Lockheed Martin Corporation recently announced that it has laid off 44 workers from the company's high-tech training unit in Orlando. The company said the layoffs from Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training & Support were necessary because of a decline in workload.

Those who lost their jobs include local computer engineers who were responsible for working on certain military training-simulator programs, which are soon coming to an end; systems engineers; software engineers; and hardware engineers. The workers will receive outplacement help from an unnamed company, severance pay and some extension of benefits.

According to an article by the Orlando Sentinel, those workers made up about 2.2 percent of Lockheed Simulation's workforce. The company, which is the largest in the area's high-tech training-simulation industry, currently has about 2,000 employees throughout several locations in Orlando.

Officials at Lockheed said the company also is experiencing a delay in funding from the U.S. military for new programs. The company also has lost some contract bids it had expected to win.

This latest round of layoffs is the company's first in eight years, with the last layoff on record taking place during October 2001, when the company eliminated 50 jobs because of unexpected delays in funding for a major training contract for the Navy.

During March, Lockheed's information-systems unit in Orlando eliminated about 30 jobs in an effort to streamline its computer-support and administrative work.

Lockheed currently employs about 7,400 workers in Central Florida, including those in missiles, training technology and information technology in Orlando and those in space-systems work in Cape Canaveral. Lockheed is the largest defense contractor in the country.

During September, the Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach area saw its unemployment rate increase from 9.6 percent to 9.8 percent, following a decrease from July's rate of 9.7 percent. The area's current unemployment rate is now even with that of America as a whole.

The Fort Lauderdale area had a total non-farm employment of 736,400 workers during September, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 737,900 workers during August and a 3.3 percent decrease from last year.

Three industries managed to see a monthly increase in employment, including professional and business services by 800 jobs, education and health services by 500 jobs and other services by 100 jobs. Monthly employment remained even in the manufacturing and financial activities industries, which accounted for 26,900 jobs and 54,100 jobs, respectively.

The government industry was the only one able to add jobs on a yearly basis during September. That industry employed 108,000 workers, down from 108,100 workers during August, but a 1 percent increase from last year.

The construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. That industry employed 40,200 workers during September, down from 40,900 workers during August and a 17.6 percent decrease from last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:

• manufacturing by 8.2 percent
• trade, transportation and utilities by 3.6 percent
• information by 3.6 percent
• financial activities by 7.4 percent
• professional and business services by 1 percent
• education and health services by .4 percent
• leisure and hospitality by 2.1 percent
• other services by 1.2 percent

President Barack Obama recently announced that the State of Florida will receive $200 million in federal stimulus funding in order to expand the Energy Smart Miami program throughout the state. The funding, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is part of the government's $23.4 billion effort to transition the nation to a smart grid system.

The program, dubbed Energy Smart Florida, is expected to create or retain more than 6,000 green jobs. It also will stimulate Florida's green economy, give residents more control over their energy usage and make Florida the model for smart grid implementation throughout the country.

Energy Smart Florida will provide Florida Power & Light with the funding to install 2.6 million smart meters and other advanced monitoring systems in homes and businesses during the next two years and 4.5 million smart meters by the end of the project.

FPL plans to invest another $378 million in the program during the next two years. That funding will be used to provide incentives for energy efficient practices and to increase the percentage of energy consumption from renewable sources.

"The Energy Smart program is an investment in the future of our city and our state," Miami Mayor Manuel A. Diaz said. "It is an important step toward creating the green jobs of the future and building a clean energy economy for the 21st century.

"This initiative meets the Obama administration’s goal of investing in alternative and renewable energy, ending our addiction to foreign oil, addressing the global climate crisis and jump-starting the green economy," he continued. "I look forward to working with FPL, Cisco Systems, General Electric and Silver Spring Networks to create a model public-private partnership and putting these economic stimulus dollars to use right away."

During September, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area saw its unemployment rate increase from 11.4 percent to 11.7 percent, which is higher than the national unemployment rate of 9.8 percent. The area has not seen its unemployment rate decrease since April, when it went from 10.5 percent to 10.2 percent.

The area had a total non-farm employment of 1,161,700 workers during September, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 1,162,200 workers during August and a 4.5 percent decrease from last year.

