Below is an excerpt from a recent white paper published by www.OrlandoJobs.com regarding employment in our region. Overall Project Summary & Major Findings In the seven months since the first 2009 Central Florida Employment Outlook white paper, the economy of our nation and our region has changed in many ways. From the housing market to the influx of federal stimulus dollars, we are still feeling our way forward, and the companies included in this survey reflected this uncertainty in their employment outlook for the remainder of 2009, and in their planning for 2010. The unemployment rate... Read more

J. Scott Rae Buono, president and CEO of YourOffice USA With thousands of layoffs over the past year, a surge of small businesses and start-ups are turning to the executive suite industry to keep overheads low as they ramp up their operations. Countless individuals have left the corporate world permanently to become their own bosses and are seeking professional yet affordable office space. Instead of setting up shop at the kitchen table, more small business owners are looking in increasing numbers toward companies like YourOffice USA, which facilitate growth with adaptable business centers featuring... Read more

The University of Central Florida received a $1.3 million federal grant to study whether Get Active Orlando’s walking, bicycling and community gardening programs are helping older adults and lower-income, minority families become more physically active. The two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health uses funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or federal stimulus money. It creates five two-year jobs in Orlando. Karen Dennis, a professor in UCF’s College of Nursing, and Get Active Orlando will investigate the effectiveness of “Adult Bike Giveaway,”... Read more

As Heart of Florida United Way (HFUW) continues its transition to a new strategic model focused on prevention, a volunteer council comprised of local business leaders, issue experts, academics and others is helping guide the process. Known as the Investing in Results Council, the group formed earlier this year under the leadership of Ed Timberlake, Chairman of the Board for Seaside National Bank & Trust and former Chair of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce. With United Way’s first round of competitive funding grants due to be awarded this fall, the Council is playing a key role... Read more

Are you In the Loop? This September 13 Florida Hospital East Orlando invites you to wear your pink and pearls and spend the afternoon with the girls as they transform Waterford Lakes Town Center into a French-themed park side bistro to stretch the pink ribbon around the world in a never-before-seen breast cancer awareness event in East Orlando. Area residents are urged to come out and enjoy an afternoon with their family and friends while showing their support against the disease that affects a new woman every two and a half minutes. In fact, attendees will even have the opportunity to make a... Read more