State of Working Florida 2008
Hard times already here for Florida's workers

Already in 2007 workers began to feel the effects of a slowing economy. Job creation fell, unemployment rose and wages remained flat. But the cost of living in Florida continued to rise, and job benefits remain weak, signaling trouble for Florida's workers for the near future. The annual Labor Day report The State of Working Florida report showed that the number of jobs in Florida grew by just 0.5% in 2007, down from a high of 4% growth in 2005. The construction industry showed the biggest drop, losing 54,000 jobs. Unemployment rose from 3.2% in 2006 to 4.1% in 2007 ... read more.

RISEP has released a revised version of our study on community benefits from changes at the Orange Bowl. Find out how Miami can benefit from local hiring, providing health care coverage to workers, hiring minority contractors, using registered apprentices, and using Best Value Contracting in using public funding to build a Marlins stadium at the Orange Bowl site.

Report: Public Benefits from Public Subsidies: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Ways to Build the Marlins Stadium at the Orange Bowl Site

In response to concern in the community over the growing affordable housing crisis in South Florida, RISEP is conducting research on housing affordability and gentrification. Our completed reports show that the working poor struggle more than any other income group to secure adequate and affordable housing. Our latest report shows that housing costs are increasing faster than wages in South Florida and renters are especially struggling with the high cost of housing. Read about it here.

Report: The State of Miami's Housing Crisis: An Updated Look at Affordability in One of the Country's Least Affordable Housing Markets 

RISEP has done research on low-wage workers and recently enacted living wage and minimum wage laws in Florida. These studies demonstrate the “low-wage” nature of much of Florida employment and what are the impacts of legislated wage floors. Take a look at the evidence!

Reports:
--The Florida Minimum Wage After One Year
--A Difference That Matters: Worker Impact of Miami-Dade's Living Wage Ordinance

Access to affordable and quality healthcare for low-income families has become one of the most pressing issues facing Florida, with the state's top industries showing poor rates of coverage for workers. Find out how Florida workers fare with health insurance by reading our report Healthcare Coverage and Employment Status in Florida: A Report. Also read about the costs and consequences of not providing health insurance to workers on two local public works projects in Healthy Work: The consequences of not providing health insurance on two county GOB projects.