Florida ranks first in the nation in "attracting and developing a skilled workforce," according to an annual "talent attraction" list published by Lightcast, a company that describes itself as "the global leader in labor market analytics."
The study was created "to help communities know how they are doing in the mission to attract and develop talent" in the workplace. Results were obtained by measuring, over a five-year period, different areas of growth in the states included: net county migration (adding new residents), educational attainment, skilled job creation, the competitive effect, and the average annual number of job openings in firms.
15 counties in the Sunshine State ranked among the top 50 list. Five were in the top 20: Hillsborough County (#8), Polk (#10), Lee (#12), St Johns (#18) and Pasco (#20).
Florida #1 in all categories
Florida ranked first in educational attainment, jobs, skilled jobs, 2020 migration, competitive effect and skilled job openings.
Adding more than 388,000 residents between 2016 and 2020, Florida led the "largest net migration" category with nearly double the net migration gains of Texas, which ranked second in the report. In the words of the state Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) Secretary Dane Eagle:
Florida's #1 ranking in talent attraction and net migration is proof that Governor DeSantis' Freedom First policies are working.... Businesses and families move to Florida because they know our state is the best place to grow. The state's unemployment rate remains low, while private sector employment and job growth continue to soar.
The DEO is working with various state partners to grow and strengthen the state's workforce, including making "strategic investments to meet the workforce demands of Florida's businesses and keep the state's economy strong," he said.
Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed his Administration's commitment to an open economy and its emphasis on training and developing workers with technical skills and credentials.
By keeping Florida free and open, we have created a positive economic environment and invested in our state's workforce and communities.... At the same time we lead the U.S. in net migration and talent attraction. While other states continue to struggle at the hands of poor leadership, people and businesses are flocking to Florida.
