News

Makayla Buchanan Selected for U.S. Chamber Foundation Education and Workforce Fellowship Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently announced that Makayla Buchanan, Director of Early Learning & Literacy of the Florida Chamber Foundation was selected to participate in the tenth cohort of its premiere business leadership program. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and trade associations with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build their capacity…

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Manufacturing is a Major Opportunity in Florida

By: Mark Wilson, President, Florida Chamber of Commerce & Foundation Recognizing the essential role manufacturing plays in the growth of a diverse economy, one of the Florida 2030 Blueprint’s goals for Florida is to significantly grow Florida into a top 5 state for manufacturing jobs. Since the release of the Blueprint in 2018, Florida has added 58,300 manufacturing jobs, now ranking #11 in the country – solidly surpassing New York and behind Georgia by 8,000…

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Florida Chamber of Commerce Announces Second Round of 2024 Legislative Endorsements

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is again uniting Florida’s business community to help make Florida more competitive, and today endorsed a bipartisan list of 19 additional candidates running for election this year. These candidates underwent a thorough vetting by the business community as part of the Florida Chamber Political Institute’s Candidate Interview process.  Covering five cities over six weeks, more than 80 business organizations joined together to interview over 100 candidates for state legislative office.…

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Florida’s Economy Shows High Growth, Dips One Spot to 16th Largest Global Economy

By: Keith Richard, Ph.D., Vice President of Research, Florida Chamber Foundation Newly released data reflected on TheFloridaScorecard.org for 2023 shows that if Florida were an independent country, it would be ranked the 16th largest economy in the world by gross domestic product (GDP). This represents a change from Florida’s previous GDP ranking as the 15th largest economy in the world. While on the surface this may seem concerning, Florida’s latest annual GDP stands at $1.58…

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New Education Scores Show Movement Towards Florida 2030 Blueprint Goals

By: Sheridan Morby, Senior Research Economist, Florida Chamber Foundation Florida’s latest 3rd and 8th-grade reading scores were recently released, reflecting progress toward Florida 2030-related education goals. According to TheFloridaScorecard.org, 3rd-grade reading scores increased by 5 percentage points to 55%, while 8th-grade reading scores rose 4 percentage points to 51%. Math scores were also released, showing a slight increase in 3rd-grade math proficiency to 60%, while 8th-grade math proficiency dipped by 1 percentage point to 54%. Click HERE to…

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BREAKING NEWS: Net Income Migration to Florida Remains Above $4M Per Hour, Significantly More Than Any Other State

By: Kyle Baltuch, Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber Foundation As the Florida Chamber Foundation works towards achieving the ambitious Florida 2030 Blueprint mission of growing Florida’s economy to the 10th largest in the world by 2030, the latest income migration numbers are showing that Florida continues to grow at a rapid pace. Once again, Florida is leading the nation, with over $36.05 billion in net income moving into our state each year. While this is…

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Florida Chamber Foundation Releases Florida Workforce Needs Study 2.0 Research to Further Address Florida’s Talent Skills Gaps

Access the Florida Workforce Needs Study 2.0 HERE> The Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida 2030 Blueprint established a unifying goal of growing Florida to the 10th largest economy in the world by 2030. Within the Six Pillars Framework outlined in the Blueprint, the “Talent Supply and Education” pillar stands as the first area to address to achieve the bold vision. In response to the pressing workforce crisis faced in Florida and throughout the nation, this morning,…

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Florida Chamber of Commerce Announces First Round of 2024 Legislative Endorsements

The Florida Chamber of Commerce continues to unite Florida’s business community to help make Florida more competitive, and today endorsed a bipartisan list of eighty current and former legislators running for election this year. These legislators have a strong track record of securing Florida’s future by regularly promoting free enterprise and job creation. These endorsements are based, in large part, on Legislator’s actual grades earned on The Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislative Report Card. “The Florida…

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Unlocking Florida’s Full Potential: Why Education Matters for Florida’s Disconnected Youth

By: Keith Richard, PhD, VP of Research, Florida Chamber Foundation Florida’s future and economic success depends on engaging all Floridians, including an often overlooked population: disconnected youth. Ensuring these young Floridians have every opportunity to secure a path to prosperity is essential. However, barriers to obtaining a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g., a GED) often limit prosperity for many of these individuals. Florida’s “disconnected youth” are individuals ages 16 to 24 who are not…

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Florida Chamber of Commerce Unveils 2024 How They Voted, Naming House Speaker Paul Renner as Most Valuable Legislator

Today, the Florida Chamber of Commerce unveiled its 2024 How They Voted publication. A comprehensive review of what passed this legislative session, what didn’t, and what remains unfinished business, How They Voted reveals the Florida Chamber’s 2024 Legislative Report Card, showcasing grades earned by all 160 legislators in the Florida House and Senate based on their votes during the 2024 Legislative Session, and recognizes the Florida Chamber’s Most Valuable Legislator and Distinguished Advocates. “It’s incredible…

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Florida Chamber of Commerce Unveils 2024 Legislative Report Card and Distinguished Advocate Award Recipients

Today, the Florida Chamber of Commerce unveiled its 2024 Legislative Report Card, showcasing grades earned by all 160 legislators in the Florida House and Senate based on their votes during the 2024 Legislative Session, and also awarded 15 Legislators the 2024 Distinguished Advocate Award. “Florida currently has a $1.62 trillion economy and is continuing to grow and diversify,” said Florida Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Mark Wilson. “I want to thank Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate…

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Florida Chamber of Commerce Endorses U.S. Senator Rick Scott for Reelection

Florida Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Mark Wilson stood with former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Rick Scott yesterday in Tampa at a local manufacturing facility to announce the rollout of the “Small Business for Rick Scott” coalition and formally announce the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s endorsement of his reelection to the U.S. Senate. In addition to providing remarks at the press conference, Mark Wilson released the following quote in support of Senator Rick…

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New Florida Chamber Statewide Poll Shows Donald Trump and Rick Scott Begin 2024 Campaigns With Leads, While Governor Ron DeSantis Remains Popular With Floridians

The latest Florida Chamber statewide poll finds both Donald Trump and Rick Scott leading their likely Democratic opponents. Trump and Scott each lead their respective opponents among Hispanics, White voters and older voters. The Florida Chamber’s poll also finds Governor DeSantis retaining strong approval amongst Floridians, with 56% of Floridians giving the Governor a favorable review of his job performance as Florida’s chief executive. Trump, Scott Lead Democratic Opponents in Florida The Florida Chamber’s poll…

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Florida Chamber Health Council Unveils the Nation’s First Business-Led Mental Health Research Report at 2024 Leadership Conference

This morning, the Florida Chamber Health Council unveiled the first business-led mental health research report in the nation aimed at uniting the business community, mental health experts, and policymakers on 25 strategies for creating systemic change to improve mental health outcomes in and out of the workplace. CLICK HERE> to access the report and contact the Health Council to learn how you can get involved with our  efforts to make Florida the healthiest state in…

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Is Florida’s Housing Market in Trouble? The Difference Between Headlines and Analysis

By: Kyle Baltuch, Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber Foundation Over the past month or so, a number of inflammatory headlines have sparked a conversation throughout Florida. Is Florida’s housing market in trouble? Here’s the problem with these headlines. They lack context, rely on seemingly short-sighted analysis, and ultimately jump to a conclusion that may not be correct. These articles paint a picture of a weakening housing market, relying primarily on a couple of distinct points:…

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