Four industries managed to see a monthly increase in employment, including professional and business services by 1,400 jobs, education and health services by 2,600 jobs, other services by 300 jobs and government by 2,800 jobs. The mining and logging industry employed 600 workers, the same as during August and the same as during September 2008.

Two industries were able to add jobs on a yearly basis. The education and health services industry employed 172,500 workers during September, up from 169,900 workers during August and a 1.4 percent increase from last year. The other services industry employed 49,300 workers during September, up from 49,000 workers during August and a 2.3 percent increase from last year.

The construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. That industry employed 62,300 workers during September, down from 63,200 workers during August and a 15.4 percent decrease from last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:

• manufacturing by 10 percent
• trade, transportation and utilities by 6.7 percent
• information by 8 percent
• financial activities by 3.9 percent
• professional and business services by 6.3 percent
• leisure and hospitality by 1.7 percent
• government by 1.8 percent

Rep. Kathy Castor recently added a provision to a bill that would remove redundant background check requirements for workers and businesses in Florida's ports. The amendment prohibits states from requiring a separate security background check unless one is required for homeland security reasons.

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives approved Castor's amendment to the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act. But because that bill is currently stalled in the Senate, Castor added the amendment to the Coast Guard Authorization Act, which was passed in the House of Representatives last week and will soon reach the Senate.

In Florida, the current system requires workers with a Transportation Worker ID Card - the national five-year port security credential - to undergo additional background checks through a state-run system in order to access ports.

The Transportation Worker ID Card itself costs about $132, and Florida port workers are required to pay between $100 and $130 to obtain credentials in Florida.

Many people have complained that the current system has caused prospective employers to leave Florida, placing the state's seaports, tenants, trucking companies and workers at a significant competitive disadvantage.

Two years ago, Castor passed an amendment requiring the Department of Homeland Security to resolve the differences between the Transportation Worker ID Card and the existing credential and background checks in Florida. However, the redundant system remained in place.

Florida isn't the only state that has had problems because of redundant background checks required for port workers.

The National Employment Law Project recently released a study that found a 2002 law meant to improve security throughout the country's ports has actually resulted in thousands of longshoremen, truck drivers and other employees without jobs for longer than usual.

That law, which was instituted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is making those workers wait an average of seven months for security credentials that they need to return to their jobs or start new ones.

Miami-based Ocean Bank told 78 employees last week that they would be losing their jobs. This layoff, combined with 33 employees that recently accepted voluntary severance, reduces the bank's total employee count to about 786 workers.

Those involved in the latest round of layoffs will be offered one week of severance payments for every year of service, outplacement services from an unnamed company and unused vacation pay. All of the employee reductions will result in about $4.3 million in savings per year.

As of Sept. 30, 2008, Ocean Bank had 1,052 employees. However, in January of this year the company laid off 127 employees, froze salaries and lowered company health plan contributions.

"Part of the reorganization is to consolidate some functions and streamline processes," Alfonso Macedo, president and CEO of Ocean Bank, told the South Florida Business Journal. "This will improve the position of the bank."

As an additional measure to cut costs, the bank's executive officers will take one week off without pay this year.

As of June 30, 19.5 percent of Ocean Bank's loans were noncurrent, ranking it among the most financially troubles banks in South Florida. During 2008, Ocean Bank lost $204.7 million, which was followed by a loss of $89.5 million during the first six months of this year. The bank has been under a cease and desist order from regulators since 2004.

However, Ocean Bank's shareholders in Venezuela supported the bank, which has $4.4 billion in assets, by giving it $40 million in capital last year, which leveled exceeded regulatory requirements in the second quarter.

Gov. Charlie Crist recently announced his plan to convene some state agencies in charge of reviewing legal requirements for screening those who work in facilities that provide care to children, the elderly and those with disabilities.

Currently, only certain employees of some child daycare centers, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other residential care settings are required to pass criminal background checks before they are hired, leaving the chance that these places could potentially make costly and harmful hires.

"When it comes to the safety and security of Florida's vulnerable populations, we must make every effort to ensure that their professional caregivers do not have criminal histories," Crist said. "I want to thank the members of the media - and especially the South Florida Sun-Sentinel - for examining the current practice of background screening to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable individuals."

The selected agencies will get together to review the use of criminal background checks, the process for granting exemptions and the process that allows employees to begin working before a background check is completed.

The state agencies asked to participate include: