get Help |