One company has made the big leap and hired someone for marketing jobs in Tampa.

Entia Biosciences, Inc., has hired Sabrina Jetton to spearhead the Company’s product innovation, communications, and branding initiatives as Director of Marketing.

Jetton has been initially tasked with developing and leading the product innovation and branding strategy for the expanded GROH® hair care and beauty line, which has been designed to work synergistically to supply the powerful nutrients from nature that our bodies genetically need for anti-aging and the health of our hair, skin, and nails. Entia’s first medical food product ErgoD2® Hemo, for the treatment of anemia and diabetes, is currently in clinical trials and has a targeted launch during 2014. Other ErgoD2® medical food products for neurodegenerative and auto-immune diseases are in the development pipeline.

Jetton has been leading the preparations for the upcoming launch of the expanded GROH hair care and beauty line, which will be introduced May 19-20 during the Spring Symposium of Intercoiffure in Hollywood, Florida.

“I have been fortunate to travel around the world and lead a number of significant branding, innovation, and positioning projects during my career, talking with everyday consumers and identifying the trends that have allowed my clients to successfully bring new products to market,” said Sabrina Jetton. “People today have information at their fingertips and are becoming more educated and demanding when it comes to what they put on and in their bodies. This is a major global trend that is driving the health and beauty industries to provide more natural and scientifically validated alternatives to drugs and other chemicals. When I first learned about Entia’s 100% USDA certified organic ingredients, biotechnology platform, and extensive patent portfolio, I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of their team and help bring these important new products to market.”

“Commercialization of our nutritional technologies in the medical foods and consumer products markets is our number one priority,” said Devin Andres, Chief Operating Officer of Entia Biosciences. “Attracting team members of Sabrina’s caliber is essential to the successful launch and distribution of these products and we welcome her insights, energy and extensive experience in this critically important role.”

With the opening of a new office, one company is busy creating finance jobs in Tampa.

Rutherford Asset Planning (RAP), an independent, fee-only wealth-management and financial planning firm with offices in New York City and Naples, Florida, has opened a new branch in Tampa.

The branch will be headed by Keith Amburgey.

RAP currently serves more than fifty affluent clients with portfolios ranging from $1 million to $20 million.

“We saw an opportunity to take the successful business model we had established in Naples and contour it to the Tampa market,” says Amburgey, who notes that independent, client-focused firms catering to high net-worth families are a rarity in the Bay Area.

RAP accepts no commissions, rebates or any other type of soft money. “That means that we are always working solely on our clients’ behalf, because we have no incentive to purchase a particular product,” Amburgey explains.

Clients can rely on the firm for tax preparation, bookkeeping services and advice on purchasing insurance products.

RAP belongs to National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the country’s leading association of fee-only financial advisors.

A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Keith Amburgey has been a member of the team since 2009, when he joined RAP after a 16-year career in Morgan Stanley’s Institutional Securities Division.

Tampa jobs are climbing, according to recent data from the Conference Board. The data reflects new trends from April, just recently released.

Overall the picture was good, nationwide. Online advertised vacancies rose 204,300 in April to 5,103,100 in The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) Data Series.

In March, there were 6.8 million more unemployed than the number of advertised vacancies, down from 11.9 million at the end of the recession in June 2009.

online labor demand rose in 44 of the 50 States in the U.S. (Table 3). States that decreased were Montana, Maryland, New Jersey, West Virginia, Utah, and Kentucky. Over eighty percent (41 of the 50 States) are above last year’s April levels.

The largest gain in online labor demand was in the West, up 70,400 in April with almost half of the increase, 32,200, in California. Arizona gained 17,400 and reached the highest level in its HWOL series. Washington rose 8,800 while Colorado gained 1,200. Among the smaller Western States, Oregon gained 3,400 in April and Nevada rose 1,700. Utah fell 300.

Online labor demand in the South rose 39,700 in April (Table A) with Texas experiencing the largest increase (10,700). Florida increased by 7,500; Georgia, by 4,300; Virginia, by 2,600; and North Carolina, by 2,100. Maryland dropped 1,000. Among the smaller States, Arkansas increased by 3,600; Louisiana, by 2,100; Tennessee, by 1,000; and South Carolina, by 500.

Online labor demand in the Midwest also rose 39,700 in April. Illinois posted the largest gain, 8,800. Wisconsin rose 6,900 to its all-time HWOL high. Minnesota was up 4,900. Missouri gained 3,400. Michigan increased by 3,000 and Ohio, by just 300. Among the smaller Midwest States in April, Indiana increased by 2,700; Kansas, by 2,400; and North Dakota, by 1,200.

