NATIONAL NEW HOME SALES
Sales of new homes surged in April by 16.2 percent – the biggest amount in 14 years – but the median price of a new home also dropped by the largest amount on record, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The mixed signals left no clear picture of whether the worst of the nation’s housing slowdown is over.
FLORIDA ECONOMY
Nearly 150,000 new high-tech jobs were added in the U.S. in 2006, with Florida adding 10,900 tech jobs for the second-largest gain behind California’s net job creation. The rate of job growth, at 4 percent, was highest in Florida.