Consumer confidence hit an all-time low in December, dropping in the face of layoffs and deteriorating markets for housing, stocks and other investments. ...more

December 31, 2008

Florida's unemployment rate jumped to a 15-year high last month, rising to 7.3 percent, and the state's job losses are increasingly being felt outside of the hard-hit construction industry. ...more

December 20, 2008

Florida's unemployment rate jumped again last month, rising to 7.3 percent, and the state's job losses are increasingly being felt outside of the hard-hit construction industry. The number of unemployed Floridians rose to an estimated 680,000 in November, or 7.3 percent of the state's labor force of 9.3 million. The unemployment rate had been 7 percent in October, and it was just 4.4 percent in November 2007 on a seasonally adjusted basis. Florida's jobless rate is higher than the overall U.S. rate of 6.7 percent. ...more

December 19, 2008

The National Federation of the Blind says it considers NBC's "Saturday Night Live" skit making fun of New York Gov. David Paterson an attack on all blind Americans. ...more

December 15, 2008

Oak Hill Hospital seemed to be hitting its stride two weeks ago. Patient volumes were at the same levels as last year. ...more

December 12, 2008

Weekend after Thanksgiving had severe dropoffs in patient volumes. ...more

December 11, 2008

Sony Corp. is slashing 4 percent of its worldwide work force, reining in spending and shutting plants as it tries to ride out a looming worldwide recession that is battering Japan's export-reliant manufacturers. ...more

December 10, 2008

Anheuser-Busch InBev announced Monday it would cut some 1,400 U.S. jobs - or another 6 percent of its U.S. work force - to help save the world's largest brewer at least $1.5 billion a year. ...more

December 9, 2008

Crude oil dropped to $40 a barrel Friday, a change likely triggered by recent reports of widespread job losses, according to AAA Auto Club South. ...more

December 8, 2008

As the number of unemployed consumers climbs, Wall Street analysts say restaurant sales, profits and stock prices are likely to drop, leading to even more layoffs in the restaurant industry. ...more

December 6, 2008