Online labor demand in the Northeast increased by 20,900 in April with Pennsylvania up 8,200 to 211,900, its series high. Massachusetts and New York both gained 4,800, with the latter reaching its series high. New Jersey was down 700. Among the smaller States in the Northeast, April labor demand increased by 1,400 in Connecticut, 1,100 in New Hampshire, 700 in Rhode Island, and 300 in Maine.

“For many workers looking for a new job, 2013 has been somewhat disappointing with the number of advertised vacancies in April largely unchanged from January,” said June Shelp, Vice President at The Conference Board. “The 204,000 rise in April is a good sign, but the question is: Will the improvement hold next month and will employers begin to add workers instead of just replacing those who leave?”

The 2013 results in the service/manufacturing occupations are mixed with manufacturing stalling and sales workers and food service openings slumping.

A company is expanding and generating more finance jobs in Tampa.

Rutherford Asset Planning (RAP), an independent, fee-only wealth-management and financial planning firm with offices in New York City and Naples, Florida, has opened a new office in Tampa.

The office will be headed by Keith Amburgey.

“We saw an opportunity to take the successful business model we had established in Naples and contour it to the Tampa market,” says Amburgey, who notes that independent, client-focused firms catering to high net-worth families are a rarity in the Bay Area.

RAP accepts no commissions, rebates or any other type of soft money. “That means that we are always working solely on our clients’ behalf, because we have no incentive to purchase a particular product,” Amburgey explains.

The firm does tax preparation, bookkeeping services and advice on purchasing insurance products as well. Accounts are held by independent, third-party custodians, which can be accessed on a 24/7 basis via RAP’s secure web portal.

Rutherford Asset Planning is one of only a handful of firms in central Florida belonging to National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the country’s leading association of fee-only financial advisors. The company principals share a high level of education and professional expertise in the financial and legal fields, and their client-friendly investment approach is a particular matter of pride—one reason why the firm has repeatedly made Worth magazine’s list of the country’s top wealth advisors.

A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Keith Amburgey has been a member of the team since 2009, when he joined RAP after a 16-year career in Morgan Stanley’s Institutional Securities Division. He recently relocated with his family from New York to Florida to open the Tampa branch.

Tampa unemployment has dropped, according to the latest labor market figures.

Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.7 percent in February
The February rate was down 0.2 percentage point from the revised January
rate of 7.9 percent and was 1.3 percentage points lower than the year‐ago rate of 9.0 percent. There were 729,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 9,427,000. The U.S. February unemployment rate was 7.7 percent. Florida’s unemployment rate was tied with the national rate in February.

– The number of jobs in Florida was 7,479,700 in February 2013, up 128,100 jobs compared to a year ago. February
2013 was the 31st consecutive month with positive annual job growth after the state lost jobs for over three years.
The industry gaining the most jobs was leisure and hospitality (+41,500 jobs, +4.2 percent).
– Other industries gaining jobs included trade, transportation, and utilities (+37,600 jobs, +2.5 percent); professional
and business services (+24,700, +2.3 percent); private education and health services (+24,100 jobs, +2.2 percent);
financial activities (+4,700 jobs, +1.0 percent); construction (+3,200 jobs, +0.9 percent); other services (+3,200 jobs,
+1.0 percent); and manufacturing (+1,800 jobs, +0.6 percent).
– These industry job gains were partially due to increases in food services and drinking places; motor vehicle and parts
dealers; services to buildings and dwellings; ambulatory health care services; real estate; construction of buildings;
membership associations and organizations; and transportation equipment and food manufacturing.
– Industries losing jobs over the year included total government (‐11,100 jobs, ‐1.0 percent) and information
(‐1,700 jobs, ‐1.3 percent).
– These industry job losses were partially due to declines in local government and telecommunications.

In February 2013, Monroe County (4.2 percent) had the state’s lowest unemployment rate, followed by Walton County (5.1 percent), Okaloosa County (5.5 percent), Alachua County (5.6 percent), and St. Johns County (5.8 percent). Many of the counties with the lowest unemployment rates were those with relatively high proportions of government employment. Strong population growth was also a contributing factor.

A burger restaurant called Burger 21 is expanding and creating food service jobs in Tampa.

Burger 21 has two new multi-unit franchise agreements in Florida. Seven new restaurants will be developed over the next several years in the Fort Myers – Naples corridor, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Davie and Pembroke Pines.

Burger 21 has six restaurants open in Florida and 18 franchised locations in development along the East Coast.

The company is actively seeking qualified franchisees and will host a live webinar on April 4.

Burger 21 has signed franchise agreements with nine different entities in seven states to develop a total of 20 franchised units in cities along the East Coast from New York to Florida.

Burger 21 is seeking single and multi-unit operators with restaurant experience to join its upscale fast casual dining concept. Franchisee candidates should have a minimum net worth of $500,000 and liquid assets of at least $200,000 per unit.

“We’re thrilled to continue our expansion in Florida and build a presence for the brand in the southern part of the state,” said Mark Johnston, Burger 21 president and chief concept officer and president of Front Burner Brands, management company for Burger 21. “Burger 21 offers franchisees a unique investment opportunity, and we look forward to working closely with our new franchisees to help them realize the benefits of growing with Burger 21.”

Although other markers are weak, the Tampa job market remains strong and is growing, according to a Manpower analysis.

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA employers expect to hire at an active pace during Quarter 2 2013.

For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Information, Financial Activities, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality and Government. Employers in Other Services plan to reduce staffing levels, while hiring in Construction, Durable Goods Manufacturing and Wholesale & Retail Trade is expected to remain unchanged.

From April to June, 22% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 6% expect to reduce staff. Another 66% expect to maintain their current workforce levels and 6% are not certain of their hiring plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook* of 16%.

“Hiring activity is expected to improve significantly during the second quarter of 2013 compared to the first quarter of 2013 when the Net Employment Outlook was 5%,” said Manpower spokesperson Judy Leppla. “Employers expect more robust employment prospects compared with one year ago when the Net Employment Outlook was 8%.”

Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed in the United States, 18 percent expect to add to their workforces, and 5 percent expect a decline in their payrolls during Quarter 2 2013.

Seventy-three percent of employers anticipate making no change to staff levels, and the remaining four percent of employers are undecided about their hiring plans.

When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the Net Employment Outlook is +11%, stable compared to the Quarter 1 2013 Net Employment Outlook of 12%.

The unemployment rate in Florida is better, and Florida food service jobs are making a difference in this number.

The number of jobs in Florida was 7,388,100 in December 2012, up 54,900 jobs compared to a year ago.

December was the 29th consecutive month with positive annual job growth after the state lost jobs for three years. The industry gaining the most jobs was leisure and hospitality (+29,900 jobs, +3.1 percent).

Other industries gaining jobs included trade, transportation, and utilities (+22,200 jobs, +1.5 percent); professional and business services (+18,100, +1.7 percent); private education and health services (+13,200 jobs, +1.2 percent); and manufacturing (+1,500 jobs, +0.5 percent).

These industry job gains were partially due to increases in food services and drinking places; food and beverage stores; employment services; ambulatory health care services; and transportation equipment manufacturing.

Industries losing jobs over the year included total government (-10,600 jobs, -1.0 percent), construction (-6,800 jobs, -2.1 percent), other services (-4,600 jobs, -1.5 percent), information (-4,000 jobs, -3.0 percent), and financial activities (-4,000 jobs, -0.8 percent).

These industry job losses were partially due to declines in local government; heavy and civil engineering construction.

Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.0 percent in December 2012, the lowest since November 2008 when it was 7.8 percent. There were 749,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 9,347,000. The December rate was down 0.1 percentage point from the November rate of 8.1 percent and was 1.9 percentage points lower than the year-ago rate of 9.9 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 7.8 percent in December.

According to a recent poll from CareerCast, many people said that advertising jobs in Tampa and other parts of the United States were among the most overrated jobs.

Also placing on the most overrated jobs list were senior corporate executive, commercial airline pilot, stockbroker, surgeon and attorney.

Advertising execs see job turnover resulting from the pressure of high expectations and the stress of competition for accounts with lower budgets.

Computer systems analyst, civil engineer, veterinarian, biologist and market research analyst all rank among CareerCast.com’s most underrated jobs.

“The most underrated jobs offer increasing opportunities and rewarding potential for job seekers new to the labor force, or those who need a change,” says Lee. “Some positions, such as veterinarian and school principal, require specialized advanced degrees, but you can become a plumber, electrician or automobile mechanic with additional training after high school.”

“Poor outlook for future growth, long hours, stress and a multitude of new candidates entering the industry make it especially challenging to break into many of our overrated careers,” says Tony Lee , publisher, CareerCast.com. “Overrated jobs seem attractive from the outside, but often sound better than they really are.”

Also placing on the most overrated jobs list were senior corporate executive, commercial airline pilot, stockbroker, surgeon and attorney.

Healthcare jobs in Tampa are growing at a healthy, robust pace, according to research from CareerBuilder.

CareerBuilder